G’day all!
I recently drove from Adelaide to Sydney but took the long route via Stokes
Hill, the Strezlecki Track, Innaminka, Coopers Crossing and Bowra Station to
target a few grasswren. Three different species of grasswren were observed but
I dipped on Grey Grasswren. Thanks go to previous postings by people such as
Ian May, Fiona Parkin, & Tim Dolby.
TICKS
Thick-billed Grasswren (both western and eastern subspecies), Eyrean Grasswren,
Redthroat, Hall’s Babbler, Barbary Dove
OTHER GOOD BIRDS
Short-tailed Grasswren, Chestnut –breasted Whiteface, Rufous Fieldwren, Banded
Stilt, Orange Chat, Pied Honeyeater, Black Honeyeater, Cinnamon Quail-thrush,
Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush, Major Mitchells, Banded Lapwing, Black-breasted
Buzzard, Blue-billed Duck, Superb Lyrebird, Origma
DIPS
Grey Grasswren, Grey Falcon, Letter-winged Kite, Flock Bronzewing, Little
Button-quail, Pilotbird
LOCATIONS
ADELAIDE – BARBARY DOVE found at the site previously mentioned on Birding-Aus
(pedestrian laneway linking Sampson Rd and Grateley St, entry opposite Patney
St).
WHYALLA – THICK-BILLED GRASSWREN (western subsp) – found about 5 km north of
Whyalla along the road to Iron Knob road. Found by stopping and looking in
areas of good Bluebush habitat. 8AM
PORT AUGUSTA – REDTHROAT – found at the Arid Lands Botanical Gardens, near the
solar panel pole beside the road about 700 metres from the front gate. Also
BANDED STILT – in the salty lake on the southern entrance to port augusta,
across the road and causeway/bridge from the BP service station.
STOKES HILL LOOKOUT – SHORT-TAILED GRASSWREN – Found within 15 mins of arrival
in a gully sheltered from the light breeze directly opposite the entry road,
i.e. if the road were to continue over the hill. Found around 3 PM.
LYNDHURST STATION - THICK-BILLED GRASSWREN (eastern subsp) – Found within 15
mins of arrival at the traditional ‘rusty car’ Thomas & Thomas site. 8 AM.
Other good birds at site included ORANGE CHAT, mating PIED HONEYEATERS,
CINNAMON QUAIL-THRUSH, and RUFOUS FIELDWREN that seemed to participate in a
‘broken wing’ display to draw me away from young birds. Grasswren also found at
the ‘two gates’ site. Also CHESTNUT-BREASTED WHITEFACE found at the two gates
site within half an hour of arrival, approximately 500m from the gate in the
low hills to the left looking from the gate. 10 AM.
(NOTE: Owners of the site request that bird watchers gain permission to enter
the site and pay a $20 fee. Contact: Bill Baade, 08 8757406, 0417824879)
MERTY MERTY STATION – EYREAN GRASSWREN – Found on the second dune west from
the grid and signs demarking the boundary of Merty Merty and Bollards Lagoon
Stations. I arrived at dawn but it took an hour or two till it was warmer and
there was direct light on the dunes to hear/see a small party of grasswrens.
Need to look for good stands of Dune Sandhill Grass.
INNAMINKA – BLACK-BREASTED BUZZARD
COOPERS CROSSING – despite searching for 5 hours between 7am and 12 midday in
good stands of green Lignum did NOT see grey grasswren. Interestingly also no
quail or button-quail at all. RUFOUS SONGLARK, CRIMSON CHAT, YELLOW SPOONBILL,
and a couple of BUDGIES present.
NOCCUNDRA – searched for 1 hour between 2-3 pm in very dry Lignum and did NOT
see grey grasswren but have heard other people were successful the same week.
BOWRA STATION – HALL’S BABBLER were found fairly easily around site 4 on the
property map. CHESTNUT-BREASTED QUAIL-THRUSH were quite difficult and only
found after walking vast distances on stony slopes and listening carefully for
their sibilant calls. Other good birds included a couple of BLACK HONEYEATERS,
MAJOR MITCHELLS, BANDED LAPWINGS, CHESTNUT-CROWNED BABBLER, WHITE-BROWED
TREECREEPER. Did not see grey falcon although others had seen some earlier in
the week. No quail of any kind either.
(Bowra is a total of 16 kilometres north-west of Cunnamulla, and camping costs
$10/person/night. Contact Ian & Julie McLaren,
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