The following is a report of a birding trip I did to South Australia and includes information on Birds Australia's Gluepot Reserve, the Flinders Ranges and the western section of the Strzelecki Track.
The best birds for the trip, in no particular, order included Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Thick-billed, Short-tailed and Striated Grasswren, Black-eared Miner, Inland Dotterel, Chirruping Wedgebill, Rufous Calamanthus, Letter-winged Kite, White-backed Swallow, Orange Chat, Redthroat, White-browed Treecreeper, Red-backed Kingfisher, Common Sandpiper, Chestnut-browed Babbler, Little Crow, Grey-fronted, Striped, White-fronted and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, White-winged, Splendid and Variegated Fairy-wren, Crested Bellbird, Spotted Harrier, Mulga, Regent and Elegant Parrot, Blue Bonnet and Major Mitchell Cockatoo.
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| Stokes Hill Lookout, Flinders Ranges |
I started the trip in the Grampians in western Victoria, staying near in Wartook, seeing birds such as White-browed Babbler, Rainbow Bee-eater, Jacky Winter and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater; interestingly all of these birds followed me throughout my trip through northern Victoria, South Australia and western NSW. From the Grampians I headed north, staying one night in the Renmark Hotel (not a pleasant experience) and then drove to the Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve, stopping to pick the key up in Waikerie.
Birds Australia's Gluepot Reserve
The road from Waikerie to Gluepot is a bit sandy, although it was easily managed in my Land Rover. I stayed at the excellent Babblers campsite. Around the campsite I saw Striped Honeyeater, Crested Bellbird, Owlet Nightjar, White-browed Treecreeper, White-browed Babbler, Mulga Parrot, Hooded Robin, Red-capped Robin and there was a family of Orange Chat at a nearby dam.
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| Gluepot Entrance Track. |
I found the best place to see Black-eared Miner to be at the intersection of Track 8 and the Birdseye Block Restricted Area. There is a resident flock of at least twenty birds. It is also a good spot to start looking for Striated Grasswren. I saw a number of Grasswren along the boundary track, in the second area of Spinifex grass, about 2 kilometers down. They were calling loudly and at one stage I was standing between a male and female who were bouncing calls off each other. Fantastic.
Flinders Ranges
From Gluepot I headed to the Flinders Ranges. Between Peterborough and Orroroo I saw Black Falcon and between Orroroo and Hawker a Letter-winged Kite. Spotted Harrier is quite common throughout the area and I also saw an Inland Dotterel on the roadside between Orroroo and Hawker, sitting in road side gravel, and was able to park the car next to the bird.
It is worth staying at Willows Spring at the base of Stokes Hill in the Flinders Ranges. There are excellent creek side campsites (it cost me $10 a night as a single a few years ago), and I had a large camping area to myself. It's also next to Stokes Hill, the Short-tailed Grasswren site. A range of birds flew up and down the creek, including lots of Mallee Ringneck, Mulga Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater and Yellow throated Miner. There was also a resident pair of Nankeen Kestrel who sat over my camp fire and hawked for insects.
The best place to look for Short-tailed Grasswren (locally known as Flinders Ranges Grasswren) is the Stokes Hill Lookout. I found them after about 40 minutes of searching. Direction: from the car park, follow the fence line to the next hilltop. Look for them around rocky areas, particularly those linked with grass trees, for example about 50 meters west of the fence line. There is also a little gully in this area, which was also excellent. I saw at least six birds, some very closely.
At Wilpena Pound it is worth doing the walk to the lookout. Along here you usually can see Tawny-crowned Honeyeater and Grey-fronted Honeyeater (easily distinguished from the more common Yellow-plumed Honeyeater).
Another good spot for birds was Parachilna Gorge. A walk along here produced Redthroat, Chirruping Wedgebill, Elegant Parrot, Zebra Finch, a pair of Peregrine Falcon high in the sky, Black-fronted Dotterel, Grey Teal, Variegated Fairy-Wren, White-browed Babbler, Southern Whiteface, Sacred Kingfisher, Dusky Woodswallow, Rainbowbird, Spiny-cheeked and Singing Honeyeater, as well as a small group of wild goats and wild sheep.
Other spots of interest in the Flinders Ranges are Wilkawillina Gorge (where you can see Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby), Bunyeroo Gorge, and Brachina Gorge, all which require 4WD river crossings, and the picturesque town Blinman. Chirruping Wedgebill and Zebra finch are common on the road between Brachina Gorge and Parachilna.
Strzelecki Track
From Parachilna I headed to a well known site for Chestnut-breasted Whiteface on the Strzelecki Track 27 km east of Lyndhurst. After rudging around the rocky and extremely dry escarpment I managed to come across a small flock of four birds in an area recently recommended by others. To find the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface drive down the Strselecki Track 27.2 km east from Lyndhurst. There a small track that leads north (a small rock cairn marks the turn-off). Follow the track until you get to a creek bed. There are often signs of a campsite either side of the creek - The general GPS reading for this area is 30 11 58s 138 36 17E.
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| Chestnut-breasted Whiteface. |
Chestnut-breasted Whiteface are found in this general area, as are Thick-billed Grasswren, Redthroat, Rufous Calamanthus, Cinnamon Quail-thrush, Chirruping Wedgebill, spotted Nightjar, and rarely Gibberbird. Other birds include White-winged Fairy-wren (common and extremely blue and white), Singing Honeyeater, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Little Crow, Hooded Robin, Black-faced Woodswallow, and Zebra Finch and Australasian Pipit are common. Specifically the spot that I saw Chestnut-breasted Whiteface was:
- From the campsite head towards the mine site - which can be seen from here - to the nth.
- In front of the mine there is a small track that leads west. Follow this.
- After crossing a small rise you will see two small hills in front of you that look like two camels humps. There is small creek here that branches to the right (below the camel humps).
- Follow the branch of the creek for about 150 to 200 yards until you come across a pleasant section of the valley.
- Look around here, particularly on the west side of this small valley.
Also seen at this spot was Rufous Calamanthus, Chirruping Wedgebill, White-winged Fairy-wren, Zebra Finch and Hooded Robin. It was easily the most productive area of the site, and just looks right. I saw Thick-billed Grasswren on a number of occasions, mainly in the middle of the plains immediately on the left when you turn of the Strzelecki Track. I found that the best spot to see them is the area across the creek from the campsite, between the campsite and the old car. I saw several birds here, particularly on and around a large flat rocky escarpment (approx 1 metre high and about 10 metres wide). I also saw a pair of White-backed Swallow here, who sat up beautifully on the wind.
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| Thick-billed Grasswren. |
Kinchega National Park
From Lyndhurst I headed back down to the Flinders Ranges for a few days, and then to Kinchega National Park (via Broken Hill with Blue Bonnet and Banded Lapwing) near Menindee. It's an interesting park on the banks for Darling River, and is all but dry! There are several large lakes, Cawdilla Lake and Menindee Lake. Some of the interesting birds seen including Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Blue Bonnet, Variegated and White-winged Fairy-wren (common), Orange Chat, Crimson (Yellow) Rosella, Little Friarbird and Common Sandpiper.
From Kinchega, down to Mildura (Red-backed Kingfisher), Hattah (Apostlebird), Wyperfeld (Blue Bonnet, Regent Parrot, Major Mitchell, White-backed Swallow, White-winged Triller, Splendid Fairy-wren, Pallid Cuckoo, Gilbert's Whistler) and then home, some 4000 kilometres later.
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| Spectacular views over the Flinders Ranges |
Tim Dolby
