Darwin - Day Eight - Heading Home

For the final full day, I started at East Point, this time at the wader (shorebird) roost.  The tide was very high, so the waders flew before they got really close.  I did manage a few shots though.  There were Greater and Lesser Sand Plovers, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Turnstones, Red-necked Stints, Terek and Common Sandpipers, Whimbrel, Great Knot and Pacific Golden Plovers.

At Lee Point, I saw Northern Fantail again and finally caught up with Arafura Fantail.

Later in the day I re-visited Howard Springs in the hope of seeing Rufous Owl.   In the end, despite a long search and wait, it was only heard.  I did get some half decent shots of Rainbow Pitta though, and had a Brahminy Kite perch nicely for a few minutes.

With only a  couple of hours before I had to return the hire car, a quick visit to East point again didn't show any new waders, but I did improve photos of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Eastern Reef Egret, Rainbow Bee-eater and White-breasted Woodswallow.

 

I had a great week birding in the Top End, and in all I saw 136 species of which 24 were "lifers".