MUNGO, HATTAH, WYPERFELD, BILLIART & GLUEPOT RESERVES TRIP REPORT 6-12 MAY
2007
Follow That Bird's second Tour to Mungo (NSW), Hattah & Wyperfeld (VIC) &
Billiart & Gluepot (SA) Reserves turned out to be as an equally great
birding experience as was the inaugural trip two years ago 2-8 May 2005! The
conditions were similar, there was fine weather throughout the trip, central
NSW was still in drought but two weeks prior to our trip, good rains fell in
far west NSW, western Victoria and South Australia, so that conditions in
South Australia were better than in 2005 but central NSW was worse! The
number of species seen 162, was comparable to 2005 when 164 species were
seen. We started our birdwatching proper when we had our first stop at
Mackie VC rest area near Mittagong, where we saw our first and last Crimson
Rosellas, Scarlet Robins, White-naped Honeyeaters & Brown Thornbills for the
trip. Lunch at Wallendbeen saw our first White-plumed Honeyeaters and a stop
at Bethunga Ironbarks yielded Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, Weebill and Pied
Butcherbird. Onto Junee STW, where the 150+ Plumed Whistling Ducks were a
great site, and Zebra Finches, Hoary-headed Grebe, Cattle Egret,
Wedge-tailed Eagle & Yellow-billed Spoonbill were some of the highlights.
The following morning (Monday 7/5), saw our intrepid birders doing an early
morning walk around Leeton's watertower where we managed to see Blue-faced
Honeyeater, Black-shouldered Kite, Yellow-throated Miner and Blackbirds,
among other things. Then off to the famous Fivebough Swamp Ramsar site,
where we were not disappointed! Again we saw a flock of 72 Brolgas flying
into feed in the Swamp, what a noise and what a spectacular sight! Most of
us saw both Spotless and Spotted Crakes, there were plenty of Australian
Shelducks, Cisticolas & Little Grassbirds, Red-kneed, Black-fronted &
Red-capped Dotterels, a lone late Marsh Sandpiper, Swamp Harrier, both
Spoonbills and White-fronted Chats. On the nearby Leeton STW ponds and
birdhide, were 3 Freckled Duck, 150+ Pinkears and many Shovellers in
addition to the thousands of Grey and Chestnut Teal - a feast of birds.
Around Darlington Point were the usual Brown Falcon, Kestrel, White-faced &
White-necked Herons but a highlight at the junction of the Sturt H'way and
the Carrathool road, was a flock of 68 Black Kites feeding on mice (?) that
were being disturbed by two units bailing straw from a rice crop. The
Kites were diving down and around the hay bailers to pick up mice from the
ground and at the same time, 4 Black Falcons were pirating the prey items
from the Black Kites, with many mid-air tussles that the Falcons appeared to
win! 4 Brown Falcons were partaking of this feast too but were catching
their own prey! At Sandy Point, on the Murrumbidgee River at Hay, we ate our
lunch watching Tree Martins, Grey-crowned Babblers, Mistletoebird, Hobby
hunting at tree top height and a Great Egret feeding in the shallows! We
stopped for Pipits and White-winged Fairy-wrens on the Hay plains and Blue
Bonnets near Balranald.
Our morning walk amonst the Redgums at Balranald, yielded Musk Lorikeets and
Yellow Rosellas, Little Corellas, a pair of hunting Hobbies, Grey Fantail
and many Silveryes. It was then off to Mungo NP with stops near Penarie to
see Mallee Ringnecks, Blue Bonnets and Apostlebirds, a bit furhter on
Redthroats, White-winged Fairy-wrens and White-fronted Chats. At the
junction of the Ivanhoe and Mungo Rds, we found two small flocks of
Blue-winged Parrots, near to where we saw them last trip 2 years ago!, as
well as more Redthroats, Brown Songlark & Black-faced Woodswallows. We
stopped to check out a Belah patch and found Brown Treecreepers, Red-capped
& Hooded Robin, Mulga Parrot, Rufous Whistler, Striped Honeyeater, Southern
Whiteface & Crested Bellbird. Finally we reached Mungo NP. Instead of the
dead sandy waste that we saw last time, the rolling countryside and dry lake
beds were swathed in a carpet of green as far as you could see!
Unbelievable! The birds as usual were scarce but we did see Emus with
chicks, Chestnut-crowed Babblers, White-fronted Chats and Zebra Finches and
plenty of Singing Honeyeaters. The sunlight on the golden dunes with the
green background was something to see. On our way back we stopped to check
out some mallee near Arumpo and found a Collared Sparrowhawk, Yellow-plumed
& Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Spotted Pardalotes & Chestnut-rumped
Thornbills. Our final stop for the day was at a tank north of Penarie where
9 Pink Cockatoos were found.
After our morning walk (Wednesday 9/5) around the Balranald Racecourse,
where the highlight was a Peregrine Falcon and more Musk Lorikeets, we
headed for Victoria, and just before we crossed out of NSW, a small flock of
Regent Parrots flew through the vineyards. We travelled from Robinvale to
Wemien and onto Hattah, seeing another 3 flocks of Regent Parrots enroute,
before stopping for morning tea at the Hattah-Kulkyne NP Visitors Centre.
