Hello all,
I think I might be becoming schizophrenic.... I keep responding to emails
from myself!
Andrew Black has sent me a copy of the relevant Thick-billed Grasswren
article. It details numerous observations from a number if different
observers from on and around the North Olary Plains. The closest record is
an unconfirmed one from only 45 km west of the NSW border. Now in my book
thats getting pretty close to the NSW border. Anyone fancy doing some
grasswren searches north and west of Broken Hill?
Cheers
Mick Todd
Griffith, NSW
At 06:09 PM 1/04/2003 +1000, Michael Todd wrote:
Hello all,
I've had some of my grasswren queries answered. Wayne Longmore from the
Museum of Victoria has taken a look at the Coronga Peak Striated Grasswren
specimen. He has confirmed that it is a regular Striated Grasswren. No
surprise there. I'm still fascinated by the habitat question though.
I've had an email from Andrew Black from South Australia who informed me
of the recent discovery of Thick-billed Grasswrens at a property called
Curnamona which is roughly 150 km west of the NSW border roughly at the
same latitude as Broken Hill. An article on this will be published in the
South Australian Ornithologist in the future. This raises the possibility
that they could still occur in western NSW along the border. If I only I
had the time I would be rushing out there!
Cheers
Mick Todd
Griffith, NSW
At 09:26 AM 21/03/2003 +1100, wrote:
Hello all,
Over the last couple of days I've had a closer look at some of the
literature regarding grasswrens in NSW. I've got a few questions that I
was hoping people might be able to help me with.
STRIATED GRASSWREN-
Question 1.
Ian McAllan (1987) refers to a specimen that was collected in either 1890
or 1896. It was probably collected from Coronga Peak, on Coronga Down
Station which is NE of Cobar. It currently resides in the National Museum
of Victoria and is registered as HLW 2752. According to McAllan, John
Waugh climbed Coronga Peak in the 1970's and found spinifex on the peak
itself but not in the surrounding country. Certainly the info that I have
to hand suggests that there is no mallee in the area- mulga and
callitris- bimble box woodland are more common vegetation communities up
this way.
What interests me about this specimen is that presumably came from a
rocky environment with spinifex as opposed to the mallee with spinifex on
sandplains that the striated grasswrens are found in well to the
south-west. I'm interested in whether anyone has had a close look at
this specimen to compare it with other striated grasswren specimens
and....... dare I say it....... short-tailed grasswren specimens. I'm
sure that this possibility has already been looked at and so I'm not
rushing down to Melbourne to have a look- but it would ease my mind if I
know that somebody has already looked at it.
Question 2.
Spinifex areas on the road from Enngonia to Job's Gate in north-western
NSW. I visited this area with my parents when I was young tyke and
remember parts of it well. Mind you I wouldn't have known a grasswren if
I'd tripped over it then. Has anybody searched these areas for grasswrens?
THICK-BILLED GRASSWREN-
Question 1.
McAllan (2000) mentions the possibility of Thick-bills being in the Grey
Range of north-west NSW based on the collection of 2 specimens by
Macgillivray in 1912 and observations of Len Harvey in 1956. The location
of the Macgillivray records are a bit vague but the Harvey observation
was estimated by McAllan to be "north of Tibooburra on the Wompah Gate
road possibly in the Mount Wood Hills, an easterly spur of the Grey
Range". Some of this area is in the Sturt NP. I've been through this area
but was unaware of these records before and so didn't even think of
looking for the species .
My question is- has anybody specifically searched for thick-billed
grasswrens in this area?
Any advice or info greatly appreciated.
Cheers
MickTodd
REFERENCES
I. A. W. McAllan. Early records of the Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis
textilis and Striated Grasswren Amytornis striatus in New South Wales.
Australian Birds 21 (2):33-42, 1987.
I. A. W. McAllan. On some New South Wales Records of the Grey Grasswren
and the Thick-billed Grasswren. Australian Bird Watcher. 18(6) :244-246, 2000.
Michael Todd
Biodiversity Planning Officer
NSW NPWS
PO Box 1049
Griffith, NSW, 2680
Phone- 02 69668122
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