moloch05
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- Aug 26, 2006
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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.
Jabiru in eastern Kakadu is about a 3.5 hour drive from the airport in Darwin. That was the area where I spent most of my brief visit.
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.
Paperbarks (Melaleuca sp.) grew out on the flooded areas as well. This was the habitat of Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, a new bird to me.
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.
Magpie Geese seemed to be the most abundant or at least conspicuous bird in the wet areas.
Radjah Shelducks have a nice pattern.
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.
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.
Aborigines have lived here for thousands of years. There were numerous caves around the base of the rock with their artwork.
Reptiles were not as common as I had expected. On night drives, I saw a few of these Keelbacks (Tropidonophis mairii).
Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis) were common. They often put on a great show.
... poor thing had a tick on its eye. I did not notice it at night or I would have removed the pest.
I found a single AOR Children's Python (Antaresia childreni) and one DOR.
I also bumped into a few large pythons. Both Olive (Liasis olivaceus) and Water Pythons (L. mackloti) were numerous in the park. I had help with the identification of these. The following are Olive Pythons due to the lack of yellow ventrals and head shape.
... this one was huge and heavy bodied.
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 lousy shot before it raced out of sight.
Gehyra nana was a lifer.
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.
Here are a couple of the numerous Carlia skinks. I am not certain but think them to be C. amax and/or C. rufilatus.
I think that this is Ctenotus essingtonii.
another shy Ctentous sp. There are several striped species like this in Kakadu so I am not certain of the id.
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.
Silver-crowned Friarbird
I think that these are Wattle Blues (Theclinesthes miskini) but am not 100% certain of the id.
This native ginger had interesting pink and yellow flowers. It grew along a flowing creek that I followed to the summit.
These Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida cressida) were a beautiful sight. They loved the Grevilleas and I saw them whenever I walked through this area.
Pandanus were common plants on the rocks along the trail.
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.
A nice flowering pea:
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.
Orange Ringlets were commonly seen as they flew along the trail or low over the surrounding vegetation.
Interesting flower:
Native Hibiscus:
I was happy to see a couple of the special butterflies that only live in this sandstone country. The following are Spotted Opals (Nesolycaena urumelia), Lycaenids with unusually coloured upper wings.
Rock Grass-Darts (Taractrocera ilia) are another species restricted to this sort of habitat in the NT.
I saw Twin Dusky-Blues (Candalides geminus) around a vine-like plant similar to where I see Varied Dusky-Blues here in NSW.
A pretty Reduviid:
A Pentatomid:
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.
Jabiru in eastern Kakadu is about a 3.5 hour drive from the airport in Darwin. That was the area where I spent most of my brief visit.
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.
Paperbarks (Melaleuca sp.) grew out on the flooded areas as well. This was the habitat of Bar-breasted Honeyeaters, a new bird to me.
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.
Magpie Geese seemed to be the most abundant or at least conspicuous bird in the wet areas.
Radjah Shelducks have a nice pattern.
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.
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.
Aborigines have lived here for thousands of years. There were numerous caves around the base of the rock with their artwork.
Reptiles were not as common as I had expected. On night drives, I saw a few of these Keelbacks (Tropidonophis mairii).
Brown Tree Snakes (Boiga irregularis) were common. They often put on a great show.
... poor thing had a tick on its eye. I did not notice it at night or I would have removed the pest.
I found a single AOR Children's Python (Antaresia childreni) and one DOR.
I also bumped into a few large pythons. Both Olive (Liasis olivaceus) and Water Pythons (L. mackloti) were numerous in the park. I had help with the identification of these. The following are Olive Pythons due to the lack of yellow ventrals and head shape.
... this one was huge and heavy bodied.
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 lousy shot before it raced out of sight.
Gehyra nana was a lifer.
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.
Here are a couple of the numerous Carlia skinks. I am not certain but think them to be C. amax and/or C. rufilatus.
I think that this is Ctenotus essingtonii.
another shy Ctentous sp. There are several striped species like this in Kakadu so I am not certain of the id.
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.
Silver-crowned Friarbird
I think that these are Wattle Blues (Theclinesthes miskini) but am not 100% certain of the id.
This native ginger had interesting pink and yellow flowers. It grew along a flowing creek that I followed to the summit.
These Clearwing Swallowtail (Cressida cressida) were a beautiful sight. They loved the Grevilleas and I saw them whenever I walked through this area.
Pandanus were common plants on the rocks along the trail.
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.
A nice flowering pea:
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.
Orange Ringlets were commonly seen as they flew along the trail or low over the surrounding vegetation.
Interesting flower:
Native Hibiscus:
I was happy to see a couple of the special butterflies that only live in this sandstone country. The following are Spotted Opals (Nesolycaena urumelia), Lycaenids with unusually coloured upper wings.
Rock Grass-Darts (Taractrocera ilia) are another species restricted to this sort of habitat in the NT.
I saw Twin Dusky-Blues (Candalides geminus) around a vine-like plant similar to where I see Varied Dusky-Blues here in NSW.
A pretty Reduviid:
A Pentatomid:
