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Visited: late dry season
Recommendation: This is a beautiful campground full of Boab Trees, just west of Timber Creek. A short walk is all it takes to get to the Victoria River and it is stunning. The dry atmosphere is softened by the water and it is a focal point for the birds as they come down to drink. I would love to see it again at different times of the year.
Australian Boab Tree (Adansonia gregorii)
Big Horse Creek is a popular campground within Judbarra / Gregory National Park, about 10 kilometers west of the town of Timber Creek. It's situated on the banks of the Victoria River.
The creek and the nearby Victoria River are known for good fishing, making it a popular spot for anglers. There's even a sealed boat ramp for easy access to the water.
The campground offers basic facilities like toilets, fire pits, picnic tables, and limited drinking water. It's a good spot for those who enjoy a more natural camping experience.
Being within Judbarra / Gregory National Park, it provides access to beautiful landscapes, walking trails, and opportunities to experience the natural environment of the region.
White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)
An incessant call was my first investigation at the campground. It was a while before I realised it was the White-winged Triller. There were several of them sitting in the trees around the site. The buzz call of the Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike was more familiar. Studies have shown that trillers share a common ancestor with cuckoo-shrikes, placing them within the same family.
They have a relatively slender body shape and a slightly hooked at the tip similar to the cuckoo-shrike. All of these birds have distinctive wing shapes that contribute to their undulating flight pattern. Seeing these 2 birds in the same space showed clearly how similar they are.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)
Around the water's edge were several Great Bowerbirds. I have not seen them associating together around water like this before but they were as bouncy and gregarious as ever, making their characteristic hissing growl. They always sound so angry when in fact they are just chattering to each other.
Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)
In the early morning, I found lots of finches down by the water. Although I have seen Double-barred Finches on many occasions, I never tire of them with their variable markings and energetic nature. Alongside them were a new species for me, the Star Finch. Unmistakable with their bright crimson head and spots, they are a stunning bird.
Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)
Star Finch (Neochmia ruficauda)
Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (Ptilotula flavescens)
Also around the water were honeyeater and whistlers. Their colours were vivid in the weak sunshine but their songs loud and strong.
Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)
Making more noise than anyone else were the kites and corellas. I always wonder how the Whistling Kite makes its unusual call but apparently it is because it controls the airflow from its lungs through the syrinx (a bird's vocal organ) and uses muscles to change the tension of the membranes. This allows it to produce a wide range of sounds, including its characteristic whistling call. Corella, being parrots, also have a relatively complex syrinx structure with well-developed muscles. This allows them a high degree of control over the airflow and the tension of the membranes within the syrinx, enabling them to produce a wide range of vocalizations.
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)
Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)
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