There and Back Again- Toronto to Cape York- Trip Report 5
Hello all,
This is the last part (part 5) of my Toronto to Cape York Trip Report. This
part will detail observations on the trip back from Birdsville down to
Griffith and across to the east coast. Note that I'm not mentioning all
species- just the few that I found interesting.
PART 5
Birdsville, 14 km E. 12/8/04
Gibberbird
Birdsville, 69 km E. 12/8/04
Orange Chat (2), Black-tailed Native-hen (100), Red-kneed Dotterel (15) all
in an and around a flooded canegrass swamp adjacent to a Zygochloa
canegrass coated sandhill.
Innamincka Rd (15.9 km S. Birdsville Development Rd) 12/8/2004
A.Pratincole
To cut a long story short I went down through Cordillo Downs to Innaminka.
On finding out that it was going to cost me $18 to visit Coongie Lakes or
$36 to camp one night I decided to head east instead to Qld. I travelled
south form the Burke and Wills Dig Tree through Santos, Omicron and then
across to Cameron Corner which is the corner of the states NSW, QLD and SA.
I got caught in a dreadful dust-storm from about Innamincka down to the
Santos area. I ended up having to shelter in a quarry one night to try and
escape it. Needless to say it didn't make for good birdwatching conditions.
From here I ducked into Bollards Lagoon briefly before coming back to
Tiboobura down towards Griffith and then across to the coast.
Toona Gate Track (0.1 km S. of the Cameron's Corner- Santos Rd) 13/8/04
Crimson Chat (10+, including two nests found with chicks in old spinifex
clumps).
Cameron's Corner, 9 km NE 13/8/04
Cinnamon Quail-thrush (3, with a fair amount of the patterning of
Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush. It took me a while to decide for certain
what species I was looking at. I guess I was in the hybrid zone).
Bollards Lagoon (18.7 km W. HS) 13/8/04
Cinnamon Quail-thrush
Bollards Lagoon (17.7 km W. HS) 13/8/04
Eyrean Grasswren (2+), Chirruping Wedgebill, Cinnamon Quail-thrush, Crimson
Chat
Bollards Lagoon (13.3 km W. HS) 15/8/04
Eyrean Grasswren (1)
Sturt NP (Fort Grey) 15/8/04
Ground Cuckoo-shrike, attacked a Black Kite in flight.
Sturt NP (82 km E. Cameron's Corner) 15/8/04
Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Black-tailed Native-hen (150), Red-kneed Dotterel
(6, including 2 imm.), Black-fronted Dotterel (1, aggression between the
two dotterel species noted), Pink-eared Duck (12), Red-kneed Avocet (12).
Sturt NP (10.6 km E. Toona Gate Track) 15/8/04
A. Pratincole (4)
Mutawintji NP (Mutawintji Gorge Walk) 16/8/04
Southern Whiteface, Red-capped Robin, Chestnut-crowned babbler,
White-backed Swallow.
Gunbar, 3 km NW 18/8/04
Brown Treecreeper, Varied Sittella, Horsfields Bronze-cuckoo, Singing
Hopneyeater, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Western Gerygone.
Gunbar, 5.3 km NE 18/8/04
Major Mitchells Cockatoo (12) observed playfully chasing a Nankeen Kestrel.
One bird appeared to actually nip the Kestrel twice while in flight.
Eventually the Kestrel was able to fly away and perch about 200 metres away
in tree. It appeared uninjured.
Binya SF (compartment 5) 18/8/04
Mulga Parrot, White-browed Babbler, Speckled Warbler, Common Bronzewing.
Searched for but wasn't able to locate any Shy Heathwrens.
Nombinnie NR and Round Hill NR 21/8/04
Shy Heathwren, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Southern Scrub-robin, Crested
Bellbird, Gilberts Whistler (1). Despite searching in every location that I
have previously had Red-lored Whistler I was unable to find any. Overall
the level of bird activity in the mallee was as low as I've ever seen it.
Gum Swamp (Forbes) 22/8/04
Pink-eared Duck (with ducklings).
And that was about it! I'm tired just thinking about it. I manged to find a
few birds that I hadn't seen before and am now just short of the big 600
mark on 597. Where to next....
If I only I had more money.
Cheers
Mick Todd
Toronto, NSW
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