Clem Walton Park

Visited: winter

Recommendation: This can be a little difficult to find but it is worth the effort. A huge area around the lake is given over to free camping. Not only are there plenty of places to watch wildlife but you can also kayak, fish and star gaze.

I always research the places that I am going to and Clem Walton Park was no exception. About an hour's drive west of Cloncurry was easy to plan for but then it got messy. I found different information for Lake Corella, Corella Dam the park itself and the river. So when I arrived I didn't know what to expect. They are, of course, all the same thing. Clem Walton Park sits on Lake Corella (or Corella Dam if you prefer). Once I got that there was still a minor problem. The area stank of dead fish. It was really nasty. Investigations were underway to establish what had happened but the only happy creatures at the lake were the ibis who picked off the less rancid fish.

The camp was still quite busy with some people staying there for weeks and months and as long as you were downwind of the fish, you could see why. It was beautiful and you can climb into the small hills around the lake to get panoramic photos.

But I was there for the birds.

There was a small ridgeline in between 2 arms of water and I found that to be the best birding spot. In particular there was a flowering gum tree that attracted Varied Lorikeets all day long. Next to it was a big dead tree that woodswallows and ibis sat in during the afternoons. All along that ridge I found interesting birds - a family of Purple-backed Fairywren, Brown Quail and the White-plumed Honeyeater (dominant here). Across the path flew Spotted Bowerbird into a bush which contained their bower. You can't really keep it a secret when you hiss and spit every time you fly past!

Spotted Bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata)

While it was great to photograph the Varied Lorikeet feeding, in the afternoons they would climb down the trees and strip the bark. In the late sunlight, they looked so comical and gorgeous at the same time.

Varied Lorikeet (Psitteuteles versicolor)

The White-plumed Honeyeaters all had juveniles with them and they zoomed about in pairs or threes squawking away. I think this is one still asking a reluctant parent for food.

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata)

Further along the ridge track there were some taller trees and I spotted a Black-shouldered Kite. These are stunning raptors and while I have seen them on many occasions, I have never photographed them to my satisfaction. Time to get to work. And then another turns up. They were in the same place for the time I was at the park so may be nesting.

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

The last special thing about the park is the dark sky. It is really dark and on a moonless night was just stunning. I wasn't really set up for night photography but I thought I would have a go anyway. So pleased I did!