Top End Birding Tour


22 May to 4 June 2016


Part 1: Darwin, Fogg Dam, Kakadu NP, Pine Creek, Katherine.

Part 2: Katherine, Victoria River, Timber Creek, Kununurra.


Part 3: Mitchell Plateau black grasswren flights 5 June 2016:
Charter flight from Kununurra to Mitchell Plateau and helicopter to Mitchell Falls area: Part 3 is full.


Pre-tour night
22 May 2016 

Darwin


Day 1


23 May 2016 

Darwin area:
Mangroves, rainforest, wetlands and Botanic Gardens.
With sunrise at about 7 am, we'll head out as early as we can to bird the Darwin mangroves, concentrating on the most difficult species — the chestnut rail. If we have no luck in the morning, we'll go back late afternoon for the falling tide. The more easily seen species include red-headed honeyeater and yellow white-eye. Later we'll visit some patches of monsoon rainforest where target birds will include the spectacular rainbow pitta and rose-crowned fruit-dove. Also, here we should see large-billed and green-backed gerygones and possibly mangrove golden whistler. We should get pied imperial pigeon perched on power lines around Darwin suburbs. We'll lunch at the Darwin Botanic Gardens where we'll have a look for rufous owl. Nearby wetlands and mudflats should get our bird list soaring in the afternoon. Collared kingfisher and beach stone curlew are on the agenda late afternoon. We'll witness the sun setting spectacularly beyond the ocean's horizon after which we'll spotlight for large-tailed nightjar.
Overnight: Darwin

Day 2


24 May 2016 


Darwin area


More mangroves are on the agenda this morning giving us another chance should we need it for chestnut rail. Other species could include mangrove robin, shining flycatcher, mangrove grey fantail and the melodic mangrove gerygone. Pied heron and radjah shelduck should be about and there is a chance for grey goshawk. We will lunch at Howard Springs where we have a chance for rufous owl, rose-crowned fruit dove and rainbow pitta and less glamorous species like lemon-bellied flycatcher and spangled drongo.


Overnight: Darwin

Shining flycatcher 1 June 2015 P Maher

Day 3


25 May 2016 


Darwin to South Alligator Village


We leave Darwin this morning travelling east to Kakadu NP. 
En route to Kakadu we will visit Fogg Dam where the patch of monsoon rainforest is often alive with birds. It can produce little bronze-cuckoo and brush cuckoo, bar-breasted and rufous-banded honeyeaters as well as rainbow pitta. White-browed crake can often be seen on the wetland and we could see our first brolgas here, plus a variety of waterbirds. After lunch we will make a stop at Adelaide River for the stunning mangrove golden whistler should we still need it. If we have the energy tonight, we'll spotlight around South Alligator for barking owl, spotted nightjar, northern brushtail and dingo.


Overnight: Kakadu Resort

Day 4


26 May 2016 
 

South Alligator Village to Cooinda


The South Alligator floodplain can be an excellent area for raptors such as both spotted and swamp harriers, black-shouldered kite, brown falcon and black-breasted buzzard, and sometimes a surprise or two. It can also be good for zitting and golden-headed cisticolas and Australian pratincole, and occasionally Australian bustard. The patch of monsoon rainforest at South Alligator can be good for Arafura fantail and cicadabird. We will also visit some of Kakadu's famous wetlands where we should see green pygmy-goose and wandering and plumed whistling-duck. The spectacular Arnhem Land escarpment will come into view today. We will be on the lookout for woodland birds including partridge pigeon and black-tailed treecreeper.


Overnight: Gagudgi Lodge, Cooinda

Day 5


27 May 2016 
 

Cooinda area


This morning we will visit the Arnhem Land escarpment where our main goal will be the elusive black-banded pigeon – one of the hardest birds to see in Kakadu NP. Other possibilities here include Top End endemics such as white-lined honeyeater and sandstone shrike-thrush. Both species have beautiful melodic calls that echo through the escarpment. The Arnhem Land race of the variegated fairy-wren (race dulcis) can be seen here. We'll also visit one of Kakadu's major Aboriginal rock art sites. After lunch, we will check out some woodlands for chestnut-backed button-quail as well as other woodland birds such as varied lorikeet, silver-crowned friarbird, rufous-throated and banded honeyeaters and black-tailed treecreeper. 


