Olive Pink Botanic Garden

 

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The Botanic Gardens in Alice Springs is a most unusual place. Every other such garden I have been to is a lush, green place full of exotic plants and trees. In the Red Centre, it is very different. In my first visit I struggled to tell the difference between one dry, brown bush and the next. There is a walk you can follow around the back of the garden and a rocky hillside is the home of Black-footed Rock Wallabies. There are also more brown, dry bushes. 

I was extremely excited, however, to immediately find the Western Bowerbird displaying at its bower. I have seen several species of bowerbird in Australia but this guy won the handsome competition hands down. What a stunning bird and when it displayed the lilac crest, it was amazing. 

Western Bowerbird (chlamydera guttata)

On my second visit to the garden I realised there was a bird-attracting garden which I set out to find. Consisting of several flowering bushes, I could immediately hear the squeaky call of the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. There were several of them feeding inside the bushes and I had to wait awhile before they peeked out.

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (acanthagenys rufogularis)

The other honeyeater buzzing around was the White-plumed Honeyeater. They are a common bird here and while exciting for me to see, the locals view them with some contempt for their noise.

White-plumed Honeyeater (ptilotula penicillata)

On the ground I found a group of Grey-crowned Babbler. I love these birds with their squabbling and chattering. They were investigating the leaf litter and I followed them to a nest where they were feeding young. For a dry semi-dead appearing landscape, it was certainly shaping up to be a haven for birdlife!

Grey-crowned Babbler (pomatostomus temporalis)

The high pitched pinging of the Port Lincoln Ringneck caught my attention close to the visitor centre and I found a group of them tearing off small figs from a tree. Unfortunately, I don't think they were ripe and the birds left them scattered on the ground. This bird was just double checking.

Port Lincoln Ringneck Parrot (barnaridus zonarius)

All in all I really liked this unusual park. The more time I spent there, the more I found out about desert wildlife and that looks can be deceiving. 

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Hunter Creek Park

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Hunter Creek is a rest area very close to Abbatoir Swamp and my 2022 trip was my first visit to it, although I have driven past it many times. It looks very ordinary with a single picnic table and bush toilet. However, there is a creek running under the adjacent road and along the back of the area and it is all rainforest. There is also a little walkway, only about 50 metres through the forest and the whole place is full of rainforest birds.

I started at the creek, hoping to see the Azure Kingfisher I had spotted at Abattoir Swamp. I was rewarded, however, with the squeaks of the Large-billed Scrubwren. They are very endearing birds but difficult to photograph always skulking about in the dense foliage. I did get a couple and that was a pretty good start.

Large-billed Scrubwren (sericornis magnirostra)

Next I walked through the area by the toilet and I heard the Pied Monarch, another bird seemingly allergic to light! I got a couple of reasonable shots before it disappeared into the gloom.

Pied Monarch (arses kaupi)

A bit more co-operative was a group of Silvereye feeding on some red berries on the side of the bush and I got several of this greedy bird with juice smeared all over it. I couldn't help but laugh.

Silvereye (zosterops lateralis)

The Fairy Gerygone and Grey Whistler were my last 2 catches and I was thrilled. The Fairy Gerygone was the northern personata form with a black chin and white moustaches. Very interesting.

Fairy Gerygone (gerygone palpebrosa)

The Grey Whistler has foxed me on numerous occasions with its yellow breast and un-whistler like behaviour. I was by no means certain this was one until I could look at my photos. Very pleased to have a clear shot of one at last.

Grey Whistler (pachycephala simplex)

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Abattoir Swamp

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Abbatoir Swamp and Hunter Creek Park are within a kilometre of each other along the Mount Molloy - Julatten road. I find it quite amazing that 2 small areas can host a completely different set of birds, because one is dry and one is rainforest. I have visited Abbatoir Swamp many times over the years but this was my first time at Hunter Creek. 

At Abattoir Swamp, you pull in to a small circular track and you can just pull onto the side to park. It is a well looked after area with lovely touches like a sign to leave the tap dripping for the birds. It is a very small area, only a few metres of forest surrounding the track and a path leading to the swamp. In previous years, I have found the swamp to be the best part but it is grown over now and you can't really see any birds from the hide. Good for the environment I suppose and there is still much to see on the short boardwalk to the swamp hide and the rest of the area. The Brown Honeyeater dominates the trees around the boardwalk with a call that is surprisingly loud given how small they are.

