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northern territory and western australia trip part 1 april - oct 2004

To: "birding aus" <>
Subject: northern territory and western australia trip part 1 april - oct 2004
From: "Gary Wright" <>
Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 10:34:13 +1030

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.

 

 

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