[A stop on the Litchfield + Katherine + Kununurra, Jul-Aug 2022 Trip]
Date of visit: 31 Jul 2022
Leliyn (Edith Falls) is a delightful waterfall and waterhole in Nitmiluk National Park, 290km south of Darwin and 60km north of Katherine. It (and some spots on the road in) have long been fabled areas to find Gouldian Finches and Hooded Parrots, in particular, but there are plenty of birds here: the site is no slouch, with 171 species recorded in eBird.
The roads are sealed all the way to the car park so are easily navigable with a 2WD. Note that a Parks Pass is required to visit.
One of the historically renowned Gouldian Finch stops is where there is a bridge across the Ferguson River, about 5.5km from the Stuart Highway turn-off. We arrived here at 1pm, precisely the worst time for birding (finches and parrots generally come in to drink between 7am and 8am!), and it was fiercely hot.
Still, some modest exploration gave us 20 Galahs flying overhead, a lovely Lemon-Bellied Flycatcher, a Peaceful Dove and we even got a glimpse at a few Crimson Finches. Around thirty Black Kites circled in the distance, not an uncommon sight in the Northern Territory.
Driving to Edith Falls proper, eight Little Woodswallows were among the first birds we saw, cruising up high above the car park.
There are barbeques, picnic tables and toilet facilities, and even a campground here. The site is also the finishing point of the epic 62km Jatbula Trail walking track, which begins at the Gorge end of Nitmiluk National Park.
We started off with some casual birding in the lush green grass of the picnic area to start with, then exploring some of the tracks and admiring the water.
The 2.6km Leliyn Trail is a circuit walk that ascends to a hill that eventually crosses a (swimmable) upper pool above the falls and includes two lookouts. There is also a longer 9km return walk to the Sweetwater Pool swimming hole. Due to the afternoon heat and general laziness we didn’t do these walks, so this report is necessarily rather incomplete!
A Leaden Flycatcher was a wonderful bird to watch and photograph in the picnic area.
So too was a Northern Fantail, fluttering and strutting around low down in a cluster of short trees.
I ended up taking 50 shots of the fantail and several videos. It was one of the longest encounters with a bird I’ve ever had.
A pair of Great Bowerbirds were fulfilling a scavenger-type role which seems to be the norm in for them in many places they are found, while we also got a super-good look at a Blue-Winged Kookaburra with its arresting pale eyes (just like a Laughing Kookaburra, only weirder…) A Rufous-Throated Honeyeater flittered up in the canopy, while we saw some more bland-looking honeyeaters, probably juvenile Rufous-Throated that were still yet to develop their rusty colours.
A Cane Toad was not exactly a welcome visitor to the picnic area; these invasive pests have expanded westwards from the east coast and reached the Territory in the mid-90s. By 2001 they were in Kakadu National Park and started to cause devastating local extinctions.
Where the water flows into a creek there is a bridge and here we lingered for quite a while, enjoying the Pandanus palms and gentle breezes. There are a few (very) unofficial half-paths along the creek line here too which seemed like they might be promising for birds.
There was plenty of honeyeater action amongst the grevilleas near the bridge, especially Rufous-Throated, Dusky, and even a wonderful solitary Bar-Breasted Honeyeater.
Slightly past the bridge a Red-Collared Lorikeet was also finding the grevillea flowers rather tasty.
Both Green Oriole and Olive-Backed Orioles were active in the area too.
A close-up with a Golden-Headed Cisticola along the path was another highlight. It was all rather good for being the middle of the afternoon, though the sun was harsh enough that any birds in full sunlight made for glary photos (in my experience most birds in the Top End are sensible enough to stay in the shade at this time of day!)
Summary
We were at Edith Falls for two hours and it was mid-afternoon, traditionally not the best time for birding, especially so in the Northern Territory where it is the hottest part of the day. So we weren’t expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. Most of the birds we saw were not rarities by any means, and we certainly didn’t get onto Gouldian Finches (not that we desperately needed to, having seen them a couple of days previously at Lee Point). The general vibe of this location is very pleasant indeed, and I for one would love to return and explore it more thoroughly some day.
eBird:
Hotspot: Nitmiluk National Park–Edith Falls (171 species)
Checklists for this visit: Edith Falls Road (13 species), Edith Falls (23 species)
BirdSpots videos from this site: Northern Fantail
Pluses and minuses:
+ Super-lovely plunge pool great for cooling off in
+ Lush picnic area with plenty of bird life
+ Plenty of facilities including camping
– Can get crowded
– Time, patience and luck required to find Gouldian Finches, Hooded Parrots and other lauded specialties
AUTHOR: ANDY GEE
BIRDERS: ANDY GEE, LUKE S, K-A
Bird Spots 