birding-aus

grasswrens on Birdville track

To: "martin cachard" <>, <>
Subject: grasswrens on Birdville track
From: "Michael Hunter" <>
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 18:35:52 +1000
        Good one Martin, particularly about the Greys.  Will be over there next 
year and take a look.   North of the Big Red crossing, as well as Eyrean, we 
have also seen what looked like Striated Grasswrens on the lower north side and 
onto the swale.  Apparently this may be a new spp , have you any information on 
it? 

        I almost never use playback , but may “kiss” out loud occasionally, 
extremely successful for Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens in Cape Range National Park 
(west side between track and ocean immediately S of the entry/ranger station).  
Particularly when my wife did it. (I taught her)    Used an Audubon, one or two 
twists, after hours of stalking  the White-throated Grass-wren, with instant 
miraculous response.  A family popped up out of the spinifex and followed us 
around, close-up, for at least an hour until we went back down the waterfall to 
El Shirana.  A very distinct, at that time subspp, of Variegated FW “dulcis” 
which looked as if it had goggles on, was in the same vicinity up  on that 
escarpment. And a very Black Wallaby

                       Cheers

                           Michael

 

     

From: martin cachard 
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2014 1:41 PM
To: Michael Hunter ;  
Subject: grasswrens on Birdville track

for Eyrean GW, the top of Big Red has many pairs, I've had 2 pairs breeding on 
it 2 seasons ago & found several others spaced along the dune top... try 
walking south along the dune top, starting about 1 km south of the dune 
crossing - stay on the main ridge top & u will come across 3 or 4 territories. 
it's best to try early in day before the wind & flies cloud your ears, making 
it hard to hear their little squeaks & whistles...please don't use playback - 
they are very sensitive to disturbance & are easy to spook, & are very local - 
& besides, where's the sport in that!!!
 
for Grey GW, it's not necessary to work too hard for them on Birdsville Track - 
best locale without doubt from my experience is about 90-95kms S of Birdsville, 
walking west of rd where a large stand of isolated Coolibahs stand on the east 
side, walk west for as long as needed to find them - 2 years ago I had 3 birds 
rather easily, one being only 100mtrs in from rd, the most distant was 500mtrs 
in... start early for same reasons as above...keep your eyes open for Splendid 
FW in there too - the books including HANZAB state that they aren't in that 
country but I'm positive that they are...I had a dull male with blue wings in 
there which leaves me in no doubt what so ever as to their presence there...I 
don't know of any other records there, so I would be keen to hear if u do see 
them there... 
as above, please refrain from using playback. any sharing of site info that I 
offer always carries that rider - otherwise I won't be sharing any info in 
future...
 
good luck with your search!!
cheers,
martin cachard,
cairns 0428 782 808
 

> From: 
> To: 
> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:23:46 +1000
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] grasswrens on Birdville track
> 
> Try any dune with thick cane grass for Eyrean particularly the northern end 
> of the track. Just look for tiny tracks on top of the dunes, if seen sit, 
> look, and listen to the very high-pitched squeaks. Forget it if you have high 
> frequency deafness. Definitely on Big Red, about 30k out of Birdsville, on 
> the dune 3 –4 km north of the Big Red Crossing, but I wouldn’t try the 
> crossing without 4wd. Grey most unlikely on the Birdsville Track, hire a 4wd 
> and camp eastwards along the Diamantina River ( track on south side) for a 
> week or two and look in suitable bunches of thick grass along the river until 
> you come to Queensland.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Michael
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