Hi all
Back from 2 weeks birding in Western Australia. I would
have to agree with Frank O?Connor on some of the birding sites in northern WA as
being some of the best in Australia. I can?t comment on Victoria as I have never
birded there but my other favorites would have to be Cairns and the Atherton
Tablelands and also my own local Hunter Valley area as we have a species list of
over 400 now and a great diversity of habitats. I also love Alice Springs and
surrounds.
I will submit my trip report in stages to keep it shorter.
On Saturday 9/8/03 I flew from Sydney to Broome and went straight out to
the Bird Observatory (BBO) and spent 2 days there, returning to Broome on Monday
afternoon ready for a trip starting early Tuesday morning. I went on a 12-day
Canning Stock Route trip with George Swan of Kimberley Birdwatching plus the
13th day birding with George around Broome before flying
home.
This was my second trip to Broome and the BBO which helped enormously on
knowing where to go etc. It was much drier than my previous trip in September 2
years ago.
Whilst the weather was against me on my previous trip due to the tides
being too high for the best wader viewing, this time they were too low and the
wind was not helping matters!
In the first two days I managed to see 92 species and
overall for the trip around 185 species.
Common species seen around the BBO were
Rainbow Bee-eater
Restless (Paperbark) Flycatcher
Rufous Whistler
Singing Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Rufous-throated Honeyeater
Grey-crowned Babbler
Peaceful Dove
Bar-shouldered Dove
Red-backed Fairy-wren
Variegated Fairy-wren
Mistletoe Bird
Great Bowerbird
Grey Shrike-thrush
White throated Gerygone
Little Friarbird
Brush Cuckoo
Long-tailed Finch
a group of 6 seen once in the birdbath
A Broad ?billed Flycatcher was using one of the birdbaths as
well.
The surrounding Pindan offered a few more species such as:
Black faced Cuckoo-shrike
Black faced Woodswallow
Red wing Parrot
White winged Triller
Singing Bushlark
Yellow White-eye
The mangroves revealed:
Mangrove Grey Fantail
White-breasted Whistler- nice views of a pair.
Sacred Kingfisher
Though I did not look for long as I was concentrating on the waders and
was there in the middle of the day when all was a bit on the quiet side and I
knew I would be back on my last day in Broome for another look.
Raptors seen
Brahminy Kite
Black Kite
Whistling Kite
Brown Falcon
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Osprey
White-breasted Sea-Eagle
