We left Cocos at the end of January and have returned to Kupungarri
Aboriginal Community/Mt Barnett 300km east of Derby along the Gibb River
Road. There has been significant rain this wet season and the Barnett River
has been impassable since Christmas Day. There are 3 sewage ponds but
usually only one has water in it. This year all 3 are totally full. No one
here can remember when that last happened. And what turns up in this new
habitat? A group of White-browed Crakes. How did they know there were
suitable conditions this year? I have seen a number of White-browed Crake
nests on Bougainville and all were built over water. So hoping I was
thinking like a White-browed Crake would think I decided where the best
place would be for a nest and before long found a 5 egg nest. The next day I
watched another White-browed Crake leading 4 partly grown chicks right past
the nest site. Perhaps the male with a first brood while the female sat on a
second clutch.
Haven't been able to get down to Manning Gorge yet (too wet) to check on
White-quilled Rock-pigeons. However they fly up off the Gibb River Road near
the rocky gorges. The road is still closed at the moment so there are no
tourists yet so the Rock-pigeons have the road to themselves except for
residents like ourselves who just have to negotiate it on occasions. Quite a
few transients have come and gone sometimes within hours eg Whiskered Tern,
Red-kneed Dotterel, Purple Swamphen, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Masked Lapwing and
Reed-warbler. A Dollarbird stayed a couple of days. Some birds are busy
nesting such as Long-tailed and Crimson Finches. The former regularly use
corners of sheds. Also Grey-crowned Babblers, Singing Bushlark, Red-backed
Fairywren, Striated Pardalote, Australasian Grebe and Bar-breasted
Honeyeater. They also nest over water and with so many ponds this year
Bar-breasted Honeyeaters are constructing their nests all over the place and
not just along the Barnett River. The Brown Quail and Red-backed
Button-Quail can be heard calling and the White-throated Gerygone sings from
the tree by our front door each afternoon.
I will be going into Mitchell Falls again in a few weeks (providing I can
cross the King Edward). If anyone is planning a trip up this way later this
year please feel free to email me and I may be able to give you up-to-date
info on birds and road conditions.
Don Hadden
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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