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Recent road trip nsw to WA and back

To: alan morris <>, Birding Aus <>
Subject: Recent road trip nsw to WA and back
From: Penny Brockman <>
Date: Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:07:33 +1100
Dear all

Recently went with 4 other birders (Clive Meadows, Louise Earnshaw, Max Harris and Lori Warren) to southern WA, in order to tick the three difficult western birds - Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird and Noisy Scrubbird - which we did at Cheynes Beach, east of Albany - great spot and very helpful caravan park staff. We also had a look at the Mute Swans at Northam!

On the way there and back in NSW, noted the following that may be of interest to NSW records:

Outward journey
Spotted Harrier - just west of Warren - 13.9.08
Major Mitchell Cockatoos - 1 hr drive west of Nyngan - 14.9.08
Emus - first seen 50k east of Warren - 14.9.08 - after that common
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos - first seen near Barrier/Cobb highways junction - 14.9.08
Chirruping Wedgebill - fruit checkpoint 10k east of Broken Hill - 14.9.08
Country was quite green and relatively lush with many goats, sheep and emus between Nyngan and Broken Hill.

Return journey
Bad dust storm between Mildura and Balranald 26.10.08, and very dry conditions. Stayed at Balranald caravan park that night - many Galahs and Little Corellas roosted in red gums on the Murrumbidgee along with lesser numbers of Yellow Rosellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Barn Owl called.

*Gull-billed Terns* - about 9? 145k west of Hay 27.10.08 - were unexpected but I note were seen by others in September on Hay Plains. There was a large area of irrigated rice paddies here which could have attracted them. They shot across the highway at great speed in the usual strong wind.

At Gum Swamp, Forbes on 27.10.08, among the usual birds were 1 Budgie, 1 Freckled Duck and 1 Blue-billed Duck and a Hobby - no Whistling Kites following the deaths of the residents earlier this or last year. Clive and I only did a 20mins survey here so could have been more around the back. Lots of water in the swamp and Grey Teal, Hoary-headed Grebes, Coots, Fairy Martins and Swamphens all had chicks.

Out far west, Fitzgerald River National Park had suffered bad fires in the s.e. section last year and most of the tracks were closed due to rain. We stayed at Quaalup a private property on the s.w. corner - beautiful place, amazing flowers and good nature walk covering most of the plants present, lots of rain and lots of ticks but no unusual birds seen by us. The proprietress bakes beautiful cakes - the couple who own the place are from Germany and she serves coffee and cake in the old homestead. yum yum.

Dryandra (8-12 Oct) was beautiful but also very very dry but the birds were good. Numbats have bred up well and we saw one on two separate occasions. Bush-stone Curlews wailed each night and a mother brush-tailed possum visited carrying a juvenile which was almost as big as her.

Visited the Eyre Bird Observatory in gale force winds - Major Mitchell Cockatoos were at the top of the escarpment, by the observatory on 20.10.08 and below the escarpment, plus Square-tailed Kite on the 21st. The 70k drive below the escarpment to Madura on a very good dirt track is well worth doing, a change to the Nullarbor Plain highway above.

Roadkill kangaroos was very bad between Eucla and Madura on the Eyre Highway with 2 dead Wedgies. On return trip we saw 5 dead juvenile S Hairy-nosed Wombats between Nullarbor roadhouse and Ceduna.

We had two tries for the Nullarbor Quailthrush, bush camping each time. Lots of views of one or two flying away from us but no good on-ground view by me. They took off and were carried by the wind at what I guess is twice the normal speed. Very dry and windy here with lots of S Hairy-nosed Wombat holes.

Lake Gilles in SA (16-18 Sept) was very dry, windy but good for birds, including the W Yellow Robin, Blue-breasted Fairywren and Rufous Treecreeper, Hooded and Red-capped Robins.

The Bight in SA - wonderful views of lots of Southern Right Whales with calves, mating and just lolling around in the blue blue sea below the cliffs. A dead Collared Sparrow-hawk was shown to us on 19 Sept, which had killed itself flying into the glass of the office that morning. Seems an unusual bird for that area - flat wind-swept heathland with very few trees

Gluepot even more dry, dusty and windy, which drove us away I am sad to say. We dipped on Red-lored Whistler (not seen since the fire) and Shy Heathwren but saw the other 'specials'. Lots more reptiles around too which reflects well on the feral control.

All in all, a memorable trip with amazing scenery, beautiful flowers in WA (Fitzgerald is fantastic!), good company, such variety of bird life and atmospheric conditions - frost, rain, wind, dust storm, sun, heat, cold, humidity - everything except a cyclone or snow. My tent stood up to the endless battering from the gale force winds although I got little sleep when it was going on.



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