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g'day all,
I recently spent 1-1/2 weeks birding in the far NW corner of
Qld
Our overnight stop from the Isa was at Chinaman's Gardens on
the spring fed Louie Ck. This location is 8km SE of the Lawn Hill NP
headquarters.
42 species were recorded including Northern Rosella,
Aust Bustard, Azure Kingfisher, Channel-billed Cuckoo (my first for the
season) and a Northern Fantail (a tick) plus Bush
Stone-curlews that called all night. The 4 clans of
Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens that I saw 2 months previously
were missing
Readers may have read of the 2 million hectare fire that swept
thru NW Qld. Well in the morning the fire which started the previous day
came straight towards our camp, which was in a small patch of open lightly
grassed area. The only way out was to exit thru the flames. So we used an old
blanket to beat out the flames. We were able to stop the fire 50 metres from our
vehicles . The fire went around us up the gorge into the NP. When the fire
lit the spinifex in the gorge the flames were 4 m high. The NSW FOC group
advised me that the NP camping birding areas were generally saved. Adels
Grove was saved by people from Century Mine and the NP rangers.
We continued up thru Lawn Hill Stn to Bowthorn Stn to their
outstation on the Nicholson River ( 139 km due west of Burketown) called
Kingfisher Camp. (Azure K/f)
I was more than impressed. Water and fireplaces at all
sites..soft green grass under shady trees. Toilets/showers were
spotless.
The wide water hole is 6km long. About 1-1/2 km away is Goose
Swamp (named after Magpie Geese that have breed there.) It is a natural water
storage (4+ km around) and teeming with birds. And because this is the end
of the tourist season we often had the grounds to ourselves.
In the 6 days I observed 113 species including
Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens that passed close by our camp twice
each day. (Did not have to leave our chairs) We hired a small outboard to get
views of the water birds and to reach the upper part of the hole to see the
Spinifex Pigeons, Black-tailed Treecreepers etc. We were lucky
to see from our boat a Azure Kingfisher having its afternoon
bath. Unexpected sightings were Striated Bittern (tick) and
Pied Heron (tick). Both Aust Ravens and
Torresian Crows are present (I think) to test out the Corvid
experts.
Lots of Sandstone hills, but no Shrike-thrush's. Is this
species a cruel hoax ?
Leaving KFC I stopped at Doomadgee sewage ponds on my way to
Burketown. 29 expected species recorded (in the rain)
A Jabiru (Black-necked Stork) was gazing
at its reflection at a pool of water in the middle of the road just out of
town.
There were 31 species for the 500m radius around
Burketown that includes its artesian bore. Interesting birds
were Magpie-Goose, Radjah (Burdekin) Duck, Pied
Heron, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
At the sewage ponds were a pair of Black-tailed
Native-hens and amongst the Brolgas a pair of
Sarus Cranes (tick)
The Cemetery hosted Nankeen Kestrel, Brolga, Singing
Bushlark and Richard's Pipit which were not seen
elsewhere in the immediate area.
The Escott Weir turned up Purple-crowned
Fairy-wrens a few metres from the causeway
In the mangroves at the edge of the Albert River I heard
,but could not see a Mangrove-golden Whistler. I reckon it was
only 2m away from me each time it moved. And pushing thru dense mangroves in
thick mud aint my idea of a pleasant 35 C afternoons birding !!
At Truganini landing a Jabiru allowed me to
take photos from 2 m. (These birds do not appear to be endangered in my part of
Qld)
I did not venture out to the Albert Riv mouth over the salt
flats, because of the high tides.
I returned via the Burke & Wills roadhouse at 3 (now 4)
ways on the Cloncurry/Normanton Road. Nearby I saw about 8 Plum-head
Finches feeding with a group of Zebra Finches. These
are well outside their published territory.
Regards, Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
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