Hello birders,
Bruce Cox, Bob Way, John Duranti and I have just returned from a very
successful and extremely enjoyable birding trip to Central Australia.
We were there for 8 days from 16 to 24 October 1999, staying in a motel
in Alice Springs for most of the time and camping for the rest in the
excellent camping grounds at Ormiston Gorge and Yulara. Travel was by
fly-drive (2WD) and birding was mainly around Alice Springs in the West
and East MacDonells, at Kunoth Well and on the way to Yulara via
Erldunda.
Highlights included:
1. Crippling views of a pair of Grey Honeyeaters in the traditional
Thomas and Thomas site ( about 4km south of Kunoth Well on the road to
Hamilton Downs Youth Camp), We also saw Slaty-backed Thornbill in this
area and Bourke's Parrots were plentiful.
2. Two Oriental Plovers seen at Alice Springs Sewerage Treatment Works.
A Little Curlew and a Ruff were there as well
3. Views of Chiming Wedgebills about 10 km west of Mt. Ebenezer on the
road to Yulara.
4. Spinifexbirds and Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens in the patch of spinifex
at Ellery Creek Big Hole mentioned by Thomas and Thomas.
5. A pair of Dusky Grasswrens seen from the car at a range of 5-10
metres at Trephina Gorge. We also got good views of DGWs early in the
morning at Simpson's Gap.
Dip of the trip was the Painted Finch. We tried the recommended places
(Simpson's Gap,
Trephina Gorge and the STW), but the finch remained a no-show.
Our total bird list for the trip was 119 species. Thanks to the birders
who gave us help, particularly Wil Cormack, Pierre Charbonneau, Lindsay
Kelly and Nick Hodges.
Incidentally, no birder on a trip to Alice Springs should pass up the
opportunity to visit the Desert Wildlife Park. OK, it?s a zoo - but a
world-class model one, done with imagination, sensitivity and a very
large capital expenditure.
Regards,
Colin Scouler
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