Adelaide River Flood Plains

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On the Adelaide Rive Flood Plains
small water holes along mostly dried up river beds still exist,
as well as, more open swamps and wetlands. When the sun shines through a bird flying overhead it is almost possible to see an xray-picture of his wing limbs.
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Rufous Night Herron Nycticorax caledonicus
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Freshwater Crocodile Crocodylus johnstoni
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Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
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Breeding Cycles

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I was lucky to have witnessed the mating display and bearing of gifts of several male Red-backed Fairy Wrens over the weekend. Yet, at the same time a pair of Northern Fantails are well past the dating stage and have a young family to raise.
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Red-backed Fairy Wren Malurus melanocephalus male silhouette
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Red-backed Fairy Wren Malurus melanocephalus male
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Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris
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Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris Chicks
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Return To Normalcy

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In Open Woodland, adjacent to a wet-season
wetland and burnt by fire eight months ago,
I ran across two flowering plants which have come through
to indicate signs of some normalcy returning to the area .
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Coral Tree Erythrina variegata var orientalis
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Lily Crinum angustifolium
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Leanyer Marsh Walk

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While walking on the Leanyer Marsh I was lucky to see the Rainbow Bee-eater take a large grasshopper and get up to some acrobatics getting the meal down. I also love seeing birds in flight because the wing displays are unfolded and magnificent, such as with the Shelduck. Finally, I was trying out my new Wren “come and see me” whistle when this Honeyeater came to chat. I might need to change a note here or there.
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Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus "Once to the right."
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Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus "Once to the left."
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Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus "Down The Hatch."
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Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah
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Bar-breasted Honeyeater Ramasayornis fasciatus
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River Plains

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Back to the Mary River Flood Plains for a second visit. The Northern Territory has such an excellent number of different environments to explore. All the locations rely on water and with the heat coming on it’s even more significant. I was lucky to see the male Red-backed Fairy Wren as I have seen lots of females but never a male. I was also lucky to finally see the bird I have often admired as a soloist, a Rufous Whistler, whose only really competitor is the Pied Butcherbird. A very ordinary butterfly on the outside revealed a beautiful purple interior. Finally, one of the big attractions to walking in the surroundings is constantly being surprised by what you see and sometimes are lucky enough to capture.
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Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus and
Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus juv
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Black-faced Woodswallow Artemus cinereus
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Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis
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Pacific white-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
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Purple Oak-blue Arhopala centaurus
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Red-backed Fairy-wren Malurus melanocephalus male
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Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris male
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Tools Of The Trade

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Getting around and managing in the bush
requires trusting your judgement and organising
your tools to match the task at hand.
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Getting There Tools
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Getting Back Tools
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Honeyeaters From Afar

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Two Honeyeaters I did get a chance to see recently, but unfortunately from afar. They were both skittish and not easy to follow.
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Rufous-throated Honeyeater Conopophilia rufogularis
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Dusky Honeyeater Myzomela obscura
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