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Trip report - Alice Springs area

To: <>
Subject: Trip report - Alice Springs area
From: "Martin Cake" <>
Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 14:01:04 +0800
TRIP REPORT
Alice Springs area, 30th August-3rd Sept 2008

This should answer Bruce's question about chats! I have just returned from a 
short but intensive trip to Alice Springs area. It has been a very dry year 
(last good rains early 2007) though it did rain twice while I was there ? 
hopefully enough to green things up just a little. The mulga areas in 
particular looked very dry. The advice I had (many thanks to those who 
responded to my rude requests!) was that it was too dry, and too early in the 
season for nomadic species like little button quail, pied & black HE, chats, 
etc. Well this proved to be true ? though I did find the chats thanks to the 
wonderful sewage plant. Songlark were also apparently absent from the area 
perhaps indicating how dry it has been.

Updates on a few sites:
Kunoth Bore: the dam was completely dry despite overnight rain, and the 
surrounding mulga looked EXTREMELY dry, as did the eremophila patch further 
down the road, in which nothing was flowering. Birds were hard to find though 
this did prove a reliable site for Slaty-backed Thornbill, after some searching 
(about 2 km down Hamilton Downs rd).

Old Telegraph Station: only spot where Redthroat were seen (at entrance gate). 
The Bradshaw walk gave great views of Euro and Black-footed rock wallaby as 
promised by the Alice Field Nats website.

Trephina Gorge: Magnificent walk and recommended for this alone, but few birds 
around in the late afternoon (ie no grasswren or painted finch). The second 
half of the drive in from Alice seemed very green, even with grass growing 
alongside the road so might be good areas for bird at the moment though I 
didn?t have time to look much.

Western Macs ? spent one&half days visiting pretty much all the known tourist 
spots as far as Glen Helen, except Standley Chasm. As has been noted on this 
site the Ormiston Pound walk is highly recommended though I would certainly not 
rely on it for Spinifexbird or R-C emu-wren as the spinifex is mostly pretty 
small (best patches of old spinifex I saw were near the Ormiston turnoff, and 
around the microwave tower on Ormiston entry road). In general the most lively 
birding areas seemed to be around the waterholes along Ormiston Creek 
(including a little way off the marked track to the north outside the gorge), 
and around the walk into Serpentine Gorge. Not a lot flowering other than the 
occasional mallee (especially the little patch around the Serpentine 
campground, as previously noted). There was also a small patch of red 
eremophilas flowering just off the carpark at Ormiston Gorge (actually, 
immediately east of the toilets) which was attracting a lot of honeyeaters and 
might be worth a look for the next little while.

