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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