I went up to Kunoth Well this morning at dawn. Down the
Hamilton Downs Youth Camp Road the mulga country is looking fantastic, but no
flowers on the eremophilas, which probably accounts for the total lack of Pied
or Black Honeyeaters there.
There were Grey Honeyeaters at three sites over 4 km on the
west side of the road including an adult bird feeding 2 very young ones less
than 100 metres from where a pair nested in August/ September this year. There
was also one chasing a Horsefields Bronze-cuckoo at one site. One of the Grey
HE was calling, but with a much quieter call than usual about 10 metres from
me. It kept repeating its call in this manner, and it almost became a trill ?
Other good birds there were Bourke’s Parrot,
Redthroat, White-browed Treecreeper,
Inland Dotterel, numerous nests of Crimson Chats, nesting Red-capped and
Hooded Robins and Slaty-backed Thornbill.
Barry Bucholtz
Alice Springs NT
