News for winter 2011
Luke Paterson is having a busy year in the Top End, NT. The birds are proliffic because of the huge wet season last summer. Luke will be pleased to welcome back Bill Turner from the USA with his 2011 group later in the season.
Mike & I have been fortunate to have participated in a tour with guide, Ben Blewitt of Cassowary Tours to Iron Range, nearly at the top of Cape York Peninsular. Ben is an excellent guide. His knowledge of the areas visited was extraordinary. The weather was not kind to us in that it was very cold in the latter part of June and showery and overcast. Ben was very skilled at finding the birds in dense rainforest in the gloomy conditions and getting the scope set for us all to get good views. The golden shouldered parrots, the palm cockatoo, the electus parrots, both male & female and the rifle bird were very special.
Janet & Les Evans were visiting us from the UK and were interested in the changing landscapes and the elusive birds. We all enjoyed a wonderful day with 'birding' overtones at Wetherby Station with John & Kathy Colless. Janet and Les marvelled at the fact that the billabongs full of wildlife were found on a private property and not only in the National Parks!
Birding discussions were held here with Del Richards of Fine Feather Tours. Del is an expert on the north Queensland birds and is particularly interested in the habits of the gouldian finches.
The highlight of the visit to Kingfisher Park Lodge with Lindsay and Keith Fisher was a night walk with good views of the Eastern Barn Owls in the park and the nocturnal marsupials feeding on the feeders while we had dinner on the verandah.
A great trip for the memory archives!
December 2010
Luke Paterson, guide and business partner of NT Bird Specialists, has won the Brolga Award for the Outstanding Interpretative Guide for the Northern Territory for 2010. Luke has had a wonderful year sharing the Top End birds with birders from all over the world. He is looking forward to another great year for 2011 with a number of tours already booked.
(Tour Testimonial)
Luke Paterson is joining NT Birdspecialists as the Top End resident guide. Mike Ostwald will be available to assist Luke with large groups as required
Mike& Gina have settled back into their home at Chatsworth north of Gympie after selling Mary River Park in August 2007 Thank you to all our supporters, woofers, clients and friends who shared the Mary River Park Experience over the years.
The Eastwood Host Farm (www.eastwoodfarm.com.au) is operating at our home in Gympie and Mike will continue to conduct privately chartered Birdwatching tours in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
Some Birdwatching and nature tours in the Gympie Hinterland will be offered.
Visitors will always be welcome to our home in Gympie.
We were pleased we could attend the British Bird Fair (http://www.birdfair.org.uk/) at Rutland in the UK 2008 with the NT Tourism (http://www.tourismnt.com.au) and Bird's Australia (http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/) representatitives.
It was great to meet up with clients from birdwatching tours of past years in the Top End and to talk with the many birdwatchers who would like to visit Australia in the future.
We look forward to welcoming back many visitors to Northern Territory and Queensland.
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