Earlier this month I spent 10 days travelling around parts of western
NSW and SW Qld with the aim of checking out a few places I haven't
been before. The undoubted highlight was spending two and a half days
at Kilcowera station on the Hungerford to Thargomindah road in
south-west Qld.
A glance at the visitors book shows that Kilcowera has already been
discovered by a few birders but it deserves to be better known. The
birding opportunities are fantastic, the shearers' quarters
accommodation very comfortable and the owners Toni and Greg Sherwin
very welcoming and helpful.
Kilcowera is a whopping 120,000 acres (nearly 50,000 ha) of mulga,
gibber, stony ridge and gorge country, eremophila shrubland, bimble
box and coolibah, natural swamps and waterholes, lignum and a good
variety of other habitats. The bird list for the property contains
157 species including characteristic mulga species such as
Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush and Hall's Babbler and plenty of other
outback birds including chats, bustards, Chirruping Wedgebill and the
Gibberbird. Grey Falcon is on the list, having been seen twice. The
property adjoins the western side of Lake Wyara, the semi-permanent
salt lake which forms part of Currawinya NP and is an important
waterbird refuge. Earlier this year the lake held a massive Pelican
breeding event, but by the time I was there the Pelicans had
dispersed and the water a long way back from the access point.
However it was the bush birds that provided ample interest and
delight.
During my visit I saw 75 species including Bourke's Parrot, Mulga
Parrot, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush,
Crested Bellbird, White-browed Treecreeper, Splendid and White-winged
Fairy-wrens, Orange and Crimson Chats, Diamond Dove, Black-faced
Woodswallow, White-fronted Honeyeater and amazing numbers of Pied and
Black Honeyeaters.
Several species of Eremophila were flowering and literally everywhere
I stopped - without exception - Pied Honeyeaters could be heard
and/or seen. At one point along the Red Hole drive, I wandered into
the bush to find myself surrounded my dozens of male Pieds all
competing vocally, they were in the top of every tree and shrub; in
one small tree I counted 15 and in another tree there were 6 males
competing for the attentions of one female. A few moments later and
at least three dozen rose into the air as a flock, filling the sky
the way woodswallows do. I have seen concentrations of Pied
Honeyeaters before but nothing like this. Black Honeyeaters were also
very numerous.
While I was watching the honeyeaters, I heard a sound in the tree
beside me and there, barely 3 metres away, was an inquisitive
Bourke's Parrot. (This was only one of several excellent Bourke's
sightings I had.) I then put my binoculars onto another tree and saw
Bourke's and Mulga Parrots and Pied Honeyeater together in one
binocular view! The previous day, while admiring the view from the
top of a rocky ridge I suddenly became aware of a movement behind a
shrub, and a Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush materialised. A few
moments later I was watching a breathtakingly vivid male Splendid
Fairy-wren bouncing across the ochre-red ground. These were magical
moments!
I took a whole day to do the 70km self-drive tour around the
property. The track crosses stony ridges, red dirt plains and dry
creek beds, past bores with a colourful history, past windmill-blade
signs labelling trees and shrubs and pointing the way to side tracks
and caves, eventually reaching a point at the eastern end of the
property overlooking Lake Wyara. From this point the lake was no more
than a shimmering haze in the distance, even through the scope. I put
on my daypack and walked some distance out towards the water and
hardly seemed to get any closer, but along the way I encountered
groups of Orange Chats, White-winged Fairy-wrens, Brown Songlarks,
Black-faced Woodswallows, Black-fronted Dotterels and the occasional
Wedge-tailed Eagle. Around the edges of a pool, Red-capped Plovers
busily foraged. The only evidence of the massive Pelican rookery a
few months earlier was the occasional dead young Pelican on the
salt-encrusted mud, a sight which hinted at some unknown and
incomprehensible struggle under a beating sun.
Back along the track, I detoured to a rock hole - a beautiful spot
where I could have sat for hours, if only I'd had the time! It felt
very special. Here I saw Hooded Robin and Diamond Dove. I also really
enjoyed the drive to Red Hole which passes through fantastic bird
habitat and it was along this short stretch I saw 9 species of parrot
and cockatoo. At Red Hole itself were a couple of dozen Pink-eared
Ducks, some Grey Teal and Hoary-headed Grebes.
In the afternoon I walked around Cardenyabba Lagoon where I saw
Yellow-billed Spoonbills, many White-browed and Masked Woodswallows,
a tree full of Crimson Chats and yet more Bourke's and Mulga Parrots
looking stunning in the late afternoon sun.
A plastic folder containing a map of the property, interpretive notes
and a birdlist are issued to visitors on arrival. The owners Toni and
Greg obviously care for their land very well, are interested in birds
and their hospitality is of the sort that the outback is famous for.
Accommodation is available in shearer's quarters or camping. The
common birds around the quarters included Chestnut-rumped Thornbills,
Southern Whitefaces, Red-capped Robins, a group of Emus and of course
those Pied Honeyeaters! At night I heard an Owlet-nightjar.
It would be tempting to compare Kilcowera with Bowra but each has its
own merits. It's worth noting that Kilcowera is more remote, being
about 80km along a gravel road to the nearest town (Thargomindah). I
had to change a flat tyre on the way from Hungerford so I was very
glad to have brought a second spare which allowed peace of mind while
driving the many kilometres of station tracks.
I heartily recommend Kilcowera for anyone wanting a relaxing stay in
a beautiful outback environment amongst friendly people and the
promise of a very special birding experience!
Carol
Carol Probets
Katoomba NSW
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