The boys and I have just returned from a spectacular trip to Darwin, Batchelor, Mary River and Gunlom. We saw some amazing sights, had a lot of laughs, came very close to very large crocodiles, saw some huge Merton's Water Monitors and saw around 120 species of birds from Elliott to Darwin and all the places we visited in between.
Gunlom has been a family favourite spot for quite a number of years as there is a beautiful plunge pool that is salt-water croc free, and some more swimming holes up on top of the escarpment where the waterfall then plunges down to the plunge pool. Although the water wasn't cascading as it normally has in the past due to the short wet season in the north, it was still stunning. The plunge pool is surrounded by pandanas and figs, there is a small monsoon forest to walk through and the wildlife is up close and personal sometimes, snakes, lizards, dingoes, horses, the list goes on.
One of the birding excitement moments actually came as we were driving the car to leave Gunlom. There are a couple of unique species up on top of the escarpment, the White-throated Grasswren and the Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon. A helicopter had dropped some people on the top to see if they could find the grasswren as this hasn't been sighted in its normal locations. Thus, I didn't spot either of the two unique birds, but as we were heading out, in the early morning sun/shade on the road, some Partridge Pigeons were congregating. I haven't seen these birds before and they are quite stunning around the eye.
Gunlom has been a family favourite spot for quite a number of years as there is a beautiful plunge pool that is salt-water croc free, and some more swimming holes up on top of the escarpment where the waterfall then plunges down to the plunge pool. Although the water wasn't cascading as it normally has in the past due to the short wet season in the north, it was still stunning. The plunge pool is surrounded by pandanas and figs, there is a small monsoon forest to walk through and the wildlife is up close and personal sometimes, snakes, lizards, dingoes, horses, the list goes on.
One of the birding excitement moments actually came as we were driving the car to leave Gunlom. There are a couple of unique species up on top of the escarpment, the White-throated Grasswren and the Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon. A helicopter had dropped some people on the top to see if they could find the grasswren as this hasn't been sighted in its normal locations. Thus, I didn't spot either of the two unique birds, but as we were heading out, in the early morning sun/shade on the road, some Partridge Pigeons were congregating. I haven't seen these birds before and they are quite stunning around the eye.
Partridge Pigeon
The Crimson Finches would visit near our van early in the morning and late in the afternoon. There was a Pandanas bush just next to our van and they flew from the grasses to the bush and back again. Some wonderful photo opportunities.
Crimson Finch
Aside from the above, there was a plethora of species around the camp site and nearby. Here is a sample.
Black Kite
Bush Stone-curlew
Little Woodswallow
Rainbow Lorikeets - Red-collared subspecies
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
White-breasted Woodswallows
(these birds were amazing in their number, there were a number of tree branches stacked like the one below all at the same time)
Banded Honeyeater (a lifer for me)
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Golden-headed Cisticola
Rufous-throated Honeyeater
White-gaped Honeyeater
great variety here Richard and I really like seeing all those little white-breasted woodswallows lined up on the branches
ReplyDeleteThanks Carole, those Woodswallows really were something to see, and they left the perch in small groups unless there was a cry of panic from one, which only happened once, and that turned out to be a false alarm.
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