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Finally released from Olympic fever to complete trip report
commenced 2 weeks ago! Travelled from Maleny, SE Qld. to Currawinya NP,
Thargamindah, Lake Bindegolly, Bourke, and Barraba to home from 19 August to 8
Sept.Completed 14 BOP datasheets covering 6 zones with a total of 184 raptors of
only 7 species, quite disappointing in terms of variety of species. Bourke to
Walgett produced the greatest concentration of raptors with 62, of which 25 were
Black-shouldered Kites. Lake Bindegolly to Cunamulla to Bourke next, with total
of 44 raptors, 14 of which were Aust. Kestrels. No Black-breasted Buzzard, no
Spotted Harrier, no Letter-winged Kite (damn).
Currawinya NP was looking just great, even though road
to lakes still not passable and not many flowering tees. Highlights of our one
week stay (20/8 -- 27/8) were a total of 97 birds, incl.one
lifer,Chestnut-breasted Quail Thrush, with a pair seen in old quarry near The
Granites. Other highlights in the Park were:
Hall's Babbler-- party of 3 near homestead
airfield
Major Mitchrll Cockatoo-- seen
daily in groups up to five,
Owlet-nightjar-- roosting in tree
above campsite at 10 mile bore, arrived in one second flat to quiet practice
play of taped call
Black Honeyeater-- single bird flying crazy
patterns on edge of flodded clay pan on track to lakes
Black-tailed Native Hens-- pair in same
area, not seen since my SA birding days
Ranger,Andrew does regular waterbird surveys and is a
good source of info. on where the good birds are.
Left Currawinya on 27/8,taking unsealed
road west from Hungerford and then north to Thargamindah. Plan was to stop at
couple of points to do 20 min. Atlassing. We were rewarded at second stop
(completely at random) with flushing of 3 Spotted Nightjars only 5 meters from
car. We were able to locate one bird again for a second long and rewarding view
of second lifer for trip. Moral of story? Atlassing pays!!!!
Lake Bindegolly gave us 84 birds in 3 days,
most within 500 metres of camp on south side of road. Highlights here
included:
Blue-billed Duck
Pink eared Duck
Grebes ---- all three species, with
Great Crested with young
Musk Duck-- male
displaying with loud whistle, head thrown back, tail thrown forward, only 10
metres from shore. No females in sight, Coots, swans etc. all unfazed by his
spectacular display
Glossy Ibis--flock of
10
Brolga-- three separate parties
of 5,5,6
Bustard-- group of 3, seen
initially in same scope view as party of Brolga
Chirruping Wedgebill--
third new bird for trip, up to 7 seen in one small area
Night duet of Clamourous
Reed-warbler and Little Grassbird,which is OK enough by day but becomes
disharmonious and melancholic after the third hour!!!
Bourke was visited to see Bourke, rather than to bird,
but bird we did over 3 days. Saw 65 birds (30/8 to2/9) with a single Orange Chat
pished -up with fairy-wrens in lignum best find in area. Best places we found
were the nature reserve next to Fort Bourke, about 12km SW of town, and a small
wetland next to old rubbish tip and sewerage farm which had Glossy Ibis.Worth a
visit to the cemetery to see the sculpture associated with Fred Hollow's
grave. The information centre in the old rail station provided a bird list after
much searching, but it appears out of date (?1991) and had some puzzling
ommissions (exotics like starling, sparrow, rock dove but also Great and
Intermediate Egret, Little Black Cormorant,Dusky Moorhen etc.) We addd 9 to the
list.
Finally on to Barraba to
experience the Travelling Stock Routes (TSR).Stayed 6 days ,saw 97 birds, 45 of
which were seen within 500 metres of Bob's caravan park on the Manilla River.Did
6 of the TSR's and the Glen Riddle Recreation Reserve, adding 4 birds to the
most recently published Bird Routes brochure. Found routes 8 & 9 the best,
Tarpoly and Borah Reserve.Didn't see any Regent Honeyeater (although I see they
have been seen in the town in past weeks!!) , mugga ironbark had not burst into
flower but looked very close to doing so. Our highlights were:
Grey Goshawk--
daily patrolling Manila River at caravan park
Turquoise Parrot---
pair at Borah Reserve, scoped on ground, always a treat
Speckeled
Warbler-- many pairs at number of sites
Brown
Treecreeper-- bringing food to stump, however our tentative peeks into stump
failed to find mother or chicks
Crested
Shrike-tit--- seen at 2 sites
Hooded
Robin
Diamond
Firetail-- although other birders informed us we had missrd Plum-headed by 10
mins.
White-bellied
Cuckoo-shrike
Horton's Falls produced very little, though we did get our
only Yellow-faced and Yellow-tufted honeyeaters of trip there.
Nanganhrah TSR (7/9) gave us Brown Quail, Little and Musk
Lorikeet (excellent still views in scope), and Shining -bronze
Cuckoo.
Barraba certainly
lived up to it's reputation. Most interesting facet is the unusual (for us)
combination of birds at the one place, eg. Eastern Yellow Robins, King Parrots,
very common here at Maleny, in same habitat as Speckeled Warblers, Brown
Treecreepers, etc.
All in all, a great
trip.
Russ Lamb, Maleny, SEQ
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