Kakadu in the wet

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moloch
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Kakadu in the wet

Post by moloch »

Greetings everyone,

I went on a brief trip to the Northern Territory last week. I have always wanted to see this area during the monsoon when it is lush and green. It really was a lovely site. The only problem with a visit during the wet was that the highway between Darwin and Kakadu can be cut at anytime should the rains be particularly heavy. This happened on the night of my arrival and twice during the previous week. I was concerned about pushing my luck and staying too long in the park since I did not want to miss my flight back to Sydney. I ended up spending 1.5 days in Kakadu NP then drove to Litchfield NP for a day. My final day was spent in Darwin where I visited the botanical gardens and an area of monsoon rain forest on East Point.

Here is a map that shows the location of Kakadu in the top end of Australia. Jabiru in eastern Kakadu is about a 3.5 hour drive from the airport in Darwin. This was the area where I spent most of my brief visit.
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Kakadu is famous for its wetlands. At this time of the year, the flood plain was full of water and all sorts of life. Crocs were numerous. I was amazed by the local fishermen who often stood right at the edge of deep pools while casting and retrieving their lures. A few guys were even wading waist deep in a creek and throwing a net to catch bait fish. I always had the impression that such activities would end with an attack.
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Paperbarks (Melaleuca sp.) grew out on the flooded areas as well. This was the habitat of Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, a new bird to me.
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One of my favourite birds up north is the Black-necked Stork (formerly "Jabiru"). This one is a juvenile but I saw adults as well.
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Magpie Geese seemed to be the most abundant or at least conspicuous bird in the wet areas.
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Radjah Shelducks have a nice pattern.
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The area that I enjoyed the most was Nourlangie Rock. This hill is an outlier of the Arnhem Land escarpment. I really enjoyed the vibrant colour and texture of the rocks. Here are a few photos of Nourlangie.
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I originally had intended to stay in this campground that was fairly close to Nourlangie. I changed plans after finding that is was closed during the wet due to water levels and crocs. Apparently, crocs wander around the campsite at night. It would be an interesting experience to find one "sniffing" around the tents and contemplating the chewy centres. I ended up staying in a commercial campground in the town of Jabiru.
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Aborigines have lived here for thousands of years. There were numerous caves around the base of the rock with their artwork.
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Reptiles were not as common as I had expected. On night drives, I saw a few of these Keelbacks (Tropidonophis mairii), one of our few species of colubrids.
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Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis) were common. They often put on a great show.
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... poor thing had a tick on its eye. I did not notice it at night or I would have removed the pest.
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I found a single AOR Children's Python (Antaresia childreni) and one DOR.
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I also bumped into a few large pythons. Both Olive (Liasis olivaceus) and Water Pythons (L. mackloti) are numerous in the park. I had help with these. They are apparently Olive Pythons due to the colour (lack of yellow ventrals) and head shape.
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... this one was huge and heavy bodied.
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I only saw a single elapid but at least it was a new one to me. This was a large Greater Black Whipsnake (Demansia papuensis) that was crossing the road late one afternoon. These are fast snakes and I only managed a couple lousy shots before it raced out of sight.
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Gehyra nana was a lifer.
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Both Amphibolurus gilberti and A. temporalis live in the park. They look quite similar so I am not certain of the id. I think that these are Gilbert's Dragons due to the relatively short tail.
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Here are a couple of the numerous Carlia skinks. I am not certain but think them to be C. amax and/or C. rufilatus.
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I think that this is Ctenotus essingtonii.
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another shy Ctentous sp. There are several striped species like this in Kakadu so I am not certain of the id.
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I climbed Nourlangie one morning and then wandered around the sandstone blocks and interesting heathland of the summit plateau. A beautiful red-flowered Grevillea was in full bloom. These were attractive to both butterflies and birds. The escarpment in the distance is part of Arnhem Land.
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Silver-crowned Friarbird
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I think that these are Wattle Blues (Theclinesthes miskini) but am not 100% certain of the id.
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This native ginger had interesting pink and yellow flowers. It grew along a flowing creek that I followed to the summit.
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These Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida cressida) were a beautiful sight. They loved the Grevilleas and I saw them whenever I walked through this area.
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Pandanus were common plants on the rocks along the trail.
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After a good deal of sweating, I reached the summit plateau. There was a small flowing creek here and I spent awhile floating in the water and cooling down. Temps were not all that high, just the lower 30s, but the humidity was extreme and I was constantly dripping with perspiration.
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A nice flowering pea:
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I need help with the id of this Grass-Yellow. I think that it is a Scalloped Grass-Yellow (Eurema alitha) but the similar E. hecabe is also found here along with 4 others of the genus.
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Orange Ringlets were commonly seen as they flew along the trail or low over the surrounding vegetation.
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Interesting flower:
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Native Hibiscus:
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... more later
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John Martin
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by John Martin »

You saw some interesting animals there, and beautiful pics as usual. :thumb: Are you using flash for those daytime macros? Man, I've gotta get up north one day soon - been to Darwin (many moons ago) but didn't see Arnhem Land.
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Rags
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Rags »

Another great post, thanks for sharing.

