Birding Trip Report
For several months in 2001 my wife and I toured Australia, primarily for
birds, and we have some info we can pass on to other birders. We used
Thomas and Thomas's Complete Guide to Finding the Birds of Australia
(henceforth T) and can update some of its information. We can also tell
what birds an average birder would be likely to see on his own. We saw
459 species (10 introduced), though it took us 5 months and we missed some
that better birders no doubt would've gotten. We were told birding was
harder than normal in the south because of drouth there. On the other
hand we were rained out of several places and it was wetter than usual in
the northern desert so that birds were not concentrated at a few
waterholes and so were harder to see. We also missed a few species
because we didn't want to take the long drive into the central desert, and
we didn't include Tasmania, Cape York, or pelagic trips.
A lot of birds are only where T says they are at certain times of
the year (which T rarely tell you). Our dates were as follows: arrived
Melbourne July 20, looked for a few winter specialties nearby, then headed
north via Lake Bindegolly, Qld, area to the central Qld coast (Eungella)
and north by the coast to Cairns at the end of July so we could take a
trip we'd prescheduled to New Guinea (see appendix) for a week. Starting
Aug. 8 we birded from Cairns up to Mt. Lewis, then south in the Atherton
Tableland and west to Normanton. 3rd wk in Aug: through Mt Isa to NT,
north through Barkly Tableland to Boroloola, west to Kakadu NP and
Darwin. End of Aug: south then west via Kununurra to Derby and Broome.
1st wk in Sept: south by west coast to Kalbarri NP. We then spent most of
the following month on the spring flowers of the southwest, which were
very good. Bird places included Mt Magnet and Nallan Station Sept l0,
Dryandra Res Sept 20, Albany area, Porongurup and Stirling NP at end of
Sept. 1st wk in Oct across Nullarbor to Eyre Peninsula, SA. 2nd wk:
Strzelecki Track, Gluepot, and in Victoria, Hattah Kulkyne. 3rd wk:
Wyperfield, Brisbane Ranges. End of Oct: Deniliquin area, Back Yamma,
Warrumbungles, Gibraltar Ranges, and on north into Qld, Giraween NP. 1st
wk in Nov: Cunningham Gap, Bunya Mts, Cooloola, Brisbane area. 2nd wk:
Lamington NP, then south back into NSW and down along the coast and inland
to Barraba area. ; and Barrington Tops. 3rd wk: Dharug and Sydney area,
Barren Grounds and Canberra area. End of Nov: Morton NP and south by the
coast back into Victoria: Wilson's Promontory, Phillip I and Great Ocean
Rd. 1st wk in Dec: Coorong NP, SA, then back east through Vic to
Chiltern NP (already visited on our way N in July) and the Alps.
Logistics: we rented an old station wagon from CarConnection and
slept in it. No serious problems. Nights were almost always damn cold.
We were rarely hot and often too cold; it was one of the coldest springs
on record. Mosquitoes almost never a problem except by mangroves, but
bush flies often irritating in dry areas. Gas cost about $1.80 US per
gallon; other things were mostly cheaper than in the US.
BIRD LIST - I include only birds we had trouble finding. Besides common
and easy birds I omit those found only in Tasmania, Cape York and the
interior desert, plus pelagics. NO means we didn't see the bird. Numbers
are locations in T.
S Cassowary - Mission Beach, 6.23
Gr Crested Grebe - Perth: Herdsman L
L Blue Penguin - Penguin I, WA, and Phillip I, 2.3
The only pelagics seen were: Red-tailed Tropicbird - Sugarloaf I, 8.24;
Lesser Frigatebird and Brown Booby - Michaelmas Cay, 6.25; and A Gannet
- Fitzgerald R NP, Green Cape, 4.6, and Queenscliff, Vic.
Black-faced Cormorant - No.
Freckled Duck - L Bindegolly, 6.13 Blue-billed Duck - L Bindegolly;
Werribee, 2.5
Musk Duck - Werribee Pink-eared Duck - Werribee; bridge on Barkly
Tableland, 7.1 Garganey - No
Cape Barren Goose - Esperance; Phillip I ,2.3 Cotton Pygmy-goose -
Cumberland Dam, 6.46
Pacific Reef Heron - No
Great-billed Heron - No; tried Middle Arm and Daintree. Possible Mary R
cruise (W of Kakadu)
Black-backed Bittern - No; tried near Deniliquin. Australian
Bittern - near Deniliquin
Black Bittern - No, though maybe glimpsed Maitland R, 8.l2. Tried Tinaroo
Cr and Ferguson R
Pac Baza - Fogg Dam, 7.11; Bundjalung NP, NSW
Letter-winged Kite - No. Tried Barkly Tableland and Deniliquin.
