Broome, Exmouth and the end of the trip

Sadly the end of the trip was catching up with us rather fast by the time we arrived in Broome, but we enjoyed a great two-night stay in this town on the fantastic Cable Beach.

The Eastern Osprey was common in Broome

Bird life in the town itself was very similar indeed to that of the Gibb, though Silver Gulls were abundant, as were Australian White Ibises (which had been absent from the Gibb). Raptors were very much in evidence, with thousands of Black Kites present (especially at the town's dump which was an extraordinary birding experience, with Magpie-larks, Silver Gulls and White Ibises present in equally high numbers feeding on the large amounts of food waste), Little, Wedge-tailed and White-bellied Sea Eagles, Collared Sparrowhawks, Brown Goshawks, Brown Falcons, Eastern Ospreys and Nankeen Kestrels all being a common sight. 

Broome is best known in birding circles from Broome Bird Observatory, which is situated 25 KM south of the town on Roebuck Bay, where over 800 000 waders spend the northern winter. Sadly August was right at the start of the 'wader season' and consequently only very small numbers were present. On top of that, high tide is the only time at which wader-viewing is feasible and both high tides on the only day we could visit were during darkness. We instead decided we would visit the saltpans and lakes of the area, only to find that special permission was required from the landowner for that privilege. Things were not looking good, but tried our best and we were rewarded with a number of interesting sightings.

Striated Herons were one of the view birds that came anywhere close enough to us to photograph on the low tide. They were chasing Mudskippers (three of which can be seen in this picture) and not having a great deal of success....

Black-winged Stilts were very common in the area as well.

This is probably the worst photo I have on my blog, but it serves as a record shot of what was a new species for me- the Far Eastern Curlew. Several of this species, the female of which is the world's largest wader, were feeding on the flats a very long way from us.

On top of this, a number of waders were just about close enough to be identified, some by silhouette. These included new species for me in the form of the Red-capped Plover and Grey-tailed Tattlers; firsts for me in Australia in Curlew Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Greenshank, Red Knot and the fantastic Terek Sandpiper, as well as my first Whimbrels, Common Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstones, Red-necked Stints and Pacific Reef Herons of the trip. Looking back, it seems a decent tally, but at the time it seemed anything but! I was deeply frustrated at not seeing Asian Dowitcher, Great Knot and Broad-billed Sandpiper, all of which would have been new for me, but the waders were just far too distant.

We had marginally more success with landbirds. The same species of raptor that were common in the town were also common here, though Brahminy Kite joined that list. I enjoyed a brief flurry of new species around a mangrove swamp, with the range-restricted Mangrove Fantail and Australian (also known as Canary) White-eye very common in the area and a single Broad-billed Flycatcher and Little Bronze Cuckoo seen.

Little Bronze Cuckoo, Broome Bird Obs

All of the species that had been common on the Gibb were here too, along with numerous White-winged Trillers and Variegated Fairywrens.

With an hour and a half until high tide, we decided to try Roebuck Bay for waders again. An Agile Wallaby, a new species for me, was seen as we headed back up the road. Surprisingly, this time not a single wader was seen in front of the viewing platform! I have no idea how that happened...

Thankfully, that was much more than made up for as my Dad picked out a roosting Tawny Frogmouth in a nearby tree:

The Frogmouth is hiding in here...

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My third of the trip, but I am certainly not getting bored of them!

After that we headed home, overjoyed by the Frogmouth but slightly frustrated at what could have been from our day visiting one of Australia's top birding destinations. I certainly have unfinished business here and I will be back (at a better time of year...).

The next day, we visited Cable Beach, apparently one of the world's top five beaches, where I saw my first Lesser Frigatebird and Brown Booby since I visited the Great Barrier Reef nearly eight years ago- how time flies!

I finally managed to photograph a Mistletoebird, when this one landed right next to me behind the beach. A range of common species were abundant in this area, especially Rainbow Bee-eaters.

