Day2
Our day started a little bit early today to match the movements of local birdlife. We were soon rewarded by seeing as many as 30+ rare Plum-headed Finch. Soon after we had flock of Masked Finch, Zebra Finch and Double-barred Finch. Rufous Songlark was seen on top of the termite mounds, plenty of Diamond Doves and Pale-headed Rosella were around. In the dam we saw flock of Plumed Whistling-duck, Green Pygmy-goose, Nankeen Night Heron.
We shifted to woodland as sun went higher, there we saw hundreds of Rufous-throated Honeyeater, Yellow Honeyeater, Little Friabird, Paperbark Flycatcher and Red-backed fairy-wren. Before we make a move we stoped at the toilet there we finally found a species which had been missing this morning – a pair of Black throated finch was nesting at the toilet.
We continued our way west during heat hours occasionally seeing birds including a flock of Budgerigar, Brown falcon, Squatter Pigeon and Black-necked Stork. We had a pleasant picnic lunch at the favourite river bank with Rufous Whistler, Nankeen Night Heron and nesting Double-barred Finch.
Afternoon birding was also successful. At a wetland near Normanton, there were heavenly wetland which is full of birds. Black-fronted Dotterel, Saras Crane, Brolga, Pied Stilt, Greenshank and Rahja Shelduck. Some more birds turned up as approached to Karumba where we stay next two nights, such as Pratincole, Royal Spoonbill, Australian Terns.
After the short break we stepped into local mangrove area where the most of sought after local species are hiding. Our first bird was female White-breasted Whistler, then Canary White-eye, brief view of female Red-headed Myzomela. Then I heard a noise from back ground – that was group of Purple-backed Fairy-wren. We added Mangrove Gerygony. It was a good start of mangrove birding.