                                                

Azure Kingfisher (ceyx azureus)

On one visit I was very lucky to catch an Azure Kingfisher darting amongst the trees outside the hide. I waited patiently and eventually it came back and spent around an hour fishing. I must have taken 100 shots of it and all except 2 had something obscuring this beautiful, tiny bird. I was thrilled to get a clear shot of it and it remains one of my favourites.

Eastern Yellow Robin (eopsaltria australis)

Back in the forested areas there seems to always be an Eastern Yellow Robin or 2 who are usually obliging. During my several visits in 2022, I also found a Northern Fantail resident there as well. Larger than the more common Grey Fantail, it was also slower and less noisy. My first time getting close to one.

Northern Fantail (rhipidura rufiventris)

Also in the bush was a pair of Brown Cuckoo-Dove which are normally very shy. I had to creep around a lot to get close to them and was surprised by how beautiful their plumage really was.

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (macropygia phasianella)

On two visits I found a family of Varied Sittella. I always think of them as upside down treecreepers as they work down the tree rather than up. Varied is a very apt name as their plumage seems to be a wide range of colours and striations.

Varied Sittella (daphonositta chrysoptera)

The highlight of my visits was the Yellow-breasted Boatbill. It has a distinctive, almost electronic warble and it is such an unusual bird you always want to photograph it. I heard it and glimpsed it several times before I eventually got in the right place at the right time to shoot it. Marvellous.

Yellow-breasted Boatbill (machaerirhynchus flaviventer)

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Ellery Creek, West MacDonnell Ranges

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Ellery Creek is about 90km west of Alice Springs in the West MacDonnell Ranges. The campsite is next to Ellery Creek Big Hole, which is, of course, a big hole. Full of water and quite magnificent. it stretches through a gap and into the creek itself I assume. It looks like nature's version of an infinity pool.

The campsites themselves are in a circle with a space in the middle for seating and fires. The first thing that greets you on arrival are the Diamond Doves and Zebra Finches which are all looking for food in that area. I have not been able to walk up to these shy birds anywhere, but here you can. In the surrounding trees, the incessant double beep of the Striated Pardalote rings out along with the melodious call of the Pied Butcherbird and bell like 'ting' of the Port Lincoln Ringneck Parrot. It is a quite lovely setting.

Diamond Dove (geopelia cuenata)

Along the short path to the Big Hole, honeyeaters zoom about as usual and I saw a pair of Australian Kestrel playing high in the sky. I saw them several times during my stay but they stubbornly stayed too high to me to photograph them. I was quite surprised to see a number of birds in the water. A White-necked Heron appeared at dusk but during the day a Little Pied Cormorant, numerous Grey Teal and a pair of Australian Grebes were often swimming on the far side of the pool, away from the shrieks of the silly humans who dared to swim. The water is extremely cold I understand. I did not try it myself.

Australasian Grebe (tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

I completed the Dolomite Walk which took me twice as long as estimated as I go so slow looking for birds. The spinifex grass stabbing at your legs doesn't help. I saw Brown, Grey-headed, Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters on the walk but frustratingly, again they stayed too far away for decent photos.

I also walked back along the track to the main road looking for Dusky Grasswren. I was only rewarded with Purple-backed Fairywren but the moulting male did sit out for me which is always nice. He looks like he has singed his crown a little. Across the road from the entrance and running parallel with the creek itself was another track that I followed. Lots of Weebill taunted me pretending to be other thornbill but I am never sorry to see the Weebill, they are so interesting with their acrobatic displays.

Male Purple-backed Fairywren (malurus assimilis)

There were other raptors here, my first shots of a passing Black-breasted Kite which I was really pleased to get. I have only seen them in passing when driving before. An Australian Hobby sat in a nearby tree for me but AGAIN, just too far away to get a sharp shot.

Australian Hobby (falco longipennis)

Black-breasted Kite (hamirostra melanosternon)

The highlight of my stay here was a bird that, thankfully, allowed me to get close. In fact, the Pink Cockatoo seemed very curious about me and twice scooted down its tree to have a look at me. This was my first encounter with this bird and it was very special. Cockatoos are fabulous birds.

Pink Cockatoo (ophochroa leadbeateri)

A last wonderful surprise on the way out of the ranges was a Wedge-tailed Eagle on the side of the road. Normally if you stop, they will fly away but this bird just sat and let me get pretty close.

Wedge-tailed Eagle (aquila audax)

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Smalleys Beach Camping Area

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Smalleys Beach is on the northern side of Cape Hillsborough which is famous for the beach where kangaroos feed at dawn. I did go to see that and was immensely disappointed as it consisted of rangers feeding the kangaroos and wallabies out of a bucket. Not the spiritual experience as advertised. 

