Ghostly calls and stately Storks
My trip to the Top End of Australia
A spooky alarm
An eerie high-pitched scream pierces the darkness and stirs me from sleeping. I turn over and squint to check the time. It’s 4.50am and my alarm is set to sound in another 10 minutes. Fighting the urge to fall back asleep, I lean over and switch on the light.
There’s another scream. I remember hearing it as a boy on a family camping trip and laying awake too scared to sleep. It’s an unforgettable sound and it was years until I learned what had made the hideous noise. It’s the haunting ghost-like call of Bush Stone Curlews, masters of camouflage and nocturnal residents around the caravan park where I was staying.
My excitement conquers my tiredness and wills myself up from my bed. I dress, wash, grab my camera gear and step outside to wait for my guide. Although it’s winter and the dry season, the air is warm and sticky compared to home, down in the cool climate of Western Australia's south coast.
It’s the first morning of my five-day photography trip to the Northern Territory to explore Corroboree Billabong, a pristine fresh-water floodplain on the Mary River with some of the most abundant and diverse birdlife in Australia.
The culprits of all the noise are lurking in the shadows. One of the Curlews steps into the glow of a cabin light and I grab a few quick shots before it disappears into the dark again. Cane toads are also jumping around, feasting on the moths and other insects lured to the light. It’s about 5.30am when the headlights of a four-wheel drive shine towards me. It’s Paul Thomsen from WildFoto Nature Photography Tours in his Toyota Prado, boat in tow.
After chatting on and off in the months leading up to this trip, it was great to finally meet Paul, and we instantly get along, oddly enough. You see, I’m a Canon shooter, Paul uses Nikon. He barracks for Collingwood in the AFL, my team the West Coast Eagles beat them by one point for the 2018 premiership. I drive a Ford Ranger … you get the drift. It was a relief to learn we both use Apple Macs! Our differences were superficial compared to our shared passion for nature and wildlife photography and across the following days we yarned for hours on those topics.
After filling up the boat with fuel and the esky with ice, grabbing a bacon and egg toasty and coffee, we were on our way for the 20-odd minute drive to the boat ramp. I’m used to being wary of kangaroos crossing roads but, in these parts, it was Buffalo we had to watch out for.
We arrive at the ramp just as daylight breaks. There’s a stiff breeze and overcast skies, not exactly the conditions I was hoping for on my first morning but I'm determined to make the most of it. Warning signs remind us of the danger lurking beneath the surface, and we get the boat launched without becoming a croc's breakfast. As we set off along the river, it’s a bit of a pinch-myself moment as the realisation sinks in that after weeks of anticipation, I’m finally here.
Storks steal the show
Corroboree Billabong is about an hour-and-a-half drive south-east of Darwin, towards Kakadu. Following the wet season the expansive floodplains are a floating carpet of native lotus and nymphaea water lilies, teeming with birdlife – and crocodiles. It’s a rich breeding ground for sea eagles, jacanas, herons, egrets, magpie geese, whistling ducks and shelducks, to name a few. But standing around 1.3 metres tall, Black-necked Storks – more affectionately but not-so-accurately called ‘Jabirus’ – stand head and shoulders above them all.
Despite their status as “near threatened”, there is an abundance of them at Corroboree and they were the subjects I was most keen to capture, especially the adult females with their striking bright yellow eyes contrasting against metallic green-black head plumage.
Arriving where the Jabirus were hunting, it didn’t take long to get some action. Longtom and Barramundi caught in the receding floodwaters were easy targets, but no meal came easy. We watched several aerial pursuits as other greedy Jabirus and opportunistic eagles and kites tried to snatch prey. The crocodiles got in on the action too.
Following the wet season the expansive floodplains are a floating carpet of native lotus and nymphaea water lilies, teeming with birdlife – and crocodiles.
One juvenile Jabiru had a barramundi most anglers would be proud to catch. Repeatedly stabbing at the fish’s flesh caught the attention of a stealthy salty and we watched as the croc moved in slowly before lunging and stealing a feed. Several pairs of mature Jabirus performed impressive courtship dances, but as the luck of a wildlife photographer goes, we weren’t quite in the ideal position for photos of these impromptu displays. Better luck next time.
