Cockatoo Lagoon

This was a lunch stop-off in the Keep River National Park just off the Victoria Highway in Northern Territory. The lagoon is easily reached by car and there is an adjacent picnic area and information centre.

Cockatoo Lagoon - a stereotypical Aussie billabong scene!

Click on the picture of the information sign to read more but it starts as follows: 

"The water level of the lagoon varies markedly with the changing seasons but rarely dries completely"

Travelling from the east and heading west we are now starting to get into some serious boab country:

Red-backed fairy wrens. I am yet to see an adult male plumage!

I don't think I've ever had five fairy-wrens in shot before!

Spinifex pigeon

Royal spoonbill

Great egret

I recall watching a Royal spoonbill feeding closely behind a Great egret at Lake Yambuk in Victoria (see Teamwork at Lake Yambuk). The scene was repeated here at Cockatoo Lagoon. These are some 2850km apart as the spoonbill flies!

Here there are three spoonbills following the egret

Australasian grebe

Whistling kite

The Eremaea list for the session.

Bird on!

Caloundra

On a good weekend I might have added 20 subtropical birds to the 2011 list from the lads' weekend jaunt up to Caloundra. As it was we had a great time & I managed 11 new birds for the year. This included the lifers Variegated fairy-wren & Scarlet honeyeater (Spangled drongo also recorded as an Eremaea lifer but this must be an oversight on previous lists).

As usual had excellent views of Osprey & a wonderful Sea-eagle experience as it's massive form took off from the top of a tree in bushland only metres above me - we had surprised each other.

The birds added to the 2011 list were:

• Osprey
• Scaly-breasted lorikeet
• Red-backed fairy wren
• Variegated fairy-wren
• Scarlet honeyeater
• Brown honeyeater
• Blue-faced Honeyeater
• Pied butcherbird
• Varied Triller
• Spangled Drongo
• Torresian Crow

Red-backed Fairy wren (only brown birds today)

Does my bum look big in this?
(can just see the red back coming through)

Variegated Fairy-wren (dismal light), Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

Huge! White-bellied sea eagle, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve, Caloundra

Scarlet Honeyeater, Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve

The photo that might have been.
Scarlet Honeyeater hawking

Osprey