Anyway, I was thrilled with the Smalleys Beach Campground. Set back slightly from the beach in a bushy area, there was lots of shade, animals and birds. The beach itself was long and wide and I couldn't help but feel that it is a real benefit to the environment that people can't go in the water and so don't build huge resorts along along coastlines like this. It was unspoilt and peaceful. 

As soon as I arrive at a new place, I grab my camera and walk around and I nearly tripped over an enormous Lace Monitor. It seemed quite at home and I followed it as it walked around the campsite and surrounding bush. It is incredible to me coming originally from the UK and then New Zealand that animals like this can be found so easily. I was glad I got some photos then as I only got glimpses during the rest of my stay.

Lace Monitor or Tree Goanna (varanus varius)

I spent most of my time at Smalleys on the beach itself, wandering up and down but staying a safe distance from the water's edge. I saw a good number of birds but photography was tricky in the harsh sunlight that always seemed to be in the wrong spot. I saw several egrets and was really keen to get the Reef Egret but managed to spook it. The Striated and White-faced herons were a little more co-operative but I still got muddy trying to get closer to them.

Striated Heron (butorides striata)

White-faced Heron (egretta novaehollandiae)

Late in the afternoon when the sun was a little kinder I was scouring the edge of the scrub for sunbirds that I could hear a lot and sometimes see as they zipped by. They are kind of the Australian hummingbird as they are so small. After an hour of frustration a male finally sat up for me.

Male Olive-backed Sunbird (cinnyris jugularis)

Fresh from this triumph I just about tripped over a family of stone curlew resting by my campervan. These birds are so cryptic even though they are so distinctive when out in the open. 

Bush Stone Curlew (burhinus grallarius)

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Mackay Botanic Gardens

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The Botanic Gardens at Mackay were as unusual as they were stunning. The gardens stretched along the river and the set up was great for walkers, families and bird watchers with a paved walkway all along. You could cross over the river and walk along the other side but the ground was a bit rougher and the birds harder to see. From the paved side there was great views of the water and the birds on it. At the northern end was a boardwalk into the water and swampy area and although it was a bit exposed, again there was great views of the bird life.

I arrived, as I always like to do, early in the morning and headed south. I was immediately rewarded with numerous Intermediate Egrets in the shallows. As I crept up on them, a pair was chasing each other around and displaying. It was a stunning sight and I took a lot of photographs.

Intermediate Egret (ardea intermedia)

A rather noisy resident of the water area was the darter with it's croaky kind of growl. Several people were interested in one very close to the edge of the water. Drying it's wings made a great photo with the reflection. The adjacent turtles queuing up to get on a log was also popular.

Australasian Darter (anhinga novaehollandiae)

Also in the gardens were lots of Rainbow Bee-eaters. I kind of feel that if you have a great shot of a bee-eater in the sunshine then you don't need any more. The pose it always the same. However, I cannot resist shooting them whenever I see them as they are so beautiful. At the gardens, it was no exception. 

Rainbow Bee-eater (merops ornatus)

Another noisy occupant of the gardens was the Blue-faced Honeyeater which is usually seen in groups actively interacting and feeding. They are bullies and will see off any other birds in their way. But goodness they are interesting to look at and to watch. 

Blue-faced Honeyeater (entomyzon cyanotis)

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River Street Park, Mackay

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I always try and get local information before I visit a new place and the birders in MacKay had a regular walk along the river that I was able to join. I knew the Mangrove Gerygone, Robin and Honeyeater were seen here so I was very keen to explore this area. The group walked from the car park at the River Street Boat Ramp east along the Blue Water Trail with mangroves between the walkers and the water. Eventually we reached a large expanse of beach. On the walk with the group we had fleeting glimpses of them and certainly heard them, there were no photographic opportunities. Undeterred, I stuck around after the walk. I wasn't leaving with my photos. After a while I found the gerygone and honeyeater flitting about in the mangroves.

Mangrove Gerygone (gerygone levigaster)

Mangrove Honeyeater (gavicalis fasciogularis)

Also skulking around the mangroves was a Fan-tailed Cuckoo. Cuckoos are a real favourite of mine. As I teacher in a former life, I used to teach about instinct using the cuckoo as an example. Really though, I just love the energy they put into the breeding process. I have seen them monitoring the host birds as they raise their chicks. Fascinating behaviour.

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (cacomantis flabelliformis)

A real treat was the stunning Brahminy Kite flying over the river. I did see this bird sitting on the bridge later but I didn't think I would be popular if I stopped in the middle to photograph it. Shame!

Brahminy Kite (haliastur indus)

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