Corona Virus Pandemic:
To all our past and future guests, we hope you are all keeping safe and optimistic in this unprecedented (in our lifetime) world pandemic!
Progress Report:
We have had 30 cases, no deaths, all have recovered. Interstate borders are open from July 17!
Opening for Bookings Now!!!
We have our Covid-19 Safety Plan in place, and at this point we are offering private charters for the remainder of 2020.
Please check out our itineraries and let us know if you would like to join us for one of these future tours. We have dates available from July to December. The most popular tours are the one day 'Darwin Birdwatching Experience', two day 'Breakfast with Gouldians' and the five day 'Kakadu Nature's Way'. We are hoping to resume group tours in 2021.
Mike and Jenny Jarvis
See Wild Creatures in Unspoiled Places
Birdwatching and Nature Tours in Darwin and the Top End
Let us take you somewhere wild!
Learn about our amazing variety of unique birdlife, reptiles, mammals and invertebrates in monsoon forests, savannah woodlands, mangroves, wetlands and billabongs around Darwin and the Top End. Your tour with us will be like an immersion in your very own wildlife documentary where you are informed, enriched and enabled with close and intimate connections to the wildlife and bush.
We specialise in very small group, bird and nature watching tours. Your guide is Mike Jarvis, owner and operator of Experience the Wild, and on some tours joined by Ian Morris. We are passionate about the environment, local birdlife, wildlife and habitat as well as Indigenous culture and NT history and heritage.
With a maximum of seven passengers, you are assured of a personalized experience as you travel in our luxury, airconditioned Land Rover Discovery.
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Forget traffic jams, pollution and phones, revitalize and refresh in the Top End wilderness (photo copyright Mick Jerram)
Accreditations
- Kakadu Tour Operator License
- Parks and Wildlife NT Tour Operator License
- Australian Tourism Accreditation Program
- Certificate IV Tourism (Guiding) NT
- Members of Wildlife Tourism Australia
Experience the Wild!
The Northern Territory’s Top End features a mosaic of habitats offering an exceptional variety and density of birds.
A Top End birding experience starts with these treasure chest locations around Darwin and then ventures out to other areas such as Fogg Dam. There we see typical wetland and paperbark forest species.
Learn about the significance of the landforms, wildlife and birds to the traditional owners of the country we are travelling through, and the conservation methods they have practiced for thousands of years. See evidence of several climate changes that have affected the territory habitats over the last few thousand years. And as we do this we constantly adding new bird sightings to our list!
Please click here for itineraries ranging from one day around Darwin to thirteen days covering Darwin to Kakadu to the East Kimberley and back. We even have a Sri Lanka trip in February!
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Azure Kingfisher - Howard Springs (photo copyright Laurie Ross)
Fixed Date Tour or Private Charter
Save money by doing a group tour!
Advantages:- lower cost, company of like minded people who enjoy wildlife and share conservation values in a small group tour. Please click here for details of other upcoming group tours and dates.
All itineraries are available as private charters. One advantage of a private charter is that your itinerary can be completely adapted to your needs and preferences.
Experience Wild Indonesia 2021!!!
We are running an exciting Indonesia-West Papua tour with David Bishop. Dates - May 11 - June 3, 2021. Find out about the Experience Wild Indonesia tour here!Some Interesting Links..
You can find information about specific habitat, best time of year and where to find each Top End species here. Information on Top End endemic species and other target species for a Darwin visit can be found on this page. You can download our free printable taxonomic Top End Birdlist by clicking here Top End Birds Checklist
Bird Watching Tips!! Improve your skills and learn about the many and varied products that are available to help you be more proficient and have more fun out birding!Is Birdwatching the Unlikeliest Craze for 2017? A fun (UK-centric) article about Listers/twitchers/birders plus a timeline of birdwatching that starts in Australia 40,000 years ago
Click here for Graham Brown's 'Bugbits' link for fascinating information on invertebrates.
Click here to learn about Top End weather and seasons.
New, up to date checklists!! Click here
Please go to our links page for Darwin information, tours, accommodation and bird watching info.
“Birding is hunting without killing, preying without punishing and collecting without clogging your home” Mark Obmascik
(Obmascik, M.,The Big Year, 1 New York, Free Press, 2004)
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John and Marie Edith River Creek (photo copyright Mike Jarvis)
Photos
All photos on this website are taken by me or generously provided by my guests and local fellow birders. All photos are acknowledged and may not be copied without written permission.
All photos are taken in Top End habitats, in most cases right in the location being discussed.
If you are a previous guest of Experience the Wild and have any photos you would like to contribute, I would be grateful for their submission.
Special thanks to the following contributors: Ian Morris, Marg Lacey, Marie Holding, Peter McKenzie, Frank Taylor, Anthony Thompson, Rob and Caroline Gully, Andrew Fedoruk
Bird Photography Ethics
Most nature photographers are cognizant of the needs of birds and avoid causing any undue stress to their avian subjects. We don't use playback to bring birds closer and we keep a respectable distance from nests. There are photos of birds at the nest on this website. These are taken from a reasonable distance with the aid of powerful zoom lenses and in most cases, from an established pathway. Also, we don't chase or deliberately flush birds. Quietly stalking them will yield better results, but even this can be interpreted by birds as predatory behaviour. The most satisfying close encounters are had when birds move in to range of their own volition when we wait patiently in the one location. We never place food to bait birds to come in to range either. Local guides have the benefit of an intimate familiarity with local species and habitats and can set you up to get great results without resorting to any of these dubious practises. Guests are encouraged to speak up if they see any situation that could be detrimental to birds or the environment while on tour.
Please Click Here for Birdwatching Itineraries