There was water in the Lakes here and Darters were busy calling and Great
Crested Grebes were found on the Lake, while overhead Whistling Kites and a
Hobby kept us entertained. Onto Wyperfeld NP, entering the Park from
Patchewallock and checking out a number of belah and mallee patches, before
lunching at Casuarina Camp. Good birds here included Splendid Fairy-wren,
Red-capped Robins, Mulga Parrot. White-browed Babbler, Brown-headed
Honeyeater, Rufous Whistler, Southern Whiteface, Chestnut& Inland
Thornbills. John was the first person to see the Ostrich in a paddock
adjoing the Park but the guide insisted that it was not tickable!!! As the
day drew to a close we reluctantly left Wyperfeld and headed to Pinnaroo
(SA) via Underbool. Just south-east of Underbool we saw more Regent Parrots,
Tree Martin, Hooded Robin & Peacefull Dove, amongst the more common species
noted.
Our morning walk at Pinnaroo produced our first Restless Flycatcher & New
Holland Honeyeaters for the trip.A short stop at Kaarte CP found Yellow &
Inland Thornbills but not much else, but at Madina Gap on Gurra Rd we did
find in the mallee Grey Currawong, Grey Fantail, Common Bronzewing &
White-eared Honeyeater. Other stops found Grey Currawong & Whiteface,
Red-capped Robin and Singing Honeyeater. We made three stops in Billiart CP
where we had great and prolonged views of Southern Scrub-robin & Gilberts
Whistler, saw our first Jacky Winters for the trip, Spotted Pardalote &
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater. Between Billiart & Allawoona we stopped for superb
views of White-backed Swallows & Wedge-tailed Eagle. Lunching at Allawoona
provided opportunities to see more Restless Flycatcher, good views of Grey
Currawong, Singing & Yellow-plumed Honeyeater and Variegated Fairy-wren. By
mid afternoon we were at Moorook on the Murray River where we made several
stops, checking out both water and bush birds, the highlights being a
feeding flock of 78 Caspian Terns, which together with 1 Whiskered Tern, we
feeding with Silver Gulls and Cormorants on a fish shoal. Also seen was a
Musk Duck and Hoary-headed & Crested Grebes and a Little Egret. Our final
stop for the day was at Hart Lagoon, Waikerie, where the usual waterbirds
were seen including Australian Shoveler, Hardhead (scarce this trip!),
Black-winged Stilt and Black-fronted Dotterel.
Our last full days birdwatching (Friday 11/5) started with a cliff walk at
Waikerie, the highlights of which were Purple-crowned & Musk Lorikeets and a
Hobby. Down below on the Murray River were Darters, Wood Ducks, Little
Corellas and Sulphur-creasted Cockatoos, while White & Straw-necked Ibis
wheeled past! Then we were off, over the punt and off to Gluepot Reserve!
While it was depressing as we pasted through Taylorsville Reserve, to see
the ravages of the summer bushfire, which burnt out part of Gluepot Reserve
as well, it was great to arrive at Gluepot, which had benefited from the
recent rains and was looking great! Friday was a superb autumn sunny day and
the birds in the mallee this day were the highlight of the trip. Everyone
had prolonged views of White-browed Treecreepers! The Gilbert's Whistlers
called well and we had a pair calling alongside a pair of Golden Whistlers
at one stage. There was a fleeting view of a Crested Bellbird, and we all
had stunning views of a party of 4 Chestnut Quail-thrush that fed close too
us for some time. We saw three parties of Hooded Robin, found many
Red-capped Robins, were enthralled by a large party of the black-capped form
of the Sitella. While in Gluepot we saw Wedge-tailed Eagles, Mulga &
Ringneck Parrots, a flock of Purple-crowned Lorikeets whizzed past and we
saw more Dusky Woodswallows, Splendid fairy-wrens, White-browed Babblers,
Grey Currawong and 7 species of honeyeaters. Our final lunch at Babbler Camp
was a great gourmet experince (as usual!) and in a lovely setting amongst
the mallee trees. It was sad when we had to leave and head for Gluepot
because the birds kept coming!
Our last night was in Waikerie where we dined on the River Queen Paddle
Steamer, a fitting end to a great trip. Next morning, after the usual cliff
top walk at Waikerie, looking for and finding Purple-crowned Lorikeets, we
headed for Adelaide airport and our return trip to Sydney. Enroute to
Adelaide we saw the usual Brown Falcons & Kestrels, and as we approached the
Adelaide Hills we were soon seeing Adelaide Rosellas and the common urban
birds. What a great trip! . Patricia, Ailsa, Margaret, Hilary, John & Jack
were great company, most people saw new species (one saw 21 new species), we
all visited places that we had not seen before and the recent rains made the
latter half of the trip spectacular through the softening of the landscapes
and the freshness of the countryside. Janene as usual provided a different
home made cake, each with a special story about it, for morning tea each day
and every lunch was special for their location as well as their contents! A
great experince of camaraderie and birdwatching (Alan Morris).
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