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Hi Everyone,
I write from Bowra, Julie & Ian McLaren's
property near Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland. It has been some time since
our last visit, and so we are treasuring all of the birds we are seeing. And
there are plenty. The country is in good condition, although Ian says that
Cunnamulla is a bit of an oasis in the desert at the moment. We certainly saw a
lot of dry country on our way west from the Sunshine Coast.
So far this time we (husband James Hall and I) have
built a list of 112 species on Bowra, and this is our fifth and last day before
leaving in the morning. All I wanted this time was another look at a
Black-breasted Buzzard, and it seems that I will go home without my wish. There
are several species which we have been surprised not to have seen so far - like
White-browed Babbler, White-browed Treecreeper,Double-barred Finch. Mind you,
there has been the odd compensation, like nesting Redthroats. And this morning
we finally found White-winged Wrens. Splendids are plentiful.
The Redthroats attracted James by their call, a
typical scrubwren-like scolding. He reasoned that as there are no scrubwrens on
Bowra, it was worth investigating. With patience, we located the birds, and were
then treated to a session of some of the sweetest birdsong we have ever heard,
from the male. Before I realised what was making the song, I thought I was
hearing Yellow-rumped Thornbills, and on seeking the source of the call, found
it coming from the Redthroat. Its repertoire is impressive. We noticed that both
male and female kept returning to the same spot, and in time we located the spot
where the nest is, hidden in the still-standing stump of a pushed mulga. The
skeleton of the pushed mulga provides cover for the birds. Ian knew that birders
had recently found Redthroats on his property (not in the same spot), , but I
understand that there was no evidence of breeding then. We were unable to look
into the nest because of the tangle of dead mulga surrounding it.
Plentiful at present are Willie Wagtail (never seen
anything like it), Jacky Winter, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Zebra Finch, Galah,
Budgerigar, Babblers both Grey-crowned and Chestnut-crowned, Red-capped Robin,
Fairy Martin, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, and heaps of thornbills. We think we saw
the Slaty-backed, but haven't put it on our list, because we needed another
look. James saw a mob of 50 Major Mitchells this morning, whilst I lay in bed,
too sooky to get up and face the cold. There are rewards for the
brave-hearted.
We are staying in the cottage, and just out the
back is a dead cypress-pine which is a favoured singing tree. It gets so much
use that the birds seem to queue for their spot of singing. Many birding-aus
subscribers have visited Bowra, and if you are one who has meant to and hasn't
yet done so, get out here right now. The country moves me so much, the mulga,
cypress-pine, sandalwood and wilga. The wilga is currently in blossom, whilst
the long-fruited bloodwood is heavily in bud. When it blossoms, we have seem
swarms of woodswallows feeding in it. At present the woodswallow numbers are
low, although we have seen Dusky, Little, Black-faced and Masked.
I used to think that the good birding didn't begin
until we were well west of Cunnamulla and Charleville, but these days I will
settle happily for Bowra. It makes such a difference to have the run of a whole
property, instead of the usual birding along roads and tracks, well aware of the
need not to trespass on private property. I have just found the phone number on
my brochure, and you can make contact on 07 4655 1238 or email (I have no interest
in the place except as a birder.) Ian has been interested in birds all his life.
It wasn't a subject you could discuss with other farmers. When Julie and Ian
first opened up Bowra to birders, they didn't know the names of a great many of
the birds they knew so well. Now, they have learned most of the names, and
can keep you interested for ages with features they know about the habits of
some of the birds. Ian doesn't use binoculars, but he can tell you who is flying
over there. This morning we were watching White-winged wrens with him, and he
noted that they love to take advantage of cast off fence netting, and that these
days when he has some old netting, instead of cleaning it up, he ploughs it into
a mound of dirt,and it becomes a safe sanctuary for wrens, who can get through
the mesh easily.
Our last species this evening, as the birds rattled
and cackled their way to their night roosts was Hall's Babbler. We had not seen
it throughout the five days, and as we headed back to the car and to a drink
with Ian & Julie, out came two Hall's Babblers to take the list to 112. Not
normally a twitcher, I have thoroughly enjoyed watching James' list grow over
the past days. Perhaps I have the potential after all to be a
twitcher.
cheers all, from the happiest twitcher in
Cunnamulla,
Jill
Jill Dening
07 5494 0994
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