Overnight: Gagudgi Lodge, Cooinda

Day 6


28 May 2016 


Cooinda to Pine Creek


This morning we will bird the swamps and lagoons around Cooinda for two of the Top End's more difficult species, the great-billed heron and little kingfisher. This area is one of the best areas in Kakadu NP for turning up surprises, such as red goshawk and Pacific baza. Other species we could encounter here include black bittern, large-tailed nightjar, buff-sided robin, grey goshawk and bar-breasted honeyeater. Later we will travel south to some of the Arnhem Land escarpment country for the increasingly difficult chestnut-quilled rock-pigeon and partridge pigeon.
Overnight: Pine Creek

Hooded parrot 31 May 2015 P Maher

Day 7


29 May 2016 

Pine Creek
back to Kakadu NP

An early start this morning as we make our way back to Gunlom Falls for our final attempt for some of the Arnhemland endemics. Leaving the best till last, we try for the delightful but very challenging white-throated grasswren*. Also here we seek the oddly proportioned chestnut-quilled rock pigeon, its colours perfectly camouflaged against the rocks on which it lives. After lunch we will leave Kakadu NP behind and head towards Pine Creek. We'll be on the look out for hooded parrot, a quite rare and beautiful parrot that nests in termite mounds and inhabits the stony hills, often feeding in recently burnt areas.



*Note: We will only try for the white-throated grasswren if Philip has located them prior to the tour starting and, having found one, if the terrain is suitable for a group. 

Overnight: Pine Creek



Day 8


30 May 2016
Pine Creek to Mataranka


This morning gives us more chances for hooded parrot as well as northern rosella and plenty of great bowerbirds, their bowers scattered around Pine Creek. We will then travel south of Katherine where we have a chance for the most elusive of raptors, the red goshawk.** We will also be on the lookout for Gouldian and star finches. We might also see our first cockatiels today as well as rufous-throated and yellow-tinted honeyeaters and perhaps the beautiful white-winged form of the varied sittella in the dry woodland.


**While we may happen upon a red goshawk on our travels, please note that the red goshawk did not nest in its usual Mataranka location in 2013 and may not be there this year. 

Overnight: Mataranka
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Start of part 2: Katherine at lunchtime on 31 May 2016.
Day 9

31 May 2016 

Mataranka to Victoria River


This morning we will be on the lookout for the rare northern race of crested shrike-tit which lives in the woodland about Katherine as well as the golden-backed form of black-chinned honeyeater. Travelling west, we will have more chances for Gouldian and star finches, as well as chestnut-backed button-quail. Budgerigars can occasionally be seen in this area and of course, we will be ever alert for raptors.


Overnight: Victoria River Roadhouse

Northern shriketit, 11 June 2015, P Maher

Day 10
1 June 2016 

Victoria River to Timber Creek


Birding the canegrass along the Victoria River should deliver purple-crowned fairy-wren, yellow-rumped mannikin and star finch. These species have declined in number and have a restricted distribution. Freshwater crocodiles are also common in the Victoria River. We then head west to bird the dry woodland for species such as red-browed pardalote and red-backed kingfisher. If the bloodwoods are flowering the varied lorikeets should be about.


Overnight: Timber Creek Motel

Day 11
2 June 2016 

Timber Creek to Kununurra


We have another chance this morning for Gouldian finch — seen in good numbers around Timber Creek in recent years. Black-chinned (golden-backed form), yellow-tinted, rufous-throated, grey-fronted and banded honeyeaters are some of the species that are seen in the flowering eucalypts and grevilleas in the area. We will keep an eye out for pictorella manikin, masked, double-barred, crimson and star finches and the yellow-billed form of long-tailed finch, as well as raptors, such as square-tailed kite and black-breasted buzzard. Ground cuckoo-shrike and hooded robin are sometimes seen south of Timber Creek. In the afternoon we head across the border into Western Australia.

