NT Road Trip 2015: Part 09

Day 09 -- Tower Rock to Old Police Station Waterhole
Day 10 -- Old Police Station Waterhole

The most 4WDing day of the entire trip. Still heading north from Tower Rock, we almost got to Murray Downs [Imangara] which is the most easterly settlement of the Warlpiri peoples. About 14 kms east of Imangara we turned on to the Hatches Creek Road. This is essentially a 60 km drive up a series of creeks, stones, rocks, sand and ridges to Hatches Creek in the Davenport Ranges. Hatches Creek is the site of a now-disused wolfram [tungsten] mine which was in operation until after WW2 when it became cheaper and easier to mine tungsten elsewhere. Lots of memorabilia around -- and big holes to fall down! "Bird quiet" on the trip.

Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera

This one managed to stay around long enough for a photo. They are quite determined zoomer-offers.

Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus

P&K: It "flies down to seize hairy caterpillars in grass". Click!

Not far on from Hatches Creek is Old Police Station Waterhole where we spent 2 nights. All the campsites are right by the waterhole itself. OPSW is about 7-800 metres long and about 50 metres at the widest. Birds galore.

Brown Falcon Falco berigora

Beautiful Budgerigars Melopsittacus undulatus

Daimond Dove Geopelia cuneata

Nankeen Night Heron Nycticorax caledonicus

Spotted Harrier Circus assimils

This bird was a life-tick although I didn't realise it at the time. I thought I was looking at a falcon. Of course, it is not a falcon shape and way too big but I only realised that upon perusal of the images once back home. I did tick it at the corner of the Tanami and Lajamanu Roads and got quite excited there!

Plumed Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna eytoni

Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys with a beak full of dragon fly

Magic. t1250, f5.6 and be there!