Where to Watch Birds  

Palmerston Sewerage Treatment Plant

 

 

First drive down Catalina Road and turn right into Bridle Road, just after the railway crossing. On the left you will see the turf farm and then a small clearing where you can park. Walk down the outside of the turf farm perimeter fence and through the bush to the Ponds. You will see a large power pole above the tree line, try and head for that. By now you will probably have seen Crimson, Long-tailed and Double-barred Finches, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins and Red-backed Fairy-wrens. The list is just starting, a typical list of sightings in a one or two hour explore in this area is over 50.  

 

When you get to the ponds continue to the right around the fence line, when you get to the corner you will find an opening in the mangroves, this is a great place to stop and look for Mangrove Fantails and Mangrove Robins. I have seen Chestnut Rails here too.

 

The ponds themselves are rich in various waders, terns and other water birds.

 

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

East Point Reserve

East Point Mangrove Boardwalk

Rapid Creek

Sandy Creek

Lee Point

Buffalo Creek

Leanyer Sewerage Treatment Plant

Holmes Jungle

Knuckey Lagoons

 

Species seen here recently

Birds ( 134 )

Orange-footed Scrubfowl
Megapodius reinwardt

Brown Quail
Coturnix ypsilophora

Wandering Whistling-Duck
Dendrocygna arcuata

Radjah Shelduck
Tadorna radjah

Pink-eared Duck
Malacorhynchus membranaceus

Green Pygmy-goose
Nettapus pulchellus

Grey Teal
Anas gracilis

Hardhead
Aythya australis

Australasian Grebe
Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

Pacific Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps longirostris

Peaceful Dove
Geopelia striata

Bar-shouldered Dove
Geopelia humeralis

Banded Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus cinctus

Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor

Large-tailed Nightjar
Caprimulgus macrurus

Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos

Black-necked Stork
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

Eastern Great Egret
Ardea modesta

Intermediate Egret
Ardea intermedia

Cattle Egret
Ardea ibis

Striated Heron
Butorides striata

Pied Heron
Egretta picata

Little Egret
Egretta garzetta

Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus

Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca

Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis

Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia

Pacific Baza
Aviceda subcristata

White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster

Whistling Kite
Haliastur sphenurus

Brahminy Kite
Haliastur indus

Black Kite
Milvus migrans

Brown Goshawk
Accipiter fasciatus

Collared Sparrowhawk
Accipiter cirrocephalus

Australian Hobby
Falco longipennis

Chestnut Rail
Eulabeornis castaneoventris

Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra

Beach Stone-curlew
Esacus magnirostris

Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus

Pacific Golden Plover
Pluvialis fulva

Red-capped Plover
Charadrius ruficapillus

Black-fronted Dotterel
Elseyornis melanops

Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles

Whimbrel
Numenius phaeopus

Eastern Curlew
Numenius madagascariensis

Terek Sandpiper
Xenus cinereus

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia

Marsh Sandpiper
Tringa stagnatilis

Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola

Sanderling
Calidris alba

Red-necked Stint
Calidris ruficollis

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Calidris acuminata

Curlew Sandpiper
Calidris ferruginea

Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica

Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida

White-winged Black Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Calyptorhynchus banksii

Galah
Eolophus roseicapillus

Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita

Red-collared Lorikeet
Trichoglossus rubritorquis

Varied Lorikeet
Psitteuteles versicolor

Red-winged Parrot
Aprosmictus erythropterus

Northern Rosella
Platycercus venustus

Pheasant Coucal
Centropus phasianinus

Eastern Koel
Eudynamys orientalis

Little Bronze-Cuckoo
Chalcites minutillus 

Brush Cuckoo
Cacomantis variolosus 

Oriental Cuckoo
Cuculus optatus 

Azure Kingfisher
Ceyx azureus 

Blue-winged Kookaburra
Dacelo leachii

Forest Kingfisher
Todiramphus macleayii

Sacred Kingfisher
Todiramphus sanctus

Collared Kingfisher
Todiramphus chloris

Rainbow Bee-eater
Merops ornatus

Dollarbird
Eurystomus orientalis

Great Bowerbird
Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis

Red-backed Fairy-wren
Malurus melanocephalus

Weebill
Smicrornis brevirostris

Mangrove Gerygone
Gerygone levigaster

Large-billed Gerygone
Gerygone magnirostris

Green-backed Gerygone
Gerygone chloronota

Striated Pardalote
Pardalotus striatus

White-gaped Honeyeater
Lichenostomus unicolor

Rufous-banded Honeyeater
Conopophila albogularis

Rufous-throated Honeyeater
Conopophila rufogularis

Dusky Honeyeater
Myzomela obscura

Red-headed Honeyeater
Myzomela erythrocephala

Brown Honeyeater
Lichmera indistincta

White-throated Honeyeater
Melithreptus albogularis

Helmeted Friarbird
Philemon buceroides

Silver-crowned Friarbird
Philemon argenticeps

Little Friarbird
Philemon citreogularis

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina novaehollandiae

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike
Coracina papuensis

Cicadabird
Coracina tenuirostris

Varied Triller
Lalage leucomela

Mangrove Golden Whistler
Pachycephala melanura

Grey Whistler
Pachycephala simplex

Little Shrike-thrush
Colluricincla megarhyncha

Grey Shrike-thrush
Colluricincla harmonica

Australasian Figbird
Sphecotheres vieilloti

Green Oriole
Oriolus flavocinctus

Olive-backed Oriole
Oriolus sagittatus

White-breasted Woodswallow
Artamus leucorynchus

Masked Woodswallow
Artamus personatus

Little Woodswallow
Artamus minor

Black Butcherbird
Cracticus quoyi

Grey Butcherbird
Cracticus torquatus

Pied Butcherbird
Cracticus nigrogularis

Spangled Drongo
Dicrurus bracteatus

Arafura Fantail
Rhipidura dryas

Grey Fantail
Rhipidura albiscapa

Mangrove Fantail
Rhipidura phasiana

Northern Fantail
Rhipidura rufiventris

Willie Wagtail
Rhipidura leucophrys

Torresian Crow
Corvus orru

Broad-billed Flycatcher
Myiagra ruficollis

Leaden Flycatcher
Myiagra rubecula

Shining Flycatcher
Myiagra alecto

Paperbark Flycatcher
Myiagra nana

Magpie-lark
Grallina cyanoleuca

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher
Microeca flavigaster

Mangrove Robin
Peneonanthe pulverulenta

Golden-headed Cisticola
Cisticola exilis

Yellow White-eye
Zosterops luteus

Tree Martin
Petrochelidon nigricans

Double-barred Finch
Taeniopygia bichenovii

Long-tailed Finch
Poephila acuticauda

Crimson Finch
Neochmia phaeton

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
Lonchura castaneothorax

Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Motacilla tschutschensis

Mammals ( 2 )

Little-red Flying-fox
Pteropus scapulatus

Dingo
Canis lupis dingo

Reptiles ( 2 )

Estuarine Crocodile
Crocodylus porosus

Mitchell's Water Monitor
Varanus mitchelli