BIRDS
104 for the trip, 9 ticks (=*). Notable sightings (trip list available on 
request):
Hardhead ?100s at sewage ponds, also one in the waterhole at Ellery Ck Big 
Hole! (which was also the only place I saw Dusky Moorhen the whole trip!)
White-necked Heron ? unexpectedly, 2 perched over a tiny waterhole at Ormiston
Black-breasted Buzzard ? 1 flying over Ormiston Gorge, another by roadside on 
Larapinta Dr
Australian Hobby ? 1 at Telegraph Station, along Todd River.
*Black Falcon ? 1 circling near entrance to sewage plant (ie over tip). Awesome 
bird in an ordinary location!
Black-tailed Native-hen ? dozens along walls of sewage plant
Wood Sandpiper ? several at sewage plant, with Common SPs and Marsh sandpiper 
(1). No little waders yet.
Red-necked Avocet ? large flock at sewage plant
Spinifex Pigeon ? surpringly, only seen at Desert Park (they come out of the 
mulga for the raptor show). No sign of them at Ormiston or anywhere else along 
the Macs!
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo ? large flock (100s) flying south in Colonel Rose 
Drive area early morning
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo ? 4 at sewage plant
Mulga Parrot ? seen at Kunoth Bore, and at the airport as I arrived and as I 
left!
Budgerigar ? only one flock seen, near waterhole in Ormiston Pound
Barn Owl ? heard camping at Glen Helen
Rainbow Bee-eater ? a few pairs (?) at the gaps/gorges including Ormiston, 
Serpentine, and Ellery Ck.
*Dusky Grasswren ? seen at Simpson?s Gap, Ormiston Gorge (at the eastern end of 
the gorge itself ? ran across riverbed in front of me), and Jessie Gap ? on the 
rock slope to the right (to left of rock art, around the fig tree). Not sure if 
the latter is a known site but is easy to get to and a relatively confined 
area. Three sightings without major effort so they seemed to be reasonably 
common. I was told that late afternoon as the rock slopes enter shadow is a 
good if not the best time to see them.
*Red-browed Pardalote ? heard many times, but very difficult to get a good look 
at!
Redthroat ? couple singing heartily at dawn, at the gate into the Telegraph 
Station (which isn?t unlocked until 8am)
Western Gerygone ? Telegraph Station and Ormiston carpark.
*Slaty-backed Thornbill -  pair at Kunoth Bore, after some searching. Also one 
probable one on the Bradshaw walk at Telegraph station.
Grey-headed Honeyeater ? common in all the gorges. Also one hanging out at 
waterhole at Olive Pink gardens.
*Crimson Chat ? large flock (30-40+) in burnt out area at the back of sewage 
plant.
*Orange Chat ? one male and one female, with above crimsons.
Hooded Robin ? Hamilton Downs Rd, also on Ormiston Pound walk amongst other 
places.
Grey Shrike-Thrush -  a common bird but I must say hearing their call ringing 
within the gorges is something pretty special and one of the trip highlights.
Grey-crowned Babbler ? Olive Pink gardens and Ormiston carpark area. Seeing 
them raid a White-plumed HE nest (directly above path into café) and eat a tiny 
nestling put me off these beautiful birds ? but only a little.
Crested Bellbird ? Hamilton Downs rd and a few other places. Calling at 
Corroboree Rock.
White-winged Triller ? fairly common and paired up, but didn?t seem to be 
singing yet. Quite a few pairs at Olive Pink garden.
Masked Woodswallow ? at least one large flock of about 30 in Kunoth Bore area.
*White-browed Woodswallow ? one, with the flock of Maskeds above.
Little Woodswallow ? Ormiston Gorge. Lovely views (ie perched at ground level) 
around waterhole area in the Pound.
*Western Bowerbird ? very busy at the bower in Olive Pink gardens. Magnificent 
views and posing for close range photographs ? a real highlight. As Gary Wright 
has mentioned there were on occasion at least three birds doing some sort of 
noisy display around the bower. Also seen flying at Telegraph Station and a few 
other places.
Mistletoebird -  very common and noisy at the moment.
White-backed Swallow ?  seen out the back (west) of sewage plant, one only
Fairy Martin ? very large gathering (several hundred at least) at sewage plant.
*Spinifexbird ? seen on each of two quick walks at Ormiston turnoff site, west 
side of road. Seems a very reliable spot so thanks to whoever gazetted this 
one! The second time one flew into a tree and just sat there looking at me for 
ages. Great bird, much more attractive than I expected with its tawny crown and 
barred undertail. No sign or sound of emu-wrens at same site - though I didn?t 
spend that long looking.
Golden-headed Cisticola ? at least 3-4 birds at sewage plant. I think this is a 
known colony but note is well out of range.

?and the dips:
worst of all - Red-backed Kingfisher. Apparently they are around in small 
numbers but quiet at this time of year.
Painted Finch ? this one hurt because I was told they were certain to be around 
the waterholes in Ormiston Pound. Unfortunately it had rained the night before 
so I guess they took they opportunity to range a bit further than usual from 
permanent water. Ouch.
Bourke?s parrot ? probably had no chance with Kunoth Bore dry but I had hoped 
they might be around the area, no such luck.
Grey Honeyeater ? have been around Olive Pink gardens within the last few weeks 
according to locals. No sign despite checking the mulga grove many times, but 
apparently this is your best chance at the moment. The rest of Olive Pink 
gardens is alive with birds, and great coffee too.

Many thanks to all those who supplied info for a successful trip.

Martin
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