East Point

Visited: late dry season

Recommendation: This is a great family orientated area. While I focus on the lookout area, there are several trails through the bush and mangroves. Go early in the morning to avoid people and explore the area for a variety of birds that you might not expect to see in a city.

East Point is primarily for recreation with lots of family areas, barbecues, picnic tables, seating, walkways. But it was still packed with wildlife. Some of it was fairly ordinary, like the Masked Lapwing, who ruled the grassed area when I was there and told me so very loudly as it asked me to move away. Looking around, it wasn't long before I saw why - this pair had three chicks, maybe just a couple of days old. I found it amazing that they would nest and presumably successfully raise chicks in such a populated area. But there you go, these birds are very resourceful and determined. 

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)

Also on the grass were the Bar-shouldered Doves, which I never found that easy to photograph when I saw them last in Queensland. So it was really nice to see them here out in the open on the grass. They are stunning birds really, when you look at them in sunlight. The bronze markings on the neck really contrast with the blue of the head and the throat. 

Another common bird there with a Australasian Figbird sitting up in the trees. And this is the male bird here with this striking yellow breast and red eyepatch.  

Flitting around, making a lot of noise was the Little Friarbird. I have found them to be very quite common and widespread in Darwin. They're not that numerous in Queensland, where I'm more familiar with seeing them. But here, they're just everywhere. 

And again, the Orange-footed Megapode, like at Buffalo Creek, were out in the open in the sunshine. You just, you don't ever see that in Queensland so it was very of interesting to see the same birds that I'm very familiar with in far north Queensland, but in a different environment and behaving quite differently than I would expect. 

When I looked over the railings, not only was I treated to the most beautiful views of the ocean and the surrounding areas, but there were also birds being quite active down on the beach and on the rocks. Common Sandpiper are a familiar sight across the Top End but I always find them quite interesting as they bob away on the rocks. 

Also around were the Great Egrets flying past and then skulking around in the shade of a tree, which made it quite difficult to see at first, was this Pacific Reef-Heron. The dark morph, I think, is more common than the white morph and it ranges from sort of a slate grey to an almost deep purple shade, They are far more likely to be seen on rocks rather than sandy beaches and true to form, this one was sitting up, away from the beach.