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FOLLOW THAT BIRD (ASIT) TRIP
TO NYNGAN,COBAR & BOURKE 1-5 MAY 2003
This five day trip to Bourke was
designed for the participants to see some of the typical resident
birds of north-western NSW. It took place a week after good rains fell across
north-western NSW and prior to that fall, there had been other substantial falls
over the Easter period. Therefore throughout our trip the countryside was green,
with apparent good seasonal conditions around the Nyngan and Byrock areas.
Overnight stays were at Nygan, Cobar, Bourke and Gilgandra, with an hours
birdwatching taking place each morning before breakfast at those locations.
Overall bush bird numbers were down because of the prolonged drought and some
birds that are relatively common in north-west NSW were hard to find such as
flycatchers, robins and thornbills. We departed in light rain and drizzle from
Sydney but this finally went after we left Lithgow and we virtually saw no cloud
again until we hit the Upper Hunter Valley on our return on the last day. Fine
sunny weather was experienced in western NSW and in many places puddles of water
were still lying on the ground.
Enroute to Nygan there were few birds
to be seen along the main highway though an out of season Pallid
Cuckoo at Goolma was of some interest. However beyound Narromine,
Apostlebirds, Cockatiels and
Emus soon made their appearance, while Black-shouldered
Kites were relatively common between Wellington and Nyngan, and a few
Brown Falcons and Black Kites made their
appearance towards the end of the day. A check of the local STW at the end of
the day revealed plenty of Pinkears and Hoary-headed
Grebes and a few Shovelers amongst the usual
waterbirds, a lone Cattle Egret was unexpected so far west,
while Spiny-cheeked & Striped Honeyeaters
were present in the box trees. Next morning at Nyngan we had great views of all
the local parrots, Blue Bonnets, Red-wingeded
& Red-rumped Parrots and Ringnecks while 4
Superb Parrots passed overhead. Whistling and
Black Kites were common over the riparian areas of the Bogan
River. Crested Shrike-tits, Tree Martins,
Restless Flycatcher, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrikes and
Little Friarbirds were some of the more interesting woodland
birds. Out along the Canonba Rd just east of Nyngan we were surprised by a flock
of 7 Ground Cuckoo- Shrikes. These were being harassed by
Yellow-throated Miners and Magpies but soon returned to give us
great views. Further out around Box Cowal Creek, we found our first
Grey-crowned & Chestnut-crowned
Babblers, Zebra Finch,
Weebill, Rufous Whistler, Western
Gerygone and Common
Bronzewing.
We moved onto Cobar and lunched beside the New Cobar Tank where there were plenty
of waterbirds and the water level in the tank had risen considerably as a result
of the recent rains. A flock of 50+ Shovelers were looking good
amongst the Black-winged Stilts and Coots, a
Little Grassbird called in the reeds, Spotted
Bowerbirds & Mistletoebirds were common in the
Peppercorn trees, Variegated & Superb
Fairy-wrens were active in the undergrowth along with
Double-barred Finches, Brown Honeyeater and
Blackbirds. Across to the Cobar STW produced plenty more
Shovelers, Hardheads and Pinkears along with close views of a
pair of Peregrine Falcons attracted by all the ducks flying
around, a Liitle Eagle quickly disappeared from view, and
Chestnut-rumped Thornbills were present in the
undergrowth.
Late that afternoon we went south out
along the Kidman Highway where we had a great views of an
Owlet-Nightjar, plenty of Southern Whiteface
and Red-capped Robins, White-browed Babblers,
and Yellow-rumped Thornbills, .eventually locating
Inland Thornbills and Singing Honeyeaters.
In an old wheat field we found a flock of 9 Banded
Lapwings, Black-faced Woodswallows, Little
Crows, more Common Bronzewings and a flock of 30+
White-fronted Chats all feeding together. The following morning
on the Cobar Common, Mulga Parrots were the birds of the day,
seeing many in the early morning sun, along with Spotted Bowerbirds and
White-browed Babblers, Red-winged Parrots and White-breasted
Woodswallows in the town.
A quick stop of a Tindara Tank north
of Cobar on the Kidman Way located 4 Major Mitchell Cockatoos
and some Black-fronted Dotterels, along with Chestnut &
White-browed Babblers etc and the first of many Wedge-tailed
Eagles. We spent a few hours in Gunderbooka NP, lunching a Dry Tank and
walking the track to Little Mountain to look out on Mt Gunderbooka. The
highlights here were White-fronted Honeyeaters feeding on the
nectart of the Eremophila flowers, a mixed flock of
Sitellas, Hooded Robin, thornbills and a
White-browed Treecreeper on Little Mountain. Crested
Bellbirds were heard and seen around Dry Tank but although calling
loudly, at least two Horsfield Bronze-cuckoos were heard but
could not be located in the dense mulga.
A quick visit to the Fort Bourke
Stockade on the Darling River at Bourke revealed a flowing Darling River,
Brown Treecreepers very much in evidence,
Pelicans, Great Egrets, Whistling
Kites, Pied Cormorants and Darters on
and around the River, and a lone Jacky Winter.
Next morning in Bourke we walked the
riverbank down to the restored wharves, where we saw a Hobby,
plenty of White-breasted Woodswallows, and plenty of cormorants and darters,
Peaceful Doves on the banks and Red-tailed Black
Cockatoos. Later we had great views of a flock of 33 RTBCs feeding
close to the road at North Bourke, near to about 500 Little
Corellas. Singing Bushlarks,
Pipits, Kestrels and Black-faced
Woodswallows were the only birds present on those large brown almost
bare plains to the north of Bourke. The Bourke STW turned up the usual
suspects and only the White-necked Heron &
Yellow-billed Spoonbill were new to our list, and a
White-breasted Sea-eagle was seen at the Bourke Fishing
Reserve.
Late in the morning we headed for
home, stopping off at Byrock for Lunch and then to explore the Byrock aboriginal
site and rockpools. The recent rain had filled the rock pools so that Black
Ducks, Hoary-headed Grebes and Black-fronted Plovers were present. In the
surrounding mulga, good views were had of Crested Bellbirds and Rufous
Whistlers, Red-capped Robins, Singing, Striped & Blue-faced
Honeyeaters, Western Gerygones, Spotted Bowerbirds and Grey-crowned
Babblers. This is a great birding spot with very interesting aboriginal and
european history well presented, and a great pub. Well worth a stop at any time.
More Wedge-tailed seen enroute to Warren, our last stop for the day. At the
Warren STW, another lone Cattle Egret and Yellow-billed Spoonbill seen, and a
Clamorous Reedwarbler was located, amongst the usual Pinkears,
Grey Teal and Shovelers.
Our final mornings walk was along the
banks of the Castlereagh River at Gilgandra, where 32 species were seen in the
hour including our last Red-winged & Ringneck Parrots for the trip,
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, a lone Olive-backed
Oriole, Brown, Singing & Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Double-barred
Finches, Little Friarbird and Little Ravens. Our return back
through Mendooran, Dunedoo, Merriwa and the Hunter Valley produced no new birds
for the trip but good views were had of more Wedge-tailed Eagles, Emus, Brown
Falcons and a few Jacky Winters.
Great weather, great company, great
dining and a good birds, our birdlist being 132 at the end of the 5
days!
Alan Morris
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