I would love to see Kakadu some day and your report has just made the longing worse. The shots of the habitat were excellent.

Interesting to see the Friarbird, they are such odd birds. We found some at a
nature reserve called "Crows Nest" near Toowoomba. They seemed to climb about in the branches in a most un-birdlike manner. I cant recall which species of Friarbird they were but certainly not Silver-crowned.

Is 'jabiru' an aboriginal name?

Thanks again. - any plans to visit Tasmania?
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

I never get tired of your amazing, all-encompassing travel reports. The whole is more than just the pieces put together. Thanks!

Isn't the Jabiru is a South American bird?

PS: the color in your otherwise very nice photos seems a bit lackluster this time. Is that my monitor, or did you do something differently?
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DaneConley
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by DaneConley »

Too bad you weren't there longer...but from all the photos you had it seems like you were there double the amount of time. Congratulations on the lifer.
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chrish
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by chrish »

Another great post David. Your second Olive Pythons look kind a Water Python, but I am anything but an expert.
Hans Breuer (twoton) wrote:Isn't the Jabiru is a South American bird?
If you read the second line on that Wiki page -

"The Jabiru (Jabiru mycteria) is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It is most common in the Pantanal region of Brazil and the Eastern Chaco region of Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Jabiru. The name comes from the Tupi-Guaraní language and means "swollen neck".

The name Jabiru has also been used for two other birds of a distinct genus: the Asian Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), commonly called "Jabiru" in Australia; and sometimes also for the Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) of sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, Gardiner's Egyptian hieroglyph G29, believed to depict an E. senegalensis, is sometimes labeled "Jabiru" in hieroglyph lists."
corey.raimond
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by corey.raimond »

I always enjoy your reports on the outstanding biodiversity of your region. Thanks for taking the time to post.

-Corey
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Crazins
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Crazins »

Fantastic photography, as usual. Your work inspires me.

-Marisa
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Jeff Lemm
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Jeff Lemm »

Very nice, as always, David. I'll be there in August - been a while!
millside
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by millside »

thanks david,
always enjoyed. :beer:
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Hans Breuer (twoton)
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Hans Breuer (twoton) »

chrish wrote:
Hans Breuer (twoton) wrote:Isn't the Jabiru is a South American bird?
If you read the second line on that Wiki page -

The name Jabiru has also been used for two other birds of a distinct genus: the Asian Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), commonly called "Jabiru" in Australia; and sometimes also for the Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) of sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, Gardiner's Egyptian hieroglyph G29, believed to depict an E. senegalensis, is sometimes labeled "Jabiru" in hieroglyph lists."
Oops. Sorry. I have to go now and admonish my assistant. It is he who usually reads minor stuff such as second lines :D
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moloch
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by moloch »

Thanks very much, everyone, for the kind remarks.

John, I use a flash for almost all shots except for the habitat pics. Arnhem Land always looks interesting. Too bad that it is inaccessible to most of us.

Rags, I suspect that you would have seen Noisy Friarbirds in the Brisbane area. They, like the rest, make the most amazing sounds.

My work in Tassie finished a couple of years ago but my wife and I like to have weekend breaks down there once or twice a year. We have other plans this year so probably won't get back down there until 2012.


Hans, I was disappointed with the shots as well. I think that the problem was that it was overcast most days since the monsoon is underway. I often had to shoot at high ISOs so suppose this resulted in the more subdued colours.


Chris, I have trouble separating the two. I did not count scales but others have indicated to me that the lack of yellow ventrals and head shape indicated that my Kakadu pythons were Olives. I do have photos of a typical Water Python that I will post soon.

Thanks again, everyone.

I will add photos from Litchfield NP soon.

Regards,
David
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Serpentes
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Serpentes »

Just wonderful! The "big greasy" butterflies on the grevillea are spectacular. Your olive is definitely that and not a water python. To my eye they are very different looking species, but you can go on ventral colour.

Those D. papuensis move like lightening don't they!
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StephenZozaya
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by StephenZozaya »

Hans Breuer (twoton) wrote:Isn't the Jabiru a South American bird?
Technically yes, but Jabiru remains a common name here for Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus. I usually say Jabiru since that is what most people seem to know them as.


Stephen
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Tim Borski
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Tim Borski »

The Aboriginal art is insanely creative, and beautiful. How long was the largest Python you encountered?
Great post.
Tim
dickbartlett
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by dickbartlett »

Always enjoy your posts, David. The invertebrates add so much to the overall concept.
Thanx for sharing. dick
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MaartenSFS
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by MaartenSFS »

My only problem with Australia - and it's a big one - is that I don't live there. A lot of the rocky formations in Aussie look quite similar to formations in China, but they don't appear to be limestone?? I always enjoy your posts, Moloch. Keep them coming.
Matt Cage
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Re: Kakadu in the wet

Post by Matt Cage »

David

As usual, great post!!! It really brought me back to my trip there. No carpets or black headed? Someday, I'll go back!

Matt
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