Chris Chafer and myself had a bit of a quick trip to chase up some
birds and Atlas in SA with information from Tony Russell, Trevor Quested
and Thomas & Thomas. We left Wollongong and next day headed north from
Yunta still searching unsuccessfully low bushy areas for the Rufous
Fieldwren but finding lots of Crimson Chats, a few Orange Chats and Pied
Honeyeaters. Lots of Black-tailed Native-hens at watering spots. The
next day we arrived at Willow Springs in the north Flinders and set off
for Trevor Q's site. Chris's ears quickly picked up Short-tailed
Grasswrens on top of the spinifex covered hills to the right coming into
the property and 3 birds were seen, Trevor was only 50 m out for the
last bird.
As it was raining we headed off to Pt Augusta and stopped in at the
Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. The eromophola area was full of Black
Honeyeaters with a few Pieds and White-fronted thrown in. Here we
managed to get our only sighting of a Rufous Fieldwren for the trip.
We stopped overnight at Lake Giles CP and saw "Variegated"
Fairy-wrens, see another report, and a Western Yellow Robin. Next
afternoon we went NW of Ceduna and despite rain and wind we had great
sightings of Scarlet-chested Parrots. As the weather fined up a bit,
but still windy, we headed south through the depressing vast birdless
mono-cultre wheat fields. At the Thomas & Thomas site in Coffin Bay CP,
Rock Parrots were seen feeding and flying over.
Then to Lincoln CP and the T & T site in the first half of the park
had been burnt out but a little further on we heard Mallee Whipbird and
Chris got a glimpse. There were a lot of Blackbirds at this site and
Memory Cove was full so we camped at Taylor's Landing in rather windy
conditions. We heard 2 birds but they called only once and then quiet
all day. After a day and a half with no calling morning or evening we
were just about to pack up when one called briefly within the camp and
Chris's ears pointed us in the right direction. We were just standing
looking into the thick under growth, a brief look as it hopped by a gap
then it climbed a bush in full sun and looked at us for about a minute
before hoping back out of sight. Spot on Trevor, it was 7:15 am.
Throughout the non-burnt areas we saw "Variegated" Fairy-wrens plus a
few Western Yellow Robins, the odd Purple-gaped Honeyeater, the weird
sounding Grey Currawongs, Black-tailed Native-hen and Brown, not Inland,
Thornbills.
Off to the Mt Remarkable Ranges stopping and looking in likely spots
for Slender-billed Thornbills. At Mambray Creek we saw "Yellow" and, if
you pushed it, Adelaide Rosellas. The highlight was a real
Blue-breasted Fairy-wren and in the same bushes, a Variegated for
comparison.
We searched samphire areas behind mangroves all the way down to Pt
Gawler before finding Slender-bill Thonbills, but no Elegant Parrots. A
stop in at Hattah NP was successful for Mallee Emu-wren at the T & T
site but no Striated Grasswrens to compare the S-t Gw with.
About 220 species seen.
Cheers Chris
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
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