Birds of Nyirripi

Nyirripi is about 450 kms north west of Alice Springs. One enjoyable part of getting to Nyirripi is the chance to drive through Newhaven Conservation Reserve. The road is dirt from the Tanami Road, totalling about 200 kms of dirt at the end of the journey, but driving through large tracts of Desert Oaks and spinifex is very enjoyable.

The Masked Woodswallows were by far the most common bird. Flocks of over 100 would periodically burst into the air, full of voice. White-fronted Honeyeaters, Pied and Black Honeyeaters also fill the air with their calls, and Crimson Chats are often heard but not often seen. Rufous Whistlers, Grey Shrike-thrush, Red-capped and Hooded Robins, as well as the occasional bird of prey including Wedge-tailed Eagle, Peregrine Falcon and Black-breasted Buzzards.

There are budgerigars around, but not in huge numbers, flocks of 40-50 would burst out of their feeding area and into the sky to whirl around and then settle again at the next feeding point. Occasionally some would come close, but interestingly these were the only parrot species I saw.

The scenery around Nyirripi is covered in lush greenery at the moment, thanks to the recent rains. Some of the claypans are still holding water which means the birds that normally hang out at the Sewage Ponds are spread out, and a few unusual sights such as Pacific Heron, Straw-necked Ibis, Grey Teals and Black-fronted Dotterels were all observed briefly at the waterside of the claypans. The following are photos from the past week around Nyirripi and some from within the borders of Newhaven. I hope you enjoy.

Red-backed Kingfisher

Australasian Pipit

Australian Bustard

Banded Whiteface

Brown Honeyeater

Budgerigars

Crested Bellbird

Crimson Chat

Grey Shrike-thrush

Rufous Whistler

Slaty-backed Thornbill

Landscapes, Snakes, Foxes Waterbirds and Honeyeaters

Central Australia offers such a wide variety of natural experiences. Recent rains have transformed the landscape into a lush, colourful, and sometimes dramatic experience. A short drive from Alice Springs can be rewarded by photos such as the one below from Rainbow Valley, 80 kms south of Alice Springs:

A little bit further away, about 460 kms north west of Alice Springs is Nyirripi Community. The nearby hill is known as Karku, or "Little Uluru". The recent rains have created small pools in the clay pans. Karku dominated the landscape, but the rains have created a lovely foreground:

Driving to Nyirripi can be via Yuendumu or Newhaven Conservation Reserve. Occasionally being in the car offers close-up encounters with reptiles. My most recent trip was one such occasion with this beautiful Stimpsons Python slowly meandering across the road through the Reserve:

Another wildlife experience was not so nice. Red Foxes are slowly making their way north through the NT, killing lots of native wildlife along the way. I don't like seeing dead animals of any sort really, but this sighting confirmed the foxes really are a threat to the native wildlife here in Central Australia. I saw this deceased fox on the Tanami Road:

The rains have dispersed the normally concentrated birds of Nyirripi away from the Sewage Ponds and across the lands. Strange little clay pan temporary pools of water are now home to a few birds. This scenario is being played out hundreds of times across Central Australia. I came across a pair of Grey Teals and a family of 4 Black-fronted Dotterels in two separate pools:

The Honeyeaters have started to breed and ready themselves for the onslaught of flowering that is destined to occur over the coming weeks and months. Virtually everywhere I stop the car now once away from the main living areas of Central Australia, the piping of both Pied and Black Honeyeaters can be heard. I do wonder why the Black Honeyeater is not called "Little Pied Honeyeater" or "Lesser Pied Honeyeater" in the same way other birds are named "Little .." or "Lesser .." of birds of similar species and appearance. As you will see from the photo, the Black Honeyeater is not totally black, but very much a "Pied" plumed bird.

Pied Honeyeater

Black Honeyeater

Peregrine Falcon at Nyirripi

At Nyirripi, there is a resident Peregrine Falcon. Most days it can be seen perched in the communications tower on the south west edge of the Community. From there is starts its run of about 1 km to the Water Treatment Ponds. One morning this week I watched it return to its perch on the tower, I had just seen it fly at the Ponds without success and watched it fly in a wide arc back to the tower. About 10 minutes elapsed, all the while I kept checking to see if it was there. A medium sized group of about 20 Crested Pigeons fluttered down to a patch of ground in between the two ponds. Even though they are noisy birds in flight, I doubt even the Peregrine could hear them from the tower, but, it could obviously see the movement.

Normally at this stage of proceedings I would pick up the camera, hoping to take photos of the Peregrine zooming in and having take-away breakfast. I resisted the urge to pick up the camera and watched. Sure enough, the Peregrine came off its all-seeing perch and started to fly towards the Ponds. Within seconds, it had flown low over the canopy and swooped on one of the hapless pigeons sipping away on the equivalent of a morning coffee. The Peregrine had shocked the pigeon into an incapacitated state on the first swoop, then slowed dramatically and fluttered up, then back down to clutch the pigeon in its talons. All in a few seconds from a kilometre away. Absolutely amazing eyesight and velocity control. The scary thing for all the other birds is that it wasn't even going flat out, despite making a noise a bit like a fighter jet.

