Visit your favourite destinations
Western Europe
North America
Caribbean
Africa
Asia
Eastern Europe
South America
Australasia
Middle East
East Indies

A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Australia - Darwin, Alice Springs and Cairns,  17 November to 10 December 2002,

Author

Dianne and David Lucas

Two years is a long time to suffer withdrawal symptoms after our last trip to Oz - which was also our first. But now we were back at London Heathrow, looking at overpriced shops and wishing we could just get there. At last we boarded our Japan Airlines 747 bound for Tokyo - we had managed to obtain seats with leg-room once again - then the Qantas hop to Cairns. We arrived at 0530 and had a day to mingle around Cairns before flying over to Darwin on a late evening flight. And mingle we did.

Day 1 - We collected a hire car and drove straight to Centenary Lakes and surrounding park. We did not walk far as the humidity and the biting insects immediately got the better of us. There were the usual common birds on the ponds, and figbirds, spoonbills and drongos etc. in the trees. We drove round the corner to the cemetery to see the Bush Stone-curlew and found it straight away, lurking among the old headstones. Also we saw Bee Eaters, Nutmeg Mannikins and a Kookaburra. We then drove down to the seafront for a large, greasy breakfast. The tide was well in so there were not the usual waders on the mud. After the grease we checked in to the Floriana Guest House and after David had a dip in the pool decided to drive south to the Crocodile Farm - a site we hadn't been to before. The farm is about 40 acres in size and consists of mangrove swamp and ponds. Some ponds would only hold one huge croc, while others held 100s of tiny ones. All of the ponds did, however have many birds and waders. In the first enclosure we saw Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterel (the Red-kneed being a first for us). Further along the path we saw Lovely and Red-backed Fairy-wren in the same bush (the Lovely being another first). After an hour or so of blistering sun, we had a cool drink on the patio, and out walked 2 White-browed Crakes (more firsts). Various kites and flycatchers were sitting in the trees, while a Crimson Finch foraged on the ground. Next to us in a potted plant was a tiny sunbirds nest. It was lovely, but we were tired, so left and went back to the Floriana for a snooze. We awoke later to discover that the tide was out, so we walked over to the seafront to see what was about. John Crowhurst was about ! John's a very well known bird guide who lives on the Cairns Esplanade, and we chatted with him for a while then began loading the birds on to our list. We got 70 that day, which was good considering we were half asleep. We later flew to Darwin, and spent the night in one of the ugliest hotel rooms we've seen.

Day 2 - The room looked even worse in the morning light, so we decided to escape in a taxi to the airport to collect hire car no. 2. While we were waiting for the desk to open, we took a wander outside to see what was around. We stood quietly near some trees, but David soon began complaining that he was being bitten by insects. And the biting got worse and worse. Dianne - unaffected - spotted a few ants on David's neck, and we realised what the trouble was. David had bumped into an ants nest hanging in the tree, and before long he was smothered in vicious, stinging ants. Eventually we got him back to 'normal' and collected our beautiful, immaculate hire car - much bigger and more luxurious than what we'd requested and paid for. Excellent piece of luck. We drove to an area called East Point Reserve hoping to find Beach Thick-knee and Rainbow Pitta. We parked up by a lookout point - and drove the car straight into a post ! This had to be a record, for we'd not had the car for more than 20 minutes. The damage was only slight, a flesh wound, David said. Anyway, the first bird we found was - yep. 2 Beach Thick-knees strolling along the water's edge. This was a great start, since they're quite scarce. We wandered around, wondering who had switched the furnace on, and spotted several Eastern Reef-herons, and in the forest found Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Brush Cuckoo and Northern Fantail Flycatcher. To our delight, we saw 2 frilled lizards running on their hind legs across a field, and there were several Wallabies leaping about. We went back to the car to consult our maps and decided to find a home for the next few days. We found a lovely caravan park on the outskirts of Darwin' owned by a lovely, helpful lady called Peggy - which had all the amenities and a great pool. After a light lunch and a swim we drove to Howard Springs which is the place to see Rainbow Pitta. Considering it was a public park on a Sunday afternoon, the place was oddly quiet - just one other car. Hmm. Anyway, we left the car - and returned straight to it, since every mosquito in Australia had sniffed us out. We piled on long sleeves and trousers, wrapped scarves around our heads and tried again. We got inside the forest and almost immediately spotted a Pitta standing on a fallen tree trunk. This is a most spectacular bird, being mainly jet black with lime green wings and electric-blue shoulders. We started on a short walk through the forest, but sadly the mozzies made it impossible to think straight. They were biting us through our clothes, and we had to leg it back to the car. We piled in and shut the doors quickly. Phew - despite being in the shade, the heat was intense, and we set off yelling at each other. Open the window, get the mozzies out. Shut the window, keep the heat out. Open the window, get some air in here. Where's the fly swat ? It's not much use in the boot, woman. Get the air-conditioning on. Turn the air-conditioning off, it's blowing hot air, and on it went. During the course of the holiday this palava was to become the norm whenever we had left the car for more than 30 seconds. The fly swat lived with us after that. Back to the caravan park - we had a swim, then a barbecue, and fought off some vicious sandflies. We went to bed early, and rather enjoyed watching The Bill. It was an old sequence, but we picked up on it straight away !

Day 3 - Just up from our caravan park is a place called Knuckey's Lagoon which held several good species. We found Rajah Shelduck, Little Curlew, Little Corella and a Yellow Wagtail, and a lonely A. Pratincole. These were all firsts for us. We drove on to one of the best sites in Australia - Fogg Dam. This is a huge wetland area with hides and forest. On the walk along the dam wall, the trees were alive with birds - Blue-winged Kookaburra, A. Koel,  Honeyeaters, Friarbirds - all singing. A huge monitor crossed the track in front of us. Further along on the water-lillies, Comb-crested Jacanas, Green Pygmy Goose, and in the fields behind were Brolga Cranes. Our next stop was to be a 'Jumping Crocs' centre - which was centre for boat trips on the Adeleide River. The speciality here was Mangrove Golden Whistler which could be found in the mangroves, of course. The book solemnly warned of the most vicious mozzies of all, so we needed to be brave. We parked up, and began sorting out armour out when David suddenly cried out - he'd spotted the Whistler sat up a tree above our heads ! We decided to view the bird properly, so went inside the centre and ordered a couple of cold beers and sat down in comfort. The Whistler came quite close to us, and also a Shining Flycatcher flew down to a puddle for a drink. And without a single encounter with a mozzie, we drove back to Darwin to become 'normal tourists' for the rest of the day. During this drive, we spotted some unusual car number plates, and later we asked someone about them. Apparently, so long as you have 6 letters and numbers, you can register anything you like, within reason. We saw SAMURI, MY HEAP, IT L DO, SAFARI, DARWIN and David's favourite PORKY 1. On the Darwin seafront, there's a fish feeding station called Aquascene, which Dianne had seen on the telly. About a dozen or so species of wild fish come up to the station to feed at high tide, mainly mullet, milkfish, catfish and a few barramundi - all will take bread from your fingers. We also saw a stingray which came up for bits of fish. To end the day, we drove round to Stokes Wharf which is apparently the best place for fish and chips. There were many choices of cuisine on the wharf, but we settled for camel and crocodile !!

