Why should you use a LOCAL GUIDE when visiting a new area?

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater in the beautiful late afternoon light

I have just returned from a birding trip to the Alice Springs area in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was a totally new area for me and I was unfamiliar with the birds and where to find them.

Western Bowebird at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens
One of my lifers I found for myself

So I studied my field guide and checked out all the hotspots and recent sightings on eBird . Still not satisfied that I knew enough about the area I hired a guide with a vehicle. This gave me all the advantage of local knowledge and not having to drive in an unfamiliar area and look for birds!

Redthroat

My guide, Mark Carter, knew exactly where to find the birds and at what time of day they where lightly to be there. It saved a lot of time that would otherwise have been wasted waiting around for or missing out on a new species.

Red-capped Robin (female) quickly identified for me by my local guide - Mark Carter

The other saving was having a walking, talking, bird calling field guide whose pages I did not have to turn! And what do you know? 27 new species for my life list! If I had just poked around without a guide I would have found this hard to achieve.

Spinifexbird in its natural habitat! My local guide set me up nicely for this photo!

When visiting a new area I always use the local guides who know the best spots, have access to private property's and know the best time of day to visit. We even managed to locate a Bourke's Parrot in day light and then watch them coming in to drink after sunset. Thanks mark for a wonderful 3 days birding and the wealth of local knowledge - not only about the birds!

Bourke's Parrot. Not a perfect photo but a memorable sighting. 

By Doug Herrington of Birdwatching Tropical Australia in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland, Australia.

Willie Wagtails at Abattoir Swamp

Being a regular visitor to Abattoir Swamp at Julatten I noticed a pair of Willie Wagtails building a nest next to the exit on 2 January. The nest was already well advanced and the birds seemed totally unperturbed by all the comings and goings of the workers repairing the boardwalk to the bird hide.

Wrapping spider web around the nest

Both birds where coming in with pieces of bark and grass and carefully inserting them into the nest. Every now and so often one would turn up with its bill and head covered in spider webs. It would wrap these around the outside by turning around and around whilst standing in the nest.

The half completed nest

After arranging each piece of nesting material they would sit in the nest and shuffle around to shape the inside of the cup.

Shaping the inside of the nest

On another of my visits to the swamp on 14 January the pair was sitting on three eggs and still totally unperturbed by all the comings and goings. Vehicles leaving the area pass within 2 metres of the nest!

Sitting on 3 eggs

On my latest visit on the 29^th January one of the eggs had hatch and the chick was loudly demanding to be fed.

Nestling loudly demanding food

Waiting quietly for food to arrive

March with Birdwatching Tropical Australia

Cyclone Nathan finally managed to cross the coast 100km north of Cooktown on its second attempt. Here in the Port Douglas/Julatten area attempt one brought some wind and much needed rain along with several frigate birds. These could be seen in the skies above Port Douglas and Thala Beach. The second attempt brought only a few drops of rain and a light breeze as the cyclone was much further north.

Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher

Birwatching Tropical Australia has been having some good sightings of Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher in Julatten.  8 adults and 2 juveniles were seen on one of last week’s tours. Mt Lewis is as good as it always is with great sightings of Blue-faced Parrot-Finch this month.  We also saw a 2.5m long Amethystine Python along the walking track which made for a bit of excitement for our visitor from Perth!

Blue-faced Parrot-Finch

One of the ponds at Port Douglas produced an impressive 24 Pied Herons for a photographer from Melbourne and the Wandering Whistling-Ducklings and Magpie Goslings produced plenty of oh’s and ah’s from the ladies.

Wandering Whistling-Duck

The Metallic Starlings nesting at Mossman have managed to pump out a third brood of youngsters again this season.

Metallic Starling

As we look forward to the cooler dryer months of winter our shore birds and summer migrants are preparing to leave our shores. Departures should begin within the week.

Happy Birding to all!