g'day all,
On Easter Friday (29/3/02) at 5.00pm I recorded a pair of Horton's form Dusky
Grasswren
(race Ballarae) at 19 57 30 / 139 59 18
This is 9.5 air km NW of Kajabbi and 98 air km NE of Mount Isa. A substantial
extension of
their known territory.
The habitat was identical to the normal rocky, low spinifex covered
inhospitable habitat
where they are found south of the Mount Isa to Cloncurry Highway. The location
of this
sighting is to be expected as the type of habitat is continuous from this
species known
territory.
I was driving up to the deserted town site of Dobbyn when I saw a single
unidentified bird
jump up from momentarily from the spinifex.
(My first thought was it could have been a Carpentarian Gw which have been
recorded
further north on Gunpowder Creek.)
I stopped my 4wd and walked into the spinifex to see if I could get a positive
identification.
Almost immediately I flushed a bird which flew a few metres towards the
adjacent Mt McKeon
and drop back into the spinifex.
This was repeated 4 times before I got a clear view of a pair of DGw hiding in
the shadow
of a spinifex clump.
The rufous flank of the female was seen clearly through my 10X42 binoc's. After
about 10
seconds in full view they were gone.
The DGw normally feeds on the sides of rocky, spinifex covered hills. It is
rare but not
unknown to record them at the base of these hills.
This record I consider to be my most important. Much more so than seeing
vagrants well
outside their normal range.
As a bonus at the nearby old Kalkadoon townsite I recorded 27 species including
Square-tailed kite, Pictorella Mannikin, Painted F, Long-tailed F,
Black-chinned H/e,
Spinifex Pigeon.
All in all a good weekend.
Regards, Bob Forsyth, Mount Isa, NW Qld.
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