Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, a great place for bird photography

Yesterday I went for a drive to Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, outside of Darwin, in the north of Australia. It is a great place for bird watching and photographing. During this time of COVID-19, it is easy to maintain social distancing here, especially if you stay on the main dam wall. It is not your typical dam construction, so the wall is only a few metres high. It was built in the 1950's to provide water for the rice crops, which were ultimately unsuccessful.

Fogg Dam Conservation ReserveThe Lotus flowers grow in abumdance This beautiful place is a bird-lovers paradise, especially during the 'dry' season when many other water bodies have dried up. It is now at the end of the 'wet' season and the water level would generally be much higher than what is show in the photo. This 'wet' has not been a particularly good one for us.

Upon arriving and venturing to the first covered viewing platform, I disturbed a freshwater crocodile laying on the bank. He quickly left for the safety of the Lotus plants. The first bird to be seen was an Australian White Ibis, and an Intermediate Egret. I walked away from my camera briefly and a Crimson Finch came and sat right beside it, so couldn't get a photo of it there.

I moved along the dam wall a little and there was a Great Egret feeding at the water edge. Flying overhead was one of the many Black Kites we see in this area. Amongst the vegetation on the edge were 3 Masked Lapwings. These birds are very protective and will attack you if they have a nest nearby. The all too familiar Willie Wagtail is always here chasing insects. There were several Comb-crested Jacanas, often called Jesus birds, as they appear to walk on water as they move across the Lotus pads.

                 Masked LapwingCommonly called a plover.

                                                                  Masked Lapwing                                                                 

Rufous-banded and Brown Honeyeaters are nearly always here in the flowering trees, and can be heard as soon as you drive onto the dam wall. I could often here the Paperbark Flycatcher today, but wasn't able to sight them. Often they are in the distance hiding in the long grasses. 

It is always a terrific place to come to and watch the birdlife here, even now when many of the waterbirds are spread out across the dam.

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