The
Northern Territory Top End has now had three below average wet seasons with the
last (2016/17) being particularly poor. As a result, the Dry Season in 2017 is
drier than normal and many wetlands are either dry or have much less water than
normal for this time of year. I suspect the dry wet season has also impacted on
the savannah woodlands with low numbers of flowering trees and therefore low
numbers of birds in the woodlands.
We did a
boat tour at both Yellow Waters (Cooinda in Kakadu NP) and in the Mary River NP
at Corroboree Billabong. While there was still water at Yellow Waters the
wetland birds seemed to be well down on our experience of the same tour we did
there in 2007 which followed a big wet season.
Trying to
take bird photos from a boat with large numbers of people on board and limited
time is not ideal, and in future I think I would prefer to organise a small
fishing boat with a professional fishing guide to take me out. On the plus side
the tour boats are a regular feature and the local birds have adjusted to their
presence and become very confiding in the case of some individual birds and
some species. A smaller fishing boat may not achieve the same close approach as
the tour boats? Never the less here are some wetland bird photos taken on two
tour boat outings.
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We
have only seen small numbers of Magpie Geese which can sometimes be found in
huge numbers. This is a male – note knob on head. Note also that they are not
geese as their name implies. |
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Pied
Herons are common. This one is a juvenile and just starting to develop the
steel blue grey cap. |
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Wandering Whistling-Ducks can be found in small numbers and are much less
common than the Plumed Whistling-Duck which can be seen in very large numbers. |
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Plumed
Whistling-Ducks – if only they could be made to line up and pose for the
camera! |
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Black-necked Stork or Jabiru (a name I much prefer) – one of our largest water
birds. |
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The
Comb-crested Jacana – one of the smallest wetland birds at Yellow Waters. They
have the largest feet for body size of any bird in the world – an adaption to
allow them to live on floating lily leaves and other aquatic vegetation. |
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The
northern race (miles)of the Masked
Lap-wing – note the much larger yellow facial wattles compared with the
southern race birds. |
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This
juvenile Striated Heron proved to be typical of the species – hard to pin down
for a photo as is moved about in the deep shadows of the freshwater mangroves.
It seems to be carrying some vegetable matter in its bill. |
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The
bird then flew to some Pandanus on the other side of the river (East Alligator)
– it was still carrying the vegetable matter. |
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My
attempts to get a clear photo of the Striated Heron among the Pandanus did not
improve – soon after this shot the bird disappeared and our boat moved on. |
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This
juvenile Nankeen Night-Heron could be confused with a juvenile Striated Heron.
This bird was standing out on open ground in the full mid morning sun – they
normally shelter in shade during the day and are active at night as the name
implies. |
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An
adult Nankeen or Rufous Night-Heron. |
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Radjah
Shelduck were common in small numbers. |
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A
Great Egret. Cattle, Little, Intermediate and Great Egrets are all common in
the Top End. The egrets up here must contend with crocodiles as they stalk the
wetlands for food – many egrets along with other wetland birds are taken by
crocs. |
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This
is a head shot of a large (approx. 4.7m) male salt water or estuarine
crocodile. Crocs this size can pull cattle, water buffalo and pigs into the
water and drown them. An egret would be a very small snack indeed for a croc
this size. |
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This
Intermediate Egret is in breeding plumage (not that evident in this photo).
This bird was interacting with another bird in a possible courtship routine or
it was in competition with another male? The activity seemed to result in the
raised head and neck feathers. |
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Not
strictly a wetland bird the White-bellied Sea-Eagle is very common around Top
End wetlands, billabongs, rivers and coastlines. The high productivity of
wetlands up here can support very small Sea-Eagle territories compared with say
the Gippsland Lakes. |
Putting the
frustrations of bird photography aside a tour of Top End wetlands in a boat
such as the Yellow Waters’ tour is very enjoyable and highly recommended.
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