Hi All
Have just returned from nine week trip to the Kimberley (mostly) and Top End. Went from Kangaroo Island N up the Stuart Highway to Mataranka, Katherine Gorge and into S Kakadu (Gunlom Falls) and then W to Timber Creek, Kununurra and all of the Kimberley area including Gibb River Road, Mitchell Plateau, Broome and Broome Bird Observatory. Saw a whole swag of species (c. 250 or so) of which 54 were new to my life list. All were observed during period May and June 2010. I have listed the most exciting ones here (lifers for me) with locality and numbers etc.
White-throated Grasswren (1 female seen clearly) after 2 day slog to El Sherana area of Gunlom Falls of S Kakadu; Red Goshawk (1 female) at Mataranka area; Black Grasswren (5) at Mitchell Plateau (bragging rights here as got them within 2 hours of first morning); Partridge Pigeon (1 – yellow-faced race blaauwi) Mitchell Plateau; Kimberley Honeyeater (1) Mitchell Plateau; White-quilled Rock Pigeon (c 12) Mitchell Plateau E to Kununurra and W NT – including race boothii); Yellow Chat (20+) at Roebuck Plains; Semi-palmated Plover (1) Broome Sewage Ponds; Asian Dowitcher (3) BBO; Broad-billed Sandpiper (7) BBO; Terek Sandpiper (many) BBO; Gouldian Finch (c20) Victoria River, NT and Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary; Yellow-rumped Mannikin (3) Victoria River NT; Hooded Parrot (c20) at Pine Creek area, NT; White-lined Honeyeater (1) Gunlom Falls area, Kakadu NP; Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon (3) Gunlom Falls area of Kakadu NP; Banded Honeyeater (6) Kimberley and Gunlom Falls area of Arnhem Plateau of Kakadu NP; Red-headed Honeyeater (6) Broome Mangroves; Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (numerous) from Victoria River, NT W to Kimberley, WA; Star Finch (c50) Victoria River NT W to Kimberley; Buff-sided Robin (3 pairs) Timber Creek and in Kimberley; Rainbow Pitta (2) Howard Springs Nature Park, NT; Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (several) Kununurra; White-browed Crake (1) Lake Kununurra, WA; White-breasted Whistler (pair) BBO mangroves; Lesser Frigatebird (1) BBO; Little Kingfisher (1) Fogg Dam Monsoon Forest, NT; Great-billed Heron (1) Roper River, NT; Broad-billed Flycatcher (sev pairs) BBO and Kimberleys; Leaden Flycatcher (2 pairs) Edith Falls, NT and Katherine Gorge, NT; Varied Triller (2) Fogg Dam and Hayes Creek, NT; Cicadabird (1 male) Fogg Dam, NT; Chestnut Rail (1) Darwin; Pacific Baza (1) Mitchell Plateau; Rose-crowned Fruit Dove (2) eating ripe fruits of Carpentarian Palm at Howard Springs Nature Park, NT; Mangrove Robin and Mangrove Gerygone at Derby, WA; Varied Lorikeet (many in S and Central Kimberley area); Long-tailed Finch (many throughout Timber Creek W to Kimberleys).
Dipped on Pictorella Mannikin, Black Bittern; Little Bittern; several species of Button-quail; Bush Hen and several other summer migrants. Surprisingly I could not nail down a Black-tailed Treecreeper! Hope you find these sightings as interesting as I did. It was a great trip of full on birding from go to whoa. A dream come true. A most interesting and exciting part of Oz.
Cheers
Chris Baxter
Kangaroo Island
South Australia
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