In the morning we pack up our camp and head to Anbangbang Billabong. In a sense the billabong doesn’t look like much: marshy pool with low bush all around. From some angles there are cliffs behind to add to the view [Anna: I dispute this, the billabong was lush AF. It also had water lilies]. But in the billabong there are hundreds of birds, they are calling, dancing, flying in flocks and stalking through the water.
What makes the view amazing for me is Anna. Her joy and excitement as she points out each bird, describing what it’s features are, its personality, when she first read about it (or had poster of it or jointly discovered it with childhood friend) [Anna: yeah, I was absolutely frothin’].
In our rush to leave we left Anna’s binoculars at home, so I take steady photos and we zoom in to check things like ‘does it have a bump on its head?’ or ‘are there white feathers sticking up from its wings?’ Anna’s joy brings me joy; her enthusiasm, excitement and glee. She exclaims as new birds fly over and strains to find details on distant birds before they spook. It might sound silly, but this peaks my love for her, it’s so fun seeing her passion and elation [Anna: Nawww].
(Bird spotting will become a theme for our holiday and a shared interest with many of our camp neighbours [Anna: Except for Neil, who was not ashamed to admit he didn’t know the town was named after a bird])
[Click on a photo to open a full-screen slide show]
After the billabong we walk up Burrungkuy, stopping to look at the art (and two playful black cockatoos) on our way. There are sheltered places in amongst the rocks, the floors have been excavated down to a metre in places revealing signs of ancient occupation.
Then we head to Cooinda, where we find a shady camp at the site and then head out for a sunset cruise at Yellow Water. It seems today is a bird-themed day, although some people are exited to see their first crocodile (and the guide is happy to indulge), there’s enough enthusiasm from the boat for birds that we have plenty of time to see who is about today [Anna: Everybody. Everybody was about].
The waters are sprawling rivers over a large expanse. Smaller bushes provide shade for some ducks, tall trees home to larger birds. There are denser woods too with birds at the edge of the water and the biggest crocodile I’ve seen stretched out deeper in.
Wild horses are grazing in a plain, and later at dusk we come across buffalo asleep by the water.
The number and variety of birds is awesome. An incomplete list gives a sense:
- Jabirus
- Nankeen night herons (juvenile and adult)
- Comb-crested jacanas (big feet) [Anna: Ahem, largest foot to body ratio in the bird kingdom]
- Royal spoonbills
- Whistling ducks [Anna: plumed AND wandering]
- Azure kingfishers
- Magpie geese
- Grebes
- Rainbow bee-eaters
- Australian pratincole
- Variations herons, egrets, cormorants and darters
- [Anna: No f***in brolgas though :(]
One of the funnier sites was a jabiru sitting down with its legs out in front, it really couldn’t look sillier.
Sunset came quickly, we stopped the boat and sat in silence for a few minutes. Peace and tranquillity enveloped us, time stood still.
[Click on a photo to open a full-screen slide show]
