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.
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