Day 4 - Another place near to our caravan park was Holmes Jungle Swamp. It looked promising but was not very successful, for yet again, the mozzies made it impossible to remain uneaten. We were looking for quail, but we're not really cut out for stalking through snake-infested insect-housing sharp, tall grass looking for something with hardly any distinguishing field marks which will fly straight off at light speed. Leave that to the experts. We did, however see a Brown Falcon before we drove off to a place called Buffalo Creek to look for Chestnut Rail and Grey Whistler. The best place to look is in the mangroves, standing on the concrete boat ramp getting roasted. We did manage to spot both our species, although not brilliant views. We had a quick walk in the forest, but you've guessed the rest. On our way back out we saw a Black Butcherbird sitting above David's head. We decided to go back to our Snoopy Shed at the caravan park for an early barbecue and on the way stopped by at Knuckey's Lagoon again. We saw wallabies, plus thousands of Magpie Geese.  We collected our meat and beer from the store and enjoyed a lovely barbecue.

Day 5 - Today we were heading for Kakadu National Park. Up until now, our time in Australia had been extremely hot and without rain. The temperatures were high, but everyone was saying that the rains were due anytime, and that would cool things down. Also word was that the mozzies would be far worse when the rain came. We hoped we would avoid this scenario - best keep the heat !! A lot of the lakes and rivers we'd visited had been dried out, but we believed this would all change when we arrived at Kakadu. This is a huge wetland area in Northern Australia - often wet even in the dry season - swarming with birds and animals, and was high on our list of 'must visit' places. Anyway, just as we were leaving our caravan park, 3 Red-tailed Black Cockatoos landed nearby. These were the first of many. We stopped back at Fogg Dam to see what was around, friarbirds, parrots, swamphens, it was buzzing. Once on the road, we felt good - both excited about this part of the journey. En route to Kakadu we popped into Leaning Tree Lagoon - and were delighted, for the small lagoon was full of birds, including a Jabiru Stork which was a key lifer for us. There was water in the lagoon, and we spent about an hour at this lovely place. A little later we spotted a Wedge-tailed Eagle up a tree and got good pics. On we pressed, through the heat of the midday sun, looking forward to arriving and finding somewhere to stay and putting our feet up with a cold beer. We arrived at Kakadu, and headed for the small township called Jabiru (after the stork) where we found the Kakadu Lodge and Caravan Park. We hunted down our hut, dumped our bags and headed to the bar, but it was closed until 4pm. We went in search of the supermarket and purchased 2 fly-nets for our heads so we could look even sillier when being bombarded by flies and biters. We then looked for the beer, but we were in for a shock, for too late we discovered that Jabiru is a dry town ! This is a ploy to keep the Aboriginals off the pop, but we tourists could buy beer from our lodge's bar when it opened later. We decided to go back to the hut and plan our time in Kakadu, but were dismayed to find that the gardener had turned on a sprinkler by our verandah which had soaked the chairs and floor and was cutting the grass around us with the noisiest lawnmower we'd ever heard ! This was not what we wanted, and we began to sulk. So, plan B was to go for a drive, even though it was rather hot. It was becoming apparent that there was very little water around, for we were not seeing anything other than a few kangaroos and several road-kills, which became increasingly common the further south we ventured. Birds were sparse, so we decided to revert to plan A, go back to the lodge and enquire about a boat trip we wanted to do and then wait for the damn bar to open ! The pool area included the bar and restaurant, and although we didn't swim, everything else about the late afternoon and evening was fine. We had a lovely meal chosen from an interesting menu, and the beer was cold and just about worth the wait ! Early to bed, for tomorrow's boat trip was an early start, but not before a Northern Brown Bandicoot and her baby came shyly out on to the lawn, foraging around the tables under the bar lights !

Day 6 - Yawn - Ahoy There ! Today we were to be taken out on the Yellow Water Billabong on what turned out to be the best boat trip we've ever done. We saw Partridge Pigeon and Red-winged Parrot on the way to the boat. The trip was almost full (approx. 60 seats) and we were sat near the back. As we pulled away, Bruce the Boatman announced that we could feel free to stand at the back just behind him, and we were there like gun-shots. The best place to be, since here we could use our telescope, there were no heads in the way, and not only could we ask Bruce the Boatman millions of questions,  but it gave David a perfect chance to thoroughly organise Bruce, too ! The birding was the best. We particularly wanted to see Azure and Shining Blue Kingfisher, and we saw about 10 of each, plus crocs - both freshies and salties - and Water Buffalo ! As for the birds, too many to mention, with most views down to a few yards. There wasn't a single moment in that 2-hour trip when birds were not in our sight. Truly wonderful. And David was in his element, talking Bruce's ears off ! In the afternoon we went to Nourlangie which is a sacred Aboriginal site promising Kakadu's best known collection of rock paintings. We were saddened by the need for a sign requesting that tourists do not break palm fronds off to use as fly swats, but even more dismayed that during the short time we were there, a young couple who had done just that. We've travelled widely, and hate this sort of blatant disrespect. The rock paintings were fine - not really our thing, but each to his own. We did, however, see a Sandstone Shrikethrush which delighted us. Feeling that we'd probably seen the best of Kakadu (considering the dryness of the land) but with one more area to visit in the morning, we travelled south-east (just out of the park, but a pass was available) to hopefully find a bed at the Mary River Roadhouse. We checked in with the owner and his wife, who booked us in, filled our car with petrol, served us with items from their shop, served us with drinks from the bar, served us with 4 lunches and 2 dinners - all without asking for a cent. When Dianne had offered a card as security, they simply shrugged and said, 'naw, it's OK. We trust ya'. This trust was humbling, almost humiliating. We can only hope and prey that no-one ever ruins this faith, since he was a big, tough man of a man, a shooting, hunter-gatherer who wouldn't have been shy to ask for a deposit, let alone full payment up front. The gardens at this lovely place  held Greater Bowerbirds and Galahs (common, but beautiful pink and grey parrots) drinking from the sprinklers, and there were wallabies dashing here and there. In the morning, we drove back into Kakadu to visit a site 40km on a dirt road called Waterfall Creek. We were hoping to find Grasswrens and Rockpigeons, and we had to scramble up a rock-face alongside a waterfall to reach the top of the escarpment. Piece of cake. We waited at the top but didn't see either of the birds we had come for. We did see a Fairywren, and another Sandstone Shrikethrush, but it was getting a bit warm and our trusty guide-book promised that the breathtakingly tranquil billabong at the bottom was quite safe to swim in. Down we went and in we went !! David first, slowly testing the crystal clear water - delighted to find tiny silver fishes nibbling at his toes and various scratches and scars. Dianne second, not hanging around, but straight into a slow but strong breast-stroke, fearing that larger fishes may lurk beneath, and swam right around the edge of the billabong, up against the rock-face where the waterfall splashed down. It was like a little trip to paradise - the type of setting you only get on film sets. We enjoyed the water for about an hour and a half, then wandered over to the barbecue area and had good old smoked bacon and eggs and fried bread for brunch. (We've discovered barbecue sites almost everywhere in Australia - be they gas/coin operated or supplied with free wood) Then we went back to the road-house to pack and pay up, and on the way spotted 4 Brown Quail crossing the road. We told our friends at the road-house that we'd been swimming in the billabong at the bottom of Waterfall Creek, and that gave the man a laugh. He told us that that billabong had held crocs before now, despite what our book said. We mentioned that we'd known of Ozzies swimming in that water, too, and he laughed harder. Apparently, the locals wait until a few silly tourists like us swim in the billabong to flush out any crocs, and only then will locals safely enter the water. Hmm. Perhaps not so naļve, after all !! He'd had the last laugh. We paid him and wished them both well, then set off on the drive down to Katherine. Quite a long drive, but eventually arrived and easily found the 'sister' caravan park recommended by Peggy from the park at Darwin. The people here seemed just as friendly, and we booked in for the night. As we were settling in, the lady owner brought over a lime green tree-frog - her husband had  found it while he was gardening. Here we saw our only Northern Rosella of the trip, and had a wonderful barbecue. We've become slightly hooked on squashes during our travels, and they were a good barbecue accompaniment here in Oz. Then we went to bed and watched The Bill !!

