Tim Dolby's Bird Trip Reports

Goschen Bushland Reserve and Surrounds

2011-11-10T18:14:00.001-08:00

Rainbow Bee-eater, along with Budgerigar, Black Honeyeater and Masked and
White-browed Woodswallow are currently in abundance at
Goschen Bushland Reserve - Nov 2011. [Photograph Jon Thornton]

I have just spent a few days (Nov 2011) at one of my favourite birding location in Victoria, Goschen Bushland Reserve, a small mallee reserve just south between Kerang and Swam Hill. Despite its small size (approximately 25 ha), of all the reserve in Victoria, I think it most comparable to the grassy woodland areas of well know birding sites such as Gluepot Reserve and Round Hill Nature Reserve.

When visiting the areas, I usually drop visit a number of other sites in this part of north-central Victoria, including Tresco West Bushland Reserves, Lake Tutchewop, Lake Boga, Round Lake, and a small roadside reserve at Gama.

Goschen Bushland Reserve
Once a proposed site for a township, with a church and school - all that now stands at Goschen is a rarely used hall, two tennis courts, and a cricket pitch that's no longer used. In addition to the township area, some adjoining land has been allowed to regenerate into open grassy woodlands. In the south-west of the reserve there is fenced area containing a communications tower.

To get there from the Lake Boga township, take the Ultima-Lake Boga Rd until you reach the Donald-Swan Hill Rd intersection. Go through the intersection, and on your right, there is a dirt tracks leading into the reserve. This loops around through the reserve (past an old hall and tennis court) back to the road 250 m further west. There is bush-camping only at Goschen, however, there is a good caravan park overlooking Lake Boga.

Goschen Bushland Reserve: covered in native grasses (Nov 2011).

Flora

Lemon Beauty-heads (Calocephalus citreus)

The flora in the reserve is a mixture of mallee eucalypts and open grassy shrublands. The ground cover consist of native grasses such as Pink Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus exaltus), flowering shrubs such as the Mallee Blue Flower or Rough Halgania (Halgania cyanea), Native Hops (Dodonaea viscosa), Desert Cassia (Senna artemisioides), Inland Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus), and larger trees such as and White Mallee (Eucalyptus dumosa).

When flowering, these are spectacular.

Rough Halgania (Halgania cyanea)

However, the real specialty of the reserve is Long-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia) - also known as Berrigan - a small rough barked tree (usually between two to six metres in height), and vital food source for some of the nomadic inland honeyeaters such as Black, Pied and to a lesser extent, White-fronted Honeyeater. In terms of the commonality of honeyeater species, at Goschen, there is an occasional reversals of status; common honeyeater become scarce, while uncommon nomadic honeyeater - such as Black and White-fronted - becomes common. From a birders viewpoint, it doesn't get any better than that!

Long-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia)

Tresco West Bushland Reserve (discussed in more detail below), known locally as the 'Daisy Patch', has a similar range of plant species. Interestingly, on this last tip I stumbled across a small patch of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa). I've not seen this species previously at either Goschen or Tresco West, and as far as I'm aware, this is the most south-eastern patch of Triodia in Australia (with the nearest Triodia least 100 km to the north ad west).

The Birds
I have visited Goschen Bushland Reserve many times, and it is the usual starting point for our 24-hour Twitchathon. The reason we start there is simple: it is the most southerly site for seeing a range of northern arid-land species such as Black and, occasionally, Pied Honeyeater, Crimson Chat, Cockatiel, Budgerigar, Blue Bonnet, Pied Butcherbird, Yellow-throated Miner and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. It is most productive in late spring, and summer, especially when there have been some good rains in the region.

On my way to Goschen (when driving from Lake Boga) I usually check the roadside vegetation along Ultima-Lake Boga Rd, where there is a likelihood of seeing Blue Bonnet (yellow-vented race haematogaster), Cockatiel, Pied Butcherbird, Rufous Songlark, Yellow-throated Miner and Spotted Harrier.

