Treasures of Windjana Gorge

We arrived at Windjana Gorge one late afternoon in August. These Black kite appeared as sentinels in the setting sun - probably just hanging and keeping an eye out for scraps ... or maybe ....  guarding something perhaps?!

 Not really, but the kids did enjoy pointing out these little treasures rustling in the scrub next morning!

Brown quail, Windjana Gorge, 14 August 2012 

The quail were seen adjacent to the camping area which is outside the actual gorge. We walked the gorge for about 2 hours (out and back) but it deserves much more time. I was torn to have to turn around as each bend in the gorge seemed to promise more interesting sights and varied habitat.

Little bronze-cuckoo amongst the trees lining the gorge. Lifer!

Below are Yellow-tinted honeyeater, a White-gaped honeyeater feeding and White-winged triller.

Brown falcon looking down on me

People may be aware that Windjana Gorge is probably best known for a different form of wildlife. This Black-fronted dotterel appears to be tip-toeing past such a beast!

These Freshwater crocodile are everywhere. They are harmless to humans unless disturbed.

We've covered birds and reptiles - bats represent the mammals today. Fishing is prohibited in the Gorge and barramundi can be seen swimming! 

Views within Windjana Gorge and one from the camping area "amenity" looking back at the cliff walls of the gorge entrance.

I would expect that spending a few days here would be very productive from the birding point of view! Here's the Eremaea list from our little visit. 

Bird on!

Barking owl - crowd pleaser!

This Barking owl turned up at the amenities block at Home Valley Station caravan park while we were there in August. My daughter Hannah wrote in her journal:

Last night during dinner we saw a large bird fly into a tree. It turned out to be a barking owl! It was amazing. We attracted a lot of attention. It was quite weird to be standing there surrounded by people right next to a bathroom. The owl was reddish-brown with a brown striped chest and the underside of its tail. It has white flecked wings. Its head is rather flat with yellow eyes.

Black kite, Home Valley Station, WA

Other hunting and scavenging birds were frequent including Whistling kite and Black kite. At the other end of the food chain it was good for me to finally compare Diamond dove and Peaceful dove "face to face" (I keep getting the names mixed up)!

Diamond dove (foreground) and Peaceful dove (rear)

Bar-shouldered dove not far away as well

Although not in the prolific numbers reported in parts of Australia recently it's always nice to have a budgerigar experience!

And it's always fun meeting new friends!

A somewhat shy Bar-breasted honeyeater, HomeValley Station

 Bird on!

Birds & other Wyndham scenes

We spent a few hours in Wyndham principally to visit the Croc Farm. In the heat of the day the only striking birding experiences were of the omnipresent Brown falcons on poles and electricity wires, black & whistling kites scavenging and other birds that knew when it was feeding time for the crocodiles.

A wild flock of Helmeted guinea fowl caught my attention. It left the footy ground, crossed the highway and disappeared into the scrub.

Black kites frequenting the Wyndham crocs footy oval. This is looking south west with a few young boabs and the Kimberley's Cockburn range in the background.

This White-bellied sea eagle appeared at feeding time at the croc farm (didn't have the right camera I'm afraid - this from a compact Canon ISUS - just imagine wotif!)

Wyndham croc farm

Wyndham (above & below). Old township views.

View south from Wyndham's impressive Five Rivers Lookout

Bird on!

More Kimberleyland treats

This is the last post containing photos taken from within the Kimberleyland caravan park. As you may have gathered I thoroughly enjoyed being able to walk a few metres from where you were eating or sleeping or having a drink and taking photos of birds I had hardly ever seen before!

White-breasted woodswallow (above and below)

Sacred kingfisher

Whistling kite

Black kite

Black kite

Great bowerbird checking out what's cool. These air conditioning units are atop a houseboat moored lakeside.

Bird on!

Birding Banka Banka, NT

Via this blog I continue to enjoy re-living the recent family road trip through the NT and Kimberley! This post relates to the stop-over at Banka Banka Station on the Stuart Highway, Northern Territory. This old cattle station also serves as a basic but friendly camping ground. There is the opportunity for walking a nature trail to nearby Cudjenbra Waterhole 2-3km north either via a small ridge or along the arid plains.

Views from the small ridge just west of the campground on the Stuart Highway

Cudjenbra Waterhole, Banka Banka Station

There is a creek crossing on the plains walk to the waterhole. This provided excellent habitat for honeyeaters, trillers, finch, dove (everything really!)

Pied honeyeater - crappy photo but a great sighting for me!

Grey-headed honeyeater - common I know but another lifer for me!
Below - Brown honeyeater 

The honeyeaters were all seen in the creek habitat pictured above. Also shot here were the trillers, dove and zebra finch just visible below.

White-winged triller (male eclipse)
Below - Peaceful dove, zebra finch

I also remember the morning's walk for twice being freaked by airborne surprises.

Firstly while alone about a kilometre from the campground in pre-sunrise gloom I was approached by a single black kite. This was followed by about 10 kites circling around me 5-10 metres up. The whole scene was in total silence and with the shock and tricky light I was totally unable to take any shots that could capture the moment!

Black kite #1 

The second experience was while on the ridge. Unaware of anything approaching I suddenly heard a strange wind rapidly approaching from behind. Heard for just a second before it was atop me the noise was the rush of 100 tiny wings from a flock of budgies again only 3-4 metres above and around me! My first budgie experience in the outback!

A small part of the buderigar flock now circling more distantly.

Pied butcherbird calling from this tree on the highest point of the ridge (you can see him at the left of the tree). He let me get quite close but wouldn't move that annoying twig out of the way! 

Pied butcherbird

It's a pretty short Eremaea list but all in all, quite a memorable 16 hours (arrived at 5pm, out at 9am!). Thank-you Banka Banka.

Bird On!