Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus)

The Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus), also known as Brown’s Parakeet or Smutty Rosella (Huh?), is found in Australia’s Top End. It is found in open savannah country throughout the Gulf of Carpentaria and Arnhem Land to the Kimberley.

It was first described by German naturalist Heinrich Kuhl.  The specific epithet is derived from the Latin venustus “charming, lovely or graceful”.  (That’s more like it!)

This lovely, graceful bird was seen near the Katherine Hot Springs innocently having dinner and not acting smutty in the least!

They have a large range from the Kimberley in WA across the Northern Territory’s Top End to far north-west Queensland.  I saw one quite well in Katherine and some others streaking past at Copperfield Dam near Pine Creek.  They are also seen regularly in some parts of Kakadu.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHERN ROSELLAS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEOS

Surprisingly, there isn’t much on wild birds but I did find this short clip of a pair foraging in the grass.

 

The Katherine Hot Springs

Katherine’s Hot Springs are a “Must See”, mostly for their natural beauty.  They are definitely not hot, they seemed more like a swimming pool temperature.  They attract both tourists and locals and best of all are totally free to visit!

Just follow the signs!

Turn right at the cockatoo (just kidding).

We didn’t walk the trails (too hot) but they are there.

Keep an eye on the trees near the car park, it was a good place for birds-especially cockatoos, lorikeets and a lifer for us – the beautiful Northern Rosella!

There’s a crocodile warning, not sure why as there were lots of people swimming there.  Head down the long stairway.

There’s some seats and a smaller set of stairs down to the hot springs.  They are slipery so be careful.

After swimming, I was thrilled to spot this little guy.  He was flying from tree to tree and thankfully landed so I could get a good look. 

He was just there to have dinner.

Birding Donkey Camp Weir, Katherine, Northern Territory

I never would have known about this place had it not been for the book “Top End Birdwatching” by Mike Reed.  The curiously named “Donkey Camp Weir” is not an obvious stop when driving between Katherine town and Nitmiluk NP so I was glad to have the map and recommendation that Northern Rosellas could be seen here.

It’s 9.8 kms from town and this is the sign you will see if headed towards Nitmiluk.  There are no signs in the opposite direction and we went past it before turning back and looking real hard.

Drive down this dirt road past a farm to the end of the road and park.

Then walk through this gate and follow the trail down to the river.  Don’t go to close to the water as there could be crocodiles.

It was dry and hot and we were there at a bad time, around 11am so not expecting to see anything but gave it a try anyways.

Suddenly I heard parrot squawks above.  Much to my delight and surprise, there was a small flock of Varied Lorikeets up in the trees.

They hung around a good half hour so we got to spend some quality time watching them.  Finally they flew off and we walked back to the car park.

I just had to take this shot as I couldn’t get over seeing any parrot species at this time of day…………..and so well!

Birding Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge is only a half hour drive from town so it’s realistic to stay in town and get up early to drive to the Gorge.  Katherine Gorge is actually part of Nitmiluk National Park and a highlight of the Northern Territory.

We started at the visitor centre and brought our picnic breakfast with us.

First to greet us was a Red-collared Lorikeet.

The visitor’s centre is a great place to hang out.  They have a gift shop, snacks and a small museum.

You can relax and watch an orientation film about the park.

The cafe has a spectacular viewpoint over the gorge and is a great place to look for birds.

Curious Cockatoo

Wallabies

Bowerbird

Blue-faced Honey-eater

Heading back to the car park, we wandered around and found this lovely Blue-winged Kookaburra.

Meanwhile these wallabies were either dancing or fighting, hard to tell which!

Map of hiking trails

This is where you get boat trips through the gorge.  We didn’t do this as our budget was pretty stretched and we already had a boat ride booked at Yellow Waters.

Gotta love traditional rest rooms!

We got here around 7am and stayed until 10:30-ish when it started getting hot.  The ideal would be to spend more time and do a boat ride, but that’s just one more reason to come back!

Lodge Review: Knotts Crossing Resort, Katherine

When planning this trip, I was really torn between staying out at Katherine Gorge in one of the caravan parks or in town.  The deciding factor came down to price (town is much cheaper) and the fact that the Gorge is only a half hour drive from town.  Even better, Knotts Crossing Resort is out on the main road heading towards the Gorge, plus I stumbled on a special rate that included breakfast.

After checking in, they told me how to find the car park closest to our room.  The grounds are very nice, full of trees and birds of course!

Our room was in this block fairly close to reception and the swimming pool.

The rooms are neatly furnished with a double bed and 2 bunks which is standard for a caravan park.

