A Birder's Guide to Australia: August 2022

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Hull Heads

Check my birding map for specific location.

Oh boy, what a surprise the tiny little campground at Hull Heads was. I only stayed there because it was cheap and on the way south. My experience here really does reflect my entire journey - challenging, exhilarating and full of surprises.

It was a howling gale when I arrived at this very small settlement, really knock your socks off windy and as I pulled into the campsite I could see large birds circling. I knew straight away they were frigatebirds (very distinctive shape) but I couldn't figure out what they were doing here. I have only ever seen them offshore. The campsite caretaker told me they come inland during bad weather to shelter. Well, it was bad weather and there were hundreds of them circling the area. I was amazed.

Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)

Over the few days I was there and as the weather improved, there were fewer and fewer frigatebirds circling and everyday I was out trying to get shots of them. Conditions were against me and I must have taken several hundred shots by the end. Still, having had no previous photos of Lesser Frigatebirds, I can honestly say that these are my best ever pictures!

I parked my van close to the boat ramp a little down river from the estuary mouth as it gave me a good view of the river, the island in the middle and towards the sea. It was the first time that I really used my van as a hide and I spent the bad weather sheltered there with the back door open and just watching and waiting.

And, my luck was in. For the first time ever, I saw a white morph Reef Heron and it appeared that the boat ramp and surrounding area were his territory. I watched it fish and wander about for days and could have stayed for days more. It paid no mind to me at all.

White Morph Pacific Reef Heron (Egretta sacra)

As the wind lessened, other birds reappeared. I watched a pair of Osprey educating a juvenile in the ways of hunting but they were too far away to photograph. White-bellied Sea Eagle would regularly fly past on their way to the island in the river and one morning I was lucky enough to see a juvenile.

Juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

The caretaker had told me about a large crocodile in the river and to be careful not to get too close to the water. There were also fisherman at the boat ramp a few times and it was the first time I had ever seen people acting nervously about a crocodile. Then I saw it.

Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus sacrius)

When I could, I walked down the river to the estuary mouth, being careful to stay away from the water of course. The beach bent around the river and in the sheltered side I found Red-capped Plover and Beach Stone Curlew. I was thrilled to see this Common Noddy as well. Not very elegant photography as I crawled on my stomach to get close to it but worth it.

Common Noddy (Anous stolidus)

Overall, I was so pleased to have been to Hull Heads. That is the joy of birding - you never quite know what you will see!

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S107833301

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S107738897

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Cattana Wetlands

Check my birding map for specific location.

Cattana Wetlands are a little north of Cairns and easy to access. I have always loved coming here and have never been disappointed regardless of the time of year. It was ghastly hot during March 2022 and subsequently it was quite quiet. That was ok as I couldn't have done much rushing around if I had tried!

I visited several times and one visit coincided with a Cairns Birders trip. I met Jan Lile and she immediately helped me identify the Little Bronze Cuckoo which I had heard calling a lot. She also pointed me to the Crake Pond where some of the other participants were watching a pair of Black Bittern. I didn't need telling twice and shuffled off to have a look.

Female (top) and male Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

Bittern are so rarely seen that it is always incredible when you do. I watched the very dark male and chocolatey brown female as they worked the edges of the pond. I was just willing them to come closer and out in the sunlight but really, I was just happy to see them going about their business. Any photos were a bonus. They are a bit gloomy but I was happy enough.

In the same area as the bittern I found some Double-eyed Fig Parrot and as I stood very still, they came closer and closer. This is the male (red stripe) of the Macleay's subspecies and I love that he is balanced on the figs.

Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Cyclopsitta diopthalma)

Normally I don't go any further than this set of ponds as they are full of heron, egret, jacana, pygmy-geese etc, but as it was quiet it gave me a chance to (slowly) explore further afield. At the back of the wetlands is a path out into the surrounding paddocks. There is a small creek and I saw kingfisher and flycatchers there. In the fields, the grass was long and plentiful with seeds. It was a great place to pick up the Chestnut-breasted and Nutmeg Mannikin.

Chestnut-breasted Munia (Lonchura castaneothorax)

Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)

In previous years, in the cooler months, I have also seen many Crimson Finch and despite not getting a cracker shot as yet, I am always pleased to see such vivid birds.

Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton)

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S106230236

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S104249700

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Saturday, August 27, 2022

Cooktown

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I am sorry to say that I didn't like Cooktown. I did not originally plan to visit but as I was close returning south from Cape York, I thought I really should go. I had lots of parrot photos to process and I wanted some downtime to plan my next move. So I went to Cooktown for 5 days. I stopped at the Keatings Lagoon on the way but I didn't like that either. It was beautiful and I saw my first Tropical Scrubwren there but there were warning signs about crocs telling you to stay away from the water. Unfortunately, the path to the bird hide was right next to the water. The loneliness and gloom added to the spooky feeling about the place and I went fairly quickly to the hide. I fair ran the way back, feeling a bit put out after only seeing some oriole and herons.

Cooktown looked like a perfectly nice seaside town. It had adequate shops and facilities. The caravan park was pretty run down but it had lots of trees and a bush area at the back. I think the problem was that everything I had read about Cooktown said it was a birding mecca, that there were heaps of species and I would be tripping over them. Not so.

I started at the botanic gardens which were very pleasant and cool. A walk out the back led to Finch Bay Beach and I followed that through the bush. No birds. No birds. I couldn't believe it. The whole place was so quiet it was like being back in New Zealand! I only saw a couple of honeyeater on my way to the beach. Things improved there where I found a white morph Reef Heron which was working the mangroves. I watched and photographed that for a while before returning through the gardens. Still no birds. I tried other tracks with similar results and I was so disappointed.

White Morph Reef Heron (egretta sacra)

Back at the caravan park things improved with a pair or Wompoo Fruit Dove lower down the canopy than I would expect. Did I mention how unrelentingly windy it was in Cooktown. It never stopped. I think maybe all the birds had been blown out to sea! Anyway, the Wompoo provided some stimulation over the next few days and I met a fellow birder Jim Gill who is a parrot expert. I was glad that he was as disappointed as I (in the nicest possible way). There had been sightings on eBird of pitta in the caravan park recently but try as I might, I couldn't find any.

Wompoo Fruit Dove (ptilinopus magnificus)

One day I was walking along the sea front which provided a little more variety of birds and I came across a dark morph Reef Heron which was so interesting after seeing the white morph. Another thing to research - why these morphs?

Dark Morph Reef Heron (egretta sacra)

As a last resort I drove into the Mount Cook National Park. The access road was twisty and along a lane I saw only 2 houses. One had a 20 foot dragon in the garden and the other had swastikas on the gate. The howling silence of any birds and the unsettling feeling about the locals saw me hightail out of Cooktown!

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S113699363

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S113632622

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S113577987

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S113485263

Stuart Highway Rest Areas South of Alice Springs

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The rest areas alongside the main north-south road between South Australia and Alice Springs (Stuart Highway) are a lot nicer than those coming from Tennant Creek. They are more expansive with areas to walk and park away from the road. I stopped at 3 recently and was surprised by how pleasant they were and the quality of the birds in the locale. On the drive south I was thrilled to see a Bourke's Parrot fly across the van and then alongside it. However, by the time I had wound the window down to ask it to pose for a photo, it had gone. Beautiful grey, pink and blue bird and I never fail to be amazed to see such incredible birds as I just drive down the road.

First off was Redbank Waterhole which is about 7km from the road along and unsealed, rough road. It was traversable by the my van although we did bump quite a lot. The waterhole was quiet in terms of people but busier for birds. I parked up above the water and spent a quiet afternoon and very cold night there.

Redbank Waterhole early morning

On my way out in the morning, having to drive very slowly was an advantage and I saw lots of Zebra Finches and honeyeaters. A group of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo caught my attention as they tried to force a raptor away from them. Luckily, that raptor landed and I then crept towards it. The bird was remarkably tolerant but it did help having a long lens as I didn't have to get too close to get my shots. The owl-like face indicated it was a Spotted Harrier. The poor cockatoos had to turn their attention to a hobby which took up the chase.

Australian Hobby (falco longipennis)

Spotted Harrier (circus assimilis)

Next up was the Finke River Rest Area where I stopped for morning tea. The area had lots of potential but I didn't stay long. There is a area out the back which had nice parking and a gate allowed access to the river. With only a few patches of water, the only customer was a Willie Wagtail.

I spent the night at the Desert Oaks Rest Area which had a nice walk out the back and I immediately saw parrots. Eventually they settled and I saw they were a pair of Mulga Parrots. I had seen them in the aviaries at Desert Park but in the wild they were so brighter and more vivid. A lifer for me so I was pleased to get adequate shots of them.

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S117570333

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S117570339

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Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Alice Springs Sewage Ponds

Check my birding map for specific location.

