2008 TOP END BIRDING TOUR
DARWIN,
KAKADU NP, KUNUNURRA AND MITCHELL PLATEAU
6 to 21 July 2008
Day
1
6 July 2008 Darwin area
Mangroves, rainforest, wetlands and Botanic Gardens
This morning, if the tide is right, we'll bird the Darwin mangroves
concentrating on the most difficult specieschestnut railwhile
the more easily seen species include red-headed honeyeater and
yellow white-eye.
Later we'll visit some patches of monsoon rainforest where target birds
will include the spectacular rainbow pitta and rose-crowned
fruit-dove. Also here we should see large-billed and green-backed
gerygones and possibly mangrove golden whistler. We should
get pied imperial pigeon perched on powerlines around Darwin
suburbs.
We'll lunch at the Darwin Botanic Gardens where rufous owl might
be our just dessert for a tough morning's birding. Nearby wetlands and
mudflats should set our bird list soaring in the afternoon.
Overnight: Darwin
Day 2
7 July Darwin area
More mangroves are on the agenda this morning, giving us another chance
should we need it for chestnut rail. Other species could include
mangrove robin, shining flycatcher, mangrove grey fantail
and the melodic mangrove gerygone. Pied heron and radjah
shelduck should be about and there is a chance for grey goshawk.
We will lunch at Howard Springs where we have a chance for rose-crowned
fruit dove and rainbow pitta and less glamorous species like
lemon-bellied flycatcher and spangled drongo. Collared kingfisher
and beach stone curlew are on the agenda late afternoon.
We'll witness the sun setting spectacularly beyond the ocean's horizon
after which we'll spotlight for large-tailed nightjar and barking
owl. Dinner at Darwin's best waterside restaurant will complete
our day.
Overnight: Darwin
Day 3
8 July Darwin to South Alligator Village
We leave Darwin this morning travelling east to Kakadu NP. En route
to Kakadu we will visit Fogg Dam where the patch of monsoon rainforest
is alive with birds. It often produces little bronze-cuckoo and
brush cuckoo, bar-breasted and rufous banded honeyeaters
as well as rainbow pitta. White-browed crake can often
be seen on the wetland and we could see our first brolgas here,
plus a variety of waterbirds. After lunch we will make a stop at Adelaide
River for the stunning mangrove golden whistler should we still
need it. If we have the energy tonight, we'll spotlight around South
Alligator for barking owl, spotted nightjar, northern
brushtail and dingo.
Overnight: Kakadu Resort
Day 4
9 July South Alligator Village to Cooinda
The South Alligator floodplain can be an excellent area for raptors
such as both spotted and swamp harriers, black-shouldered
kite, brown falcon and black-breasted buzzard, and
sometimes a surprise or two. It can also be good for zitting
and golden-headed cisticolas and Australian pratincole,
and occasionally Australian bustard. The patch of monsoon rainforest
at South Alligator can be good for rufous fantail and cicadabird. We
will also visit some of Kakadu's famous wetlands where we should see
green pygmy-goose and wandering and plumed whistling-duck.
The spectacular Arnhem Land escarpment will come into view today. We
will be on the lookout for woodland birds including partridge pigeon
and black-tailed treecreeper.
Overnight: Gagudgi Lodge, Cooinda
Day 5
10 July Cooinda area
This morning we will visit the Arnhem Land escarpment where our main
quarry will be the elusive black-banded pigeon one of
the hardest birds to see in Kakadu NP. Other possibilities here include
Top End endemics such as white-lined honeyeater and sandstone
shrike-thrush. Both species have beautiful melodic calls that
echo through the escarpment. The Arnhemland race of the variegated
fairy-wren (race dulcis) can be seen here. We'll also visit one
of Kakadu's major Aboriginal rock art sites. After lunch we will check
out some of the swamps around Cooinda where we have a chance for the
elusive great-billed heron, and have another chance for
large-tailed nightjar and grey goshawk.
Overnight: Gagudgi Lodge, Cooinda
Day 6
11 July Cooinda to Mary River Roadhouse
A good list of waterbirds will be had this morning as we cruise, on
private charter, the beautiful Yellow Water billabong. We hope to see
the aptly named little kingfisher, as well as the more common
but still gorgeous azure kingfisher. We'll also be on the lookout
for black bittern. The cruise is also good for bush birds, the
most attractive of which is the delightful white-browed robin.
Nearby woodland could produce owlet nightjar not such
an easy bird to see in the Top End. Later, we travel south, checking
out woodland for chestnut-backed button-quail and looking out
for some of the area's delightful finches, such as masked and
long-tailed, and the diminutive diamond dove the smallest
member of the pigeon family in the world.