I found that if I lie on the bed near the open door I can JUST barely connect to the wifi.

A nice little swimming pool, we didn’t have time to use it though.

We were happy with Knotts Crossing Resort as a budget option in Katherine and would stay there again if we went back.  Be on the look out with online booking sites for special deals like the one we got that includes breakfast.  They were happy to pack a breakfast for us to take to Katherine Gorge as a picnic, the 2nd morning we got up early and ate at the buffet which opens around 6am-ish.

Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)

The Great Bowerbird’s (Chlamydera nuchalis)  favoured habitat is a broad range of forest and woodland, and the margins of vine forests, monsoon forest, and mangrove swamps.

As with most members of the bowerbird family, breeding considerations dominate the lifecycle: females nest inconspicuously and raise their young alone, while the males spend most of the year building, maintaining, improving, defending, and above all displaying from their bowers. Only a male with a successful bower can attract mates.  Spend some time watching them decorate, they are so much fun to watch!

They are a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa.  I got my best views in Katherine near the museum and at the Lazy Lizard Caravan Park but I pretty much saw them everywhere!

LEARN MORE ABOUT GREAT BOWERBIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Experience the Wild

Australian Geographic

VIDEOS

Here’s just a few examples of why the Bowerbirds are so much fun to watch!  They dance, decorate, romance and more!

 

Katherine – The Town & The Museum

Firstly I need to say that Katherine gets HOT even in September which is supposed to be spring!  Driving around town revealed some nice informational signs.  Katherine’s location, about 320 kms south of Darwin and in the centre of some great birding hotspots make it an ideal place to stop over, refuel both your car and yourself and pick up some groceries as it has a couple small shopping centres.  If you are traveling around the Northern Territory, you are likely to pass through at least a couple times.

We saw some birds just driving around, starting with these Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.

The area near the tourist information centre is supposed to be good for finches but I think we got there at the wrong time.

White-gaped Honey-eater

Willie Wagtail

The best thing to do during the heat of the day is visit the excellent Katherine Museum

I would have bought one of these except I didn’t want to pay for checked luggage on the way home.  What I did buy was the excellent “Top End Birdwatching” by Mike Reed, I just wish I had found it sooner!  The gift shop also has Aboriginal art, didgeridoos, historical books, tea towels and more!

They have a film about the great flood in Katherine, best seen after you’ve driven around town a bit to see the comparison between normal and flooded.

The exhibits include information about the settlers, Aboriginals, railway, mining and more!

I love this wedding dress and couldn’t believe how tiny it is!

Wallabies on the front lawn.

The next building has displays on the Overland Telegraph Line.

Another building has a very old airplane and some exhibits on the Flying Doctors.

The museum will keep you entertained for a couple hours and closes at 4pm…..which is a good time to catch the Bowerbird on the front lawn! 

Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus rubritorquis)

The Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus rubritorquis) was previously considered a subspecies of the rainbow lorikeet, but today most major authorities consider them as separate species.  They have become world famous for their drunken antics which sounds like it could be funny but really isn’t as it exposes them to predators.

They are easily found within their range, especailly in Australia’s Northern Territory and are very noisy so you can’t miss them!  I saw them around the Darwin area, Pine Creek, Edith Falls, Katherine, Outback Northern Territory, Nitmikuk and Kakadu.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-COLLARED LORIKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

About Drunk Lorikeets

VIDEOS

Lets start with some sober parrots foraging as usual.

 

And here’s a story about the drunk lorikeets.

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii) also known as Banksian- or Banks’ Black Cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia.

Five subspecies are recognised.

C. b. banksii is found in Queensland and, rarely, in far northern New South Wales
C. b. graptogyne, (Endangered) known as the south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, is found in southwestern Victoria and southeastern South Australia in an area bordered by Mount Gambier to the west, Portland to the south, Horsham to the northeast and Bordertown to the north
C. b. macrorhynchus, given the name great-billed cockatoo by Mathews; is found across northern Australia.

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C. b. naso (Near Threatened) is known as the forest red-tailed black cockatoo and is found in the southwest corner of Western Australia between Perth and Albany.

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C. b. samueli exists in four scattered populations: in central coastal Western Australia from the Pilbara south to the northern Wheatbelt in the vicinity of Northam, and inland river courses in Central Australia, southwestern Queensland and the upper Darling River system in Western New South Wales. Birds of this subspecies are generally smaller with smaller bills than the nominate banksii.