It was nice to have this great view of a Black-faced Cuckooshrike nearby

The next place we would visit would be Ningaloo Reef, approximately half way between Broome and Perth, though rather annoyingly getting there involved flying down to Perth and then back up north to Exmouth the next day. Still, being in Perth offered me the opportunity to see some species I hadn't seen in some time. Australian Hobby and Australian Ringneck were both new species for the trip.

Australian Hobby, Perth

These Australian Ringnecks were sharing a rather intimate moment...

Laughing Dove was also new for the trip. Surprisingly Perth is the only capital city in Australia with a population of this introduced species. As was the case on the east coast, the introduced Spotted Dove was common here, along with other regular east coast birds like the Rainbow Lorikeet and Red Wattlebird.

Australasian Darters were common on Perth's Swan River, as were Pacific Black Ducks and some weird hybrid Mallard-domestic ducks.

We arrived in Exmouth (actually the nearby Learnmouth RAAF base) late the next morning. In the town, I found this nesting Eastern Osprey:

Eastern Osprey, Exmouth

A number of Crested Pigeons were present

Rather unexpectedly, I found a new species for me just in front of our hotel, the tiny Fairy Tern:

Fairy Terns, Exmouth

On top of that, a large number of Silver Gulls and several Crested and Caspian Terns were present, while Singing Honeyeater was easily the most common passerine in the area.

In the early evening, we took a drive around the Exmouth area. The countryside was truly stunning (as most of Australia seems to be!). Black-shouldered Kites and Little Eagles were abundant and after an absurdly-long time, I finally saw my first Emu of the trip. Considering that the Gibb has a reputation of being fantastic for this species, it seems remarkable that it took me so long, but it was worth it. We watched this incredible prehistoric, two metre tall beast for some time, before it disappeared behind some thick vegetation.

One of my favourite birds, the Emu, near Exmouth

Western Red Kangaroos, the largest Kangaroo at 1.6 metres tall, were abundant around Exmouth.

The remainder of the evening was spent enjoying a truly awe-inspiring spectalce- eight or so Humpback Whales leaping out of the water several hundred yards off our hotel. It doesn't get much better than that.

All-too-soon the sun set on what had been a fantastic day

The next day was spent fishing on the reef (all fish were released alive and well). Ningaloo is home to Australia's only reliable Bonefishing area, though flooding in April had made the area virtually impossible to fish. We tried, but had no more luck than seeing several Bonefish, Permit and Giant Trevally in the area and catching several Queensland Groupers. Earlier, we had tried for Giant Trevally in the 'Trevally pool.' Again we had had no luck- it had been extremely windy and difficult for fishing and our small reward was a single Golden-spotted Trevally, several more Queensland Groupers, a Barracuda, a Lizardfish and a number of Spangled Emperors. Despite not catching many fish, it was a fantastic day- we saw several great fish and a ridiculous number of Green Turtles. Sadly it was too windy for Dugongs to show, so this remains one of my 'most-wanted' mammal species. The only birds seen out to sea were Caspian, Crested and Lesser Crested (new for the trip) Terns, Silver Gulls and several Eastern Ospreys.

The next day we snorkelled on the reef. On the way, we passed through town, where this herd of Emus was strolling across a cricket field.

They were heading for a nearby campsite water tap:

While snorkelling, we saw a number of fantastic tropical reef fish, including an enormous (approximately six feet long) Potato Grouper, several Parrotfish and Triggerfish. Two Octopi were fantastic to see as well. The beach was absolutely incredible, maybe my favourite I have visited, but sadly all-too-soon we had to head back. We enjoyed another evening of Humpbacks- there are not many ways that I would prefer to spend an evening. We had a quick walk down to the nearby marina and were rewarded with a surprise sighting of a Spotted Harrier flying over our hotel at dusk. I suspected that this would be my last new species of the trip and a great one to end with. When we got to the marina, I had an horrific shock as an huge Brown Sea Snake came out of the water, seemingly heading straight for me, hissing! I darted out of the way and it took me some time to regain my breath. Creatures like this really help to make Australia the wonderful place it is- there is something truly magical about the bizarre creatures of this extraordinary country. It really is like nowhere else.