Overnight: Mary River Roadhouse
Day 7
12 July Mary River to Pine Creek
An early start this morning as we make our way back to the Arnhem Land
escarpment to the Gunlom Falls for our final assault on the Arnhem Land
endemics. Leaving the best till last, we seek the delightful white-throated
grasswren in amongst the boulders and spinifex at the top of the
escarpment. Also up here we seek the oddly proportioned chestnut-quilled
rock pigeon, its colours perfectly camouflaged against the rocks
on which it lives. After lunch we will leave Kakadu NP behind and head
towards Pine Creek. We'll be on the look out for hooded parrot;
a quite rare and beautiful parrot that nests in termite mounds and inhabits
the stony hills, often feeding in recently burnt areas.
Overnight: Pine Creek
Day 8
13 July Pine Creek to Katherine
This morning gives us more chances for hooded parrot as well
as northern rosella and plenty of great bowerbirds; their
bowers scattered around Pine Creek. We will then travel south of Katherine
where we have a chance for the most elusive of raptors, the red goshawk.
Several pairs of red goshawks reside in the area. We will also be on
the lookout for Gouldian and star finches. We might also
see our first cockatiels today as well as rufous-throated
and yellow-tufted honeyeaters and perhaps the beautiful white-winged
form of the varied sittella in the dry woodland.
Overnight: Katherine
Day 9
14 July Katherine to Victoria River
This morning we will be on the lookout for the rare northern shrike-tit
that lives in the woodland about Katherine as well as the golden-backed
form of black-chinned honeyeater. Travelling west we will have
more chances for Gouldian and star finches, as well as
chestnut-backed button-quail. Budgerigars can occasionally
be seen in this area and of course, we will be ever alert for raptors.
Overnight: Victoria River Roadhouse
Day 10
15 July Victoria River to Timber Creek
Birding the canegrass along the Victoria River should deliver purple-crowned
fairy-wren, yellow-rumped mannikin and star finch.
These species have declined in number and have a restricted distribution.
Freshwater crocodiles are also common in the Victoria River. We then
head west to bird the dry woodland for species such as red-browed
pardalote and red-backed kingfisher. If the bloodwoods are
flowering, the varied lorikeets should be about.
Overnight: Timber Creek Motel
Day 11
16 July Timber Creek to Kununurra
We have another chance this morning for the ever-declining Gouldian
finchoften seen at water in Timber Creek or nearby woodlands.
Black-chinned (golden-backed form), yellow-tinted, rufous-throated,
grey-fronted and banded honeyeaters are some of the species
which are seen in the flowering eucalypts and grevilleas in the area.
After lunch, we shall continue west, crossing the Western Australia
border. We will keep an eye out for pictorella mannikin, and
raptors, such as square-tailed kite and black-breasted
buzzard.
Overnight: Kununurra
Day 12 Kununurra
17 July A big bird list is assured when we take a boat trip on Lake Argyle
this morning. Notable species include yellow chat and white-quilled
rock-pigeon, and a great list of waterbirds, as well as short-eared
rock wallaby and northern nail-tail wallaby. Later we should have close
up views of the delightful spinifex pigeon and we will check
out reed beds for crakes and bitterns.
Overnight: Kununurra
Day 13
18 July Kununurra
Driving northwest this morning to Wyndham, we check out areas for finches,
including pictorella mannikin and Gouldian finchif
we still need them. In Wyndham we will explore the mangroves for white-breasted
whistler, mangrove grey fantail and the Kimberley form of
lemon-breasted flycatcher. Later we will visit grassy plains
and swamps where we have a chance for Australian pratincole and
several species of button-quail. Spotted harrier and black
falcon frequent this area; and there is always the chance of shorebirds.
Overnight: Kununurra
Day
14
19 July
KununurraMitchell Falls
Today we charter a plane to Mitchell Plateau and then transfer by helicopter
to the car park of Mitchell Falls. Our chief purpose is to seek out
the black grasswrenthe most isolated of the grasswrens-which
inhabits the boulders and spinifex around Mitchell Falls. Another species
we may see in this area is the rare yellow-eyed form of the partridge
pigeon; the Mitchell Plateau is the last stronghold for that race.
The scenic view on the flight across the Kimberley is spectacular. We
return to Kununurra late afternoon.
Overnight: Kununurra
Day 15
20 July
Kununurra Katherine
Today we start our journey back to Darwin, perhaps doing a quick bird
around Kununurra before we leave if we are still missing some species.
We'll be looking out for rare raptors, such as black-breasted buzzard,
square-tailed kite, spotted harrier and grey falcon,
on the return journey to Katherine
Overnight: Katherine
Day 16
21 July KatherineDarwin
On the drive back to Darwin we will stop at Adelaide River War Cemetery
to seek out the silver-backed race of grey butcherbird. Back
in Darwin we will have a final shot at any Darwin species missed.
Overnight: Darwin
Additional
information:
Cost: $6,300.00 AUD twin share (includes GST)
A single supplement applies to single rooms: $804.00 AUD