Where to Watch Birds

Buffalo Creek

Buffalo Creek is probably the most reliable vplace to see Chestnut Rail. The ideal conditions are when the tide is around 4 metres and falling, early in the morning, and preferably on a week day, as weekends and public holidays see alot of boating and fishing activity at this location. it is also a great location for other mangrove specialialists such as Red-headed Honeyeater, Mangrove Gerygone, Brown Whistler, Little Bronze-cuckoo, Black Butcherbird and Little Shrike-thrush.

Around the mouth of the creek there are usually various terns and shorebirds. Continuing in a westerly direction along the beach here leads to Lee Point. On a rising tide numerous waders can found roosing until the tidal zone is exposed again. This is also a good location for Beach Stone-curlew.

There is a narrow strip of monsoon forest running parallel with the beach where Rainbow Pitta and Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove are sometimes seen. On the southern side of the road there is open forest, with likely sightings of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, Red-winged Parrots and Forest Kingfishers.

To get to Buffalo Creek, go down Lee Point Road towards the sea and take 'Buffalo Creek Road' to the right, just after the Lee Point Village Resort.

Our Darwin Birdwatching Experience and Fogg Dam Wildlife Experience sometimes includes this location as part of a guided tour.

Links below are to excellent birding locations within the Darwin and Palmerston suburban areas.

East Point Reserve

East Point Mangrove Boardwalk

Leanyer Sewerage Treatment Plant

Holmes Jungle

Knuckey Lagoons

Palmerston Sewerage Ponds

Species seen here recently

Buffalo Creek

Birds ( 99 )

Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Megapodius reinwardt

Radjah Shelduck
Tadorna radjah

Pacific Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps longirostris

Peaceful Dove
Geopelia striata

Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus regina

Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor

Australasian Darter
Anhinga novaehollandiae

Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus

Black-necked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

Eastern Great Egret
Ardea modesta

Striated Heron
Butorides striata

Little Egret
Egretta garzetta

Eastern Reef Egret
Egretta sacra

Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus

Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis

Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia

Eastern Osprey
Pandion cristatus

White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster

Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus

Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus

Black Kite
Milvus migrans

Brown Goshawk
Accipiter fasciatus

Grey Goshawk
Accipiter novaehollandiae

Chestnut Rail
Eulabeornis castaneoventris

Buff-banded Rail
Gallirallus philippensis

Beach Stone-curlew
Esacus magnirostris

Australian Pied Oystercatcher
Haematopus longirostris

Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva

Grey Plover
Pluvialis squatarola

Red-capped Plover
Charadrius ruficapillus

Lesser Sand Plover
Charadrius mongolus

Greater Sand Plover
Charadrius leschenaultii

Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles

Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa

Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica

Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus

Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Grey-tailed Tattler
Tringa brevipes

Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia

Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis

Ruddy Turnstone
Arenaria interpres

Sanderling
Calidris alba

Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea

Little Tern
Sternula albifrons

Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica

Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia

Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida

Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis

Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii

Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita

Rainbow Lorikeet
Trichoglossus haematodus

Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis

Varied Lorikeet
Psitteuteles versicolor

Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus

Pheasant Coucal
Centropus phasianinus

Eastern Koel
Eudynamys orientalis

Little Bronze-Cuckoo
Chalcites minutillus

Azure Kingfisher
Ceyx azureus

Forest Kingfisher
Todiramphus macleayii

Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus

Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus

Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis

Rainbow Pitta
Pitta iris

Great Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis

Mangrove Gerygone
Gerygone levigaster

Large-billed Gerygone
Gerygone magnirostris

Green-backed Gerygone
Gerygone chloronota

White-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus unicolor

Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Conopophila albogularis

Red-headed Honeyeater
Myzomela erythrocephala

Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta

White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis

Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides

Silver-crowned Friarbird
Philemon argenticeps

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina novaehollandiae

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina papuensis

Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela

Grey Whistler
Pachycephala simplex

Little Shrike-thrush
Colluricincla megarhyncha

Australasian Figbird
Sphecotheres vieilloti

Yellow Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus

Olive-backed Oriole
Oriolus sagittatus

White-breasted Woodswallow
Artamus leucorynchus

Black Butcherbird
Cracticus quoyi

Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus

Northern Fantail
Rhipidura rufiventris

Torresian Crow
Corvus orru

Shining Flycatcher
Myiagra alecto

Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
Microeca flavigaster

Yellow White-eye
Zosterops luteus

Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans

Long-tailed Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

Mammals ( 1 )

Agile Wallaby
Macropus agilus

Reptiles ( 1 )

Gilbert's Dragon; Ta-ta Lizard
Amphibolurus gilberti

List compiled from my Bird Journal records