Just back from a trip to the Mitchell Plateau, my first visit there
and a few surprises, not least being the great state of the
previously notorious Gibb River Road, now just a few corrugations and
no major dramas. It took us about 4.5 hours from Kununurra to the
Kalumburu turn off, an hour to Drysdale Station, an hour and a half
to the Mitchell Plateau turn-off, and then about 2 hours to drive the
80 km there to the camp site. Two punctures were a reminder to have
two spares however.....
Black Grasswren was of course the main objective and it was hard, it
took us about 8 hours on the first day before we found them opposite
the rock art shelter just before Big Mertens Falls. A male showed
very nicely in the end, and another bird was calling in the rocks out
of sight. Chris Eastwood was not with us for this one, so we had to
repeat it again for him later, this time getting onto an obliging
male in the Thomas and Thomas site just over the creek by the
campsite en route to Little Mertens falls- thanks to Don for finding
it initially and giving us a call so we could track it down later.
Kimberley Honeyeater was scarce, I was impressed by how different the
voice is to White-lined and we managed to get good looks at a couple
of birds, my second lifer of the trip.
Other notable were Southern Boobook and Barn Owl, Partridge Pigeon
(just 1 of the yellow facial skinned taxon), lots of White-quilled
Rock-Pigeon, the very distinctive Kimberley Pied Imperial-Pigeon,
Chestnut-backed Buttonquail (I), Green-backed Gerygone, Bar-breasted
Honeyeater.
We had a Black-breasted Buzzard en route too, near the El Questro
turn-off, and quite a few Spinifex Pigeon along that route, plus a
flock of about 70 Pictorella Mannikin at the lookout west of the
Pentecost River crossing
Thanks to Don Hadden for sharing info and fixing a flat for us (it
blew as we entered Kununurra Don!), and to George Swann (who was
another lifer for me) for more gen, cool beers and a great Bradshaw
rock art shelter. Also to Dave and Chris for the chance to make the
trip.
Phil Gregory
www. cassowary-house.com.au
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