Day 7 - Up with the parrots, as it were, to leave early to the Katherine Gorge National Park. We had an interesting walk to the start of the trail. The place was infested with Greater Bowerbirds who had made spectacular bowers (display areas) around the place, but apart from a few wallabies, there was little else. Also, the temperature was soaring, so we decided to cut our losses and head west for Victoria River. Our targets here were White-quilled Rock-pigeon and Purple-crowned Fairy-wren The only place to stay is the Victoria River Roadhouse on the river, so that saved an argument. We eventually arrived, and evaporated from the car to the bar, mouthing an order for cold beers as if we'd just crossed the Sahara. We had a bite to eat, idly watched a non-serious pool game, chatted with a couple of locals who looked like - shall we say - very hardened drinkers. We thrilled at watching a friendly dog outside rolling around underneath the sprinklers along with Little Corellas, noting the several Ozzy pick-ups parked around the place, each with tyres tied around them for driving cattle - and decided that THIS felt like the outback. Also, a couple who were drinking in the bar soon left - by helicopter - they'd dropped in for a beer and a takeaway. We checked into our penthouse (!) and went for a wander. The wind had picked up, so rather difficult to spot a fairy-wren in the tall cane grasses, plus kangaroos would keep leaping around, threatening one's heart. We did see several freshies lurking in the river. Decided to go back and have dinner (seafood) then an early night. This was the worst night of the whole trip. The air-conditioning blew out warm air - warmer than the outside air - and the water in the room looked and tasted like hot toilet water, and we don't mean the perfumed type. We moved our beds underneath one of those wobbly, creaky ineffective fans and lay there praying that it wouldn't suddenly land on us, and praying for the morning to arrive.

Day 8 - We left our room and almost tripped up over the 2 guys from the previous day - they were in their swags, still drunk - and parked up on the floor outside the motel rooms. And then we were greeted by the friendly (and still wet) dog, who smelled like 10 dogs. We walked down to the bridge to try again for the fairy-wren. We spotted 2 before too long - such lovely little creatures - fluttering about with Crimson-finches, and then headed for a rocky escarpment where the rock-pigeons should be. The walk was pleasant enough, and a Channel-billed Cuckoo was spotted by David, but no rock-pigeons. Back to the Victoria River Roadhouse to pack, and begin our drive back over towards Katherine, then south heading for Alice Springs. The plan was to make Tennant Creek by late afternoon. Had some good birds on the drive - Apostlebirds, Olive-backed Oriole, Hooded Parrots, plus many dust devils !! Tennant Creek was a pleasant enough town full of Galahs, and after booking into a cool, clean motel with cool, clean water, went off for dinner (schnitzels).

Day 9 - There's a small site of spinifex grass just outside town where we found Spinifexbird and Zebrafinch. Just opposite the site we saw a sign to a dam, and almost didn't bother checking it out, but fortunately did so. The dam was alive with birds due to recent rains. The best birds were Oriental and Oz Pratincole and Black-tailed Native Hen, and we found a wonderful Military Sand Dragon. We continued with our long drive down to Alice, on the way passing huge road-trains and sadly road-kills. Got great views of an Oz Bustard walking along the edge of the road, and found some Oz Magpies (David's friends from our previous trip !). We also stopped to rescue a Centralian Blue-tongued Skink who was lying in the road, and Dianne carried him to safety in David's bush hat. We finally arrived at Alice Springs, and both felt relieved and delighted. We checked into a caravan park (which like all other parks didn't allow pets) on the northern edge of town, and spotted Ring-necked Parrot and Babblers. The park had a swimming pool which was icy. A quick look around the town showed us that there had been some rain recently, for the Todd River (which runs parallel to the main road through Alice) which is usually dry - now had water in it ! So much so, that not only were two of the bridges closed causing a minor traffic jam, but the local children - and adults - and their dogs were enjoying a play and a splash - possibly for the first time in their lives. We went off to buy food and planned a barbeque, but the rain started and we ended up with mixed grill.

Day 10 - We headed south-east out of Alice to Simpson's Gap National Park. There was flood water everywhere, and while we were enjoying the views a ranger appeared and began taking photos of the river. He told us he'd never seen the river so high before. It seemed surreal that such a huge gap could be formed by a small river which rarely flows, even though it had taken around 60 million years. We took a short walk around the gorge, watching Black-footed Rock Wallabies and rabbits, and suddenly a wooosh overhead made us look up just in time to see a Peregrine Falcon swoop and take a tiny bird. Our best birds were Little Woodswallow, Splendid Fairy-wren and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. We drove back towards Alice, spotting a Wedge-tailed Eagle and a Red-backed Kingfisher, then went on to the A S Desert Park - a 1300 hectare wildlife park displaying central Australian eco-systems, and containing walk-through aviaries, reptile house, nocturnal houses, and many hard-to-see species. Well worth a visit, and we spent several hours here. We then went on to the sewage ponds, which were huge, and held many species including Red-necked Avocet, Red-capped Plover, Black Swan, Wood Duck, Hoary-headed Grebe, Black Duck, Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck, Masked Lapwing and Straw-necked Ibis. Plus, we spotted a Varigated Fairy-wren in the bushes ! With all this going on, we hadn't noticed that the sky had turned black, so we dashed back to the car, but alas ! Too late, too late. We went back to the caravan park, changed clothes, had a snooze, then when the sun came out again went off to the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed a lurk around, hoping to find Western Bowerbirds. We soon did, and shortly after found a bower. Later on, a barbeque and a bottle of Lindeman's Reisling assured us of a good night's sleep. After The Bill.

