"Then we spotted a Grey Fantail twisting its way through the lower
branches."
At last, an Alice trip report with a Grey Fantail in it! I've always wanted
to know of a spot for ssp albiscapa!
Will file this away for my next Centre visit (probably sometime in the next
twenty years!).
John Leonard
On 16 April 2012 10:39, mat & cathy <> wrote:
> Hello again,
>
> Mum asked me to forward her report from a recent trip.
>
> Cheers
>
> Mat
>
> * *
> Mat & Cathy Gilfedder
> Wildlife photography
> pbase.com/gilfedder
>
>
>
>
> Plenty of birds at Gemtree 24-25 March 2012
>
>
> by Barb Gilfedder, President. Alice Springs Field Naturalists Club
>
>
> Carmel and Cameron Chalmers invited the Alice Springs Field Naturalists out
> to Gemtree to look at the birds. This is a tourist spot/caravan and camp
> ground that I have always thought of as just for gem enthusiasts – a
> jump-off point to the Harts Range gem fields. It proved to be a lot more
> than that, and for me the highlight was definitely the three and a half
> kilometer nature walk.
>
>
> Six of us left Alice early and were impressed with the number of raptors
> along the way – Brown Falcon, Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle and
> Black-breasted Buzzard were all identified by their underwing patterns.
> Magpies, Black-faced Woodswallows, Zebra Finches and small flocks of
> Budgerigars were also seen.
>
>
> At the 63Km mark from Alice Springs we pulled off to view Yambah Waterhole,
> the other side of the railway line. It was full of brown water, ruffled by
> a surprisingly cool breeze. A dark-coloured Bearded Dragon was on the edge
> not looking very happy, but I think it was probably still trying to warm up
> for the day. A few Hardheads, Grey Teal and Australasian Grebes floated
> near the opposite bank. A beautifully patterned Spotted Harrier delighted
> us by flying through at tree-top level (the trees aren’t very big). In the
> patch of Mulga where we parked the cars, Brown Honeyeater, Rufous Whistlers
> and a Willie Wagtail attracted us with their calls. Then we spotted a Grey
> Fantail twisting its way through the lower branches.
>
>
> We stopped for lunch at a small roadside clearing. Flocks of Masked Wood
> swallows filled the air. Pied Butcherbird, Australian Ringnecks, and
> Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater were added to the list. And more raptors – Nankeen
> Kestrel and Black-shouldered Kite put in an appearance.
>
>
> Gemtree boasts a pretty dam opposite the reception building. This water
> attracts a range of birds coming in for drinks as well as the Farmyard
> Ducks. Carmel told us that a Nankeen Night-Heron and a Black Swan had both
> been temporary residents there recently. While we were there Cameron was
> concerned about the handsome Darter who was diving for his fish, but nice
> to see the Darter.
>
>
> The dam is also the start of the Nature Walk. This winds around the
> property out of sight of the camp ground but never very far away from it,
> and has several escape routes back to the camp for walkers who become
> tired. The office lends out full-colour printed guides for the walk,
> brimming with photos and descriptions of different habitats and particular
> numbered plants, views and bird information. We were advised that if we
> kept walking, it would take about an hour to complete, but being Field
> Nats, it took us 2 ½ hours. There were certainly lots of things to see and
> hear as we wandered through a variety of habitats. Although there were
> areas that introduced Buffel Grass had invaded, there were also areas where
> native grasses and shrubs dominated. I particularly liked the Mulga forest
> where Splendid Fairy-wrens, Thornbills, Whistlers, Robins and Bellbirds
> kept us searching. Towards the end of the walk the track goes through a
> small creek. The birds in this area were amazing – lots of White-winged
> Trillers, Hooded Robins, Crimson Chats, Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo and I had
> great views of a Crested Bellbird, a bird which I so often hear but rarely
> see. There is a choice of paths near the end of the walk and we chose the
> low road along the sandy river bed. Flocks of Budgies were keeping busy
> high in the stately River Red Gums, while a Common Bronzewing fossicked in
> the sand.
>
>
> As we came out of the creek, a pile of old logs in the shade made a welcome
> sitting point as we watched Cockatiels, Ringnecks, Mulga Parrots, Galahs
> and even a group of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.
>
>
> After dark the Boobook Owl was making his comforting call and we woke in
> the morning to the distinctive Spotted Nightjar’s call.
>
>
> Jim and I moved on before lunch, heading east and then north to have a look
> at the new Mac and Rose Reserve on MacDonald Downs Station – destination
> for a future Field Naturalists trip. Later we went home via the Pinnacles
> Track, a very pretty alternative to the bitumen.
>
>
> Many thanks to our fellow campers and to Carmel and Cameron Chalmers for
> making us feel so welcome.
>
>
> 63 bird species for the trip, 51 of these were at Gemtree, marked with +.
>
> Carmel keeps a list of birds seen at Gemtree, over 100 of them, and is keen
> to add new sightings to it.
>
>
>
> Birdlist for the trip
>
> Australasian Darter +
>
> Australasian Grebe
>
> Grey Teal
>
> Hardhead
>
> Little Button-quail +
>
> Brown Quail +
>
> Black-shouldered Kite
>
> Spotted Harrier +
>
> Black Kite +
>
> Black-breasted Buzzard
>
> Whistling Kite
>
> Wedge-tailed Eagle
>
> Nankeen Kestrel
>
> Brown Falcon +
>
> Hobby
>
> Southern Boobook (heard) +
>
> Spotted Nightjar (heard) +
>
> Diamond Dove +
>
> Crested Pigeon +
>
> Common Bronzewing +
>
> Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo +
>
> Galah +
>
> Australian Ringneck +
>
> Mulga Parrot +
>
> Cockatiel +
>
> Budgerigar +
>
> Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo +
>
> Rainbow Bee-eater +
>
> Masked Woodswallow +
>
> Black-faced Woodswallow +
>
> Western Bowerbird +
>
> Spendid Fairy-wren +
>
> Chestnut-rumped Thornbill +
>
> Yellow-rumped Thornbill +
>
> Inland Thornbill +
>
> Striated Pardalote +
>
> Red-browed Pardalote +
>
> Singing Honeyeater +
>
> White-plumed Honeyeater +
>
> Grey-fronted Honeyeater
>
> Grey-headed Honeyeater
>
> Yellow-throated Miner +
>
> Crimson Chat +
>
> Pied Honeyeater +
>
> Brown Honeyeater +
>
> Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater +
>
> White-browed Babbler +
>
> Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike +
>
> White-winged Triller +
>
> Rufous Whistler +
>
> Grey Shrike-thrush +
>
> Crested Bellbird +
>
> Pied Butcherbird +
>
> Australian Magpie +
>
> Torresian Crow +
>
> Little Crow +
>
> Willie Wagtail +
>
> Magpie Lark +
>
> Grey Fantail
>
> Hooded Robin +
>
> Australasian Pipit +
>
> Mistletoebird +
>
> Zebra Finch
> ===============================
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--
John Leonard
Canberra
Australia
www.jleonard.net
I want to be with the 9,999 other things.
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