FAQs

May The last monsoon storms have released their fury and humidity begins to drop once again. The bulk of the tourists have not arrived for the peak of the ‘dry season yet’, which means you can enjoy uncrowded wildlife and photographic opportunities, while surface water is still prominent.  Waterfowl chicks can be seen with their parents furiously feeding through water running off the floodplains, while mature waterbirds flaunt their breeding plumage to one another.

The busiest period for birdwatcher and photographers who enjoy lower humidity with warm days (around 29°C (≈84°F) and cooler nights (as around 12-20°C (≈53°F+). Infrequent rain is a welcome surprise during Top End ‘Dry season’. The Dry season is a very comfortable time of year to explore the Top End and Kimberley Regions on extended tours and pleasant camping weather to see the clear starry night sky. We walk around dry inland gorges and bush, seeking Gouldian Finch and Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens. Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons are plump from feeding on the spinifex seeds in Kakadu’s stone country and the wetlands are teeming with bird and reptile life.

Temperatures begin to rise and surface water shrinks. Birds congregate on mass around shrinking puddles as the monsoon season forms ‘The Build Up’. Excellent for bird photography.

The inland daytime temperatures can rise to 38°C (over 100°F+). Rain and electrical storms build, driving the humidity upwards, but can also bring relief from the hot sun and create brilliant storm photography sessions. This is one of the best times for birdwatching in the Top End and brings the largest species counts, as migratory species arrive on their southward migration.

We rise early to beat the heat and you’ll be rewarded with great views of birds coming in for their morning activity. A small inland water hole or creek is a perfect place to sit and wait for thirsty parrots, doves and finches to come in for a drink. Masses of water birds can be seen noisily congregating around shrinking water bodies. Monsoon forests and rock shelters provide cooler relief for Rainbow Pitta, fruit doves, shrike-thrush, owls and rock wallabies.

‘The Wet’ Monsoon season brings afternoon downpours and potential cyclone activity. This is the best time of year to view migratory shorebirds along Darwin’s coastline. Towards the end of the Wet, shorebirds start to get their colourful breeding plumage before taking flight to their breeding grounds in the Russian Tundra. Guests visit us in Darwin to ‘twitch’ vagrant species blowing in on the wind. Widespread flooding causes lowland birds to spread out. With the abundance of food and water, it conditions them for breeding. It’s a great time to take a slow relaxed tour and really soak up the sandstone escarpment areas, as wildlife relaxes and trees are fruiting, perfect for endemic Banded Fruit-Dove and White-lined Honeyeater.