Day 11 - Early start, but before leaving the park, Dianne thought she spotted a small dog in the neighbours cabin. Strange. Anyway, we drove to Kunoth Well - a half hour's trip to this site. We were surprised to see just a windmill without any visible water, but plenty of birds around. Dianne was scanning the trees and spotted a pair of Major Mitchells Cockatoos - a key species. (These are a large, baby pink cockatoo). We went closer and then typically, they flew towards us, and landed in a nearby tree !! Result !! Next, we could hear a Crested Bellbird calling, but where on earth was it calling from ? We went round in circles, and eventually decided on a pincher movement around a patch of dense scrub. David spotted him and we enjoyed good views of this elusive little chap. After everything went quiet there, we went back to Alice and headed for the Old Telegraph Station which should be a good site, but here we only found common birds - Little Crow, Crested Pigeons and, of course, millions of Galahs. Since it was very dry today, we decided to try the sewage ponds again, but this time we needed shade. The only hide was full of biting ants, so we didn't hang around. We decided to visit the Reptile Park, and what a lovely place this was. We accepted a rain cheque from the lady (since we had missed the last display, and decided to call in another day) and had a wander around. There were some wonderful species in here, and Dianne was looking forward to trying her hand at snake handling !! Very heavy rains all night tonight.

Day 12 - Dianne awoke, and could vaguely hear David in the bathroom, and as she was sleepily lying there, she became aware that There Was Something In The Room. She looked around, and immediately spotted the culprit. We had suspected that our neighbours were illegally keeping a small, hairy dog inside their cabin, and here was the dog ! She hissed and told it to get out, but to no avail. She then tried to coax it out of the suitcase it was now lying in but it snarled at her. Mistake. Dianne called for David, saying something like 'please will you get this dog out of the room, darling' and David easily got it out. (We'll not go into detail here, but let's just say it didn't take much persuading). Dianne immediately got dressed and immediately went over to the office to report the illegal canine. While she was telling tales, David had the misfortune to bump into the neighbour whose dog it was and who had watched David 'evict' the dog from the cabin. She sounded German, and began yelling at him, but David totally ignored her.

Today we were to drive west towards Ormiston Gorge and planned to spend the night in the area. We revisited Simpson's Gap hoping to see a Grasswren, but couldn't find one. We watched a Collared Sparrowhawk building a nest. We continued, planning various stops along the way, but soon discovered that flooding caused by the heavy rains the night before could well block our route. We had to stop the car several times to wade across the water - sometimes 50 yards wide - to check the depth. Couldn't help thinking of crocs. One ford in particular had us worried, but two 4WD vehicles came through from the opposite direction. We noticed the depth of the water on them, and that their exhausts were roughly the same height as ours. Plus the lady in the 2nd vehicle offered to tow us out if we got stuck, so we went for it. Phew !! Went on now to Ellery Creek which has recently been very badly burned with bush fires. We did, however, see possibly the most important bird of the trip. Budgies !! They shot out of a tree above our heads while we stopped to look at a Hooded Robin. We wondered if we might find an Emuwren on the stubble, but the damaged area was immense. We could drive for half an hour, and the land on both sides as far as the eye could see would be burned flat. On we went. At last we reached Ormiston Gorge, but once again, the precious spinifex grass had been burned and sadly the best bit where we hoped to find a Grasswren was unsafe. The guide book informed us that we would find Spinifex Pigeon in the car park, but even that was not to be. We did, however, get great views of a 4 foot Perentie Lizard eating another lizard, and saw a family of Red-capped Robins feeding. Time was getting on, so we drove to the Glen Helen Lodge and checked in for the night. This place overlooked a river and it was pleasant to sit and watch the world - and the birds - go by. David was hot and went to the pool but didn't linger since there were 2 Germans swimming about in it, and since the dog episode decided he was off Germans. Later on, we bought 2 bbq packs from the restaurant and had a cook up, but they were rather small packs - not the mountains of food we can usually shift. We sat until dark, and until the mozzies took over, being harmonised by a guitarist called Chris Finnan - then went to bed.

Day 13 - Set off back for Ormiston Gorge again, and saw some Kangaroos on the way. We bumped into a Hungarian couple whom we'd met the day before, and they gave us directions where the Grasswrens were. We walked for about 100 miles or so, not seeing hardly anything, then headed back. Partway, David suggested a rest in the area where these wrens should be, and sure enough, he saw 2 Dusky Grasswrens dashing behind a pile of rocks. Dianne had her finger in her nose, and missed them. We went on back and just as we were thinking of leaving suddenly a Spinifex Pigeon wandered behind the car. We followed it around the car park getting good photos, then left it in peace and headed back towards Alice once again. The floodwaters had receded a little, but we had to watch for trees and rocks which had been washed up. Had a good view of a Red-backed Kingfisher. At one rivulet we had to cross, we both paddled in, enjoying watching many spawning fish (about 6" long) swimming over the road against the flow of the water - just like leaping salmon. We eventually arrived back at Alice, and tonight had booked ourselves into the world famous Overlanders Steakhouse, which we'd seen on the telly. Apart from eating local delicacies and Rolf Harris singing Waltzing Matilda and Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport non-stop, one can be 'branded' - just like cattle - after dinner. They'll brand leather and denim - hats, wallets and handbags are the usual items, but Dianne wanted her rump done !! However, she chickened out big time. Here we ate Camel, Emu, Crocodile, Kangaroo and Barramundi, and had some superb deserts. Back at the snoopy shed we had a glass of wine and watched The Bill !!

Day 14 - We hadn't planned on going to Uluru (Ayers Rock) but had a couple of spare days and couldn't change our air ticket back to Cairns since we'd bought cheapies. So we set off for the five-hour drive to the Red Centre, and got some fine views of 50 + budgies along the way, plus a huge snake on the road which sadly turned out to be dead. The drive south of Alice is fairly uneventful. We did, however spot a Diamond Dove - the only one of the trip, and a bird David particularly wanted to see. At Erldunda (another one-horse town) we turned right (west) on the Lasseter Highway, and after a while we began looking for our first view of Ayers Rock. At last, a huge, red, table-top mountain was visible, and although we were slightly impressed, we both felt it wasn't quite what we had expected. Where were the crowds ? Then, we realised we were doing what many eager souls have done - we were looking at Mount Connor !! On we went, seeing Wedge-tailed Eagles and some lovely Crimson Chats along the way - and then at last, the unmistakeable sight of Uluru - Ayers Rock. Wow. It's sheer presence was quite surreal. We checked out the accommodation first. A town has been constructed to accommodate the huge numbers of visitors to the region, and apart from several (very expensive) hotels, there's a fire brigade, police station, shopping plaza, banks, post office, and a small hospital. We thought we'd stay on the camp site in a cabin, but wanted to see if any discounts could be had at one of the 'cheaper' hotels, so in we drove - and promptly wedged the front valance of the car on to a cement block on the kerb !! Oh dear - it wasn't too bad, hopefully the rental company wouldn't spot the damage. Anyway, back to the camp site it was for us !!  We relaxed for a while and made nuisances of ourselves around the small town, then decided to 'do' the rock at sunset. A convoy of vehicles left the town and headed out to find the best spot, but there was no need. We went for a wander and spotted a Black-breasted Buzzard soaring high above the huge rock. Later, back at the car park and as the sun began to fade, so the rock changed colour, and then after many photos everyone drove back to the town for their barbecues or their posh dinners. Or - some poor folk had a 5-hour journey back to Alice, since coach trips actually run a day trip to this popular site. On our way back, we spotted a feral cat in the road.