Occasionally the distinct call of green pygmy geese would give little warning of an incoming fly-pass and sure enough they would seemingly arrive out of nowhere and zoom past as fast as fighter jets, making it hard to keep up with them with our cameras.
Paul was especially excited by a lone Pelican he nicknamed “Percival”. Among the most common of our coastal birds in the south, pelicans are not so often seen in the Territory, so while I was captivated by other more exotic species, this rarer billabong visitor got Paul’s full attention.
A close encounter with a majestic Sea Eagle (we drifted within a few metres of one perching proudly on a low riverside branch in late afternoon light), watching Brolgas dance in the grasses, the sound of thousands of whistling ducks taking to the sky, a salty attacking its smaller freshwater cousin, formations of magpie geese flying through the sunrise, and a big bull Buffalo warding off his younger rivals from his cow and calf were all memorable moments.
Thinking outside of the boat
Photographing from a boat in croc-infested waters had limitations, but Paul was a terrific guide, working hard to put me in a position to get the best shots and teaching me the ‘do’s- and-don’ts’ of photographing safely in Territory waters.
Getting low perspectives was especially tricky and one way I tried to work around this was using a phone app to operate my camera while holding it over the boat with a monopod. With an unstable boat and slow response from the phone it tired my arm and persistence quickly, but it was fun to experiment.
My main goal was to capture the character and elegance of the Jabirus and across the five mornings and evenings I achieved a diverse portfolio. From in flight to backlighting them in golden light, detailed portraits, some with prey, in habitat, high-key, and silhouettes. When the light got harsher, setting my camera to monochrome took advantage of the higher contrast and extended my shooting time, achieving several appealing black and white images.
A technique I regretted not trying was slow-shutter shots, especially in the low light before sunrise when the Jabirus were getting active. It was an opportunity missed but an approach I’ll try more when I return. There was an abundance of tall grasses and other riverside foliage to shoot through to create pleasing foreground effects, and the deep colours of the dawn and dusk skies provided beautiful silhouettes.
There is something spiritual about this part of the world. It grabs you. The chaos of the world is gone and you just…feel.
A magical place
Across the trip many new bird species were sighted and photographed, including several lifers like Black Bittern, the uncommon red morph of the Pied Heron, and glimpse sightings of Pheasant Coucal and Channel-billed Cuckoo.
My excitement – Paul can vouch for my enthusiasm – at being in a new place with new subjects was consuming, and at times I found myself acting more like a tourist than a serious wildlife photographer, taking many ‘snaps’ to remember the experience and share it with family and friends.
Paul was a wonderful host. His deep knowledge of the billabong and its wildlife gave me every chance to capture incredible photographs. Cruising up the billabong every morning and evening scouting for subjects and creating images was cathartic. As Paul says, he has the “best office in the world”.
This trip exceeded all my expectations. The expansive floodplain and the abundance of exotic wildlife it supports was magical. Epic sunrises and sunsets shrouded the wetland in a warm glow and brought different eco-systems to life. There is something spiritual about this part of the world. It grabs you. The chaos of the world is gone and you just…feel.
Portfolio honour
After returning home to reality and pouring through thousands of images, I chose a selection of Jabiru shots to enter into the 2024 Birdlife Australia Photography Awards as a portfolio and was honoured to win the grand prize (https://www.birdlifephotoaward.org.au/gallery-winners-2024).
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Nikon, I received a Nikon Z8 as the prize for the award. Paul and I will have even more in common now!
Where did I go:
Corroborree Billabong, Northern Territory, Australia
Where did I stay:
Corroborree Tavern, Marrakai, Northern Territory
Who was my guide:
Paul Thomsen, WildFoto Nature Photography Tours
What was in my bag:
Canon EOS R3 x 2
Canon EF 500mm f4 L IS II
Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS II
Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS III
Canon EF 1.4x TC III
Canon EF 2x TC III
Spare batteries & charger
Spare CF Express Type B cards
