Hi Peter, Here they are.NB the itinerary is very flexible - at the moment I'm
looking at flying to Mt Isa then doing Lawn Hill/ Karumba/ Cloncurry/ Bedourie/
Birdsville and back to Mt Isa, but I may head further east from Birdsville. It
all depends upon time. Here is a list of possible targets and even if you don't
think I can cover all the locations in the time, don't feel you have to leave
any birds out, the itinerary could change or I may just take another
trip.Carpentarian GrasswrenKalkadoon GrasswrenGrey GrasswrenEyrean
GrasswrenPurple-crowned Fairy-wrenGibberbirdHall's BabblerChestnut-breasted
Quail-thrushSpotted BowerbirdPictorella MannikinSpinifexbirdChiming
WedgebillGreat-billed HeronZitting CisticolaBar-breasted Honeyeater Other
possibles include: Grey Falcon (well I can dream)Flock BronzewingBlack-eared
CuckooGround Cuckoo-shrikePainted HoneyeaterStar FinchLetter-winged KiteGrass
Owl Red-backed Buttonquail Many thanks for your help. Cheers Tim
From: : : RE: [Birding-Aus]
RFI Eastern Deserts/EungellaDate: Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:20:16 +1100
Hi Tim,I have been away and note that you have now changed your itinerary for
this trip (my comment would have been it was impossible to do what you
planned).With your new itinerary do you still have the list of species that you
are after - I can possibly provide some details of locations I have tracked
them down.Cheers,Peter> From: > To:
; > Subject: RE: [Birding-Aus]
RFI Eastern Deserts/Eungella> Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 05:32:29 +0000> > Hi Ian,>
> Thanks for the reply. As per the original email it would be for a 7-9 day
period in the second half of April. Actual, exact route will be totally
designed around where my targets birds are likely to be, and that depends on
the info I get! However, it's beginning to look something like this:> > Day 1 -
travel across from Sydney> Night 1 - Mildura or somewhere around there.> Day 2
- Gluepot and environs.> Night 2 - Burra or Peterborough area> Day 3 - up to
Lyndhurst area> Night 3 - Lyndhurst or Leigh Creek> Day 4 - Birdsville track>
Night 4 - Birdsville> Day 5 - head to Mount Isa> Nights 5 and 6 - Mount Isa>
Days 6 and 7 - Mount Isa and Lawn Hill birding> Night 7 - maybe Boulia or
Bedouri> Night 8 - possibly Bowra Station/Eulo> > Actually, having thought a
bit more about the costs and awkwardness of travelling by plane and
transferring stuff to hire vehicles etc., I am now considering driving it from
Sydney. I own a Toyota Prado (with a double tank which costs me $250 to fill
up, so I don't think I'll have any trouble with range) and so it seems I could
go via the mallee and SA and north from there, which could give me the chance
to at least try to pick up some of the specialities en route, such as
Black-eared Miner, Scarlet-chested Parrot, Western Whipbird, Chestnut-breasted
Whiteface, Thick-billed Grasswren etc..> > Maybe this will stretch it to 8 to
10 days, but I would miss out Eungella and come back SE-wards to Sydney. > >
Yes, precautions, precautions, precautions. I would definitely invest in a sat
phone and a second spare wheel and not rely on a mobile. Maybe I should
advertise for someone to come with me... but is it so bad to go solo if I stay
with main routes (i.e. I wouldn't go off road as such)?> > Any further thoughts
appreciated.> > Best rgds> > Tim> > > > >From: > To:
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] Eastern Deserts/Eungella>
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 10:01:11 +1000> > Tim> It sounds like a great trip you
are planning with plenty of exciting country > and birding, however I'm a
little unsure of where you are intending to > actually go, to help you here is
some advice/suggestions. Apologies in > advance if it is a case of teaching you
how to suck eggs!> An issue is solo travelling in remote locations; never a
good idea in case > of breakdowns or ill-health. Need to keep in mind the
mobile phone coverage > is very patchy - for example I've just driven back from
Townsville to > Yungaburra where I live via Greenvale, The Lynd, 40 Mile Scrub
and Mt Garnet > and there was no coverage most of the way. And this was with a
new 3 G > phone using Telstra. (The coastal route was flooded). I work with NRW
and > we have a regular call in process when we go remote so maybe you could >
organise such a thing with a known route? You also need ot know how to use > a
sat phone (as do I!0 and that the pin number is turned off. This is to > ensure
that incase you are unconscious your helpers can use the phone.> Second thing
is to double check the distances with regard to time it takes > to travel
anywhere - and also the range of your vehicle as there are large > gaps between
fuel stops.> That is a great range of birds on your wish list; with the Purlpe
crowned > fairy wren very easy around Lawn Hill and Gregory River. Spinifexbird
> around MT Isa (but I've tried twice and missed both times!) Bob Forsyth >
lives at Mt Isa and is in the phone book. He can give you loal advice > however
at the moment is heavily involved in local history. There is a > fellow called
Phil Venables who is curently at Mt Isa and a vg birdo. Bob > would have his
contact details. Phil will be able to help with the Carp and > Kalkadoon
Grasswren. I saw the KW around 10 years ago on road from > Cloncurry to
Duchess. So very old info there but according to Phil and Bob > when I met with
them last November the KG is apparently easy to pick up > (which normally means
I miss out!)! Adn Phil has good sites for the Carp > Grasswren.> > Things like
Halls Babblers - around Winton south to Opalton. Maybe better > to go camping
in places like Bladensburg NP? Just south of Winton. Or stay > at Winton and
travel down. Straited Grassrens are apparently easy to pick > up around Larks
Quarry NP.> > I've seen Spotted Bowerbirds one before - when we had to stay in
Clermont > for two nights due to vehicular failure! They were in the local
park.> > I'm going on a trip for 4 nights with some friends from the tablelands
to > the Winton area in May, banking on the assumption that with the good rains
> there will be a population explosion and we'll be tripping up over Rufous >
crowned Emu wrens, Redthroats and Spinifexbirds. I can dream.> I'd be
interested to hear of any response you get, as we are going to > similiar
country. Sounds like a great trip and you should see some great > birds.> >
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