Hi John
I have seen grey fantail on Larapinta trail between Simpson's gap and the
next camp site going west-can't remember what it is called.
Gary
On 16 April 2012 10:30, John Leonard <> wrote:
> "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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