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HIGHLIGHTS OF
STRZELECKI TRIP 9-26 AUGUST 2000
John McLennan and I joined an Australian
Ornithological Services trip into Central Australia run by Phil Maher and David
Leslie from 9-26 August 2000. There were 12 on the trip including 5 English
birders, 2 New Zealanders, 1 American and 4 Australians. The route was
Deniliquin- Hillston-Cobar-Bourke (NSW), Cunnamulla-Eulo-Thargomindah-Bulloo
Downs (QLD), Tibooburra & Sturt NP (NSW), Camerons Corner-Strzelecki
Creek-Lyndhurst-Parrachilna-Flinders Ranges NP-Burra-Lameroo-Bialliart &
Ngarkat CPs (SA), Pink Lakes NP-Ouyen-Hattah NP-Swan Hill (Vic), Deniliqin NSW.
Two nights were spent camped along the Strzelecki Track while the rest of the
accomodation was in in motels, hotels (including the famous Noccundra, Lyndhust
& Prairie Hotel at Parachilna) and a farmstay at Thyandra HSD, Thargomindah.
240 species were seen on the trip, the highlights of which are as
follows:
Malleefowl Active mounds in
Billiart CP & Hattah NP, one bird at latter place.
Stubble Quail Seen at the Bulloo
wetlands (Qld) & Tindara Swamp (NSW)
Brown Quail Surprised by 5
north-west of Thargomindah (Qld) on 14/8
Plumed Whistling Duck 192 on tank
on Piampa HSD (Qld) neear Bulloo Swamp
Blue-billed Duck 10+ Lake
Bindigoolley (Qld) 13/8.
Musk Duck Female with 2 ducklings
Lake Bindigooley 13/8
Great Crested Grebe Many with
young Lake Bindigooley 13/8
Nankeen Night Heron 30+ Noccundra
Swamp (Qld) 15/8 going to roost.
Australasian Bittern 3 Avalon
Swamp, Finley NSW 26/8
Glossy Ibis 3 near Boorooban NSW
10/8
Black-necked Stork Immature 25 km
N of Bourke (NSW) 12/8, most westerly NSW record!
Black-breasted Buzzard Nesting
Sturt NP (NSW), pair Strzelecki Crossing 19/8
Spotted Harrier Seen most days
over grasslands.
Wedge-tailed Eagle Seen every
day, 3 days with over 20 birds per day, and 20 together at Onepah HSD, near
Tibooburra NSW on 16/8, nest +Y Beltana (SA) 20/8.
Little Eagle Incontrast to above,
only 8 birds seen for whole trip.
Grey Falcon One Brachina Gorge
(SA) on 21/8
Balck Falcon Only seen along
Strzelecki Creek flats & Track and at Beltana.
Brolga Mostly seen in Qld, 39
together near Bulloo Swamp 15/8
Baillon's Crake 2 Bourke STW (NSW) 12/8, 3 Lake
Bindigooley 13/8
Australian Spotted Crake 3 at
Montechilina Bore (SA) 19/8
Spotless Crake 2 Deniliquin
12/8
Australian Bustard 2 114 km N of
Bourke 12/8, 4 south of Noccundra (Qld) 15/8
Little Button-quail Common in SW
Qld, 13 on 14/8 near Thargomindah-Bulloo
Red-chested Button-quail 1 near
Bulloo Swamp 15/8
Plains Wanderer Three females
seen spotlighting near Wanganella (NSW) 9/8
Ruddy Turnstone One Woorinen
Swamps (Vic) 25/8
Red-necked Stint 40+ Wooinen
Swamps 25/8
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 2 Woorinen
Swamps 25/8
Inland Dotterel 8+ spotlighing
near Wanganella 9/8, 3 NW of Lyndhust19/8
Red-kneed Dotterel 6 only seen
,all on floodwaters west of Camerons Corner (SA) 17/8
Banded Lapwing Uncommon, breeding
records inland nesting Wanganella 9/8, A+Y on Piampa HSD (Qld) near NSW
border.
Australian Pratincole Small
numbers near Bulloo Swamp 15-16/8, an don gibber plains NW of Lyndhust (SA)
19/8.
