G'day to all,
Last week a mate, John Pople, my fourteen year old
son and a mate of his and I went for a trip to Pink Lakes National Park, North
Western Victoria. The weather was mostly fine, allowing us to bask in warm
sunshine though from time to time there was some cloud and at times a cold
breeze blew. We got out just before the weather broke on Friday. The lakes shone
pink, mauve and purple during the day, according to the light and cloud. They
make a lovely picture. We enjoyed walking and driving around the tracks which
wind between hills of thick mallee with triodia or Porcupine Grass clumps
beneath them, around open green grassland with stands of Buloake Belah and
Cypress-Pine. The Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Bellbirds and Whistlers made the
bush to ring with their calls. In the open country parrots such as Major
Mitchell cockatoos, Mulga Parrots and Blue Bonnets could be seen. In the Mallee
we picked up some of the special mallee birds such as Chestnut Quail-thrush,
Southern Scrub-robin, Striated Grasswren and Mallee Emu-wren. There were quite a
few raptors with a glimpse of a Black Falcon, and good sightings of Peregrines
and Hobbys. At night we were entertained by calls of the Owlet-nightjar and
Boobook Owl. The Boobooks visited us each night, as did a Tawny Frogmouth one
evening. We saw about 80 species in all. A full list is attached.
Emu
Australian Shelduck
Australian Wood Duck
Grey Teal
Great Egret
Black-shouldered Kite
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Brown Falcon
Australian Hobby
Black Falcon
Peregrine Falcon
Nankeen Kestrel
Red-capped Plover
Masked Lapwing
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Galah
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Australian Ringneck
Blue Bonnet
Red-rumped Parrot
Mulga Parrot
Horsefield's Bronze-Cuckoo
Southern Boobook
Tawny Frogmouth
Australian Owlet-night-jar
Brown Treecreeper
Splendid Fairy-wren
Mallee Emu Wren
Striated Grasswren
Striated Pardalote
Weebill
Inland Thornbill
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
Red Wattlebird
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner
Singing Honeyeater
White-eared Honeyeater
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
Brown-headed Honeyeater
White-fronted Honeyeater
Jacky Winter Red-capped Robin
Hooded Robin
Southern Scrub-robin
White-browed Babbler
Chestnut Quail-thrush
Varied Sittella
Crested Bellbird
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Restless Flycatcher
Magpie-lark
Willie Wagtail
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
White-browed Woodswallow
Dusky Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Grey Currawong
Australian Raven
White-winged Chough
Apostlebird
Richard's Pipit
White-backed Swallow
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Common
Starling
