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ATLASSING TRIP TO COBAR-EMMDALE-IVANHOE-BOOLOGAL
& HILLSTON, NSW
During the week 27 August to 2 September 2004, John
Mclennan and I undertook a trip to south-west NSW for the purpose of surveying
the birds in four one degree blocks where no surveys had been carried out for
the Continuing Australian Bird Atlas, since its start in mid 2002. The area was
known to be in drought and indeed by the time we left Cobar on the second
morning of our trip, it was apparent that the birds were going to be few and far
between because of the very dry conditions and degraded habitat as a result of
the drought. However we managed to find some birds in the first two one degree
blocks (around Emmdale 31, 145) and on the road from Emmdale to Ivanhoe (32,
145), and were all set to visit the isolated block which incorporates Darnick
& Sayers Lake (32, 144) the following morning. Unfortunately for us but
fortunately for the birds (and the farmers) it started to rain that night in
Ivanhoe and the rain lasted for the next 3 days during which time about 60 mm
fell, Ivanhoe was on the State news as having the highest rainfall for the day,
twice, and as there was only one bitumen road out of town and not where we
planning to go, we stayed in Ivanhoe for two nights and went no where!. After
Ivanhoe we were due to spend 2 nights at Willandra NP but the roads remained
closed there, so eventually we went south to Booligal, across to Hillston, and
birded around Hillston-Lake Cargelligo instead. We never got into the
Darnick-Sayers Lake Block but still managed to do some surveys in the other
three blocks!
Some rain had fallen a week or two before around
Medowie Creek, NW of Booligal and then across through Hillston to Lake
Cargelligo and so that area was starting to green up. So it was not until we
were south of Ivanhoe that the birding began to improve. In the Medowie Creek
area, Emus, Singing Bushlarks, Banded Lapwings and a Spotted Harrier were first
encountered, the Singing Bushlarks in good numbers! In and around Cobar we had
encountered some of the first Spring migrants, such as Rufous Whistlers, Pallid
Cuckoo and White-browed Woodswallows, and after Booligal, Rufous Whistlers
and Willie Wagtails were encounted at just about every site. At Willanthrey, NE
of Hillston the first White-winged Trillers were heard and seen, and were then
seen at a number of sites. Dusky Woodswallows were not encountered until Bogan
Gate on the way home, and only one Horsfield Bronze-cuckoo was seen
.
Other highlights included a flock of 300 Red-necked
Avocets on Sheet of Water, a lake to the north of Lake Cargelligo were there
were two Brolgas, 10+ Whiskered Terns, a lone Glossy Ibis and a flock of 26
Red-kneed Dotterels feeding along the lake shore; an adult male Golden Whistler
was actively calling in the mallee in Nombinnie NR north of Willanthrey; Major
Mitchell Cockatoos were seen at a number of sites west of Cobar and at Langtree,
south of Hillston; Pinkears were only seen at New Cobar Tank and there was
a lone Great Crested Grebe on Lake Cargelligo; 3 newly arrived Sharp-tailed
Sandpipers were at the Lake Cargelligo STW. A Hooded Robin was seen at
Willanthrey, while no finches at all were seen until we were heading back home
down the Hunter Valley.
All up 133 species were seen during the seven days.
70 surveys were carried out at 65 sites many ten minute blocks were visited for
the first time since the start of the Continuing Atlas, With the arrival of the
rain some nesting had commenced and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Grey-crowned
Babbler, Pied Butcherbird, Apostlebirds, Fairy Martins and Welcome Swallows were
all found breeding. The seasonal conditions will now be superb over the next few
months in that Region, especially as it is raining down in the south west again
as I type up this note If anyone could make it out to Sayers Lake and Darnick to
fill in the remaining gap, John and I, as well as the Bird Atlas would
appreciate it!
Alan Morris
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