Good places to spot this gregarious and cheeky cockatoo are:  Along the coast of Western Australia, the Northern Territory south of Darwin, most parks in South-east Queensland.

redtailbc

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-TAILED BLACK COCKATOOS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Recovery Project

VIDEOS

Beautiful close-ups of cockatoos foraging and pair bonding.

 

Filmed at Paradise Park, this slo-mo clip shows the bird in flight.

Flock roosting near Cairns

 

 

Planning A Birding Adventure To Australia’s Northern Territory (Top End)

Now that you know how to use miles to get to Australia and use Darwin as a gateway city, what you really want to know is how to get out in the bush where the birds are!  Fortunately, Australia is an amazingly easy country to travel around in.  It’s safe, everyone speaks English and the tourism infrastructure is excellent!  All you need is a well-researched plan and a car to get there.

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MAKE YOUR PLAN

1. Determine what species of birds you want to see. Bear in mind that no matter what species you are targeting, you will find many other species in the same location. In my case, although I was really keen to see wild Parrots, I was very happy to see that other species such as Rainbow Pittas, Gouldian Finches and Bowerbirds were also within reach.

2. Use guide books such as “Parrots of the World” by Joseph Forshaw and “The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia” by Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight to determine where these species can most easily be found. These books have maps to help you formulate an itinerary. Although I prefer Kindle/eBooks for casual reading, with a field guide you really need the hard copy to be able to compare the birds you see to the images in the book. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the species. As long as you get a decent photo, you can always look them up! You can buy these books on Amazon.com if you don’t have them already.

3. Use other internet resources to find out where the birds have been seen most recently. These may be Facebook or Twitter contacts, blogs like Miles to the Wild or trip reports on Surfbirds. Google the scientific name of the bird + “report”. For example if you Google “Lophochroa leadbeateri sightings” you get this. If you have destinations in mind from researching the field guides, you can get better results by Googling “Lophochroa leadbeateri Bowra” such as this.

4. Use eBird searches on the species to see where other people have reported them.  I now have a full tutorial on how to use eBird to plan a trip.   Spend more time if the destination has more of the species you are targeting.

This step can be very time consuming as you need to research each species you want to see individually but it is well worth it as you will save lots of time once you are traveling and you can travel independently which saves you lots of money and gives you more choices as to when, where & how you want your birding adventure to happen!

5.  Visit some local birding websites.  The Northern Territory ones are especially helpful and I can recommend:

Experience the Wild

NT Bird Specialists

Book:  Top End Birdwatching written by Mike Reed.  I found it for sale at the Katherine Museum or contact NT Bird Specialists.  Wonderful book and helped me find lots of birds and identify them from the photos.  Plus it doesn’t weigh much!

Laurie Ross

Once I did all the research, this is the itinerary I put together which gave a fair shot at all my target birds.  I will go into depth on each hotspot in turn throughout this series.

NT Birding

LOGISTICS

You will definitely need a car, as this is a huge chunk of territory to cover and public transport is very sparse.  One thing to note about the Northern Territory is that cars don’t have unlimited kilometers like in most other Aussie cities and the per kilometer cost will probably double your rental car budget.  For this trip, since I happen to be a member of RACQ (the local auto club) I got 15% discount on Thrifty Car Hire-including the rental, the kilometers and insurance.  My own GPS covers all of Australia so I brought it along.  The itinerary above is all on tarred roads so a 2WD car is fine but if you want to include places like the Marrikai Track you will need a 4WD.  Always get quotes from several car companies and use whatever discounts you qualify for!  Refueling is cheaper in Darwin and Katherine so always top up before heading into the Outback.

A good plan is to bird early in the morning, use the afternoon to either siesta by the pool or drive to the next destination, then more birding in the afternoon.  The Territory is HOT, even in September which is when we did our trip!

Accommodation ranges from typical Aussie caravan parks (that also have self-catering cabins) to Outback style B&B’s.  You only chance to use hotel points will be in Darwin and Katherine but in this case I recommend choosing a property based on location and convenience within your price range.  We were low-budget and our accommodation averaged around $100 AUD per night.  Plan on picnic breakfasts and lunches while birding or driving between locations, then either BBQ or hit up a pub for dinner.

Stock up on groceries before leaving Darwin or Katherine for a better selection and cheaper prices.  We have a cooler that we keep the meat in and the drinks for the day.  Most accommodations will have a fridge and microwave, even a small kitchenette.  Having said that, by the time the trip was finished, we couldn’t look at another sandwich for weeks!

Bring lots of sunscreen and mosquito repellent, especially for Howard Springs!  If you are using carry-on only, you can easily buy it in Darwin at any supermarket.