DAY 9
Again we awake to the unknown
and find plenty of fresh water and lots of Tyhpa reeds in the next swale.
Surprisingly bird variety is very low. Lots of Brown Honeyeaters in the
Melaleucas and plenty of Zebra Finches coming in to drink. A Little Grass Bird
is heard in the reeds.
Next thing here come some
Princess Parrots, about six this time and again heading west to east. Same deal
as yesterday they must have seen us, banked left and disappeared out of sight
over the sand dune. Three more people in our party manage to see them this time,
as well as me, but looks are frustratingly brief. The plan this time was to stay
put and survey the surrounding countryside from on top of the dune so we would
get better looks next time when they come back to the campsite and the water
hole.
Yeah right! We were trying to
think like Princess Parrots but were they trying to think like humans? Probably,
which is why they didn?t come back that morning.
A couple of fly pasts by
small groups of Cockatiels and some Budgerigars coming into drink, plus a couple
of Crimson Chats and White-winged Trillers are about all the birds we see from
our vantage point.
A quick walk north for a
couple of swales adds White-fronted Honeyeater, Variegated Fairy-Wren and
another Chiming Wedgebill to our list.
About 12 O?clock the Princess
Parrot search party, comprising of George, Alan, John, Ray and myself head out
to look through groves of Desert Oaks in the hope of finding some PP?s
sheltering from the midday sun. We are in radio contact with base camp in case
they turn up there as well. We spend about 3 hours hunting through suitable
habitat to no avail. Many other good birds are seen, including many displaying
male Pied Honeyeaters. Close views of a pair of Spotted Harriers flushed from
the roadside. The down side is seeing a feral cat.
Back to camp and we grab our
chairs and head up to the highest point above the water hole and get ready for
the return of the PP?s, after all they went east in the morning they would
return west in the evening. For those of you who are M.A.S.H. fans, you will
understand why I dubbed this event, ?5 O?clock Charlie? for those of you that
aren?t, don?t worry because the PP?s weren?t either as they didn?t show.
It is a great spot to watch
raptors and we have wonderful views of a Spotted Harrier in the evening light
cruising low over the red sand and mass of purple flowers (Cyanostegia (sp?)).
Also another Black-breasted Buzzard, Black-shouldered Kite and Nankeen Kestrel.
Thirty species seen
today.
Black-shouldered Kite
Black-breasted Buzzard
Spotted Harrier
Brown Goshawk
Little Eagle
Brown Falcon
Australian Hobby
Nankeen Kestrel
Australian Spotted Crake
(heard)
Diamond Dove
Cockatiel
Budgerigar
Princess Parrot
Horsefield?s
Bronze-Cuckoo
Variegated Fairy-Wren
White-winged Fairy-Wren
Singing Honeyeater
Grey-headed Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
White-fronted Honeyeater
Black Honeyeater
Pied Honeyeater
Crimson Chat
Chiming Wedgebill
White-winged Triller
Masked Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
Zebra Finch
Little Grassbird (heard)
Rufous Songlark
Dick Jenkin
DUNGOG NSW
