Some comments on the WA section.
At 15:58 23/03/2002 -0400, wrote:
L Argyle rd, 8.1: very rough so we only went a few K; Long-tailed,
Masked and a few Gouldian Finches
This is a 4WD track.
Kununurra, 8.2: N of town only Star Finch by 3rd irrigation channel.
Red-backed Kingfisher. Not much at Hidden Valley, Mirima NP. Celebrity
Tree park by lake in town:White-gaped and Rufous-throated Honeyeaters,
Chestnut-breated Mannikin, White-browed Crake, etc
Hidden Valley is generally quiet but useful as a backup site for Sandstone
Shrike-thrush, White-quilled Rock-Pigeon, Northern Rosella. He missed
Yellow-rumped Mannikin and others which are quite an easy get on Weaber Plains.
Marglu billabong ( signed to Parry's Lagoon off Wyndham hwy): long
poor rd, not much seen; no Yellow Chat
This can be a fantastic site, but sometimes the water level is low and can
be quiet. Yellow Chat is certainly possible if you work for it, but much
easier at other sites.
China Wall, 8.6: No luck, perhaps because there were lots of
waterholes
I don't know this site.
Derby, 8.8: There was a woman at the tourist office who knew birds,
very helpful. Go on through town N to rd end by a factory for mangroves,
which are probably best if you walk off to the R here. S of town go W on
Conway St, L at dump and follow around to R outside fence to wetland area:
Yellow Chat, some shorebirds though Aug was too early
The mangroves are a must, and the sewage ponds also if there is still
water. Most water has been diverted to the golf course.
Broome, 8.9: turn S on Crab Cr Rd 9 K E of Broome; a bumpy sand rd to
Obervatory. From HQ there's a path to best beach for shorebirds, and
there were some already there late Aug including Black-tailed Godwit, E
Curlew. On past this beach where the rd goes down and ends Yellow Chat
may be possible, and on the adjacent ranch. If you go R (instead of L to
Observatory ) at the T by beach and drive past the one house there you can
walk along the beach by mangroves: Red-headed Honeyeater
Sounds like he spent two days in Broome! You can spend a week and still be
finding good birds.
Point Samson, 8.11: mangroves less than 2 K S of PS, 17 K N of Roebourne.
Mosquitoes. Dusky Gerygone. Wh-breasted Whistler became visible when the
tide came in because it was on the ground.
Maitland R, 8.12: Star Finch, Baillons Crake. Flushed a bittern out
of the extensive reeds which may've been Black B
Definitely a Black Bittern.
Cape Range, 8.13: about 15 K S of Exmouth turn W on Shothole Canyon
Rd (no camping, dead end)-Spinifexbird, Gray-headed Honeyeater. The
glass-bottom boat trip at CR was better than Barrier Reef one
A long way to go for 1 day! You should spend at least three days in this area.
Carnarvon, 8.14: 12 K N of C turn E to get to Rocky Pool area. In
the bushy desert near the RP camping area: S Whiteface, Chiming Wedgebill
Again Carnarvon is a place for 2 or more days.
Denham, 8.16: just S of the 26th parallel sign glimpsed Thick-billed
Grasswrens running across track parallel to the rd on W side. S
Scrub-robin near here. The lagoon area a few K NE of Denham has been
redone and there were enough people there to scare grasswrens into hiding
He seems to have missed Monkey Mia where Thick-billed Grasswrens run under
your car. Doesn't matter how many people are there. Other good birds in
the area.
Mt Magnet, 8.17: no golf course N of town. About 1? K W of Mt M: S
Whiteface, Slaty-backed Thornbill, Mulga Parrot, posibly gimsped and
probably heard Chestnut-breasted Q-thrush. 1 K W of Yalgoo: no luck
The golf course is just north of Mt Magnet across the road from the roadhouse.
Nallan Station (signed), E off hwy N of Cue (N of Mt Magnet): you can
camp or stay in a cabin for not too much money. Western Bowerbird by
house. Track N across airstrip from house: Bourkes and Mulga Parrots,
Chiming Wedgebill
Nallan Station and Cue needs three days to do it justice. Many many good
birds. Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush is quite easy.
Kalbarri NP: good flowers early Sept, with Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.
Rufous Calamanthus in low bushes
Perth: Didn't see much at Monger L. Herdsman L: Great Crested Grebe.
Ellis Brook Park in hills SE of Perth, N of Kelmscott: Elegant Parrot, W
Rosella, W Spinebill, etc
Penguin I: just offshore from Safety Bay SW of Rockingham: 2 L Blue
Penguins in burrow under a wooden staircase
Dryandra, 8.19: 32 K NW of Narrogin, 25 K S of Wandering-Pingelly Rd; turn
W off hwy on Dryandra Rd, R on Tomingley Rd which goes to cottages (if you
go L on Kowana Rd here there's an office on L where you can get info). On
W of cottages, on S, is the dam area which may have birds. We went on W
to Marri Rd and turned N on it: Elegant and Red-capped Parrots.
Blue-breasted F-wren. Too many people around so numbats gad been scared
off.
Numbats are hard at Dryandra. You need to keep driving around the
tracks. With luck you will see one about every 50km (say about one in two
hours).
Rudgyard Caravan Park S of hwy E of Denmark (W of Albany): Red-eared
Firetail, White-breasted Robin, Red-winged F-wren
2 Peoples Bay, 8.20: We couldn't find a passable rd, at least in wet
weather; T's directions seemed screwed up. Lots of rain
The road is sealed all the way now (a year or two ago) so I don't know
where he went?
Porongurup, 8.21: near the Tree in Rock parking area: White-breasted
Robin, Red-eared Firetail, Inland Thornbill, Red-winged F-wren
Stirling Range, 8.22: all around Bluff Knoll was burned out. Parking
area S of Bluff Knoll Rd just E of hwy: Elegant, Regent and Red-capped
Parrots and probably Purple-cr Lorikeets. We heard there was Purple-gaped
Honeyeater down the path S of this but that it was hard to see
Fitzgerald R NP: the area around hwy bridge over Fitzgerald R had
Black-eared Cuckoo. W Whipbird ? (heard only, though we tried a long time
to see it) and Purple-c Lorikeets. E of this we turned S on a dirt rd
through heath: Little Wattlebird. Mylie's Beach: Hooded Plover. Aus
Gannets offshore.
Western Whipbird is at the bridge but needs patience. Black-eared Cuckoo
is just possible but highly unusual here. Maybe immature Horsfield's?
Esperance: 2 Cape Barren Geese on golfcourse on N side of town
Sugarloaf I, 8.24: 6 Red-T Tropicbirds soaring over the island, easy
to see from shore
___________________________________________________________________
Frank O'Connor Birding WA http://members.iinet.net.au/~foconnor
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