Hi Kirri,
I dunno about a quick question........;)
It depends what you are chasing. Probably for the best overall variety of
species, I would say October-November when there should be some waders around,
but you can still get a few winter seabirds from shore. If seabirds are more
your thing, then earlier (Aug-Sep) might be better. If you're a wader buff
Nov-Jan/Feb may be the go (but it will get busier during school holidays). The
key bushbird species are all resident, although they are less vocal/obvious
some times of the year. October-November most should be fairly vocal still.
Ususally around the Cheynes Beach the key targets are the big 3 skulkers (Noisy
Scrub-bird, Western Whipbird and Western Bristlebird). You can get all three
within walking distance of the caravan park - ask at reception for the birding
info. Most of the other south-west endemics (like White-breasted Robin,
Red-winged Fairy-wren, Red-eared Firetail etc.) can also be found in the area.
There are occasionally Rock Parrot or waders on the beach, and if there is a
strong S'ly wind up you might get Flesh-footed Shearwater, albatross (mostly
Indian Yellow-nosed) and Great-winged Petrels in the bay, and probably a chance
for other species. There are also mammals about, with the chance of Honey
Possum in flowering banksias. I've also seen Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot),
and a Quokka, and there can be Southern Right Whales in the bay at the right
time of year (winter-?). At Cheynes Beach, most of the birding is in walking
distance of the caravan park, but you can drive back up Cheynes Road looking
for raptors and a few other species (let me know if you are interested in
bitterns), head back into Albany where there are a number of other sites (Lower
Kalgan Bridge, Lake Seppings, Torndirrup NP etc.), or take a day trip to the
Stirling Range to pick up some woodland species - again, if you want more
details on some of these sites, please let me know
At Esperance, the key species for WA birders tend to be Cape Barren Goose
(usually easy at the entrance to the Golf Course on the road to Norseman), and
Black-faced Cormorant (on the platform off the end of the Tanker Jetty) which
are tough elsewhere in the state. Hooded Plover occur on the salt lakes (Lake
Warden can be good), and several south-west endemics occur here too. Some of
the sites worth checking:
Lake Warden (access via a track off Stearne Rd, Hooded Plovers, other waders)
The lakes on the golf course, ?Windabout Lakes? (viewable from the
Esperance-Norseman Rd or you could ask for permission at the golf course to see
if you could walk around them, ducks, sometimes waders etc.)
Mullet Lakes (start of Merivale Rd, usually a good variety of waterbirds and
sometimes waders)
Lake Wheatfield and Woody Lake (a few waterbirds)
Cape Le Grand NP (heath species like Western Fieldwren, Southern Emu-wren,
Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, quieter beaches may have waders - farmland on the
road to Cape Le Grand can have Emu and Aus Bustard as well as pipits, chats,
raptors etc.)
Woody Island - boat trip can have White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Flesh-footed and
Short-tailed Shearwater, Pacific Gull, Cape Barren Goose etc. You can stay on
the island in safari tent accomodation or do a day tour, good for some
bushbirds which can be quite confiding (Brown Quail, Rock Parrot, Red-eared
Firetail) and you can sit next to a Flesh-footed Shearwater colony at dusk and
listen to them fly in
The Esperance foreshore is good for Pacific Gull, and occasionally Rock Parrot.
Western Wattlebird is common in many areas, especially if there are banksias.
Other potentially useful info:
http://the-twitcher.blogspot.com.au/2010/03/sw-wa-trip-part-2-cheynes-beach-area.html
http://tim-dolby.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/western-australias-wonderful-south-west_29.html
(scroll down to Cheynes Beach section)
http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au/sites/cheynes_beach.htm
http://www.birdlife.org.au/images/uploads/branches/documents/WA-32a_esperance.pdf
Hope that's useful, if you have any other queries feel free to let me know
Cheers,
John
> Date: Sat, 15 Feb 2014 06:31:25 -0800
> From:
> To:
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Esperance....
>
> Just a quick question..
> When is the best time of year to visit Esperance W.A and the Cheynes beach
> area?
> What birds are there in the area and birding hotspots/locations..??
> All help much appreciated :-)
>
> Email:
>
> Thanks in advance
> Kirri...:-)
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