The second instalment. Another five days, the trip list up to 321, two
increasingly tired but very happy birders, and by the end of it about as far
from the sea as we're ever likely to get . . .
2nd November - Up to Mt Lewis early today, we hit the trail with dawn breaking
and Chowchillas singing either side of the track. With not enough light to look
for them we pressed on, but it wasn't long before a burst of song was followed
by a skulking pair of Fernwrens showing well a short way ahead. With that one
in the bag it was back down again, and with the light improved a bit of a hunt
revealed a superb family of four Chowchillas feeding a short way off the track.
An amazing feeding technique, and in time they made their way on to the path,
giving even better views. Back at the car we checked out a flock of Red-browed
Firetails and were astonished to find three Blue-faced Parrot-finches! And
then, when we thought it could get no better, a Bassian Ground-Thrush performed
brilliantly on the road, running around in the open with an Emerald Dove and an
Australian Brush-Turkey. Back at Kingfisher Park a quick tour, picking up our
only Channel-billed Cuckoo sighting, as well as Buff-breasted paradise
Kingfisher and the nesting Papuan Frogmouth, and then we packed up (a day
earlier than anticipated) and went twitching. Mowbray State Forest was very
quiet in the heat (no Chestnut-breasted Cuckoo), so we tried again at Mt Molloy
for the "obvious" Square-tailed Kite nest. Despite very detailed directions we
failed again, and left feeling very inadequate. At Big Mitchell Creek TNT
showed their worth as we connected with the smart White-browed Robin, then it
was off to Tinarooo Creek Road, where TNT once again worked their magic when
three Squatter Pigeons were found in the paddocks just beyond Henry Hannam
Drive. Dashed down to Yorkey's Knob hoping for Radjah Shelduck at the golf
course pools. There were none there, though three stunning Pied Herons and a
Crimson Finch were the only trip records. Last stop was Mission Beach, arriving
with enough time to have a nearby calling cassowary put the frighteners on us,
but not enough time to see one.
3rd November - Mission Beach until mid morning, walking the Lacey's Creek Trail
and having a general drive around, but failing to turn up cassowary. Had
planned at this stage to head south for Eungella Honeyeater, but decided that
even an endemic wasn't worth such a huge detour, and set off west for Karumba
instead. Plenty of birds en route, including the ultimate parrot contrast with
our first records of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo and Budgerigar. Stopped off at
another TNT site, the excellent Cumberland Dam, and were glad we had. There
were a few waterbirds present, but the highlight were the honeyeaters: large
numbers of Rufous-throated were bathing in flight, and we also saw Banded,
Yellow-tinted, Brown and Grey-fronted. A search of the bush produced good
numbers of Zebra Finches, not exciting in themselves, but accompanied by six
Black-throated, two Double-barred and, best of all, two Masked. Plenty more was
seen on the long haul to Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria coast, where we
arrived at dusk to a camp-site full of fruit bats! The only Rufous Night-Herons
of the trip were seen in the evening.
4th November - the morning was spent around Karumba, enduring the worst flies
of the trip, with birding a little hit and miss. Started off at the west end of
town, struggling to access the mangroves. In the area by the westernmost houses
were treated to an impressive movement (presumably from roost) of literally
hundreds of birds. Commonest were Yellow White-eye and Rufous-throated and
Brown honeyeaters, but good numbers of the striking Red-headed Honeyeater were
also seen, and a couple of Australian Bustards flew over. The only other local
speciality seen was a female Broad-billed Flycatcher, so we head off for the
mangroves behind the airfield on the eastern side of town (head out of town
then turn left at the dump), picking up a flock of Varied Lorikeets in town.