The next day we headed back down to Perth for the night. It was dark by the time we arrived and I woke up the next morning feeling really rather sad that our wonderful adventure was coming to an end. I decided to have a walk so I could have one last session of enjoying Australia's fantastic wildlife. Caspian Terns, Silver Gulls, Australian Pelicans and Australasian Darter were abundant along the Swan River, but a really great bonus came when I came upon a small urban pond in a small area of parkland. On it were a number of ducks- the usual suspects in the form of Dusky Moorhens, Eurasian Coots, Purple Swamphens, Caspian Terns, Pacific Black Ducks, Australian Wood Ducks and Hardheads were present, along with several Australasian Grebes, Australian Shelducks and Black Swans. It was an awesome surprise when a Blue-billed Duck, a rufous bird with a bright blue beak, swam out of some reedy vegetation. This was a new species for me, and certainly not something that I was expecting. I went over to have a closer look and another appeared, before I spotted two sleeping Australasian Shoveler in the same reedbed. It was a second new duck species for me in the morning and a really fine way to end a wonderful trip to what is truly a magnificent country.

Later in the day, we flew to Dubai, where we spent a morning, before heading back to Heathrow. My birding had not yet finished though, as our craftily-positioned hotel overlooking Dubai Creek gave me the perfect opportunity to find one final new bird for the trip- the globally-threatened and range-restricted Socotra Cormorant. Approximately ten of this great species were feeding just off the hotel, though sadly I had left my camera packed in my bag ready for the next flight, but it was a fantastic bonus species to see before we returned to England. On top of that, numerous White-cheeked Terns were flying around the creek, and several White-cheeked and Red-vented Bulbuls, Common Mynas, House Sparrows and Indian Silverbills were seen.

I am already missing being in Australia hugely. It really is an incredible place, with unbelievable wildlife and wilderness and fantastically nice people- being at university there should be awesome. It's just a shame that I have to wait for about a year before I will be back!

Gibb River Road part 2

After leaving Mt Barnett station, we continued on, towards Windjana National Park for the night.

On the way, we visited Bell Gorge, yet another stunning gorge just off the Gibb.

Bell Gorge

Several interesting birds were to be found in this area. Grey Fantails were unexpectedly common- apparently these are birds that have dispersed into the area for the winter. My first ever Leaden Flycatcher, a female, which bore a great resemblance to the Red-breasted Flycatcher, was in the carpark. Nearby a Long-tailed Finch, another first for me, was seen very well along with a White-faced Heron and a Collared Sparrowhawk. All of the regular Gibb species were seen (Double-barred Finches, Willie Wagtails, Magpie-larks, Grey Butcherbirds, Wedge-tailed and Little Eagles, Black Kites, a number of Honeyeater species, both Friarbirds, Rufous Whistlers, Great Bowerbirds, etc.), as was a Jacky Winter, another lifer for me. This bird is a member of the Australian robin family and has a very distinctive call- unsurprisingly it sounds like 'Jacky-Winter.' The species also has an unusual habit of shaking its tail from side to side. It may be an uninspiring bird to look at, but its unique name had made the species one of my major targets for the trip.

As we headed back to the Gibb, an Australian Bustard crossed the road in front of us.

This bird stands at an impressive 1.2 metres tall, and with a mass of up to 14 KG, it is the heaviest flying-bird in Australia. This was my second sighting of this fantastic bird, and for me one of the nature highlights of the trip. Another was seen near the roadside later in the day.

We arrived at Windjana in the early evening, and once more the view was incredible:

Windjana NP

All the usual birds were once more abundant, especially Black Kites and Great Bowerbirds.