Day 15 - A bad hair day for yesterday's feral cat which was now flat in the road. We passed it on our way to the rock. Were we going to climb up it ? No. Were we going to walk around it ? Er, no. We're hardened travellers, so we drove around the base !! It was far too hot to walk - it was up in the 90s at about 8 in the morning. Also we had no wish to climb. The rock is sacred to the Aboriginals and they hate people swarming over it. The officials know this, and close the climb route for any excuse - too windy, too hot, too wet, too dry - we couldn't blame them. People have fallen to their death climbing the rock, and their graves testify this - spread around the base. We went on a short bird walk in the mulga - a type of pine tree area - but only saw Southern Whiteface and Inland Thornbill. Oh, and a huge sand monitor. In the afternoon we drove away from Ayers Rock to another area of rocks called The Olgas - which also are the same distinctive red rock (and change colour !) - and are actually quite pretty. We hung around there for a while - once again the birding very slow - and then headed back to Ayers and eventually our cabin. On the way back, the rain started - quite unusual for the area - and as we approached Ayers, a beautiful rainbow appeared behind the rock.

Day 16 - Today we were to leave Ayers Rock and head back to Alice, so - feeling a little like sheep - we went to say 'goodbye' to this strange place. We had been suitably impressed by it, certainly not mesmerised by it but pleased we'd made the effort. The birdwatching had been poor, but never mind. We're not likely to go back again - life's too short. Our drive back to Alice was long and hot, and apart from a few Mulga Parrots and more Crested Bellbirds, would have been uneventful, had it not been for the windscreen . Part way back, Dianne suddenly noticed that the windscreen behind the rear view mirror was well and truly smashed. How on earth had this happened ? Our poor, almost new fancy hire car had now collected three lots of damage. Thank heavens we'd taken out full insurance. We limped home - hardly daring to breathe near the windscreen, and as we pulled into Alice for the last time, we felt we had arrived home !! We went back to our original, familiar camp site - thankfully the dog and the German had now gone - and did a little shopping. We bought a couple of books and an Oz bush camp oven (which we have christened Bruce), then went back to the Reptile Park to see the display and handle some reptiles. This was a thoroughly enjoyable - if a little scary - and we got to hold a large, friendly python, a thorny devil and various other lizards. Tonight we went to the Overlanders again for dinner. There was no Rolf Harris tonight - instead a terrible singer with a Hammond organ croaked all night while we ate our fill of flesh. Not for vegetarians, this place !!

Day 17 - And this was our last day in Alice, sadly, so once again we set off early to Kunoth Well. We picked up a lot of desert nomads like Crimson Chat, Hooded Robin, Budgerigars and various larks. The first time we'd been in this area was after rainfall, but now it was very dry. Since birds follow the rain, we realised that we wouldn't again see some of the species we'd seen at first. And once again, wished we had just a little more time in this lovely place. We went back to pack, went back to the botanical gardens to have brunch (hard-boiled eggs and beer), then after filling the car with fuel drove to the airport to head back to Cairns for the last leg of the trip. The airport appeared closed - there was only one flight leaving - and consequently no-one was manning the car rental desk. Phew !! After the short flight back to Cairns, we checked into the Floriana Guest House, had a wander on the seafront spotting a few waders - nothing of note, then decided to go out in search of a seafood meal. We'd intended going to the night markets food hall, where one can purchase fast food from almost any country in the world, but the man at Florianas had told us of the splendid seafood extravaganza to be had 'just up the road' at a posh hotel. So we went there !! It was an all-you-can-eat affair for just AU$22 (about £9) consisting of mussels, prawns, oysters, crab, salads, hot meals like lasagne, casseroles, pies, vegetables, deserts, cheese & biscuits, coffees - plus they handed out tokens for discounted drinks from the bar!! We sat at a table quite near the flood lit pool, in the warm evening air, listening to soft music with the lapping of the waves from the Coral Sea over the Great Barrier Reef. We sipped our chilled bottle of Lindemans Reisling, and reflected on our past few days in Alice. Life is sweet. David wanted a little ice cream and stood up to go to the counter. Unfortunately, the back leg of his chair just went over the step behind him, and although he was quick to grab it, he couldn't quite hang on to it. The chair escaped his grip, and with a loud splosh, landed in the pool, leaving poor David stood on the side looking slightly awkward, to say the least. He fled inside, the other guests on the poolside laughing loudly, then everyone soon quietened down. Dianne, however, was left there alone struggling to contain the biggest fit of the giggles ever, and just couldn't help herself. This was no less embarrassing than losing your chair in the swimming pool. Eventually a waiter learned of the mishap and offered a second chair. We silently finished the dinner and retired to the safety of the guest house.

Day 18 - David up at first light, and on the seafront by 5am. He saw a very good selection of birds, and also managed to pick up the local bum who towed along with him for over an hour !! He was hoping to spot a Broad-billed Sandpiper. Dianne met up with David at around 7am (she had a lie in) and we decided to move on out to Kingfisher Park, where we were both eager to reach. En route, Dianne wanted to stop at Kuranda - a touristy town where the shopping is wonderful - to spend some of David's hard-earned money !! While Dianne shopped, David spotted a tree full of Double-eyed Fig Parrots. While David sat on a park bench eating a sandwich, he watched Scrubfowl, Emerald Dove and Barred Cuckooshrike, and Dianne bought bush coffee, a hammock, eucalyptus soap and a boomerang. We left Kuranda, and on our way to K/fisher Park stopped at Mareeba Golf Course to look at Eastern Grey Kangaroos and Apostlebirds. We finally arrived at our destination, and after checking in for 2 nights (we'd have preferred  2 years, but they were booked !!) and getting our cold beers, set ourselves down by the bird feeders. This was so relaxing, and in such a lovely setting, we'd  been dreaming about it for ages. Late afternoon, we wandered down to the river to look for a platypus and saw 2 Noisy Pittas on the way. The water level was too low for the platypus (here, too - the rains hadn't happened) but a non-stop procession of birds made it worthwhile. We saw Red-browed and Double-barred Finch, Spectacled Monarch, Buff-banded Rail and various honeyeaters etc. and also a Channel-billed Cuckoo kept flying over. At night we went to the pub for a meal and watched the TV. The news coverage of the bush fires in New South Wales was staggering.