This new area was much more profitable and in the mangroves and adjacent scrub
we saw Mangrove Grey and Arafura fantails, Mangrove Gerygone, Zitting Cisticola
and a young Spotted Harrier. On the mud flats we got our first Australian
Pratincole. The afternoon was spent driving to Mt Isa, stopping for the last
couple of hours at Chinaman's Creek Dam. Good numbers of waterbirds here
included more Australian Pratincoles and a Freckled Duck. Land birds included
our only Golden-backed Honeyeater and "Cloncurry Ringneck", our first Spinifex
Pigeons and a nice Collared Sparrowhawk. Heading towards Mt Isa we got our most
dubious tick of the trip: a quail which flew up from the side of the road and
in front of the car was only identified as the trip's only Stubble Quail after
we'd extricated it's sorry remains from the radiator.
5th November - possibly the best day of the trip. McNamara's Road first thing,
we spent 21 hours bashing excruciating spinifex (choosing an area as close as
possible to Bob Forsyth's description of ideal habitat - see
http://www.birdsqueensland.org.au/) wearing far more clothes than was
comfortable given the temperature! Black-tailed Treecreeper and Spinifexbird
both behaved admirably, but the main target was nowhere to be seen. Got back in
the car and drove back down the road but soon had the brakes jammed on as a
fabulous male Carpentarian Grasswren sat up right next to the road (what was
presumably his mate had flown across the road as we stopped). The spinifex here
was shorter and altogether untidier than where we'd first tried, so you never
can tell. This was 8.2km from the Camooweal road. Buoyed by this success we
headed back to Mt Isa, where we had a less successful couple of hours failing
to see Kalkadoon (Ballara) Grasswren around the water towers at the end of
Pamela St. Our first Weebills were the only compensation. Headed out to the
Wide Bay area of Lake Moondarra (see the birdsqueensland link above) and had an
excellent afternoon. Hundreds of wildfowl and waders were present, highlights
including 13 Little Whimbrels, 5 Oriental Plovers, 10 Australian and 12
Oriental pratincoles, 5 Freckled Ducks, a male Cotton Pygmy-Goose, 2 Red-necked
Avocets and a total of 486 Pink-eared Ducks. The main target here, and the
reason we opted to do Mt Isa rather than the Strzelecki Track, was Yellow Chat,
and at least ten were seen flitting around amongst the brushwood down by the
lake shore. A check of the eastern shore of Lake Moondarra was largely
uneventful (one Australian Bustard was the highlight), and then it was down to
the Mica Creek area for the final couple of hours. This time was spent bashing
across hillsides through more spinifex, and it was just as the light started to
fade, having decided to try "just one more hill", that we finally had stonking
views of a pair of Kalkadoon Grasswrens at close range. The beers went down
especially well that evening!
6th November - back out to Wide Bay first thing, trying again for the Long-toed
Stints that had been seen recently. None were seen again though, nor could we
find Yellow Chat, the best birds being a Pacific Golden Plover, 3 Oriental
Plovers, and the 13 Little Whimbrels, 2 Red-necked Avocets and male Cotton
Pygmy-Goose again. A check of the wet area by the booster pump station on the
eastern road to the lake got us, as hoped, a small flock of Painted Firetails.
The rest of the day was spent on the long drive south to Bedourie, via Dajarra
and Boulia. Highlights were many, including (all the following were south of
Boulia): our first of surprisingly few Emus, Black-tailed Treecreeper, two
Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes and 5 Cockatiels just before Six Mile Creek; many
Australian Pratincoles; 5 Gibberbirds (after searching hundreds of acres of
gibber, four were right by the road just south of Little Thoggamora Creek). The
most memorable stop was just after the end of the last area of gibber before
reaching Bedourie. Stopped to admire a pair of Crimson Chats, and were also
treated to superb views of 9 Orange Chats and our first White-winged
Fairy-Wrens. The real stars, however, were the pair of Black Falcons that flew
over calling loudly. The female perched a short distance away allowing us the
chance to make absolutely sure we'd got the ID right. The main entertainment
came just before midnight as a violent storm ripped through town, making a
right mess of the tents. Phil ended up sleeping in the shower block, Steve in
the car.
--------------------------------------------
Birding-Aus is on the Web at
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
--------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message:
'unsubscribe birding-aus' (no quotes, no Subject line)
to
|
