A Birder's Guide to Australia: Karumba Point

Check my birding map for specific location.

I actually stayed in the caravan park at Karumba Point, a few kilometres from the main township of Karumba and I'm so glad I did. First to hit you when you arrive (literally) are the locusts. I prefer to call them giant grasshoppers but whatever, there were swarms of them. Be prepared to get hit in the face on a regular basis. The next thing I noticed was an abundance of birds and I have split my trip report into 3 areas.

1. The caravan park

Just sitting in my van I could see doves, honeyeaters and lots and lots of raptors. Then I heard a familiar call. Sounded just like the Silvereye we have back home in New Zealand. Having done my research I knew it must be the Australian Yellow White-eye. My first lifer within 10 minutes. I was already glad to make this detour to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Australian Yellow White-eye (zosterops luteus)

All around the point were Whistling and Black Kites. At times, when the grasshoppers were particularly swarmy, there were dozens and dozens of them. In the afternoons they would sit on the pylons outside the park and call or doze. I've never seen raptors so disinterested in my presence close up. They must be very comfortable at Karumba Point (or just very full of grasshoppers).

Whistling Kite (haliastur sphenurus)

Black Kite (milvus migrans)

2. The Airport pond

Not an official pond I don't think, just a pool of water by the entrance to the Airport but it was busy all day long. From Brolga first thing in the morning to terns and cisticola in the afternoon, the place had birds coming and going non-stop. Golden rule of birding - if you find somewhere active, stay there. So I pulled out my folding chair and spent a whole day sitting next to this shallow patch of water. Check my eBird lists for the full count but the highlights included a standoff between squabbling Black-fronted Dotterel, a Common (nothing common about it) Greenshank that was occasionally joined by some tired looking juveniles and thirsty Brown Quail.

Black-fronted Dotterel (elseyornis melanops)

Brown Quail (synoicus ypsilophorus)

Common Greenshank (tringa nebularia)

3. The Bird Watching Tour with the Ferryman

After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing I was lucky enough to get on this tour. The alternative being sunsets and crocs. No thanks! We didn't see a lot of birds but what we did were fantastic, really special. Three lifers is a record such a short space of time. And then a White-bellied Sea Eagle close up finished my Karumba stay in style!