We went overnight camping here on Friday. Anna's resevoir is 130 kms above
Alice Springs and on Aileron station and permission has to be gained first, as
although a national park(a very small one!) access is through station property.
There were no unusual or unexpected birds seen but some lovely experiences.
Firstly we stopped at Native Gap 115 kms above Alice on Stuart hwy and the
highlight of this attractive range was climbing on to the top of the range and
having very good view of Peregrine falcon that appeared to be nesting on the
cliff from its behaviour of calling incessantly and circling low over us. We
didn't stay long to let it get on. A little further on we had short view of a
black breasted buzzard flying away across the plain.
We arrived at Anna's resevoir at approx 12.30 and there were scores of diamond
doves and hundreds if not over thousand zebra finches. It was in the hig 30's
temperature. At about 3 pm we went for a walk and as we approached the
waterhole an Australian Goshawk flew up from the waters edge where it had been
presumably been drinking. A pair had been in attendance when we had arrived
earlier, not drinking but no doubt eyeing off some tucker! We continued on
above the waterhole and got back about 4.15, intending to go on back to the
car to be back at five to see birds come into drink at the end of hte day. At
4.15 pm the spinifex pigeons had already started emerging from the spinifex
covered hillsides and as we sat down and watched they cascaded over the edge of
the rockhole onto the sandy beach to drink. There was a continous procession
of them until 5 pm, with up to a 100 birds coming in that time. They reminded
me a bit of penguins slipping down snow how in some places they half slid and
half flew down the rockface. During this time five or six zebra finched and a
similar number of diamond doves came to drink! We stayed until after dark and
no more of these species came to drink at this time, the drink at 12.30
appearing to have been enough for them. Approx 6 grey headed honeyeaters came
into drink, but no parrots of any kind(not even the night parrot which I had
been expecting!)
While we were watching the spinifex pigeons a male euro had come to drink and
we both were amazed at how much it drank! Except for short breaks to get its
breath(it lapped the water up like a dog, didn't drink like a horse or a human)
it drank solidly for at least 15 minutes perhaps longer. Given that Euros have
ability to conserve water through urine system and that this water is
permanent, we were both surprised at how much it drank. A nankeen kestrel
also came and had a drink at this time-it was very cautious in approach, almost
drank once and flew off and whilst sitting and waiting to come down to drink,
continually bobbed its head. It didn't appear to be after prey as once it had
its drink it left the waterhole.
We went back to the car once the euro had departed to get refreshments(beer and
wine) and on our return flushed a spotted harrier which h ad been drinking at
the waterhole. We settled down to wait and there was very little action until
almost dusk when the common bronzewings started to come in. We were sitting
very still but in the open up against a rock face and as the light faded we had
bronzewings landing within 4 feet of us, standing for a while and walking down
to the water. A wonderful experience because as people will know bronzewings
are very nervy birds. Some insect eating bats also hawked over the waterhole
and in the half light(no spotlight) we think we saw a spotted nightjar hawking
for insects over the waterhole. This bird kept returning repeatedly to fly low
over the water with quick wingbeats-it didn't drink, at least not that we saw.
The possible ID if spotted nightjar is more by exclusion than anything else..
It was a nightbird(ti flew over our head and was silent), it was clearly
hunting and had to be hunting insects, it was hawking and not sitting and
pouncing and it was the right size. Later on that night we heard owlet
nightjar calling on occassions but this definetly wasn't owlet nightjar.
Earlier in the day at 3 pm when I had gone up to waterhole to photograph
flowers I had disturbed a large perentie(at least six feet) which had been
completely concealed in some clumps of grass near the waters edge. Julie
speculated that it had secreted itself there to catch birds as they came to
drink, which seems a likley explanation and makes me wish I hadn't disturbed it
so that we may have seen that later in the day.
The next morning at around 7 am, when we went down to the waterhole it was the
turn of hte crested pigeons. We only stayed a short while but in that time
there would have been 40 crested pigeons. What struck us is that everyone
seemed to have their time to drink and it would be most interesting to spend
the whole day there observing(my guess is there would be some hot an inactive
periods from say 8 am to 11.30 am and 1pm - 4 pm)
I plan to go back one summers day with my 400 lens and get some
photographs-shots of spinifex pigeons should be a monty.
By the way for those who have contacted me before from birding - aus I now have
a change of email address.
Gary
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