Fogg Dam

Visited: very late dry season 

Recommendation: If you research the best birding locations in Australia, Fogg Dam will be right up there. It is worth the drive out from Darwin and there are trails and viewing platforms to keep you busy wildlife spotting all day.

Fogg Dam is a 45 minute drive south east of Darwin. It is a stunning area with several trails through different environments. At the centre of this conservation park is the dam wall. It is sealed and the drive to the otherside leads you to a second main car park and a tall bird hide. You can walk across the dam wall as well but at times it is closed because of crocodile activity. Even then, though, you can stop in your vehicle at 2 places and stand in a shelter looking out over the wetlands. I split my time between these lookouts and the Woodland to Waterlilies trail. There is also a Monsoon Forest walk, which will have to wait till next time.

I started on the waterlilies walk very early in the morning. There was plenty of birdlife from parrots to honeyeaters. Cuckoo were calling and occasionally I saw Torresian Imperial Pigeons swoop past. I even heard the Rainbow Pitta calling from the depths of the very thick forest. The walk leads to a couple of jetties that run out across the water and between the 2 environments, I saw 45 bird species. 

Magpie Geese were everywhere around the water - sitting in the trees, flying past or on the ground. They are fascinating animals, so unique that they are placed in their own family, the Anseranatidae. However, they are still related to other waterfowl, including ducks, geese, and swans, which are all part of the order Anseriformes.  While it shares some similarities with these birds, its distinct characteristics, such as its partially webbed feet, unique family structure, and feeding behavior, set it apart from other geese and waterfowl. I find them to be very interesting.

Also in the grasses were several Golden-headed Cisticola. I love their buzz-click call which I always think is them blowing me a kiss. I have hundreds of photos of these tiny birds but I can never resist them. They are so attractive and charismatic. I spent too much time just watching them coming and going on the edge of the wetland.

Along the kilometre or so trail through the forest were over 40 Northern Golden Orb Weavers (I counted!). And those were just the ones I could count from the path. Many of them had strung their webs across the path which was a little alarming. I tried to disrupt as few as possible but I did have some sympathy with the following unsuspecting tourists. I would not want one in the face, beautiful as they were. 

The most wonderful sighting in this forest was a 4 O'Clock Moth. This stunning creature only really showed its vivid colours when I used the flash and checked the photo back. I was stunned and didn't actually know what it was. I'd like to say there is a wild reason for its name but it is just because it becomes active in the late afternoon, around four o'clock. This behavior sets it apart from many other moths that are primarily nocturnal. 

Another lifer in the forest was the Arafura Fantail. I had learned its call before reaching the Top End so I had heard it several times around the car park. Just like its close relative, the Rufous Fantail, this bird was stubborn at sitting in the shadows and moving very fast when in the open. This terrible photo is my best shot of this attractive bird.

Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton) 

Next, I headed on to the dam wall. The paddock on the right hand side was nearly totally dried up. I knew there would be reptiles in there just waiting for the rains but I didn't think it was a good idea to wander down there. On the wetland side of the road I could see crocodile traps so I knew I had to be careful there too. Best to stick to the shelters. 

There were dozens of Crimson Finch moving around the grasses and pandanus on both sides of the road and lots of them were juveniles moulting into adult plumage.

The Dam Wall was a great place to photograph birds as there was no cover but the birds were still active. I always love seeing (and listening to) flycatchers and the Paperbark Flycatcher was here and active amongst the reeds. Formerly a subspecies of the Restless Flycatcher, the Paperbark is best told apart by location. Good luck distinguishing between them where they overlap - official advice is that one has slightly shorter rictal bristles (hairs at the base of the bill) than the other!

Over at the waterlillies lookout I had heard and glimsped at least 5 White-browed Crake but had not managed to get a photo. From the lookouts here, I could watch them wandering around on the lily pads at my leisure. All I had to do was wait for them to walk out into the sunshine. These crakes tend to be the most outgoing of the family so they are generally easier to find and I was thrilled to see them.

Sitting close by to the crake was the tiny Dwarf Tree Frog. At less than 3 cm long, this thing was tiny. And difficult to photograph as the water's edge was out of bounds! They are only found in the tropical north across the country and are sometimes known as Sedge Frogs.