Following a trip in May-July this year through Southern Qld to Alice Springs
and back to Grafton via the Oodnadatta and Strzlecki Track, we are now
wandering around in central NSW. Apart from the lushness of the country by
comparison with the drought and arid conditions of the earlier trip, the
density of birds is remarkable by comparison.
Only one cat seen on this trip, compared with large numbers earlier, including
the one ginger cat that had taken over the Letter-winged Kite's nest.
While not exhaustive, the following lists are some of the ones we have seen.
>> GOOBANG NATIONAL PARK, 21 Sep 2013. (Near Peak Hill)
>> Jacky Winter
>> Eastern Yellow Robin
>> Hooded Robin
>> Rufous Songlark, pair feeding on ground
>> Speckled Warbler, pair feeding young(?)
>> Brown Treecreeper, coming from hollow
>> Spotted Pardalote constructing nest
>> Striated Pardalote
>> Grey Fantail, nest under construction.
>> White-throated Treecreeper
>> Varied Sittella
>> Dusky Woodswallow
>> Wedge-tailed Eagle: 3 soaring above and below lookout, claimed as the point
>> from which explorer Mitchell surveyed the great western plains.
>>
>> 22 Sep, en route to Condobolin
>> Major Mitchell Cockatoo. Just one
>> Splendid Fairywren, very splendid, photo. Murda SF
>> White-browed Woodswallow. Murda SF
23 Sep, Condobolin
Gum Bend Lake
Huge raft of Grebes, probably young - couldn't be sure whether Australian or
Hoary or mix, but there were some adult Australian with them. Two
Great-crested Grebe. Bev sighted 2 Freckled Ducks. Little Grassbird;
Australian Reed-warbler; Variegated Wren; Black-fronted Dotterel; Red-kneed
Dotterel; Zebra Finch.
Murda SF.
Splendid Fairywren in same spot; Red-capped Robin; Brown-headed HE;
White-winged Triller; Southern Whiteface; White-eared Honeyeater.
On our way back to Condobolin, we read Warren Chad's report of the Black Falcon
at the tip, and were able to find it. Thanks Warren. A couple of photos seem
to show a yellow cere which is not apparent in our field guides. Can anyone
comment? It could be the light or the quality of the photograph(er).
24 Sep.
En route to Round Hill Nature Reserve.
One Major Mitchell Cockatoo; White-winged Fairywren (only second sighting for
the year, others seen at Tibbooburra on earlier trip); Brown Songlarks
everywhere.
Round Hill Nature Reserve.
What a brilliant spot! Amazing what a couple of flowering Eremophila will do.
Black HE; White-eared HE; White-fronted HE; Yellow-plumed and White-plumed HE;
Brown-headed He; Striped HE; Spiny-cheeked HE:
Inland Thornbill; Yellow Thornbill; Chestnut-rumped Thornbill; Weebill:
White-browed Woodswallow; Masked Woodswallow:
Bar-shouldered Dove; Common Bronzewing:
Rufous Whistler:
White-winged Triller:
Splendid Fairywren:
Striated Pardalotes frantically taking food to a hollow:
Horsfields Bronze Cuckoo (h):
Crested Bellbirds calling:
Owlet Nightjar called briefly just after dark and, later, a Tawny Frogmouth was
heard.
And, to top it all off, we had a pair of Shy Heathwren moving around our van!
Thanks to Graeme Chapman for alerting us to this as a good spot for them. A
number of ID photos.
Peter and Bev Morgan
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