Dear Birders,
My wife and I have just returned from a trip around the South West of Western
Australia guided by Phil Maher and running from 27 Feb 2007 to 6 March 2007. We
saw all of the SW Western Australian endemics as well as a couple of birds that
could possibly be split in the future. We were fortunate to enjoy very
reasonable weather with one quite windy day and one very hot day.
We started in Perth and headed first to Bickley Brook which is only a few Km
South East of the city. Initially we birded off Masonmill Road on the Eastern
side of the Brook and then beside the Bickley Brook Reservoir on the Western
side. This proved to be a wonderfully birdy area producing among the endemics
Western Spinebill, Western Rosella, Red Capped Parrot,Western Thornbill, Red
Winged Fairy Wren, and Red-eared Firetail. The possible split Little Wattlebird
was also first seen here. Wungong Gorge additionally produced White Breasted
Robin later that day.
The Dryandra forest produced Rufous Treecreeper, Blue-breasted Fairy-wren, and
Western Yellow Robin over the next day and a half under generally very windy
conditions. We twice came upon the very attractive Numbat. On one occasion it
was collecting dried Dryandra flowers and carrying them back to its nest.
We then drove on to the Sterling Ranges where we picked up the short-billed
Black-cockatoo.
The anticipation was now mounting as we approached the home territory of the
three skulkers, Western Whipbird, Western Bristlebird and Noisy Scrub-bird. The
first two were found quite quickly by Phil on a back road a bit out of Two
People's Bay but the Noisy Scrub-bird resisted all attempts at location in this
area.
A pelagic trip out of Albany has been already been reported on by Frank
O'Connor. Fortunately the wind had dropped by then making for a very pleasant
outing.
It was then back to searching for the Scrub-bird and Wychinicup National Park
delivered with perseverance. Phil somehow coaxed the bird to run across a
clearing a few meters in front of the group of 6 not just once but twice! The
second time so close that the bird almost crossed our toes.That afternoon we
went back to Two Peoples Bay to find the Rock Parrot. A small flock were
located a short distance along the beach and showed very nicely.
We then headed for Augusta along an inland route taking us through Rocky Gully.
This seems to be the centre of a very small area in which the southern race of
the Western Corella may be found.We also found our first small group of
Long-billed Black-cockatoos hear Rocky Creek. Heading into Augusta we found the
Western race of the Crested Shrike-tit in tall Karri trees and had a brief view
here. The next day we saw a pair of Shrike-tit very well in the car park of the
Jewel Cave just north of Augusta.
This report has only mentioned the endemics and possible endemics but there was
a lot of very god birding between those species. In all 135 species were seen
during the trip with Phil and a couple of days birding thereafter.
Many thanks to Phil and Trish Maher who ran a wonderful trip and our
co-travellers who made great company.
Regards
Peter Marsh
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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