Square-tailed Kite - No
Black-breasted Buzzard - Kakadu
Variable Goshawk - No; tried Barren Grounds and Fitzroy Falls. May be at
Illidge Res, Vic.
Red Goshawk - No. Met someone who saw it near Lakefield NP, Qld
Grey and Peregrine Falcons - No Black Falcon - N of Cunnamulla, Qld
Malleefowl = Wyperfield
Quails: occasionally flushed, but could only identify Little Button-quail
at Nullarbor site, 9.18, and probable Brown Quail E of Barkly Roadhouse,
7.1
Red-necked Rail - Cassowary House, Qld Buff-banded Rail - Kingfisher
Park, 6.40
Lewins and Chestnut Rails - No Bush hen - No
Baillons Crake - Maitland R, 8.12; near Deniliquin, 4.l8 Aus Crake - L
Bindegolly, 6.13; near Deniliquin
Spotless Crake - near Deniliquin White-browed Crake - Fogg Dam, 7.11
Sarus Crane - Near Hasties Swamp, 6.33, and near Normanton, Qld
Aus Bustard - Between Carlville and Roma. Qld and N of Roma, etc
Painted Snipe - No.
Shorebirds: the only ones seen were : Black-tailed Godwit, Broome, 8.9;
Bar-tailed Godwit, Thornside, 6.1;E Curlew, Broome and Thornside;
Greenshank, Coorong, SA; Common Sandpiper, N of Cue, WA; Red-necked Stint,
Werribee, 2.5;Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Coorong; Curlew Sandpiper, Werribee.
Plains Wanderer - near Deniliquin, 4.18
Beach Thickknee - Cairns Esplanade, 6.24 Bush Thickknee - Cairns
cemetery, etc
Saw all stilts and avocet, eg Banded Stilt, Werribee, 2.5
Goden, Grey, Oriental Plovers - No G and L Sand-plovers - No
Double-banded Plover - Werribee, July Hooded Plover - Fitzgerald R
NP, WA
Red-kneed Dotterel - Werribee, Dec, etc Inland Dotterel - near
Deniliquin, 4.18
Kelp Gull - probably Phillip I, 2.3
The only terns seen were Whiskered (not hard), Crested (common),
Gull-billed (Thornside, 6.1), Caspian (L Bindegolly, 6.13), and on or
near Michaelmas Cay (6.25) Black-naped, Sooty, Little and Brown Noddy
White=headed Pigeon - Bunya, 6.10; Mt Glorious, 6.5
Brush Bronzewing - Coffin Bay, 9.9, etc Flock Bronzewing - No
Spinifex Pigeon - S of Normanton, Qld, and between Broome and Pt Hedland,
WA
Squatter Pigeon - No. Partridge Pigeon - Kakadu
White-quilled Rock pigeon - glimpsed W of Victoria R Roadhouse, 7.24
Chestnut-quilled R-pigeon - above Waterfall Cr, 7.18
Black=banded Fruit -dove - Stag Cr, 7.19 Superb Fr-dove - Cassowary
House, Qld
Rose-crowned Fr-dove - Cape Hillsborough, 6,18, and Bundjalung NP, NSW
Torresian Imperial Pigeon - W of Darwin and on rd to Middle Arm, 7.5
Topknot Pigeon - Bunya, 6.10
Double-eyed Fig parrot - Mt Whitfield, 6.27 Red-cheeked and Eclectus
Parrots - N Guinea only
Superb Parrot - Gulpa, 4.18 Princess Parrot - No
Northern Rosella (the only hard Rosella) - Waterfall Cr, 7.18;W of
Victoria Rdhouse, 7.24
Mulga Parrot - Hattah-Kulkyne, 2.14, etc Bourkes Parrot - Nallan
Station, WA
Hooded Parrot - Chinamans Cr, 7.23. Others saw it Ferguson R
Golden-shouldered Parrot - No. People who tried Lakefield NP failed.
