Wally Klau
this report I have sent in
previously but it had lots of gaps in it due to being to long for the system to
handle. I have broken it up into two and I am resending it via birding aus
for Wally to see. so, if you read it before - skip it!
I have just returned from a six
month trip to these two states and needless to say,I had a great time. I thought
I would highlight a few of my more significant birding
experiences.
Ellery Creek Big Hole Macdonnell
ranges- golden backed form of the black chinned honeyeater in car park.
The only place I saw it on the trip!
Chambers Pillar road- cinnamon quail
thrush and ground cuckoo shrike. Cinnamon quail thrush was common on road
into chambers pillar before you get to the sandune section. The only other
ground cuckoo shrike I saw on the trip was in Karijini national park.
Ormiston Pound- painted
finch
I used McCrie and Watson extensively
in Northern Territory.
The exciting part of the trip in
terms of birds started at Warloch ponds below Mataranka, when I started to run
into new birds. There were plenty of finches there and new birds for me
were:Star Finch and Zitting Cisticola-no trace of golden on head, extremely pale
bird. I am very familiar with Golden headed cisticola.
Mataranka was full of new birds.
Bitter Springs in Elsey NP was although quite flooded still possible to
birdwatch in. New birds were Black Bittern(readily flies and roosts in
trees) rufous throated honeyeater(birds with a rufous throat uncommon), shining
flycatcher, crimson finch(fortunately the first one seen was in the open and in
full plumage),lemon bellied flycatcher(reminded me of robin in behaviour and
looks) and Northern Fantail.
Other areas of Elsey NP yielded Bar
breasted honeyeater, great bowerbird and silver crowned friarbird.
Central Arnhem land road yielded
long tailed finch, masked finch, banded honeyeater and helmeted friarbird.
I flushed a button quail I couldn't identify-flushed on three occassions,
sounded like a parrot on each occassion-bird appeared a consistent rusty,deep
colour. I leaned to chestnut backed button quail even though calling on
flushing was consistent with description of red-chested button quail in
Pizzey. I havent claimed it as anything! Anyone got any
ideas?
We went for a three week walk
in Arnhem land with Willis's walkabouts and although birds were not abundant, I
still had many new sightings. The most significant being Hooded Parrot.
Flushed a pair from the ground on third day of trip. Walked for another 17
days without seeing a one-much of it through suitable habitat-grassy woodland
with termite mounds, many of which had hollows bored in them. As we were
driving back from our pick up point towards Manyallaluk community we came across
a flock of 40 Hooded Parrots. Other new birds on the walk were
chestnut quilled rock pigeon(common in suitable habitat),black tailed
treecreeper(uncommon only two sightings), white breasted robin, great billed
heron(these last two were at the junction of Birdie Creek and Katherine
river-this was a great birding spot). The other significant bird that I
saw on two occassions on the walk was square tailed kite.
Darwin was a birdwatchers paradise
for a first time visitor. New birds everywhere you looked, although you have to
look pretty hard in the mangroves! The more significant new birds for me
were Rufous Owl in botanic gardens, Mangrove Robin East Pt Reserve, Broad billed
flycatcher east pt reserve, grey whistler Holmes Jungle. Little shrike thrush
and Rainbow Pitta Howard Springs. There is always an element of luck in
birdwatching and at Howard Springs the Rainbow Pitta flew across the track in
front of me and I was able to get good looks at it feeding.
Kakadu yielded some very good bird
watching. A piece of luck was when I was looking at Black Tailed
Treecreeper in Merl campground near Ubiri rock and a white throated gerygone
came into field of view of my binoculars. A new bird for me. You know how
you get those birds that you keep missing? White throated gerygone had
been one of those for me and that occassion is still the only one that I have
seen. Partridge pigeon became a frequently seen bird for me in
Kakadu( we were there for about three weeks) Often seen at Sandy
Billabong and around the Bowali visitor centre-usually opposite on
the other side of the road. Saw Varied Lorikeet at Sandy Billabong but
only three flying quickly overhead. I had to wait until Drysdale River to
get good views adn saw more at Edward river in the Kimberley. I found them
not to be a common bird. On the Gubara walk I saw Banded Fruit
Dove(also at Koolpin gorge) and also the whitel lined honeyeater at the
spots indicated by McCrie and Watson. Banded fruit dove, easily missed as
it feeds very quietly in the trees(fig). It took me quite a while to even
find the fig trees, let alone the birds!
Gunlom was exceptional. On the
way in before you get to Plum Tree Creek, Gouldian Finches flushed off of the
side of the road. Approximately 30 birds, as usual vast majority immature
birds but black faced and red faced versions. As I was watching them five
Hooded Parrots flew across behind them. On the way back saw a few immature
Gouldians at a different spot on the road.
Gunlom of course was the white
throated grasswren. I didn't follow instructions and walked for two hours
over rocky spinifex hillsides and saw nothing. I sat for 10 minutes on the
rock recommended by McCrie and Watson and got two good views of the
grasswren. I didn't find its call much different to fairy wren in
volume(then I am going a bit deaf!) On the creekline below the waterfall
at Gunlom I saw a pair of Barking Owl roosting. Found at 3 pm by hearing
the call.
