A visit to Fogg Dam with James, Jayshree and Peter..

I promised James via email that on his first weekend here I would take him out to Fogg Dam. Peter and Jayshree joined us as well.

Another trip to Fogg dam

Still have not really seen the monster, but lots of evidence today... the sign and the trap.

Monster Crocodile at Fogg Dam

I was warned last trip to Fogg Dam about the big crocodile lurking at Fogg Dam.
This photo was taken by a local Brian Hammond and appeared in the Sunday Territorian with this story today: [Note the surname should be Hammond]



Monster croc at popular NT tourist spot

NADJA HAINKE

March 22nd, 2009

A MONSTER croc - believed to be at least 4.5m long - has been spotted lurking near a walkway at a popular Northern Territory tourist reserve.

NEWSBREAKER BRIAN HANNOND, 66, took this picture when he discovered the beast at Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve - about 70km southeast of Darwin - on Friday evening.

Mr Hannond, of Stuart Park, said the saltie was sitting only two metres from where he stopped his car.

"I've never ever seen a croc that size out of the water," he said.

"I didn't get out of the car. But to sit there that close you know why you wouldn't have a chance in the world against him. It's the ultimate killing machine.

"He would be the king of the swamp out there."
r Hannond, a wine seller, said the croc was sitting on the left side of the dam wall walk at the entrance of the reserve - about 100m from the car park.

At the other end of the causeway, he said he spotted another croc.

The reserve is a popular stop for tourists.

Signs warn visitors not to swim in the water because of saltwater crocodiles.

Parks and Wildlife rangers put a trap in the swamps last Friday after they received reports of crocodile more than 3m long in the area.

Croc catcher Robbie Risk urged visitors to be cautious.

"It is a bit of a worry," he said. "People have just got to be wary when they are in the area."

Mr Risk said crocs could enter the dam from Adelaide River during the wet season when waterways flooded.

The sighting comes five days after 11-year-old Briony Goodsell was taken by a crocodile in the access prohibited Black Jungle Conservation Reserve.

Her horrific death and an apparent influx of crocodiles in to Top End urban centers have sparked strident calls for culling.

An NT Government source revealed on Wednesday Parks and Wildlife would cull crocodiles, in particular in the rural area where there is more risk of interaction between crocs and humans.

But Labor MHR Damian Hale in Solomon yesterday opposed plans to immediately cull crocodiles in the Territory.

He said the Government's crocodile management plan had to be reviewed.

Mr Hannond was also against culling the reptiles.

"The crocs have been here before us. People just need to use their brains," he said.
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An update Saturday March 28th , in an email from Fiona Douglas today to NTBirds , a mailing list I am on:
"...Later, on the Fogg Dam wall, near the start in the tree'd section, the most
ENORMOUS crocodile. Don't ignore the warning sign about the dam wall being
closed to walkers. The croc was a good 5-6 metres.
Fiona"

Fogg Dam Sunday drive

I took a trip today on my own out to Fogg Dam. Fogg Dam according to Google Maps is 66.5 km – about 1 hour 22 mins from where I live.
There was plenty of birdlife and also I was warned by a couple of drivers about a two metre saltwater crocodile they had seen on the road!
One driver actually did a U turn to come back to warn me!
I must admit I was nervous for a while paddling about at the waters edge,
but the photography was good

Fogg Dam

Took my first trip for the year out to Fogg Dam .. alone.
And so it seemed as there was very little birdlife that I could see. I noticed some Common Egrets, Pied Heron (aka)Pied Egrets , Rainbow Bee-eaters, Willy Wagtails, Lapwings. I also saw a pair of Wallabies and a dingo.






Also lots of thankfully dead Cane toads!

Yet another trip to Fogg Dam

Its been many months since I last made the journey down the Arnhem Highway to Fogg Dam.



I drove there after lunch today and although I was suprised by the lack of water
considering the recent storms we have had in Darwin, the afternoon had its other suprises.
As I stopped my car for the first time I saw a crocodile of about a metre and half size drop off the dam wall into the water.
It was just to the left of this tree where the crocodile slipped into the water.
The hair was standing up on my neck as I gingerly walked around!!










As I drove out an hour later I was even more surprised to see a rather large buffalo!!




I chatted to a couple of other photographers before I drove home being chased by a storm which was very heavy with rain.

My "newish" car however performed well on the run.

Visitors from down south.. David and Neville

My good friend and neighbor David Parkinson from Redwood Park,


South Australia came up to Darwin this week to fish with his friend Neville Whitehair from Whyalla. They stayed with Hugh and I.


On Saturday, Marty, the partner of a workmate of mine.Marty took them out in his boat and they had a leisurely day out with some success.


On the Sunday they enjoyed as did I a trip to Fogg Dam.




On the Monday and Tuesday it was out on the charter boats with mixed success.


On a Equinox Charter, Dave caught a Black Jewfish (aka black jew; black mulloway; blotched jew; mulloway; northern mulloway; spotted croaker; spotted jew; spotted jewfish)

See this link for more on the species