Blue-winged Parrot- -No. Tried Great Ocean Rd, Werribee
Elegant Parrot - Dryandra, 8.19; Stirlings, 8.22 Rock Parrot -
Coffin Bay, 9.9
Orange-bellied Parrot - No. Tried Werribee Budgerigar - Nullarbot;
Strzelecki track, 9.14
Turquoise Parrot - Back Yamma, 4.19; Chiltern, Dec; near Barraba, NSW
Scarlet-chested Parrot - No. Tried Gluepot Swift Parrot -
Chiltern, July
Ground Parrot - Cooloola, 6.15 Night Parrot - Of course not
Palm Cockatoo - N Guinea only Long-billed Black Cockatoo - No
Glossy Bl-Cockatoo - road to Barrington Tops, 4.13, and near Putty rd W of
Dharug4.10
Pink Cockatoo - near Eulo Bore, 6.14; Wyperfield, 2.13 Western
Corella - No
Musk Lorikeet - Brisbane Ranges, 2.7; W of Cunningham Gap, Qld
Little Lorikeet - Clunes, 2.10;Warrumbungle NP
Purple-crowned Lorikeet - near You Yangs, 2.6, July; Fitzgerald R NP, WA
Oriental Cuckoo - Myall L NP, NSW Brush Cuckoo - Toolangi SF, Vic;
Gibraltar Ranges NP, NSW
Little Bronze Cuckoo - Fogg Dam, 7.11 Goulds Br-cuckoo - No
Black-eared Cuckoo - Fitzgerald R NP, WA Aus Koel - Ku-ring-gai NP,
NSW
Channel-billed Cuckoo : near Sydney zoo. It occurs near Barraba, but it
wasn't calling by Nov
Owls, etc: we didn't have the light for night birding, so the only night
birds we saw were shown to us by hired guides. Phil Maher in Deniliquin
showed us S Boobook, Tawny Frogmouth, Barn Owl and Aus Owlet-nightjar. We
missed the L Sooty Owl at Kingfisher Park (6.40)-just gone in the 2nd wk
in Aug-and only saw Barn Owl. Were told where to see Tawny Frogmouth by
the You Yangs (2.6) ranger and where to see Papuan by Sue Gregory at
Cassowary House, Qld . No Nightjars; tried Chiltern and Morton NP. Saw a
Powerful Owl at Illidge Sanct, Vic
Aus Swiftlet - near Cairns White-throated Needletail - Cooloola,
6.15 Pacific Swift- No
Azure Kingfisher Kingfisher - Daintree R, 6.31; Fogg Dam, 7.11 Little
Kingfisher - Daintree R
Red-backed Kingfisher - S of Fogg Dam Collared Kingfisher - Pine R
N of Brisbane
Rainbow Pitta - Howard Springs, 7.6 Noisy Pitta - Mission Beach, 6.23;
Lamington, 6.7; heard elsewhere
White-browed Tree-creeper - Gluepot, SA Black-tailed T-creeper -
Above Waterfall Cr, 7.18
Red-browed T-creeper - Gibraltar Range; Barrington Tops, 4.13
Albert's Lyrebird - Lamington, 6.7 Superb Lyrebird - Badger Weir,
Vic; Dharug, 4.10, etc
No Scrub-birds; tried Barrington Tops
Tooth-billed Catbird - No, but maybe possible Atherton Tableland once it
starts displaying, perhaps Oct
Golden Bowerbird - Mt Lewis, 6.40, with guide
Regent Bowerbird - Lamington, 6.7-too tame-and Bundjalung NP, NSW, shy.
Tried other sites T lists.
Western Bowerbird - Nallan Station, WA Spotted Bowerbird - L
Bindegolly, 6.13
Lovely Fairy-wren - S of cairns, 6.28; E of Mt Molloy
Red-winged F-wren - NE of Augusta, WA Blue-breasted F-wren -
Dryandra, 8.19
Lilac-crowned F-wren - Caranbirini Sprs and Boroloola, 7.3; it's at
Victoria rdhouse
Emu-wrens: only saw Southern, Barren Grounds, 4.1, and Croajingolong NP,
Vic. Tried Hattah- Kulkyne.