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo 34 in
and around Bourke 12/8
Musk Lorikeet 20+ Morgan (SA) on
22/8
Purple-crowned Lorikeet 4 only
Morgan on 22/8
Superb Parrot 2 Deniliquin
10/8
Regent Parrot 4 near Loxton (SA)
22/8
Budgerigar Abundant & breeding from Thargomindah
(Qld) to Parachilna (SA)
Bourke's Parrot Good numbers seen
between Eulo (Qld) and Lake Pinnaroo, Sturt NP (NSW) 14-17/8
Elegant Parrot 25+ Brachina Gorge
(SA) 21/8
Pallid Cuckoo Common and calling
from 13/8 (Qld) at Eulo to the end of the trip
Black-eared Cuckoo One only
Brachina Gorge (SA) 21/8
Barking Owl 2 pairs calling at
Thyangra HSD, Thargomindah 14/8
Barn Owl Seen Deniliquin (NSW),
Strzelecki Creek (SA) & Ouyen (Vic)
Spotted Nightjar One Thyangra HSD
13/8 & one near Thargomindah 14/8
Azure Kingfisher One in town park
Deniliquin 10/8
Red-backed Kingfisher Common from
Bourke 12/8 to Burra (SA) 21/8
White-browed Treecreeper 4+ near
Eulo Bore (Qld) 13/8
Mallee Emu-wren 3+ Pink Lakes NP,
Ouyen (Vic) 24/8
Grey Grass-wren 53+ at 2
locations on edge of Bulloo Swamp (Qld) 15-16/8
Striated Grass-wren 2+ Billiart
CP (SA) 23/8
Eyrean Grass-wren 5+ west of
camerons Corner (SA) 18/8
Thick-billed Grass-wren 2
Lyndhurst (SA) 26 km NE 20/8
Shy Heathwren 4+ Billiart CP (SA)
23/8
Rufous Field-wren 6+ 26 km NE of
Lyndhust (SA) 20/8
Redthroat 1 Bulloo Swamp (Qld)
16/8 & Brachina Gorge 21/8.
Chestnut-breasted Whiteface 8+ 1
chick just out of nest, 26 km NE Lyndhust 20/8
Banded Whiteface Small numbers
between Camerons Corner & Strzelecki Crossing (SA) 17-18/8
Purple-gaped Honeyeater Commonest
honeyeater in Billiart CP 23/8
Grey-fronted Honeyeaters Common
in Nombinnie NR south of Mt Hope & in mallee south of Cobar (NSW) 11/8,
& small numbers in Flinders Ranges NP 21/8.
Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters Small
numbers at Billiart & Ngarkat CPs (SA)
Black Honeyeater AM at a
waterhole 99 km S of Noccundra 15/8, 10+ Tindara Swamp, W of Tibooburra
17/8
Pied Honeyeater Common 60 km W of
Tibooburra to Strzelecki Crossing15-19/8
Crimson Chat A few near
Thargomindah, then common west of Tibooburra to Lyndhurst.
Gibber Chat Mostly seen near
Bulloo Swamp (Qld) and in Sturt NP (NSW).
Flame Robin 1 at Deniliquin
10/8
Hooded Robin Common Cobar to
Thargomindah
Southern Scrub-robin Seen Ngankat
CP, Pink Lakes NP & Hattah NP
Hall's Babbler Seen only around
Eulo (Qld) 14/8
Chestnut Quail-thrush Seen
Billiart CP & Hattah NP
Cinnamon Quail-thrush Seen
Thargomindah to NSW border 15/8, west of Camerons Corner to Lyndhurst (SA)
18-20/8
Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush 4
near Eulo Bore (Qld) 13/8
Red-lored Whistler 1
beautiful male sang to us Billiart CP 23/8
Gilbert's Whistler Only recorded
at Gulpha SF (NSW) 26/8
Ground Cuckoo-shrike Seen
Eulo-Thargomindah, and Stzelecki Creek (Nth) crossing where found nesting and
again at the south crossing.
Diamond Firetail 6 near
Willanthrey Bridge (NSW) 10/8
A full list of birds seen on the trip is available
open request.
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