Around Oz Part 12: Farewell to Darwin and a look at East Point

After checking out old haunts such as Holmes Jungle around Darwin (see last post), we visited East Point, a leafy Darwin suburb with a scenic shoreline and plenty of relics from the World War II bombing of the city. A group of Yellow White-eyes and a Mangrove Golden Whistler were seen on the mangrove board-walk.

Yellow White-eye

 Other birds at East Point included Eastern Reef-Egret, five tern species - Crested, Lesser Crested (outnumbering the latter species 5:1), Whiskered, Little and Gull-billed - along with a gathering of overwintering waders - Pacific Golden Plover, Great Knot, Grey-tailed Tattler, Mongolian Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Red-necked Stint.

Lee Point

Evening relaxation

A favourite time of day is early evening, when an ale or two are called for.

Azure Kingfisher

I visited Buffalo Creek where I had seen Chesnut Rail many moons ago but not this time. A cracker of an Azure Kingfisher showed, however. Other birds about included Black Butcherbird, Rose-crowned Fruit-dove, Mangrove Gerygone, Large-billed Gerygone, Striated Heron and Eastern Reef-Egret.

Orange-footed Scrubfowl

Orange-footed Scrub-fowl are ever present around Darwin - always a delight. Less delightful is the fact we were in Darwin for the culmination of celebrations for Territory Day. Fireworks all night long, all around the city's tinder-dry outer suburbs in the middle of the dry season. Needless to say, there were fires all over the place this morning; they continue burning tonight. (The NT is the only jurisdiction that allows unlimited use of recreational fireworks.)