Grasswrens: didn't try for the interior species. Only saw White-throated,
above Waterfall Cr,7.18, and probably wouldn't've seen that except that a
guy with a tape helped us; and Thick-billed, Strzelecki track, 9.14-also
glimpsed Peron Peninsula, 8.16. Inadequate glimpse of Striated at Gluepot;
couldn't find at Hattah Kulkyne. Met someone who'd seen both those near
Mt Isa at 6.49 and 6.50
Western Bristlebird - No
Eastern Br-bird - Barren Grounds, 4.1 Rufous Br-bird - Loch Ard Gorge
parking, 2.9
Pilotbird - Heard and probably glimpsed Barren Ground, 4.1. Try
Wirrawilla path, Toolangi SF, Vic
Origma - Fitzroy Falls, 4.2 Fernwren - Mt Lewis, 6.40
Atherton Scrubwren - Mt Lewis
Redthroat - No. Tried Yalgoo and Rocky Pool, WA Speckled Warbler -
near Barraba, NSW
Rufous Calamanthus - Kalbarri NP, WA Striated Calamanthus - Twelve
Apostles, 2.9
Chestnut-rumped Hylacola - No. Tried Barren Ground, Chiltern, Hattah
Kulkyne, Round Hill
Shy Hylacola - Gluepot
Slaty-backed Thornbill - W of Mt Magnet, 8.17 Mountain Th-bill -
Mt Lewis, 6.40
Inland Th-bill - S of Cape Naturaliste, WA Chestnut-rumped Th-bill
- Hattah Kulkyne, 2.14
Buff-rumped Th-bill - Gulpa, 4.18 Yellow Th-bill - Gulpa
Slender-billed Th-bill - Nullarbor, 9.18 Slaty-backed Th-bill - No
Weebill - above Waterfall Cr, 7.18
Large-billed Gerygone - Daintree, 6.31 Dusky Ger - Pt Samson, 8.11
Mangrove Gwe = Thornside, 6.1 White-tailed Ger - near Gilgandra,
NSW
Green-backed Ger - No Fairy Ger - Daintree R, 6.31; personata
subspecies N of Mareeba, Qld
White-throated Ger - Cumberland Dam, 6.46
S Whiteface - Rocky Pool, 8.14 Chestnut-breasted Wh-face - Strzelecki
track, 9.14
Banded Wh-face - No
Red-headed Honeyeater - Broome, 8.9 Scarlet H-eater - NW of Mackay,
Qld
Black H-eater - Strzelecki track, 9.14 Pied H-eater - No
Graceful H-eater - Kingfisher Park ,6.40 Bridled H-eater - No
Eugella H-eater - No
Yellow-spotted H-eater - Pauma NP, 6.21 White-lined H-eater -
Kakadu
Varied H-eater - Cairns Esplanade, 6.24 Mangrove H-eater - No.
Tried Brisbane area
Yellow H-eater - Kingfisher Park, 6.40; Cumberland Dam, 6.46
Helmeted (yellow-tufted) H-eater - Yellingbo, Vic
Purple-gaped - Coorong, SA. Tried Eyre Peninsula and Stirling Range,
where a man said he'd seen one
Gray-headed H-eater - N of Cloncurry, Qld Fuscous H-eater -
Chiltern , Vic
Grey-fronted H-eater - No. Tried Round Hill, China Wall
Golden-backed H-eater - No. Tried Cape Crawford, China Wall
Black-chinned H-eater - Chiltern Crescent H-eater - Wilson's
Promontory, Bogong plateau. Vic
White-fronted H-eater - L Gilles, 9.10 Brown-backed H-eater -
Daintree, 6.31
Rufous-banded H-eater - Kakadu and near Bar-breasted H-eater -
Kakadu and near
Grey H-eater - No. Tried Yalgoo. Black-eared Miner - Gluepot,
SA
Painted H-eater - Binya SF, NSW.Tried Clunes, Kingower, S of Hay.
Regent H-eater - Chiltern, July. Probably findable near Barraba, NSW,
summer
Crimson Chat - Nullarbor, 9.18; Strzelecki track, 9.14.
