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Dear all
Seems a long time ago that I got back from
leading a 2 week birding trip to S Australia, via Nyngan, Broken Hill,
Port Augusta, Kimba, Coffin Bay, Lincoln National Park and Gluepot, but here are
the highlights.
19 Oct - Dubbo - 5 Whiskered Terns, Dollarbirds
nesting and Sacred Kingfisher on Macquarie River.
20 Oct - Nyngan - Plum-headed Finches at the
Bogan river weir near the caravan park, Black-tailed Native Hens and Spotted
Bowerbird with bower full of green cumquats. On leaving Nyngan we began to see
pairs of Major Mitchel Cockatoos, Emus and lots of Black
Kites.
20 Oct - Wilcannia - Red-tailed Black Cockatoos,
Masked and White-browed Woodswallows.
20/22 Oct - Broken Hill Lake View Caravan Park -
Redthroat, White-fronted Honeyeaters, 1 Pied and 3 Black Honeyeaters, Little
Eagle, Orange and White-fronted Chats, 1 Curlew Sandpiper, Chiming Wedgebill,
White-winged Wren
21 Oct - Umberumberka Reservoir - 2 Little Eagle, 1
Wedgie, Pink eared Duck
21 Oct - Broken Hill Living Desert- Chiming
Wedgebill, female Hooded Robin, 1 Pied Honeyeater.
22 Oct - Arid Lands Botanic Gdns Port Augusta -
Spiny-cheeked, Singing and White-fronted honeyeaters feeding in the emu
bushes, Rufous Fieldwrens, Splendid Wrens, Double-barred Finches,
Mistletoebirds.
23 Oct - Lake Gilles Conservation Park - Grey
Currawong, Western Yellow Robin, Blue-breasted Fairywren, Tawny Frogmouth with 2
almost fledgelings in nest, Rufous Treecreepers, Mulga Parrots.
Sheeoak Conservation Park - W.Yellow
Robin, Chestnut Quailthrush.
24 Oct - Elliston Beach - Fairy Terns, Turnstones,
Red-necked Stints, Sooty Oystercatchers
Road stop at 33 45 33 / 135 05 59 near salt lake
s.e. of Elliston - Banded stilt, Red-necked Stints - roadside had
Shining-bronze Cuckoo, Hobby, Brush Bronzewing, Purple-crowned Lorikeets,
Tawny-crowned HEs with fledglings being fed.
Lake Hamilton - Singing Honeyeater nest with 3
eggs.
24-26 Oct Coffin Bay - Ospreys on nest at village,
1 Common Sandpiper, Common Bronzewings in village.
25 Oct - Point Avoid - Wedgie, Tawny-crowned HEs,
Kestrel, Ospreys displaying. Pair Hooded Plovers on beach.
25 Oct - Kellidie Bay Cons.Park - Common
Greenshank, 7 Grey Plovers, Sharp-tailed SPs, 2 Sanderlings, 1 Avocet, 1 Little
Tern, 60 plus Chestnut Teal.
26 Oct - Big Swamp - 5 Cape Barren Geese, 1
Shelduck, Cattle Egret, Sharpies and Greenshank.
26-29 Oct - Lincoln Nat. Park - Taylors Landing
camp site
S.Scrub-robins, Shy Heathwren, Grey Currwong,
Wedgie, Grey Shrike-thrush on nest, Pacific Gulls, Swamp Harrier, Masked Owl
(27/28 Oct), Western Whipbird (heard only), 3 Hooded Plovers, Red-necked
Stints.
27 Oct - Woodcutters Beach - Little Terns,
Black-faced Cormorants, Rufous Fieldwrens displaying.
Donington Point - Rock Parrots, Swamp Harrier, more
scrub-robins and Blue-breasted FWrens.
28 Oct - 30 plus Emu at Pillie Lake water
hole.
28 Oct - Wanna Track final water bore - Diamond
Finches.
Wanna
Head - Rock Parrots, Osprey on nest
29 Oct - Wetland south of Pt Lincoln - 8 +
A.Spotted Crake
Gluepot Reserve 29 Oct-3 Nov
Babbler Campsite - Owlet Nightjar, Gilbert's
Whistler, Ch.quail-thrush, S.Scrub-robin and lots more.
30 Oct - Callitris track - male Red-lored Whistler,
Shy Heathwrens, Splendid Wrens and Striated Grasswrens.
Other "good" birds in Gluepot included many
Red-capped Robins, Sitellas, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Crested Bellbirds, Brown-headed
HEs, Chestnut-crowned Babblers, and a Sand Goanna.
3 Nov - Fivebough Swamp, Leeton - hundreds of
Glossy Ibis, Avocets and a Banded Lapwing. Only one hour here so not enough time
to really have a good look.
During the two weeks, we saw or heard 216 species,
of which one, the ultra shy Western Whipbird, eluded me - heard very close but
not even a movement of the thick shrub behind which it was
calling.There were at least 3 pairs at Taylors Landing, Lincoln N.P.
Native trees in towns were often in flower and had
the most honeyeaters present (Spiny-cheeked, Blue-faced, Striped,
Yellow-throated, Little Friarbirds); otherwise HEs were in low numbers
everywhere. The tip of Eyre Peninsula was greener than anywhere else and had
shrubs in flower and the most small birds present and active.
A great trip with a super group of people and
thanks to Allan Richards of Birding NSW and Mark Wardrop of Outback Track Tours
for organising it.
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