Martin said::
""I have been wondering for quite some time what everyone thinks about the
distinctive race 'rowleyi' Striated Grasswren preferred habitat is - in my
experience with this race, I've only found them on SAND-PLAIN spinifex in
Bladensburg NP & in the general Opalton area, NOT on rocky ground with
spinifex. BUT I noticed the other day that on Tim Faulkner's trip recently to
Opalton area that there is an image showing the bird inhabiting spinifex on
ROCKY ground !! This is something that I didn't know about. It seems maybe this
race is more of a generalist & inhabits sandy & rocky ground. Does anyone care
to share their experiences of this race so far as habitat preference is
concerned...?? Is Graeme Chapman out there to comment?? Cheers for now, Martin
Cachard""
My wife, Bev, and I saw the Striated Grasswren on the top of a rocky hill just
past Opalton last year. It seemed to be the place that had been described on
Eremaea (I think). Two were in clear view as they bounded across a rocky ledge
with not much spinifex on it. A short time after, we saw another getting
about, still on the ledge, but in a larger clump of spinifex. We could not be
sure it was a third, but it think it was. That was about 1pm.
Later, Bev heard some down on the flat at road level (you have to be there to
appreciate her hearing!), and after a while, we did see two others where she
was hearing them from. That was about 3.30pm.
We also picked up the Kalkadoon at Mica Creek and the Carpentarian on
Macnamara's Rd from Mt Isa. Each of those were between midday and 1pm.
We rang Rob Forsythe to talk about our sightings at Mt Isa, and he said he only
ever saw the grasswrens in the middle of the day, not before 10 o'clock. We
had spent many early mornings, at Bladensburg, taking our breakfast out to
catch (not literally) the Striated early in the morning, working on the basis
that birds go quiet in the heat of the day. When we got it on a return trip,
the first sighting seemed to confirm Rob's advice.
Wonder what other people have found on the best time to see grasswrens?
Peter and Bev Morgan
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