Overnight: Kununurra

Day 12


3 June 2016

Kununurra


A big bird list is assured when we take a boat trip on Lake Argyle this morning. Our primary target is yellow chat. If water levels are suitable this chat breeds out on swampy islands in the lake. Other possible species here include white-quilled rock-pigeon and sandstone shrike-thrush. Short-eared rock wallaby and northern nail-tail wallaby may also be seen here. We'll head back into Kununurra in the afternoon and check out the reedbeds round Lake Kununurra
 where black-backed bittern (little bittern) is a possibility, as is Baillon's and white-browed crakes. There is usually an abundance of waterbirds and finches about the lake.
Overnight: Kununurra

Yellow chat 5 June 2015 P Maher

Day 13


4 June 2016 

Kununurra


Driving northwest this morning to Wyndham, we check out areas for spinifex pigeon and finches, including pictorella mannikin and Gouldian finch—if we still need them. In Wyndham we will explore the mangroves for white-breasted whistler, mangrove grey fantail and the Kimberley form of lemon-breasted flycatcher. Later we will visit Parry's Lagoon, which consists of vast grassy plains and freshwater swamps, where we have a chance for Australian pratincole and red-chested and red-backed button-quails, yellow chat and zitting cisticola. Black-breasted buzzard, spotted harrier and black falcon frequent this area; and there is always the chance of shorebirds.


Overnight: Kununurra

Participants electing NOT to take the Mitchell Plateau option finish the tour after breakfast on 5 June and can fly back to Darwin that day if they wish.


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Part 3: Mitchell Falls option


Day 14


5 June 2016

Kununurra—Mitchell Falls 

Today we charter a plane to Mitchell Plateau and then transfer by helicopter to the car park of Mitchell Falls. Our chief purpose is to seek out the black grasswren, the most isolated of the grasswrens, which inhabits the boulders and spinifex around Mitchell Falls. The Kimberley honeyeater, a Kimberley endemic recently split from white-lined honeyeater, will be another of our targets today. Distinctive subspecies we may see in this area are the rare yellow-eyed form of the partridge pigeon — the Mitchell Plateau is the last stronghold for that race; the Kimberley race of the grey butcherbird and the Kimberley race of the variegated fairywren. We return to Kununurra late afternoon taking in the spectacular view across the Kimberley.

Overnight: Kununurra

Tour participants electing to take the Mitchell Plateau option finish the tour after breakfast on 6 June 2016.

Cost of the chartered flights is shared among the number of birders participating on this day.. Due to the high cost of the Mitchell Plateau charter AOS does not include a guiding fee for 5 June. The cost will be a maximum of $950 per person. The group arrive back into Kununurra at 3.30 pm (or thereabouts).

Birders not on the Top End tour are welcome to put their names down for this charter; however, except for the first non-Top End tour birders booked on, confirmation of a seat probably can't be given before mid March 2016. Deposit on the Mitchell Plateau charters: $400.00 AUD

Accommodation/meals costs for those tour participants taking the Mitchell Plateau option: $180 AUD per person twin share. This includes accommodation and breakfast, lunch and dinner on 5 June and breakfast 6 June.** 

A single supplement applies to single rooms for the night of 5 June: $120 AUD. 



**This is not applicable for those Mitchell Plateau participants who are not on the Top End Tour.

The cost if doing both parts of the tour is $6,850.00 AUD (not including the Mitchell Plateau flight).
Single supplement: $1,300.00 AUD



Part 1: $4,500 AUD + $935.00 AUD single supplement (22 May to lunch 30 May 2016)

Part 2: $3,250 AUD + $605.00 AUD single supplement (31 May to breakfast 4 June 2016)
5 June Mitchell Plateau charter costs: Now guaranteed to be a maximum of $950 per person.

The cost of the whole tour includes accommodation on the pre-tour night, 22 May to 4 June inclusive as well as meals from breakfast 23 May to breakfast 5 June.


The cost of part 1 includes accommodation from the pre-tour night to 30 May inclusive as well as meals from breakfast on 23 May to lunch 30 May 


The cost of part 2 includes accommodation from 31 May inclusive as well as meals from lunch on 31 May to breakfast on 4 June.

The cost does not include the flight back to Darwin. Qantas and Virgin Airlines flights are advertised on their website. http://www.regionallink.com.au
 Please discuss with Patricia the option of driving back to Darwin on 6 June with the guides if you'd prefer not to fly back.