The Black Kite was posing very nice early in the next morning at the campsite

The next morning we explored the breathtaking Windjana Gorge. It really was incredible. Its small river was swarming with large freshwater crocs:

 Freshwater Crocs, Windjana Gorge

The area was swarming with birds. Little Woodswallows, Great Bowerbirds, Grey Fantails, Willie Wagtails, various Honeyeaters, both Cuckooshrikes, both Friarbirds, Torresian Crows, Little Corellas, Red-collared Lorikeets, Double-barred Finches, Wedge-tailed and Little Eagles, Black Kites and much, much more were everywhere. The rare Sandstone Shrikethrush was also common and was a new species for me.

Sandstone Shrikethrush, Windjana Gorge

A very distant Short-eared Rock Wallaby was also seen on one of the cliff tops, which was the first I have seen of the species. I was hoping for a wader or two to be feeding along the muddy banks of the river, and there turned out to be one present:

The tiny Black-fronted Dotterel. This species reaches just 18 cm in length.

A White-faced Heron and Great Egret were the only other wading birds present.

As is the case everywhere along the Gibb, Little Corellas were abundant in the gorge

For me, the birding highlight of the morning was seeing this awesome Blue-winged Kookaburra extremely close. What a great bird!

Back at the campsite, this White-bellied Cuckooshrike was showing very well, as were three stunning Zebra Finches, my first of the trip.

Our next stop was Tunnel Creek, home to a 750 underground tunnel. Walking it required the use of a powerful torch and wading through deep water and it really was a fantastic experience. A number of the enormous Black Fruit Bats were seen roosting inside the tunnel.

Near the tunnel was this stunning Brown Falcon:

This species was really rather common along the Gibb

We spent the remainder of the day finishing the Gibb and driving on to the seaside town of Broome. The Gibb had been a truly unforgettable experience but four days really had not been anywhere near enough to explore this extraordinary part of the world. I shall certainly be back, and visiting areas like Mitchell Falls and the Mornington Peninsula, both of which required a long diversion from the road but would have been incredible to see.

Purnululu NP and the Gibb River Road part one

On the 29th July, we left Kununurra for a two-night trip south to Purnululu NP, home to the incredible Bungle Bungle, an extraordinary range of enormous bee-hive shaped sandstone structures that extends for miles and miles. Remarkably, Europeans only discovered it in 1983- given its vast size this defies belief and really makes one wonder about what else is out there.

On the drive down there, I saw my first ever Black-breasted Buzzard, a close relative of the kites, and my sister had great views of a Brolga- sadly I missed seeing this fantastic member of the Crane family. As we reached the entrance of Purnululu NP, we were greeted by this sign:

The Cane Toad has become an extreme pest in Australia following its introduction to the country in 1935. It had been hoped that the species would be able to control pests that were decimating cane plantations across Northern Australia, but the plan has backfired horrifically as the species has taken a fancy to eating native insects and its poisonous skin has pushed many creatures that predate on it close to extinction. The 'disposal points' were everywhere along the Gibb, but they do raise one question- what the hell happens to them on the other side of the wall?

A Little Friarbird nearby was a new species for me- the first of an huge number seen on the Gibb. Inevitably, Magpie-larks, Peaceful Doves, Double-barred Finches and Black Kites were abundant in the area as well. 

This nice Rainbow Bee-eater was also present.

We arrived at our campsite late in the afternoon. At its entrance was this sign:

At the campsite, I found my first Northern Fantail and Rufous Whistler, along with numerous Brown and Singing Honeyeaters. Large flocks of Little Corellas and numerous Black Kites passed overhead. More exciting was the breathtaking view as the sun set:

The next day, we drove right into the Bungles, where we took a long walk. The views were unbelievable.

The Bungle Bungle, an unbelievably amazing place.

This really does rank right up at the top of the most extraordinary places I have been lucky enough to visit, just truly breathtaking.

Sadly, the birding was not quite as breathtaking. The only birds seen during the walk were Brown Honeyeaters, Double-barred Finches, Australian Magpies and Common Bronzewings.

