Trip report

[Julian Robinson <>]

Having just got back from 3 months trip to WA (route ...Oodnadatta, Alice
Springs, south-east edge of Kimberley, Broome, Pilbara, Ningaloo coast,
Kalgoorlie, Nullabor to Canberra -- including brief visits to Newhaven,
Broome and Eyre bird observatories and Gluepot, but not Mornington), I
feel I should be offering a fullsome report as others have recently but
probably won't get round to it.  A few notes and highlights instead
include...

Of local interest, passing through Narranderra area on the last day saw
three separate road-crossing flocks of Superb Parrots - 10,15 and
25.  The other car also saw some in the same area the following day
which is not exactly a scientifically rigorous survey but probably means
good numbers in that area.

Crimson Chats seem to be everywhere - we came through what must be
a significant irruption around Murchison - Cue in WA, and continued to
see more most of the way to NSW.    

On GLuepot we didn't see a single Galah or Crested Pigeon
in our two days.  Within 10 seconds of departing the property into
the neighboring cleared, cropped and grazed property, there were many of
each.  A fair illustration of the effects of human occupation? 
(No Red-lored Whistlers or Black-eared Miners visible on Gluepot either,
it was generally quiet as others have noted).  

I didn't score any rarities the whole trip, but did manage perhaps 70 new
species which is not bad considering how quickly we were travelling and
the number of birds that will forever remain a mystery due to my limited
birding skills.  No doubt the Grey Honeyeaters and Falcons were
amongst them.  (Sadly I lost my diary of birds and other things, so
don't know more exactly the number of new birds until I get to going
through thousands of photos and my memory).

The first half of the trip was through the mid-north from Alice to south
Kimberley to Pilbara, this area is dry and as we were told constantly and
discovered for ourselves, not very birdy by normal standards. 
Newhaven (200 km NW of Alice) was almost bird-free which was a pity
because it is otherwise a stupendous place to visit.  By contrast
the more southern parts of WA and bits of SA were full of birds and
wildflowers after recent rain.

Highlights for me (as an outback bird novice) included ...

- finches including a fair number of Star Finches at Millstream NP
and many Painted Finches at Karajini NP (Pilbara) where we stayed
a considerable time.  One PF nest I found in the spinifex contained
one egg the first day, two the second, three then four. PFs were seen
regularly flying past or around our isolated campsite.  Of course
Zebra Finches appear everywhere, and elsewhere Long-tailed
Finches, Crimson and Masked.  As I said, no
uncommon birds found by us though someone claimed to have seen a pair of
Gouldians at Bell Gorge a couple of days before we arrived.

- half a day observing a pair of nesting Black-breasted Buzzards
on the banks of the Lyons River.  Later, on another property, seeing
three young sibling BBBs practicing flying, landing and perching for
hours on the river.  The latter property was exceptional, the owners
had just moved in and were very welcoming and the birds were many and
varied.  At least 100 Tree Martins would feed and fly around our
riverside campsite each morning and evening, often very close to us at
altitude 30cm. Nankeen Night Herons roosted in the Afghan cameleer's date
palms; the best budgie flocks we saw, spoonbills and egrets, several
raptors ... and a single apparently once-owned Rock Dove / homing? pigeon
that was quite handsome, had two bands and maintained a watch at the
entrance to the historic woolshed.  The owners knew nothing about
it.

- Broome bird observatory where in a couple of days, as well as
shorebirds, we came across Red-headed Honeyeaters, White-breasted
Whistler, Beach Stone-Curlew, Broad-billed Flycatcher, nesting Ospreys,
Yellow White-eyes and many others.  We also participated in one
of their canon netting exercises, during which I greatly enjoyed my
allotted task and total contribution of carrying a surprisingly docile
Pied Oystercatcher 50m up the beach to the banding
station.

- not seeing magpies and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos everywhere for a
change. In fact we didn't see or hear a SCC for 2 months through
NT and north and central WA and SA - not until getting well into
NSW.  (This is only a statement of their range, but their absence
still struck us all).

- seeing Bustards for the first time in quite a few places. 
Great birds but I've had no luck in getting a good photo of one.

- the emu and 5 chicks that grazed for 2 days within walking
distance of our campsite at Gluepot, at one stage ambling through the
campsite.

- actually getting an identifiable photo of a Spinifexbird.

- close views of Black-footed Rock Wallaby at Ningaloo, Yardie
Ck.

- Eyre Bird Observatory - historically interesting and extremely birdy
including some Major Mitchells (which reminds me I also spent a
happy hour or so watching and photographing a courting pair of MM's on
the Murchison River).

- discovering that Crested Bellbirds ... a) appear over almost all
of the area we travelled through, and b) belonged to the morse-code call
we had been hearing for weeks before relating it accurately to a visible
bird.  (Len Beadell  called it the 'IS bird' (dah dah - dit dit dit)
as he graded his way into Australian history, but this obvious and
recognisable summary of the bellbird's most common call is not mentioned
in any of the guides we had).

- snorkelling on Ningaloo Reef where we saw coral and fish just like you
see in pictures -- and all you had to do was wade 10m from the beach and
fall over with your mask on. 

- watching Southern Right whales at close quarters from the Nullabor
cliff tops, for long periods.  Also humpbacks at Exmouth.

- spectacular gorges, stunning redness, beautiful wildflowers,
magnificent landforms, mind-boggling resource developments and industrial
landscapes etc etc

- this juvenile Brown Honeyeater / Sturt Desert Pea combo at Millstream
NP, amongst many other birds shot and brought home.

Probably other 'highlights' but beyond recall at the moment.  Most
of my bird obs and pics will end up on flickr as I get through the photos
-

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozjulian/

 Cheers 
Julian