Orange Chat - L Bindegolly, 6.13; Deniliquin, 4.18; W of 9.14 on
Strzelecki track
Yellow Chat - Derby, 8.8. Heard it's near Broome Obervatory too
Gibber Chat - No
Brown-tailed Flycatcher - No Rose Robin - Tidbinbilla, 5.4c; track
by McKenzie R, Vic
Pink Robin - No. Probably at high elevations in summer
White-breasted Robin - Porongurup, 8.21 Mangrove Robin-Boardwalk
by Cairns airport
White-browed Robin - Big Mitchell Cr, 6.39; Timber Cr, NT, caravan park
S Scrub Robin - Peron Peninsula, 8.16. Tried Round Hill, Hattah Kulkyne,
etc
Crested Shrike-tit - Chiltern, Barraba, NSW, etc
Crested Bellbird - Gluepot, SA; near Eulo Bore, 6.14
Olive Whistler - Badger Weir and Mt St Leonard in Yarra Ranges NP, Vic
Gilberts Whistler - Gluepot, SA; Gulpa, 4.l8 Grey Whistler - Fogg
Dam, 7.11
Red-lored Whistler - No. Gluepot has some. Tried Round Hill
Mangrove Golden Whistler - No
White-breasted Whistler - Pnt Samson, 8.11. Tried Middle Arm, Derby
Sandstone Shrike-thrush - Near Caranbirini Sprs, 7.3; W of Victoria R,
7.24
Bowers Sh-thrush - Paluma NP, 6.21 Little Sh-thrush - Howard
Sprs, 7.6; Bundjalung, NSW
Logrunner - Cunningham Gap, Qld; Lamington, 6.7 Chowchilla - Paluma,
6.21; Mt Lewis, 6.40
Halls Babbler - No W Whipbird - No, but heard by Fitzgerald R, WA
Chiming Wedgebill - Rocky Pool, 8.14 Chirruping W-bill -
Strzelecki track, 9.14
Spotted Quail-thrush - Namadgi, 5.6 Heard Bellbird Grove, 6.5 Chestnut
Q-thrush - Wyperfield, 2.13
Chestnut-breasted Q-thrush - No. Maybe heard W of Mt Magnet
Cinnamon Q-thrush - No. Tried Strzelecki track Nullarbor Q-thrush -
No. Tried Nullarbor site
Black-faced Monarch - Gibraltar Range, NSW Pied Monarch - Daintree,
6.31
Broad-billed Flycatcher - Fogg Dam, 7.11 Satin Flycatcher -
Tidbinbilla, 5.4, etc
Yellow-breasted Boatbill - No.Met someone who'd seen it on Mt Lewis; we
didn't
Little Crow - No Forest Raven - Wilson's Promontory, Vic
Relict Raven - No
Trumpet Manucode - N Guinea only
Victoria Riflebird - Ivy Cottage, 6.21;Cassowary House, Curtain Fig tree.
Paradise Riflebird - female Bunya, 6.10. Probably heard Lamington, etc
Black-backed Butcherbird - No
Ground Cuckoo-shrike - S of Normanton, Qld etc Barred C-shrike - No
Cicadabird - above Bellbird Grove, 6.5; SW of Noosa Heads, Qld
Russet-tailed Ground-thrush - Possibly Mt Glorious, 6.5; silent, so we
couldn't identify for sure
Metallic Starling - Kingfisher Park, 6.40, newly arrived mid Aug
White-backed Swallow - S of Carnarvon, WA Zitting Cisticola - No
Tawny Grassbird - Waterfall Cr, 7.18 Little Grassbird - Werribee, 2.5;
near Deniliquin, 4.18
Brown Songlark - NE of Adelaide Spinifexbird - Cape Range, 8.13
Painted Firetail - No. Tried Mt Isa, China Wall, Cape Range
Beautiful Firetail - No. Not at Barren Ground in Nov. Possible Yellingbo,
Vic
Red-eared Firetail - Porongurup, 8.21; Rudgyard, WA
Star Finch - N of Kununurra, 8.2; Maitland R, 8.12 Plum-headed
Finch - near Barraba, NSW
Black-throated Finch - Cumberland Dam, 6.46. Tried Pickford Rd and Tinaroo
Cr Rd
Blue-faced Parrot finch - No. Not at the Mt Lewis sites in Aug
Gouldian Finch - E of Timber Cr, NT, and N of L Argyle, 8.1. Talked to
people who'd seen it at Timber Cr caravan park and at another bridge E of
Timber Cr.
Yellow-rumped and Pictorella Mannikins - No. Tried near Kununurra.
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin - near Kununurra; S of Cairns Yellow
Wagtail - No
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