Part Two ? Wilko?s birding heats up in Outback QLD.
It seems that in the transfer of my text onto the birdsaus archive some of
the punctuation marks change to question marks, sorry.
We had experienced daytime temperatures in the high 30?s all the way through
the ?centre? and it didn?t look as though we were going to get any relief in
central QLD. The Barkly was very dry didn?t look as though there had been
any rain for sometime. Camooweal was the same, however there were waterholes
in the major rivers.
I did an evening and morning session on the Georgina River, just to the west
of Camooweal. There is a free camping area adjacent to a large waterhole
south of the highway it is accessed from the highway just west of the
bridge.
19/10/04 Georgina River, riparian Euc coolibah woodland and waterhole. (1830
& 0700).
Red-kneed Dotterel, Diamond Dove, Zebra Finch, Brolga, Hardhead, White Ibis,
Black Kite, Galah, Black-fronted Dotterel, White-plummed H/e, Royal
Spoonbill, Magpie-lark, Masked Lapwing, Grey Teal, Black-winged Stilt,
Pacific Heron, Whiskered Tern, Common Greenshank, Black Duck, Pelican, Coot,
Little Corella, Wood Duck, Straw-necked Ibis, Bustard (drinking from the
waterhole), Singing Bushlark, Budgies 100?s, Crested Pigeon, Cockatiel,
Nankeen Kestrel, Darter, Little Egret and Little Black Cormorant.
Just prior to leaving Camooweal we visited Camooweal Caves Nat. Pk. hoping
to find a Bowerbird. I guess the primary reason for the park is for the
management of the cave systems non-the-less I was disappointed in the
condition of the natural vegetation. Cattle had been grazing in the park for
some time and still were, there impact exaggerated by the dry conditions.
The challenges of managing remote conservation areas I guess. I recorded 19
bird species in the park these included Rufous-throated H/e, White-winged
Triller, Little Friarbird, and Grey-fronted H/e. Still no new birds.
We left Camooweal with the temperature climbing rapidly, and made our way
toward Mt. Isa. Prior to starting the trip I had done a bit of research on
the internet looking for birding spots and found a good report of birding
sites in the Mt. Isa area. One of those was the McNamara road site for
Carpentarian Grasswrens. As we went past the McNamara road turn-off I
mentioned the site to Jo, I was thinking I?d come back tomorrow as it was
about 3:00 in the afternoon and very hot. Jo suggested why not go and have a
look at it now you never know you might get lucky, which is really what I
wanted her to say. So we swung around and proceeded down the track. I was
not confident, as I didn?t think much would be active at this time of the
day, but it was an opportunity to sus out the habitat for tomorrow morning?s
session.
We got to the area mentioned on the net, there was nice mature spinifex
under mallee which all coincided. I parked under a shady tree and got
prepared for a walk. Jo and the kids were happy to sit in the car left
idling with the aircon going. I bounced out of the car ready to go and
almost immediately heard the telltale pissshing of?? a deflating tyre,
CRRrikey!
So back in the car to find a flat area and change the tyre. During the
process, I said to Jo "Geezzz hope this isn?t a sign of my luck to come!!"
Job done, the car back under a shady tree and ?take two?.
I have to say of all the bird groups in Oz, my favourite are the grasswrens.
They are extremely well adapted to arid environments, they are attractive to
look at and their shy and retiring nature presents a challenge to see them.
The most exciting thing about trying to find them is that generally it means
your right out there in some of the most remote parts of Australia, ?go on,
get out there!? Fantastic.
Back on the job, I decided to walk down slope along a ridge adjacent to
minor drainage line, the spinifex was burnt on the opposite ridge, jotting
down a few species as I went Black-tailed Treecreeper, Grey-fronted H/e,
Black-faced W/s and then zzzzt. Within 100m from the car I?d picked up the
call of a wren, not able to pick-up exactly which direction it came nor the
genera of wren that may have made it, I proceeded a little more and heard it
again a little further along. Of course now all my relevant sensory organs
were buzzing as fast as those of a feral cat caught up a mains power pole. I
followed the calls until I caught a glimpse of a bird run across the ground
to another clump of spinifex, it disappeared before I even though of the
word binocular. Yep! grasswren alright, now to get a good look at it.
Following the calls for another 100m or so I eventually saw the bird just
behind a clump of spinifex, this time I got my binoculars onto it and saw
enough to identify it as Carpentarian Grasswren. A little later the bird
came into full view where I got a great look, and was able to identified it
as a female.
I returned to the car quite triumphant with having my first new bird for the
trip, which just happened to be a Carp. Grasswren.
All happy we made our way to Mt. Isa, I noticed the hill with a tower where
my next potential new species (Kalkadoon Grasswren) had been seen, but that
would be tomorrows job.
We stayed at the Lake Moondara Caravan Park for a few days, conveniently it
was a short drive to Lake Moondara itself which is a large manmade dam. Next
day I woke up before the rest of the family and decided to go to the dam for
a look. It is a fantastic waterbody and well worth a look. I recorded 59
birds species during the morning, a selection are listed below.
21/10/04 Lake Moondara and nearby Lions Club Park. (0600)
Green Pygmy Goose, Great-crested Grebe, Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant,
Little Black Cormorant (1000), Cattle Egret, Glossy Ibis, Australian Hobby,
Comb-crested Jacana, Silver Gull, Spinifex Pigeon, Varied Lorikeet,
Red-winged Parrot, Cloncurry subsp of Ringneck (2), Budgerigar (1000?s),
Blue-winged Kookaburra, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, White-plummed H/e,
Grey-fronted H/e, Rufous-throated H/e, Grey-crowned Babbler, Olive-backed
Oriole, Apostlebird, Australian Raven, Spotted Bowerbird, Double-barred
finch, Painted Finch, Chestnut-breasted Mannikin.
I returned and spent the rest of the morning and afternoon looking around
the town with the family. The kids tiring of the touristy stuff and heat
were keen to get back to the park for a swim in the pool. I took the
opportunity to travel out north of town to the microwave tower to try and
find Kalkadoon Grasswrens.
I arrived at the site at 1700, the first thing I saw was another one of
those black and white raptors it only took a quick glance to identify this
one as BSKite. It was hot so not much was calling, I wondered over to the
cliff edge next to the second tower and waited for awhile. I recorded a
Spinifexbird calling from further around the ridge, Owlet Nightjar
(calling), Grey-fronted H/e and Grey-crowned Babbler. I tried a few other
places with no luck. I give up, there are a few places closer to town where
I could look so I headed back to the car along a service track between the
two towers. Hows my luck, a few metres in front of me a dark grasswren flew
between spinifex clumps, then another and another. A group of three
Kalkadoon Grasswrens quietly foraging allowed me to follow them around for
awhile. Comparing them to Dusky Grasswren my impression is that these are
noticeably smaller and less robust, the plumage paler. They seemed to be a
little more timid and there contact calls quieter. I didn?t hear them do the
far carrying metallic trill that the Dusky does.
TBC
Regards, Wilko.
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