The Alice Springs treatment plant is unique. It is recognised as one of the best birding areas in Australia and it is most unusual in that you can access it. With some safety formalities and a volunteer guide, you can walk around the ponds at your leisure. Contrary to the impressions of non-bird watcher civilians, it doesn't smell, it is very beautiful and very interesting. My guide Tanya was so knowledgeable and helpful - it made all the difference. The night before had been very cold and it was lovely to walk around the ponds chatting about birds and photography with the rising sun on our backs. It was a huge bonus and surprise to get 4 lifers here. I didn't get too many photos but sometimes the experience is what is important.

The first birds we saw and heard were the Little Crow. Distinguishing between the Little and Torresian Crow is proving to be a challenge for me and even though we saw the littles, I could not explain why it was so. Anyway, here it is.

Little Crow (corvus bennetti)

As we hit the ponds we started to see waders. Most common was the Black-fronted Dotterel and they took flight as soon as we got close. Then Tanya spotted a Wood Sandpiper which was great and it let us get close enough to photograph it. I rattled off dozens of photographs and laughed when I processed them. The bird was so still that every photo was exactly the same. Some birds are just more active than others I guess.

Wood Sandpiper (tringa glareola)

As we moved to the first corner which was overgrown, we could hear the Little Grassbird and fairywrens. During the morning we saw all 3 local species of fairywren, the Splendid, Purple-backed and White-winged. The females are all plainer than the more shy males.

Little Grassbird (poodytes gramineus)

Female Splendid Fairywren (malurus spendens)

The highlight of the visit was seeing the shy Australian Spotted Crake. Amazingly, it not only came out into the open but the sun was actually in the right place. We ended up seeing 2 birds out in the open in different places which was just magic for my first sighting.

Australian Spotted Crake (porzana fluminea)

eBird List
https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S117363572

Balgal Beach

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You never quite know what you are going to get when you roll up to a free campsite. There have been places that I drove straight back out again but sometimes you find a corker. Balgal Beach campsite was such. I will never forget this place and I hope to be able to revisit at some point. It is situated very close to the beach where the river meets the sea separated only by a grassy park and some picnic amenities. All around are trees (always a good start) and it has a lovely feel about it.

And so it was that I excitedly ducked through the trees on to the beach and I think I didn't return for hours. It was a long weekend so there were lots of people around but the beach was long and wide and so there was plenty of space. As the tide receded the beach grew hugely and lots of rock pools were exposed. My first catch was some Red-capped Plover. Don't you always love seeing a bird that is so easy to identify? I am always grateful to this bird for that as often waders are difficult.

Red-capped plover (charadrius ruficapillus)

I could see something larger fly in across the water and so I headed off north to find a Beach Stone Curlew. What an odd bird (another one easy to identify). I always mean to research the thick-knee family as they are so peculiar in appearance. One day. I was curious to see it picking up and putting down what looked like a stone. Not sure about that, cleaning it's teeth maybe!

Beach Stone Curlew (esacus magnirostris)

Always attuned to notice movement, I saw something large in my peripheral vision and was delighted to see a male (dark eye) landing in a large rock pool. Now there is a bird you can get from a long way away with a telephoto lens.

Black-necked Stork/Jabiru (ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

I continued walking north to the river entrance and was thrilled to come across an Eastern Osprey hunting in the shallow water. I watch it diving into and emerging from the water several times but with no luck. Still a stunning sight.

Eastern Osprey (pandion haliaetus)

As the tide turned and began to come back in, I walked along the river entrance and watched with some schadenfreude at some boaties stuck on sand just waiting for the tide to lift them off. At the landing dock (wharf, pier - I don't know sorry) terns and swallows were wheeling and darting about. I managed to catch this Welcome Swallow taking a rest on the railings.

Welcome Swallow (hirundo neoxena)

As I headed (rather tiredly by this point) back to my van I heard a familiar moaning call. I had to find them, cockatoos are my favourite birds and any chance to see Red-tailed ones cannot be passed up. Unperturbed by all the humans, they were feeding in the trees above the park and on the ground close by. Adults and juveniles were there and although it was a bit gloomy amongst the trees I managed to get some shots. The female has the yellow sparkles.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (calyptorhynchus banksii)

eBird Lists

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S108686352

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S108663568

https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S108558307

Desert Park

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Desert Park in Alice Springs is probably the best wildlife park that I have ever been to and that is somewhat of a surprise in the middle of the desert. A combination of excellent planning, well maintained exhibits and incredibly interesting local animals makes it a place you can spend a lot of time at! I was there for a full day. I had tried to leave at lunchtime and visit somewhere else but there seemed no point when the area was just buzzing with birds. Some that I include here are from aviaries but there was also plenty to see walking around the park itself.