Day 19 - Once again, David was up before anyone else watching the very first birds appearing in the garden, sipping a large black coffee and reflecting how stressful life could be. Ha. A Buff-breasted Paradise-kingfisher flickered by, it's long white tail trailing gracefully. Rainbow Lorikeets everywhere - their colours magnificent in the bright morning sun. Orange-footed Scrubfowl and Brush Turkeys skulked in the bushes, and a Kookaburra yelled out loud. We left the park to drive up to Mount Molloy and went for a crawl around in the scrub in the rainforest. After a while we found a family of Chowchillas scratching around - their pleasant squeaking noises giving them away. Also, a Spotted Catbird began calling, sounding like a cat. We soon found it ! A little further on, we found a Mountain Thornbill. We drove back to Kingfisher Park, and were told that a Papuan Frogmouth was down by the river. We went off to try to find this cryptically coloured owl-like bird which sits very still, looking like a piece of wood. After half an hour of searching and stiff necks, David finally spotted it in a tall tree, sat on it's nest. We wondered why we hadn't been told that it was on a nest. Never mind. We wandered back to reception and told Ron that we'd found it, and there was great excitement. David had found the 'wrong' Frogmouth !! They had seen the male sitting nearby, and had been searching for the female on it's nest !! Good old David. Anyway, after lunch we went to the rainforest looking for Golden Bowerbird at a bower. We thought our directions must be wrong, for we walked for miles through the rainforest without luck. We did, however, spot a Double-tooth Catbird displaying by it's bower, Fernwren, King Parrot and lots of Eastern Whipbirds. As we arrived back at the car, we spotted a splendid Red-bellied Black Snake --a fine specimen. Back at the Park, we had a barbecue shared with many insects. As we walked back to our room, we were shown a Boyds Forest Dragon - a most spectacular reptile - snoozing on a tree trunk.

Day 20 - Feeling disappointed at missing out on the Golden Bowerbird the previous day, we happily gave a lift to a birder who didn't have transport but did know where this bowerbird was. Ha ! Now we'd be OK. He wanted to find Blue-faced Parrot-finch. Yep, we'd like that, too !! So off we set once more for miles through the rainforest, and just a few yards after where we'd turned round the previous day, our friend said, "Up there" and left us to it. We were to meet him later. We scrambled up the rough bank, and sure enough after a short while the male soon arrived to display. It was not in full plumage since it was a juvenile (equivalent of spotty teenager) but we were well happy. We fought off the mosquitoes for a bit longer then took a leisurely stroll back towards where we were to meet our friend. When we reached him, he hadn't yet seen the finch, but after a few minutes David saw it pop up out of some tall grasses and sit on a branch. This was a delightful bright green finch with a blue-black face and a red tail. And just above it was a Little Tree-creeper - the only tree-creeper of the trip. We had to drive back to the park (on the way we saw Musky Rat-kangaroo and also a Topknot Pigeon) to pack our bags since we had another place to get to, but apart from that it was throwing out time. We said goodbye to the lovely people we'd met there - Ron and Susanne, the owners; Carol and Andrew, the British couple who helped run the place, and the other birders who unselfishly swapped useful sightings and info with us. We would be back !! But for now, we were heading south through the Atherton Tablelands. On the way, we pulled in at a picnic area where Ron had told us about another frogmouth sighting. Once again, the stiff necks. Eventually, we spotted it up a thin tree on a nest - but this one was a Tawny Frogmouth. We stopped in at various sites along the journey, and eventually arrived at the Woodlands Caravan Park. After checking in we wandered around the park and saw Pale Rosella - the only one of the trip, both this time and the last. We went for a swim in the bracing water. Brrrr !! Then drove out to Hasties Swamp which was sadly completely dry. Purple Swamphens were everywhere. We sat in the new state-of-the-art bird hide and looked out over what was once full of waterbirds. What we did find up there, however, were Oriental and Fantail Cuckoos - both firsts. Also a Brown Falcon. We went back to the park, sorted out our barbecue things and went into the cooking area. We chatted with a Dutch couple who told us they'd been watching up to seven platypus in a nearby stream - just their bills showing. We Would Inspect This In The Morning !!! For now, though, we were concentrating on eating this mountain of food - pork and lamb chops, sausages, steaks, tomatoes & onions, squashes, fried potatoes - what a feast !! We went back to our snoopy shed feeling fat, and watched The Bill for the last time. (For those of you who care, we do NOT watch The Bill at home !!)

Day 21 - Early start - both of us with indigestion - down the road to a Chinese Temple. Through the grounds ran a small river, and we wandered around it looking for ducky. There was a strange selection of tame ducks and oddballs around, but then hawk-eyed David yelled "PLATYPUS" and pointed, and loh and behold, there he was. We had great views of the whole of the creature - bobbing about. Also, in the river we found several turtles with just their necks showing, and then it struck us - the Dutch couple must have seen these and mistaken them for platypus ! You just can't trust these Dutchies !! We left the area and continued on, and suddenly pulled in by a football pitch where David wanted to stop. There was a flock of his beloved Oz Magpies, all carolling and saying their goodbye's, for today was our last whole day in Australia. Out of all the beautiful birds we'd seen on both our trips to this wonderful country, the magpies were David's favourite. We pulled in at a couple of other sites - one called Crater National Park - and had our favourite Oz breakfast of hard boiled eggs and beer. (We were in for a rude awakening when we got home !!) Later on down the road, we saw a sign that made us smile. HORSE POO - $2.00. We found a tree which held several Noisy Friarbirds. Later on, a Pallid Cuckoo. We then drove by a distant swamp and found both Brolga and Saurus Cranes feeding amongst cattle. Then we saw another sign - MOO POO - $2.00. We carried on the long drive back to Cairns, and since we were approaching from the south (ish) decided to call in at the wonderful Crocodile Farm we'd visited on our arrival day. We found all the same birds, plus Black Bittern, of which David had a fleeting glimpse. Pity we couldn't have had better views. We also saw a Sea Eagle. Back at Cairns and our familiar Floriana Guest House (we wouldn't stay anywhere else - this place is simply the best !!) we packed a few things, had a swim, a shower, then a drive down to the front - sea just right for waders, and after a long search found the Broad-billed Sandpiper, in with the mass of others. We walked on to the centre, had a beer in the Rattle and Hum while laughingly writing our postcards, then wandered around the shops buying last minute souvenirs. Then we finally hit the food halls in the night markets, along with millions of other tourists - all young, or young at heart, happy, excited to be there - not the slightest hint of anyone being bored, looking for bother, no police, no security guards, everyone sharing in the pure contentment which is Cairns in a nutshell. We couldn't have wished for anything more, except perhaps our beloved dogs being with us. We sampled several dishes from China, Vietnam, Thailand - the food wasn't top class, but it was good. Very good. We floated back to Floriana, and in the darkness of our room chatted for hours about our holiday.

