Fantastic post on the Princess Parrot observations. But what is a
"Golden-backed Honeyeater" - it does not appear on the Christidis and
Boles Checklist. Is it a form of White-naped Honeyeater?
Mark Stanley
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 2 Jul 2009 19:36:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: Jon King <>
Subject: Princess Parrots near Jupiter Well
To: Birding-Aus <>
Cc:
Message-ID: <>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
We have just returned from a superb week-plus in the Jupiter Well area
along the Gary Junction Highway in WA, where we found the incomparable
Princess Parrot in two different areas. Having tried along the Canning
Stock Route from Billiluna to Kunawarritji in the first week of May, and
Jupiter Well for three days from 6th-9th May, dipping in both areas, we
felt we had probably finally earned it!
The dunes were very different in late June versus early May, with lots
of flowering and loads of good birds that had not been present in the
area in May, including many Pied, Black, White-fronted, and other
honeyeaters, and hundreds of Budgies everwhere, with many prospecting
and defending apparent nest sites. We had Golden-backed Honeyeater
possibly well outside normal range, and bizarrely a flock of Black Swans
flying WSW one morning (there is probably no habitat for the latter
within a 500km radius of Jupiter Well).
After searching for a full day on 25th June (when we had some rain) we
finally found some parrots on the morning of 26th, 2.7km NNE of Jupiter
Well, after Jon had first heard one several hundred metres north of the
dune top we were on. We watched 6-8 for several minutes near 0930, then
saw where they went to day roost. We left them alone, returning at 1500,
just in time for them to break roost, where they accumulated in another
Sand Dune Bloodwood. We had scope views here down to 20m for nearly
half-an-hour of a flock of 12, even getting some reasonable digiscopes.
They shot off strongly to the E at 1609. All these observation were
within a short radius of 22 51 12.5 S, 126 36 17.9 E.
In the same area on the morning of the 27th we had at least three
parrots for a few minutes. Their footprints were very obvious on the
dune tops, and we were able to identify the grass species they were
eating. However, searching this same area on 28th and 29th, we saw no
more.
On the drive in from Alice, we had passed through some dune areas
40-60km E of Jupiter Well that we thought (in our relative ignorance at
the time) looked potentially good for parrots. Reluctantly leaving the
great birding at Jupiter Well, we stopped in this area on the way out.
It was even more packed full of nomadic birds, honeyeaters, Budgies,
etc.
Incredibly, at 0715 on the morning of 30th June we found a flock of
eight Princess Parrots some 44km E of Jupiter Well. Watching them on and
off for nearly half-an-hour feeding in several shrubs (later
identified), the flock swelled to 21 by 0746, but then disappeared to
the south, and could not be refound that morning despite extensive
searching. We returned to the same area in the late afternoon, and had a
pair fly strongly overhead going SE at 1611, but saw no more. We
searched the same area the following morning, and a few kms to the east,
but with no more sightings. All of these observations we in the area of
22 45 37.9 S, 126 58 11.6 E.
Australia is a land full of great parrots, but Princess Parrot is truly
stunning and is arguably the best. It is very well worth the effort
involved in seeing it. It is enhanced, if possible, by the great habitat
in which it occurs, and this is even better when it is flowering and
packed full of great nomadic birds.
Many thanks to Janet Morris (of North West Safaris) who originally told
me of her sightings at Jupiter in late April 2008, Don Hadden for his
2008 update from there and Well 44 on the CSR, and Merilyn Browne for
her more recent observation from Jupiter Well.
Cheers, Jon and Anne King.
This message and any attached files may contain information that is
confidential and/or subject of legal privilege intended only for use by the
intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient or the person
responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, be advised
that you have received this message in error and that any dissemination,
copying or use of this message or attachment is strictly forbidden, as is the
disclosure of the information therein. If you have received this message in
error please notify the sender immediately and delete the message.
==============================www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
=============================
|