The fairywrens were such a bird with the Splendid and Purple-backed calling in lots of places. This was the first sighting in 2022 for me of the former so I stalked them until I found the glorious male.

Splendid Fairywren (malurus splendens)

And now a contrast of colours. The rather plain looking thornbill family are small songbirds with a pale eye. This is the Chestnut-rumped Thornbill and I really enjoyed watching it sitting up and calling.

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (acanthiza uropygialis)

It's neighbour was a rather more brightly coloured Red-capped Robin and it too was in calling mood. My camera struggled with the vibrance of the red.

Red-capped Robin (petroica goodenovii)

In one of the aviaries I could hear a reed warbler calling and stood patiently until it appeared. These birds give everything when they are calling, their whole body shakes. It is quite a sight.

Australian Reed Warbler (acrocephalus australis)

The surprising highlights of the exhibits were the incredible numbats. I'd never seen them before and I watched them for a while as they dug in the ground and chatted to each other. They are marsupials that feed on termites (hence the long nose I suppose). I really hope I get to see animals like this in the wild.

Numbat (myrmecobius fasciatus)

I have saved the best for last though. I have been on the road in Australia for 6 months now and I am always looking for buttonquail. Having visited lots of places where they have been seen and frequently thinking about where they might be, I had just about given up that they really existed. As ever, while wandering the park I had an eye out for them when, to my shock, I saw one scrabbling around in the dirt right next to the path I was on. It was tiny, cryptic and shy. Luckily there weren't other people around so I could watch it for a while. Difficult to photograph in the dark and as it moved around so fast, I was so pleased to get a couple of sharp(ish) shots.

Little Buttonquail (turnix velox)

Desert Park was an incredible birding location, no doubt!

eBird List
https://ebird.org/australia/checklist/S117303160

Babinda

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What a find Babinda was! I was originally staying at the free campsite at Rotary Park in Babinda itself but it was busy, noisy and I didn't like it. I always try to have a reserve site for such eventualities and so found myself driving through Babinda towards Babinda Boulders campsite. The difference was incredible. Both were free sites but at the Boulders, it was so peaceful and beautiful. Surrounded by rainforest and a stone's throw from the creek, it was perfect.

Straight away there was activity above me. The palm trees were blooming and a mass of birds were feeding on the red, sticky fruit. I was really excited to see the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet. It's not that I don't love their Rainbow cousins but it was high on my list for 2022 to see other lorikeet varieties. Although all green, this Lorikeet is stunning with yellow scales on its breast and a bright red bill. I followed them around quite a lot that first afternoon. The Double-eyed Fig Parrot was also feeding at times. They are only as long as your average cell phone and so watching them high up in palm trees is not so easy. This is a female (blue cheeks are the diagnostic) of the Macleay's subspecies.

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet (tricholglossus chlorolepidotus)

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot (cyclopsitta diophthalma)

Also feeding in the palms were the Dusky Honeyeater. How such a small bird can make so much noise is beyond me! It seemed to be always squabbling with family members or other birds but always making a racquet.

Dusky Honeyeater (myzomela obscura)

The Macleay's and Yellow-spotted Honeyeater were also here. The Macleay's is obvious with it's unique colouring but the Yellow-spotted has to be distinguished from the Lewin's and Cryptic by it's call.

Macleay's Honeyeater (xanthotis macleayanus)

Yellow-spotted Honeyeater (meliphaga notata)

The most unusual honeyeater (well I think so anyway) are the Friarbirds. From the strange variations in neck and head gear to their unique, if painful sounding, calls, you always know when a Friarbird is about. This time it was the Helmeted, the largest of them all sporting a knob on it's bill and a grey ruff.

Helmeted Friarbird (philemon buceroides)

The Green Oriole was one of the reasons I might have stayed at Rotary Park as there seemed to be hundreds there, all calling. The oriole is known as the sound of the tropics and their lolloping (I might have made that word up) warble cuts through every other noise in the rainforest. And so, I was pleased to see (and hear) one close to my camp site.

Green Oriole (oriolus flavocinctus)

Lastly, I could hear the Varied Triller (aptly named) calling in the afternoons and it took me a couple of days to track it down and it was great to catch it in the act (so to speak). The lack of barring on the breasts indicates this is a male bird.

Varied Triller (lalage leucomela)

A real bonus one morning was catching a Musk Kangaroo in the creek car park. It didn't hang around when it saw me and I was sad that it left breakfast behind.