Gulf trip 6 May to 3
June 2005 ? Barb and Jim Gilfedder
First stop was the Davenport Ranges where we
camped at one of the waterholes along the Frew loop road. The water level was
considerably lower than when we there 12 months ago, but it was still a pretty
place. A small group of Spinifex Pigeons strutted down to the water both
evenings. On the second day two Brolgas flew in. They were frightened by
a couple of Donkeys before we got very close. We saw 23 other bird species there
including a range of waterbirds and a few Honeyeaters in a nearby flowering
Bloodwood. We even picked up a couple of different frog species in the spotlight
at night.
Next camp was on Lakes Francis and Canellan on
the Georgina river at Camooweal. Here there were bigger numbers of birds.
The water was shallow and its edges lined with waterlilies. A group of about 30
Spoonbills, mainly Royal but some Yellow-billed, many of them with
beautiful breeding plumes, preened and slept on the edge; about 20 Freckled
Ducks paraded up and down , Crimson chats were busy along the edge,
50 Brolgas completely submerged their heads searching for food; a few
Great Crested grebes kept disappearing when I trained the scope on them
and a couple of Green Pygmy Geese flew in. We saw 41 species here
in a day.
Briefly circuiting the Camooweal Sewage Ponds in
the morning and we were pleased to identify several Singing Bushlarks
perching on the surrounding fence.
We camped at Adels Grove for four nights, twice
paddling slowly up Lawn Hill gorge in a canoe. The White-browed
Robins* and Crimson Finches* were very friendly and Purple-crowned
Fairy-wrens* hopped around in the pandanus. All firsts for
me.
We also caught up with Great Bowerbirds, Crimson
Finches, Channel-billed Cuckoo, WB Sea-eagle, Pheasant Coucal, Red-winged
Parrot, Azure Kingfisher, Blue-winged Kookaburra, flocks of Budgerigars
and Cockatiel, Restless Flycatcher and Yellow-tinted HE.
We climbed the Island Stack where we were able to
track down a Sandstone Shrike Thrush*. We had good views of it sitting on
the rocks and then it flew off near the ground to a low branch and sat there for
a while. Another first! It was a very pleasant walk around the top of the stack
where we also caught up with White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Little
Woodswallow and Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo.
At Frenchman?s Gardens, Louie Creek there were
lots of birds, notably for me, Northern Rosellas, Bar-shouldered Doves,
Variegated Fairy-wrens, Double-barred Finches, a Pheasant Coucal
carrying a frog, Long-tailed and Crimson Finches and a Jacky
Winter.
We heard this great noise and thought it may be a Black
Bittern but couldn?t track it down.
44 species in the Lawn Hill
area.
... continued part 2
