High on a mossy branch, the bird watched me bumbling about on the rainforest track below. The light in a far North Queensland tropical rainforest is both brilliant and muted. You walk in near darkness, peering into shadows, to be dazzled by a beam of pure white...
Bird or branch? When we introduce travellers to their first Tawny Frogmouth there is a moment of disbelief. “Where?” they ask. “Right there, on the branch,” we reply. “All I can see is a branch.” “Yes, that branch is a bird.” The branch opens it’s eyes. “Oooohhhh!”...
At night, the Northern Territory Top End is for listening. There’s a special tropical hum in the air – the wonderful sound of healthy insect populations, particularly crickets and katydids, that come to life after dark in the Top End. But there’s another sound, a...
The track through Kakadu beside the East Alligator River is narrow, short and walked by many. It is also one of the most reliable places to see a glorious top end bird: the Rainbow Pitta. Rainbow Pittas Pitta iris live in the monsoon forests of Australia’s Top End...
by Janine Duffy A pair of Brolga – Australia’s native crane – herd their vulnerable chick through the sedge swamp. The chick stands as tall as a 4 year old child, but still can’t fly, so the parents are cautious. Suddenly, a large brown bird erupts from the sedge,...
On Echidna Walkabout Bird Tours, ethics is top priority. Seeing as many birds as possible, and seeing them well, is a close and very important second. But on a bird tour, as on any tour, ethics can only be number one. Because nothing should ever be allowed to erode...