Day 22 - Up as early as we could be - alarm set at 04.30 or something equally as rude, for today we had everything to do. Flying out today, so hands, face, teeth wash, quick coffee and straight off to Centenary Park - we spotted a couple of Bush Thick-knees lurking in the shadows, plus several other species. Our penultimate bird of note was a wonderful view of a Black Bittern - this time we both saw it beautifully - but somehow we managed to get a terrific look at a Collared Kingfisher. Really, we shouldn't have seen this bird in this area - for us it was our 9th out of 10 kingfishers in Oz - but there it was, no more than 25 feet from us. Before we left the park, we spotted a birder from Kingfisher Park who was birding with his son. We told him about the bittern, and pointed him in the right direction. Dianne watched him through the bins. Suddenly, he stopped, looked intently at the spot, then turned towards us and smiled and gave the thumbs up - then waved goodbye - all through the bins !! We were out of time. Back to Floriana, quickly pack, pay up, drive to airport, catch flight, and land in the snow at Tokyo International before you could say G'day, Bruce. Did we dream it ? Not a bit. Our aircraft couldn't get on stand, since everything had to be de-iced. The first snow in Japan, and it made the news - as we discovered on the TV in our hotel room later !!

Day 23 - Our stopover in Japan was the airlines idea - not ours - but a very good idea. It breaks up the long flight, and - well. Japan is an exciting place to spend a few hours. We immediately went down for breakfast, then braved the snow (considering we'd just left temperatures in the 90's) and set about birdwatching in the grounds. Some months earlier at home, we'd been delighted to buy an out of print Field Guide to the Birds of Japan at a local agricultural show for just a few pounds. Now we found flocks of Tree Sparrows, which surprised us, since this is a declining species in the UK, but somehow was doing apparently well here in central Tokyo. Around the car parking areas we saw White Wagtails, Jungle Crows, Brown-eared Bulbuls and Grey Starlings. In the trees we found Siberian Meadow-bunting, Rufous Turtle Dove, Dusky Thrush and a swarm of Japanese White-eye, with Great Tits - foraging in the bushes. Not bad - 10 species of birds, including 6 lifers in a hotel garden in the heart of Tokyo. Not bad, since a railway ran along the edge of the hotel gardens and we saw the famous bullet train fly by. During our venture into the gardens, we were interrupted twice. Once, when permeated by the expensive but overpowering smell of gentlemen's cologne - a man had seen us through the window and wondered what (on earth) we were doing roaming the gardens in the snow, and came to check us out. The second interruption was self-inflicted - we passed by the restaurant window and saw many people off our flight taking advantage of the 'free' breakfast and staying in the safety and the warmth. We halted, and couldn't help but feel that these people had wasted this precious time either asleep or eating. Both were attainable on the forthcoming flight - God knows. At the last possible moment, we caught our bus to Tokyo International, and still had plenty of time to see, smell, drink, eat and buy anything we wished in the airport before our very comfortable flight back to London Heathrow.

