Alice Springs NT

[N & J Russill <>]

Hi all,

We have just returned from 6 days birdwatching in Alice Springs.  It is a beautiful City and has a terrific Sewage Treatment Works for birdwatching.   Birds of interest  were 16 + Freckled Ducks, Wood Sandpipers were common!, lots of Common and Sharp tailed Sandpipers, 2 Black Falcons, 3 Long-billed Corellas, 2 Gull-billed Terns, Whiskered Terns and 1 White-winged Tern (which was identified by its whitish rump among other points)  

We added Grey Honeyeater to our Aussie life list, after walking for 8 hours with no luck on day 2 and then finally at 3.30 pm on day 3 after many more km we found the bird, which had been missed on a previous occasion in July "99 at the same spot Kunnoth Well (see Thomas & Thomas for details) and when there carefully check that you are not looking at a Western Gerygone! there were many there on day 2.   It is also interesting to note that we did not hear any call which we could identify as Grey Honeyeater, and when watching it, the bird did not call. this certainly made the task more difficult.      In this area it was great to see Inland, Chestnut-rumped and Slaty-backed Thornbills in close proximity to compare and study them, also seen were 2 Major Mitchell's Cockatoo.

We stopped at different spots along the road to Santa Teresa and walked many km   looking for and finding a couple of small groups of Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens and also having stunning views of  a few Spinifexbirds and a Spotted Nightjar. 

At Standley Chasm, the highlight was a Painted Finch drinking at a small pool where we also watched a Western Bowerbird, displaying for a long period, his lilac pink crest clearly visible while he danced, turned and jumped around in a tree which was leaning on a rock face.   Other wonderful sightings were a pair of Peregrine Falcons flying around Alice and also at Ormiston Gorge the White-backed Swallows were flying around close to the water and taking sips. 

Total of species seen for the trip was an even 100.     Neil & Judith Russill