Any member lucky enough to visit Australia’s top end is never disappointed with the many birding opportunities. 

Mid last year I felt excited as my wife Mandy and I arrived in Derby for a four day stay before heading down the Gibb River road.  As I headed out early the next morning I had no idea that I was about to have one of those experiences when everything just comes together.

Any visitors to Derby would be familiar with the Prison Boab Tree that is on your right just before you enter the town outskirts.  Near there I noticed a small billabong with Red-kneed Dotterels and Red-necked Avocets working the edges.  I recall it was about 8:15am as I sat beside a small tree and prepared my camera.  It was just after that I heard the call of a bird I wasn’t familiar with.  Suddenly a flock of around 50-100 Cockatiel flew low over my head as they circled and surveyed the billabong.  When they settled I found myself in completely the wrong position with the sun behind them, and they were too far away to get a decent image.  Prior to this I had never seen a flock of cockatiel so I was determined to come back next morning and try and get in the correct position for some photos. 

Next morning I arrived at 8am with an inflatable bed to lie face down.  I also had a throw-over bird hide to cover me and the top of the bed.  I removed my camera eye-piece and replaced it with a Canon angle finder which allows me to get my camera flat on the ground, and I waited.  Finally at around 8.20am, as on the previous morning, they arrived. They did a few fly arounds before beginning to hydrate on the edge of the billabong.  The Cockatiel is a very nervous drinker and as the last birds landed to drink the first birds had already taken flight.  They never sat for more than a 2-4 seconds before flushing back up into a flock for another lap or two of the billabong.

I had three mornings at this little billabong and was amazed at the rate at which the water was evaporating and disappearing.  I came away with wonderful images, memories and appreciation for this little Australian bird, the Cockatiel. 

Sadly two days after I visited the billabong was dry.  It made me reflect on how resilient and hardy our native birds and animals are, simply because they need to be.