BIRD SPECIES SEEN IN AUSTRALIA

1)  Orange-Footed Scrubfowl
2)  A. Brush-Turkey
3)  Brown Quail
4)  Wandering Whistling Duck
5)  Plumed Whistling Duck
6)  A. Wood Duck
7)  Black Swan
8)  Magpie Goose
9)  Radjah Shelduck
10)  Green Pygmy-Goose
11)  Hardhead
12)  Pacific Black Duck
13)  Pink-eared Duck
14)  Grey Teal
15)  Hoary-headed Grebe
16)  A. Grebe
17)  Darter
18)  Great Cormorant
19)  Little Black Cormorant
20)  Pied Cormorant
21)  Little Pied Cormorant
22)  Great-billed Heron
23)  Black-necked Stork
24)  A. Pelican
25)  White-necked Heron
26)  White-faced Heron
27)  Pied Heron
28)  Eastern Reef Heron (Dark + White Morph)
29)  Cattle Egret
30)  Little Egret
31)  Great Egret
32)  Intermediate Egret
33)  Nankeen Night Heron
34)  Striated Heron
35)  Black Bittern
36)  Glossy Ibis
37)  Straw-necked Ibis
38)  A. White Ibis
39)  Royal Spoonbill
40)  Yellow-billed Spoonbill
41)  Black-shouldered Kite
42)  Black Kite
43)  Brahminy Kite
44)  Whistling Kite
45)  Black-breasted Buzzard
46)  Collared Sparrowhawk
47)  Brown Goshawk
48)  Osprey
49)  White-bellied Sea Eagle
50)  Wedge-tailed Eagle
51)  Spotted Harrier
52)  Brown Falcon
53)  Nankeen Kestrel
54)  Peregring Falcon
55)  Sarus Crane
56)  Brolga Crane
57)  Red-necked Crake
58)  Buff-banded Rail
59)  White-browed Crake
60)  Duskey Moorhen
61)  Purple Swamphen
62)  Eurasian Coot
63)  Black-tailed Native-Hen
64)  Chestnut Rail
65)  A. Bustard
66)  Bush Stone-Curlew
67)  Beach Stone-Curlew
68)  Bar-tailed Godwit
69)  Black-tailed Godwit
70)  Eastern Curlew
71)  Whimbrel
72)  Little Curlew
73)  Common Greenshank
74)  Marsh Sandpiper
75)  Common Sandpiper
76)  Grey-tailed Tattler
77)  Terek Sandpiper
78)  Ruddy Turnstone
79)  Great Knot
80)  Red-necked Stint
81)  Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
82)  Broad-billed Sandpiper
83)  Curlew Sandpiper
84)  Comb-crested Jacana
85)  Pied Oystercatcher
86)  Black-winged Stilt
87)  Red-necked Avocet
88)  Pacific Golder Plover
89)  Grey Plover
90)  Red-capped Plover
91)  Greater Sand-Plover
92)  Red-kneed Dotterel
93)  Black-fronted Dotterel
94)  Masked Lapwing
95)  A. Pratincole
96)  Oriental Pratincole
97)  Silver Gull
98)  Whiskered Tern
99)  White-winged Black Tern
100)  Caspian Tern
101)  Gull-billed Tern
102)  Crested Tern
103)  Lesser-crested Tern
104)  Spotted Turtle Dove
105)  Feral Pigeon
106)  Diamond Dove
107)  Peaceful Dove
108)  Bar-shouldered Dove
109)  Brown Cuckoo-Dove
110)  Topknot Pigeon
111)  Emerald Dove
112)  Common Bronzewing
113)  Crested Pigeon
114)  Spinifex Pigeon
115)  Partridge Pigeon
116)  Pied Imperial Pigeon
117)  Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
118)  Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
119)  Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
120)  Galah
121)  Little Corella
122)  Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
123)  Rainbow Lorikeet
124)  Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
125)  Double-eyed Fig-Parrot
126)  A. King-Parrot
127)  Red-winged parrot
128)  Northern Rosella
129)  Pale-headed Rosella
130)  Western Ringneck
131)  Mulga parrot
132)  Hooded Parrot
133)  Budgerigar
134)  Oriental Cuckoo
135)  Pallid Cuckoo
136)  Fan-tailed Cuckoo
137)  Brush Cuckoo
138)  Common Koel
139)  Channel-billed Cuckoo
140)  Pheasant Coucal
141)  Tawney Frogmouth
142)  Papuan Frogmouth
143)  White-rumped Swiftlet
144)  Fork-tailed Swift
145)  White-throated Needletail
146)  Little Kingfisher
147)  Azure Kingfisher
148)  Laughing Kookaburra
149)  Blue-winged Kookaburra
150)  Forest Kingfisher
151)  Sacred Kingfisher
152)  Collared Kingfisher
153)  Red-backed Kingfisher
154)  Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher
155)  Rainbow Bee-eater
156)  Dollarbird
157)  Rainbow Pitta
158)  Noisy Pitta
159)  Little Treecreeper
160)  Splendid Fairy-Wren
161)  Variegated Fairy-Wren
162)  Lovely Fairy-Wren
163)  Purple-crowned Fairy-Wren
164)  Red-backed Fairy-Wren
165)  Dusky Grasswren
166)  Striated Pardalote
167)  Yellow-throated Scrubwren
168)  Frenwren
169)  Large-billed Scrubwren
170)  Atherton Scrubwren
171)  Western Gerygone
172)  Green-backed Gerygone
173)  Fairy Gerygone
174)  Mountain Thornbill
175)  Inland Thornbill
176)  Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
177)  Yellow-rumped Thornbill
178)  Weebill
179)  Southern Whiteface
180)  Little Friarbird
181)  Noisy Friarbird
182)  Silver-crowned Friarbird
183)  Helmeted Friarbird
184)  Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
185)  Blue-faced Honeyeater
186)  Yellow-throated Miner
187)  Lewin's Honeyeater
188)  Yellow-spotted Honeyeater
189)  White-gaped Honeyeater
190)  Bridled Honeyeater
191)  Yellow-faced Honeyeater
192)  Yellow Honeyeater
193)  Singing Honeyeater
194)  Varied Honeyeater
195)  Grey-headed Honeyeater
196)  Grey-fronted Honeyeater
197)  Yellow-tinted Honeyeater
198)  White-plumed Honeyeater
199)  White-throated Honeyeater
200)  White-naped Honeyeater
201)  White-cheeked Honeyeater
202)  Eastern Spinebill
203)  Brown-backed Honeyeater
204)  Bar-breasted Honeyeater
205)  Macleay's Honeyeater
206)  Rufous-throated Honeyeater
207)  Rufous-banded Honeyeater
208)  Dusky Honeyeater
209)  Red-headed Honeyeater
210)  Brown Honeyeater
211)  Crimson Chat
212)  Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
213)  Red-capped Robin
214)  Pale-yellow Robin
215)  Hooded Robin
216)  Grey-headed Robin
217)  Chowchilla
218)  Grey-crowned Babbler
219)  White-browed Babbler
220)  Eastern Whipbird
221)  Crested Bellbird
222)  Grey Whistler
223)  Golden Whistler
224)  Mangrove Whistler
225)  Rufous Whistler
226)  Grey Shrike-Thrush
227)  Little Shrike-Thrush
228)  Bower's Shrike-Thrush
229)  Sandstone Shrike-Thrush
230)  Black-faced Monarch
231)  Spectacled Monarch
232)  Leaden Flycatcher
233)  Shining Flycatcher
234)  Restless Flycatcher
235)  Willie Wagtail
236)  Rufous Fantail
237)  Grey Fantail
238)  Northern Fantail
239)  Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
240)  White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike
241)  Barred Cuckoo-Shrike
242)  White-winged triller
243)  Varied Triller
244)  Olive-backed Oriole
245)  Yellow Oriole
246)  Figbird
247)  White-breasted Woodswallow
248)  Masked Woodswallow
249)  Black-faced Woodswallow
250)  Little Woodswallow
251)  Black Butcherbird
252)  Pied Butcherbird
253)  Magpie-Lark
254)  A. Magpie
255)  Pied Currawong
256)  Spangled Drongo
257)  A. Raven
258)  Torresian Crow
259)  Little crow
260)  Apostlebird
261)  Spotted Catbird
262)  Tooth-billed Bowerbird
263)  Golden Bowerbird
264)  Western Bowerbird
265)  Great Bowerbird
266)  Richard's Pipit
267)  Singing Bushlark
268)  Yellow Wagtail
269)  Double-Barred Finch
270)  Red-browed Finch
271)  Crimson Finch
272)  Zebra Finch
273)  Painted Finch
274)  Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
275)  Nutmeg Mannikin
276)  Blue-faced Parrot-Finch
277)  House Sparrow
278)  Yellow-nellied Sunbird
279)  Mistletoebird
280)  Welcome Swallow
281)  White-backed Swallow
282)  Fairy Martin
283)  Clamorous Reed-Warbler
284)  Spinifexbird
285)  Tawny Grassbird
286)  Brown Songlark
287)  Rufous Songlark
288)  Golden-headed Cisticola
289)  Silvereye
290)  Russet-tailed Thrush
291)  Metallic Starling
292)  Common Myna

BIRD SPECIES SEEN IN JAPAN

1)  Tree Sparrow
2)  White Wahtail
3)  Jungle Crow
4)  Brown-eared Bulbul
5)  Grey Starling
6)  Siberian Meadow-Bunting
7)  Rufous Turtle-Dove
8)  Dusky Thrush
9)  Japanese White-Eye
10)  Great Tit

MAMMAL SPECIES SEEN IN AUSTRALIA

1)  Black Flying Fox
2)  Water Buffalo
3)  Duck-billed Platypus
4)  Northern Brown Bandicoot (with baby)
5)  Rabbit
6)  Black-footed Rock Wallaby
7)  Feral Cat
8)  Dingo
9)  Musky Rat Kangaroo
10)  Eastern Grey Kangaroo
11)  Red Kangaroo
12)  Agile Wallaby
13)  Common Wallaroo (Euro)

REPTILE SPECIES SEEN IN AUSTRALIA

Red-bellied Black Snake, Macleay's Water Snake, Northern (?) Turtle, Saltwater and Freshwater Crocodile, Frilled Lizard, Centralian Blue-tongued Lizard, Military Sand-Dragon, Perentie, Sand Monitor, Boyd's Forest Dragon, House Gecko, Gilbert's Lashtail, Eastern Water-Dragon, Cane Toad

 

Why not send us a report, or an update to one of your current reports?