David Mitford, Stuart Pickering and I recently enjoyed a fantastic trip to
the Corner Country (where the borders of NSW, SA and QLD meet) for 6 days -
12th to 17th October 2007.
Driving about 25km north-west of Orange on our first day we saw our only
Superb Parrot for the trip as it flew high beside the road.
Between Narromine and Nyngan, we observed our first Black Falcon, Emus
(seeing 14), Blue Bonnets, Cockatiels and Black Kites for the trip.
While having our lunch at Nyngan, a Blue-faced Honeyeater was seen with some
Little Friarbirds feeding in a flowering Grevillia Silky Oak.
Our first main birding stop was at Byrock (77km SE of Bourke) where we had a
good smorgasbord of dry country birds including a Pink Cockatoo, Red-winged
and Mulga Parrots, Grey-crowned and Chestnut-crowned Babblers, Southern
Whitefaces, Brown Treecreepers, Striped and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters,
White-winged Trillers, Jacky Winters and Spotted Bowerbirds. This was also
the only location where we had Rufous Whistlers during our trip.
Before arriving in Bourke for the first night, we stoped at a dam about 35km
south-east of Bourke watching a number of birds come to drink including many
Common Bronzewings, Mallee Ringnecks, several Mulga and Red-winged Parrots,
Singing Honeyeaters and just on dusk, 4 to 5 Spotted Nightjars where seen
over several minutes over the dam with just enough light to watch the birds
without a spotlight. This reminded David and I of a similar encounter we had
of one about 2 years ago in Cunnamulla where it was seen well before dusk.
Before dusk, we also heard some Brown-headed Honeyeaters at this location
(which is probably out of if not just on the edge of their range!).
Between Bourke and Wanaaring we made several stops beside the road. At the
Warrego River crossing (about 50km NE of Bourke) we saw a Glossy Ibis, a
Yellow-billed Spoonbill, 12 Black-tailed Native-hens, several Rainbow
Bee-eaters as well as lots of Fairy and Tree Martins. I also heard
Double-barred Finches here.
Further on, we came to a great area between Bourke and Wanaaring seeing a
pair of Brolgas, a Ground Cuckoo-shrike, Chestnut-crowned Babblers, lots of
Crimson Chats and hundreds of Masked Woodswallows.
Just 35km east of Wanaaring we saw a few Black Honeyeaters (including an
adult male, 2 females and about 2 recent fledglings), Pink Cockatoos, a
Black-eared Cuckoo, Spotted Bowerbird, Restless Flycatcher, Crimson Chats,
Southern Whitefaces and Zebra Finches. Our only Pallid Cuckoos for the trip
were heard here as well.
At Wanaaring we saw our first 2 Red-backed Kingfishers for the trip,
Restless Flycatcher, Spotted Bowerbirds and a Noisy Friarbird which may have
been out of its usual range!
Driving west of Wanaaring on quite a treacherous road, we saw on the way to
Tibooburra our first flock of Budgerigars for the trip, a few Little
Button-quails and more Pink Cockatoos.
One of our best locations of the trip was on the edge of the Bulloo River
Overflow (about 100 km east of Tibooburra) where about 500 Australian
Pratincoles, 20 or so Banded Lapwings, about a thousand Black-tailed
Native-hens and good numbers of raptors including both a Spotted and Swamp
Harrier, a Black Falcon, 3 Little Eagles, Australian Hobby as well as
numerous Crimson and Orange Chats.
We spent a good 2 days in Sturt National Park seeing a number of interesting
birds including 3 Australian Bustards (an adult and young bird on the road
to the airport and another adult 23km west of Tibooburra), many Emus with
young, 8 Inland Dotterels (seen during the day on a gibber plain close to
the western boundary of the park), good close views of up to 5 Bourke's
Parrots (coming to drink at dam before dusk), 3 Black Falcons, Flock
Bronzewings (great views of 20 feeding on the ground close next to our car
about 20km north of Tibooburra 3 others elsewhere in the park) many
White-backed Swallows (including young birds), several Red-backed
Kingfishers, several Chirruping Wedgebills, hundreds of Budgerigars (we saw
several nesting in the dried out Fort Grey Basin), hundreds of Black-tailed
Native-hen at Fromes Swamp, lots of Spotted Harriers (including an adult
pair with 3 young birds beside Mokely Creek), a pair of Red-browed
Pardalotes (about 15km west of Tibooburra). Crimson and Orange Chats,
Black-faced Woodswallows, Diamond Doves and Australian Pratincoles were all
numerous in Sturt NP.
At Pyampa station in SW Queensland, we got good views of at least 3 Grey
Grasswrens, a Flock Bronzewing, several Chirruping Wedgebills, many Brown
Songlarks and flushed a few Little Button-quail and Stubble Quail on our
search for the grasswrens. White-winged Wrens, Crimson and Orange Chats were
again numerous at this location.
Around Bollards Lagoon in NE South Australia, we had excellent views of an
Eyrean Grasswren and heard others (it was great to see 2 species of
Grasswren in a day in 2 different states!), a pair of Cinnamon
Quail-thrushes, a few Red-backed Kingfishers, a Banded Whiteface with 2
Southern Whiteface, Variegated Wrens, 20 or so Banded Lapwings, 15
Red-necked Avocets, 10 Gull-billed Terns, lots of Brown Falcons, Australian
Pratincoles and lots of White-backed Swallows. Budgerigars were in their
thousands and Crimson Chats, Diamond Doves, Black-faced Woodwswallows and
Zebra Finches were all numerous around Bollards Lagoon. Bollards Lagoon
itself was dried up but there was water nearby.
At Cameron Corner there was at least one White-breasted Woodswallow next to
the general store.
After a good 2 days or so in Corner Country, we then spent the last 2 days
heading back to Sydney.
We stopped again at the Bulloo River Overflow were we saw 20 Inland
Dotterels moving actively amongst many Pratincoles (not as numerous as our
previous visit) and some Red-capped Plovers in the early morning as well as
10 Flock Bronzewings coming to drink at the two dams there. About 10
Whiskered Terns were flying over the nearby Altibouka Lake.
On our way back to Wanaaring, we made some other brief stops here and there
seeing more emus with young, a nesting pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles,
Gull-billed Terns, Crested Bellbirds, a female Pied Honeyeater feeding in
with the Yellow-throated Miners, Chestnut-crowned Babblers as well as
several Mulga Parrots.
After spending our last night in Bourke, we made another stop at Byrock in
the early morning seeing a pair Crested Bellbirds on the ground; a Hooded
and many Red-capped Robins; Yellow, Chestnut-rumped and Inland Thornbills as
well as Splendid Wrens.
At Mullengudgery (between Nyngan and Trangie) we were very delighted to see
by the roadside a nesting adult pair of Black Falcons with 2 just about
ready to fledge young birds. We also heard here our only Western Gerygone
for the trip.
The last birding spot for the trip was the Lithgow sewerage treatment works
were we saw 19 Blue-billed Ducks (mostly breeding adult males) amongst the
50 or so Pink-eared Ducks, Australasian Shovelers, Hardheads, Hoary-headed
Grebes etc
Surprisingly, we saw or heard no Rufous Songlarks or White-browed
Woodswallows during our trip. There was also a lower than usual numbers of
honeyeaters with little flowering about the areas we visited.
Edwin Vella
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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