Buchanan Highway Waterhole

Visited: very late dry season

Recommendation: The power of eBird! By searching for possible locations to see Gouldian Finches, I found this spot that was described as a waterhole. I arrived to find a small, muddy puddle and was immediately ready to leave. I didn't. 

Armed with GPS co-ordinates I set along the Buchanan Highway near to Timber Creek. About 5km along I hit a dip in the road where the creek crosses over. The whole area was very dry and I was very dubious about the birding potential. However, I pulled the van off the road as instructed by Google Maps and parked up less than 50 metres in. With no sign of any birds, I was prepared to leave but as I stepped out of the campervan, I heard them.

Finches.

Lots of finches. 

They were dipping down onto the creek bed and as I got close I could see several species and up to about 100 birds, sitting in nearby bushes and on the ground. The creek was almost dried up completely, with just a small muddy puddle of water remaining. That, it seemed, was enough to attract all these birds. I stood in the heat of the day (approaching 40 degrees) and watched as more and more birds came in.  

Australian finches, belonging to the family Estrildidae, are a diverse and charming group of birds, one of my favourites. They exhibit a wide range of colors and patterns in their plumage. Some species are quite brightly colored with combinations of red, yellow, blue, black, and white, while others are more subtly colored in browns, greys, and greens. Often, there are distinct differences in plumage between males and females (sexual dimorphism).   

Finches are typically social birds, often found in flocks, sometimes quite large ones. Their primary diet consists of seeds, particularly grass seeds. They may also consume some insects, especially during the breeding season when they need more protein to feed their young. They have various calls, often described as soft chirps, twitters, and whistles. Some species have more complex songs.

Many Australian finches are well adapted to the arid and semi-arid conditions of the Australian outback. They can survive on relatively little water and are often nomadic, moving around in search of food and water resources.   

Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) 

Gouldian Finches are like the Holy Grail of birding in the Top End. I got the impression that they must be very endangered, such is the mystic around them. But, eBird has them listed as Least Concern. While they may be secure in numbers, they are not at all common and I have still only seen them very rarely. So it was with delight that I saw so many of them in the gross, dirty puddle. With lots of juveniles present, I focused on trying to capture black and red headed birds. Cornell Lab have zeroed in on a particular gene called follistatin which is found on the Gouldian Finch sex chromosome and regulates melanin to produce either red- or black-headed finches.

I saw a total of 5 finch species here, the Yellow-rumped Munia being the only one I didn't photograph. A couple of juvenile Crimson Finches came down and a larger group of Long-tailed Finches were flitting about. 

Banded Honeyeater (Cissomela pectoralis) 

In 90 minutes (I couldn't stay any longer in the harsh sun), I saw over 100 individual birds and 28 separate species. The best strategy I have for finding wildlife is to look for water. When you get the right place, it is absolutely gold.