Later in the day, we saw a number of Spinifex Pigeons, a really cool-looking bird with a fantastic Mohican. Sadly, despite being common along the road, I didn't manage to photograph any of this great species. A Brown Falcon was seen briefly in the evening, along with a Pheasant Coucal, a large member of the Cuckoo family. Again, our evening view was pretty splendid:

This country is just ridiculous. There really are not many places in the world nowadays that have remained completely untouched by humans, but Australia seems to be mostly untouched. What a place.

The next day, we drove back up to Kununurra to get some more supplies in advance of our journey down the Gibb. Fantastically, three Bush Stone-curlews were seen very well near the airport- this was a great new species for me. After a couple of hours spent in the town, we set off and spent the night at El Questro at a private riverside campsite. A large number of Northern Whiptail Wallabies were seen in the area, along with the more regular bird species. Brumbies (feral horses) had been common on the drive down, but the highlight was a Spotted Nightjar, only my second ever, that was flushed from the roadside.

The next day was spent exploring the El Questro area. An Australasian Darter was the first bird seen, right next to our camp:

Australasian Darter, El Questro

This is a small part of a Little Corella flock that was nearby

These Red-winged Parrots landed next to our camp. The male is on the left and the female on the right.

This tree on the other side of the river was filled with Black Kites

Several Weebills and Red-backed Fairywrens, a stunning tiny black bird with a bright red back, were also around the camp with the more common species and a tiny crocodile was resting on a log by the river.

The first we visited was the stunning Cathedral Gorge. A Nankeen Night-heron was seen on the drive there. At the gorge, we swam in the freezing water of its large permanent pool. It was absolutely fantastic to be in the water, but it really was cold, though an awesome naturally-warm pool right next to it made up for that. Underneath a ledge on the far side of the pool I found a number of Black Frogs, a huge beast that seems to be thriving in the area. Unexpectedly, a Little Pied Cormorant was also seen, showering underneath the waterfall.

The Little Pied Cormorant is in this picture, on the left under the waterfall.

Soon it flew down to do some fishing.

The bald Silver-crowned Friarbird was among the common species in the area. What an evil-looking beast!

This huge flock of Black Kites was circling near the gorge. 

Bar-shouldered Doves were very common in the area, as were Budgerigars, though none could be photographed (they are way too fast!).

Northern Whiptail Wallaby was easily the most common native mammal on the Gibb

As we headed back to camp, a Feral Cat was seen darting across the road, as were two Dingoes, my first. This ancient breed of the domestic dog was introduced to Australia about 4000 years ago by Indonesian seamen and spread throughout the country. Sadly this rather prehistoric-looking creature is threatened with extinction nowadays due to persecution and hybridisation with feral dogs. I for one really hope that this does not happen, but a large number of Australian farmers would most likely disagree with me....

The huge Wedge-tailed Eagle were very common along the Gibb

The next day, we visited the incredible Zebidee hot springs, a series of 27 degree warm water pools. It really was awesome. Equally awesome was a Brown Goshawk, my first, seen nearby. Not long later, I found another one perched near the roadside:

Brown Goshawk, El Questro. What an awesome bird!

The rest of the day was spent driving up the Gibb to our next campsite, at Ellenbrae, home to a great number of Honeyeaters among other birds and some incredibly tasty scones....

 The Singing Honeyeater was one of a number of species enjoying the seed and water provided by the owners of Ellenbrae homestead. This, along with Banded, Bar-breasted, White-chinned (all of which were new for me), Brown and Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters created a throng of bird song. The regular Gibb species were also present in large numbers, while a flock of Varied Lorikeets that flew overhead was another new species for me.

This Collared Sparrowhawk also passed overhead.

Rufous Whistlers were common all the way along the Gibb, including at Ellenbrae.

The same was the case for the Great Bowerbird

For the next night, our campsite was Mt Barnett station. It certainly was not an inspiring place, but its shop had a great selection of supplies.

 Something to remember when in the Kimberley....

Red-tailed Black Cockatoos were more elusive than their Sulphur-crested cousins and far less common than Little Corellas, though they were a regular sight along the Gibb.

The next blog will describe the remainder of journey along the Gibb River Road.