Bitter Springs

Visited: late dry season

Recommendation: While most people visit the springs to bathe in the pristine waters, the trail around the spring has plenty of wildlife to offer during the day an night. At times only accessible during the dry season, the beautiful campground adjacent to the springs is a great place to stay. Check before you visit.

Set amongst palms and tropical woodlands in Elsey National Park, these spring-fed thermal pools are an ideal place to relax and unwind after a long drive, or while exploring the national park. There is a short 500m loop walk available at Bitter Springs.

The Springs may be closed during the rainy season because of flooding, so checking ahead before visiting is needed during the period November to May.

Calling persistently on the trail was the Lemon-bellied Flyrobin. There were several birds evident and at least one nesting pair. I chased them around until I found one co-operative bird sitting up.

I can never quite get if the Lemon-bellied Flyrobin (previously the Lemon-bellied Flycatcher) is a flycatcher or robin. The change of classification recently has done nothing to clarify matters. It seems that genetic studies, scientists have determined that Australian robins, including the Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, share a common ancestor with other robin families, distinct from the flycatcher lineages.

So, its foraging behavior as it catches insects on the wing is reminiscent of a flycatcher, it is actually a robin. Until they decide differently anyway!

Lemon-bellied Flyrobin (Microeca flavigaster)

Another great find was the Green-backed Gerygone. This was a lifer for me and although I could't persuade one to sit still for a photo, I was very pleased to see it.

They are found in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as in New Guinea. There are two recognized subspecies in Australia, with one found in the Top End of the Northern Territory and the other in a coastal strip of Western Australia.

Green-backed Gerygone (Gerygone chloronota)

I visited the springs at night and walked the trail around the water. There was plenty of noise, not least from the resident bats. Also vocal were the frogs, starting with the Desert Tree Frog. These are small to medium-sized tree frogs that are incredibly adaptable, able to live in a range of habitats from arid deserts to wetter tropical and temperate regions. This makes them one of Australia's most widely distributed frogs. I found them in the leaf litter on the trail but around the car park were plenty of Common Tree Frogs. The bright green coloration of this frog is primarily due to pigments called biliverdin and carotenoids in their skin. Biliverdin is a green bile pigment, and carotenoids are yellow to orange pigments that they obtain through their diet (mainly insects). The combination of these pigments creates the green color we see.

Desert Tree Frog (Litoria rubella)

Common Tree Frog (Polypedates leucomystax)

Flitting around the lush greenery was the Northern Fantail. This fantail is significantly larger than most other fantail species in Australia. While most fantails measure around 15-18 cm in length, the Northern Fantail can reach 19-22 cm, making it noticeably bigger. This is one of its most distinguishing characteristics. The Northern Fantail occupies a slightly different ecological niche compared to other fantails. It tends to inhabit denser forests and woodlands, including mangroves, in northern Australia and New Guinea. This habitat may favor a larger body size for foraging and maneuvering within the vegetation.

Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris)

Also present in the leaf litter was (I think!) a small Keelback Snake. This reptile non-venomous. In fact, they are Australia's only non-venomous, semi-aquatic colubrid snake. They are typically grey to olive-brown or black in color, often with indistinct darker bands or blotches along their body. Their most distinctive feature is the presence of strongly keeled scales, which are raised ridges running along the center of each scale. This gives them a rough texture and is how they get their name. They usually grow to around 50-75 cm in length, with a maximum of about 1 metre.

Quite common in the area are the lashtails, a very distinctive looking lizard. They are so named because of their long, whip-like tails. "Lash" refers to the tail's resemblance to a whip or lash. It's long, slender, and tapers to a fine point. Dragon lizards are so named because of the somewhat rugged or spiky appearances, reminiscent of mythical dragons.

Northern Lashtail Dragon (Lophognathus gilberti)

Keelback Snake (Tropidonophis mairii)

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