Hi all,
Just returned from a whirlwind trip Melbourne via Deniliquin, Wilcannia and
White Cliffs to Sturt National Park (far NW NSW) through Cameron's Corner
down the balance of the Strzelecki Track to the Flinders Ranges and back to
Melbourne.
Everything is green, the roads are now dry after recent rain (although many
still require maintenance) and the birding was great.
Major highlight:
Grey Falcon pair with immature 101 km South of Wilcannia (NSW). Immature
feeding on small bird. Nice!
Other Highlights:
Superb Parrot (8+) 20 km South of Deniliquin. Black Falcon two separate
birds b/n Deniliquin and Hay, another on the roadside in Sturt NP and
another stooping on Banded Lapwing chick just west of Cameron's Corner.
Red-chested Button Quail (1 female) just north of Ivanhoe. Spotted Nightjar
(3) whilst spotlighting in east Sturt NP. Black-breasted Buzzard (1 adult)
South of Fort Grey, Sturt NP. Black and Pied Honeyeater (1 male of each) and
Blue-winged Parrot (1) 2.5 km SE of Cameron's Corner, Sturt NP. Eyrean
Grasswren (3) 10 km west of Cameron's Corner, SA (as far as I known there
are no NSW records yet but they are close!). Inland Dotterel and Gibberbird
together 90 km North of Lyndhurst on S. Tck and Aust. Pratincoles 30 km
further north. Chestnut-breasted Whiteface (2 with 1 fledgling and 10+),
Thick-billed Grasswren and Redthroat at the usual spot 25 km north of
Lyndhurst on S. Tck. A total of 14 species of raptor, loads of Budgies,
Crimson Chats etc etc.
Many birds are responding to the good season in the 'Corner Country' with
autumn breeding. 'Dependant' young of the following species where recorded
Emu, Brown Quail, Grey Teal, Banded Lapwing, Galah, Budgie, Bourkes Parrot,
Little Corella, Cockatiel, White-winged Wren, Yellow-throated Miner,
Apostlebird, Magpie, Little Crow, Tree Martin, Fairy Martin, Brown Songlark
and Zebra Finch.
The trip finished with a Sunday afternoon at Stokes Hill Lookout, Flinders
Ranges and good views of Short-tailed Grasswren......followed by a 1200 km
drive to Melbourne on Monday.
Lowlight: 12 foxes and 3 feral cats in two hours spotlighting in the east
Sturt NP.
Cheers
Rohan
Rohan Clarke
PhD Candidate
'Conservation Biology of the Black-eared Miner'
Department of Zoology
La Trobe University
Bundoora Vic. 3083
Tel 03 9479 1672
Fax 03 94791551
Email
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