On another occasion this week I was again at the Ponds, when I heard the "jet" go past me only a few metres above, just enough to clear the fence, and swoop on a hapless Diamond Dove. The dove had no chance. I saw this action repeated again from a different position on yet another occasion (yes I spent a wee bit of time there) and took photos of the falcon flying to a nearby perch and consuming the poor dove. It is nature, and there are so many doves out there, but the "safety in numbers" didn't quite hold true for that particular dove. I also saw the Peregrine take Zebra Finches, although I wonder how much of a meal one of those could be, maybe that is like a snack, with main meals still required.

In order of speed on a dive, based on the sound, the Peregrine Falcon beats all other falcons, ie the fighter jet. Not far behind would be the Grey Falcon, then the Black Falcon, then the Australian Hobby and finally the Brown Falcon. The Nankeen Kestrel is probably the slowest, but still an efficient hunter. When a Brown Falcon wants to, it can move quite quickly, but the first 4 definitely make a distinctive sound when they are heading full bore towards their target.

Peregrine Falcon

Gray Wagtail at Nyirripi

Nyirripi is about 450 kms west north west of Alice Springs. There are normally around 100 people in the Community. The scenery surrounding the Community is dominated by a couple of hills, the main one is called Karku.

As with a lot of remote Central Australian communities, Nyirripi has its own water treatment facility. This attracts a variety of wildlife, principally birds, but other animals as well. Occasionally, birds are found there that seem a little out of place.

I had returned to the Water Treatment Ponds during lunch hour as I had seen an unusual wader earlier that day. I was training the camera on one of the suspect larger waders when I noticed a much smaller "wader" running and hopping along the edge of one of the ponds. It seemed smaller than the other small waders, and was moving unlike any of the other small waders. As the camera focussed on this new small bird, I realised I had seen that movement before, similar to a Pipit. Just as I managed to snap the focus onto this new visitor, the larger wader took acception to its nearby presence and the small Pipit like bird hopped a couple of times out of the way, then flew to the edge of the pond in front of me, alas out of sight. This was frustrating as I knew by now I thought had found an Eastern Yellow Wagtail, or Gray Wagtail, but didn't have any clear photos. I watched and waited, constantly scanning the raised levy in front of me, hoping a head would appear. After a little while I had almost given up, thinking it must have flown off without me seeing it. I looked towards the next pond, when there it was, standing proudly, then almost parading itself, walking, hopping along the concrete edge. Finally a decent chance for photos. Unusually, a Gray Wagtail at Nyirripi, Central Australia.

Gray Wagtail

Nyirripi - land of Banded Whitefaces, Falcons, Hawks and Buzzards, and weather phenomenons

Finally back to visiting remote Communities. Nyirripi was the destination and my love of this area hasn't waned after another spectacular birding display.

With the dryness of the surrounding area, the Poo Ponds was the place packed with action. 1000+ Zebra Finches make enough noise and movement to excite any bird of prey. Throw in a few Sandpipers and a small flock of Crested Pigeons, and mayhem is bound to follow. It did.

Even after looking at old photos, current photos, and the ones I took, I still can't work out if the bird of prey below is a Collared Sparrowhawk (had the elongated middle toe and a shortened call compared to the Goshawks I've been watching recently) or a Brown Goshawk - rounded tail and beetle brow. Regardless, it was pretty brutal with the unfortunate Sharp-tailed Sandpiper:

The Black Falcon and Peregrine Falcon preferred the Zebra Finches, but I also watched as the Peregrine took out a Crested Pigeon

This Black-breasted Buzzard landed across and up the road from me before being mobbed by Yellow-throated Miners then to my delight flew back towards me

 By far the highlight was a close-up experience with a Banded Whiteface, which was followed later in the day at a different location with another 6, although not quite as close

The first morning moon was spectacular just before it set. I turned around to be confronted by an equally stunning sunrise

The Tanami Road is possibly going to have bitumen from Alice Springs all the way to Halls Creek. That would be awesome but I suspect only an act of God may make this happen for the price they are quoting ($680 million)

And finally, couldn't not have the Zebra Finches in a post about Nyirripi, and I've included yet another example of the strange discolouration quite a few of them have

Brown Falcon with Prey, White-fronted Honeyeater, Crimson Chat, Centralian Blue-tongue and other photos around Nyirripi

Late yesterday afternoon I was watching a few of the water birds at the local Sewage Ponds at Nyirripi when a Brown Falcon arrived clutching some freshly caught prey.

This morning I ventured out early to see what was around some of the more cleared areas of Emu Bore Road. The sunrise was pretty spectacular.

A Chiming Wedgebill was singing its heart out as the sun rose, but as hard as I tried I couldn't locate it. Competing for the early morning noisiest bird was a Crested Bellbird, but again it stayed beyond sight. The White-fronted Honeyeaters and Crimson Chats were much more accommodating, if a little shy. Once the sun had broken over the horizon, birds came from everywhere out of the grasses and the few trees around. Willie Wagtails, Grey-headed Honeyeaters, Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters as well as a few Black-faced Woodswallows. I tried to get as close as I could to the White-fronted Honeyeaters as they have proved elusive in the past, below are some of the better shots, as well as a Crimson Chat that came very close to the car just as I headed back to the Community to start work.

Finally for this post, yesterday afternoon I went scouting for a spot for this morning along Emu Bore Road, and was very happy to spot this Centralian Blue-tongue on the road.