Dear all
Recently went with 4 other birders (Clive Meadows, Louise Earnshaw, Max
Harris and Lori Warren) to southern WA, in order to tick the three
difficult western birds - Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird and
Noisy Scrubbird - which we did at Cheynes Beach, east of Albany - great
spot and very helpful caravan park staff. We also had a look at the Mute
Swans at Northam!
On the way there and back in NSW, noted the following that may be of
interest to NSW records:
Outward journey
Spotted Harrier - just west of Warren - 13.9.08
Major Mitchell Cockatoos - 1 hr drive west of Nyngan - 14.9.08
Emus - first seen 50k east of Warren - 14.9.08 - after that common
Red-tailed Black Cockatoos - first seen near Barrier/Cobb highways
junction - 14.9.08
Chirruping Wedgebill - fruit checkpoint 10k east of Broken Hill - 14.9.08
Country was quite green and relatively lush with many goats, sheep and
emus between Nyngan and Broken Hill.
Return journey
Bad dust storm between Mildura and Balranald 26.10.08, and very dry
conditions. Stayed at Balranald caravan park that night - many Galahs
and Little Corellas roosted in red gums on the Murrumbidgee along with
lesser numbers of Yellow Rosellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Barn
Owl called.
*Gull-billed Terns* - about 9? 145k west of Hay 27.10.08 - were
unexpected but I note were seen by others in September on Hay Plains.
There was a large area of irrigated rice paddies here which could have
attracted them. They shot across the highway at great speed in the usual
strong wind.
At Gum Swamp, Forbes on 27.10.08, among the usual birds were 1 Budgie, 1
Freckled Duck and 1 Blue-billed Duck and a Hobby - no Whistling Kites
following the deaths of the residents earlier this or last year. Clive
and I only did a 20mins survey here so could have been more around the
back. Lots of water in the swamp and Grey Teal, Hoary-headed Grebes,
Coots, Fairy Martins and Swamphens all had chicks.
Out far west, Fitzgerald River National Park had suffered bad fires in
the s.e. section last year and most of the tracks were closed due to
rain. We stayed at Quaalup a private property on the s.w. corner -
beautiful place, amazing flowers and good nature walk covering most of
the plants present, lots of rain and lots of ticks but no unusual birds
seen by us. The proprietress bakes beautiful cakes - the couple who own
the place are from Germany and she serves coffee and cake in the old
homestead. yum yum.
Dryandra (8-12 Oct) was beautiful but also very very dry but the birds
were good. Numbats have bred up well and we saw one on two separate
occasions. Bush-stone Curlews wailed each night and a mother
brush-tailed possum visited carrying a juvenile which was almost as big
as her.
Visited the Eyre Bird Observatory in gale force winds - Major Mitchell
Cockatoos were at the top of the escarpment, by the observatory on
20.10.08 and below the escarpment, plus Square-tailed Kite on the 21st.
The 70k drive below the escarpment to Madura on a very good dirt track
is well worth doing, a change to the Nullarbor Plain highway above.
Roadkill kangaroos was very bad between Eucla and Madura on the Eyre
Highway with 2 dead Wedgies. On return trip we saw 5 dead juvenile S
Hairy-nosed Wombats between Nullarbor roadhouse and Ceduna.
We had two tries for the Nullarbor Quailthrush, bush camping each time.
Lots of views of one or two flying away from us but no good on-ground
view by me. They took off and were carried by the wind at what I guess
is twice the normal speed. Very dry and windy here with lots of S
Hairy-nosed Wombat holes.
Lake Gilles in SA (16-18 Sept) was very dry, windy but good for birds,
including the W Yellow Robin, Blue-breasted Fairywren and Rufous
Treecreeper, Hooded and Red-capped Robins.
The Bight in SA - wonderful views of lots of Southern Right Whales with
calves, mating and just lolling around in the blue blue sea below the
cliffs. A dead Collared Sparrow-hawk was shown to us on 19 Sept, which
had killed itself flying into the glass of the office that morning.
Seems an unusual bird for that area - flat wind-swept heathland with
very few trees
Gluepot even more dry, dusty and windy, which drove us away I am sad to
say. We dipped on Red-lored Whistler (not seen since the fire) and Shy
Heathwren but saw the other 'specials'. Lots more reptiles around too
which reflects well on the feral control.
All in all, a memorable trip with amazing scenery, beautiful flowers in
WA (Fitzgerald is fantastic!), good company, such variety of bird life
and atmospheric conditions - frost, rain, wind, dust storm, sun, heat,
cold, humidity - everything except a cyclone or snow. My tent stood up
to the endless battering from the gale force winds although I got little
sleep when it was going on.
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