Jigal tree - bird magnet

I passed this tree on several occasions walking to a lookout at Katherine Gorge. Each time I passed it was being hammered by a number and variety of birds that impressed me no end. This was late July (the dry) and the tree had few leaves and had a red flower. I have only just tonight worked out that it is known as the Bauhinia or Jigal tree (Bauhinia cunninghamii). You can also read here about how the plant got its aboriginal derived name "mother-in-law tree".

Birds seen frequenting this one specimen included Red-winged parrot, Great bowerbird, Rufous-throated honeyeater, Brown honeyeater, White-gaped honeyeater, Yellow oriole and Paperbark flycatcher. For me many of these birds were lifers!

Red-winged parrot

Rufous-throated honeyeater

White-gaped honeyeater

Finally a few shots from a river cruise. This was a scenery and gorge experience, not a bird-watching exercise. However the site of something flying towards us - large, grey and like nothing I had ever seen before had me scrambling for the long lens....

The only shot I managed of this Great-billed heron was as it flew downstream along the gorge. 

Little black cormorant

White-faced heron unsure about the kayakers

Bird on!

Nitmiluk's small packages

Next a series featuring the smaller birds seen around Nitmiluk during our stay in late July 2012. Firstly a mistletoebird feeding and squashing the juice from small fruits.

Also busy feeding, my initial impression was that this bird must be a lifer! It looks so different from anything back home.  It gradually dawned on me though that this was the northern colouring of Striated pardalote.

Rufous whistler 

Back-off please! Brown honeyeater (and again below). 

Finally, I think my first ever photo of Leaden flycatcher. Maybe the next one will be in focus - nice shot of the bark though don't you think!?!

Bird on!

I got the Nitmiluk blues!

Still reliving our holiday up North. These photos are from late July at Nitmiluk National Park which is centred on the Katherine Gorge. The images have a decidedly blue theme!

We start with Blue-faced honeyeater. I'm intrigued when I catch a shot showing a bird's nostrils as "see through 

The rest are kingfishers!

Absolutely gorgeous Forest kingfisher - a lifer for me

Not nearly as endearing in this shot (but also a lifer) was Red-backed kingfisher. It took me a while to stop ignoring these birds as Sacred kingfisher. They were actually a common sighting once we realised what we were seeing!

In southern Australia we are of course very familiar with the Laughing kookaburra and I was on the lookout for Blue-winged kookaburra while up north and wasn't disappointed. Now kingfishers are pretty distinctive looking birds and kookaburras particularly so .....

Blue-winged kookaburra

but this guy went beyond "distinctive" with an early morning "yawn"....

and then the eyes close over......! 

Now that just looks plain freaky!

Nitmiluk was very kind to my "Life List" with no fewer than NINE lifers! See the Eremaea List here. More pictures to follow!

Bird on!