A good spot to look for Crimson Chat, Black and Pied Honeyeater is in the west side of the Reserve along the track between the tennis court and the telecommunication tower. Here you may also see scattered flocks of Budgerigar and the occasional Cockatiel. Despite both species being icons of Australia, they are quite uncommon in Victoria, only become apparent during 'good years' - when there has been just the right amount of rain, and just the right amount of vegetation growth.

This area can also be good for seeing White-browed and Masked Woodswallow, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Hooded Robin, and White-winged Triller. During good years Peregrine Falcon feast on Woodswallow and Budgerigar, swooping upon them from the vantage point of the communication tower.

Little Button-quail can usually be flushed from the grassy area just east of the tennis court, particularly near the over-grown cricket pitch. Here also you can see Budgerigar, Cockatiel, and Peaceful Dove.

Immediately east, and south-east, of this grassland area, look for Variegated Fairy-wren, Spiny-cheeked, White-fronted (usually in winter) and Yellow-plumed (uncommon) Honeyeater, Yellow-throated Miner, Red-capped and Hooded Robin, White-browed Babbler, Varied Sittella and Brown Treecreeper, while Australian Owlet-nightjar are sometimes flush from tree hollows during the day, particular in the south-east corner.

The range and variety of birds at Goschen tends to fluctuate from year to year, depending on the amount of rain, the seeding of native grasses, and the availability of flowering plants such as the eucalypts and Long-leaf Emu-bush. Over the last few years, there has been a number of changes in the birdlife, changes that are reflective of the conditions right across south-eastern Australia.

2009 was a superb birding year at Goschen and across northern Victoria. Interestingly, this was not because of good environmental conditions in the state, rather it was because much of Australia was in severe drought, so many of the arid land species, such as Crimson Chat, and the nomadic honeyeater such as Black and Pied Honeyeater, moved to coastal regions in search of food and water. During 2009 15 Pied Honeyeater were seen at Goschen, a rare species in Victoria. Other birds that were regularly seen across southern Victoria were Rufous Songlark, White-winged Triller and Zebra Finch.

Large numbers of Budgerigar and White-browed and Masked Woodswallow. (Nov 2011)

By contrast 2010, birdwise, was very quiet in Victoria. The conditions in central Australia were perfect; there had been a lot of rain, so water was plentiful, and there was an abundance of food sources - there was no need to move east and south toward the coast. Parrots in arid Australia did particularly well - such as Budgerigar and rarer species such as Princess and Scarlet-chested Parrot. The inland waters were also covered in thousands of breeding waterbirds; and there was virtually no waterfowl on the east and south coast.

2011 is proving to be another fantastic year in northern Victoria. The reason for this is markedly different from 2009. Rather than Australia being in drought, there is an abundance of water. As the inland areas drying up, birds such as Banded Stilt, that had been breeding at Lake Eyre, are now heading to southerly sites such as Lake Tutchewop (and it won't be long until the birds are seen at the Western Treatment Plant and Moolap Salt Works). The same goes for many other species, such as such as Budgerigar, Black Honeyeater, Banded Stilt and Grey Teal. Due to the rains, we are also fortunate to have an increase in the numbers of localised species such as Little Button-quail, Brown Quail and Buff-banded Rail.

Tresco West Bushland Reserve - The Daisy Patch
Tresco West Bushland Reserve is located 3 km south-west of Lake Boga. To get there take the Lalbert Rd out of town, passing the golf course. The Reserve borders the Lake Boga Golf Course (a good spot for birds), and surrounds the Golf Course Lake.

Somewhat similar to Goschen (in terms of birds and vegetation), the habitat around the edges of the golf course includes several stands of Long-leaf Emu-bush, where you can look for Black and Pied Honeyeater, while Little Button-quail occur in areas of long grass around the golf course. Here you may also see Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel, Budgerigar, Pied Butcherbird, Variegated Fairy-wren, Zebra Finch and, occasionally, Crimson Chat and Red-backed Kingfisher. When the water level is just right, the saline Golf Course Lake attracts shorebirds such as Red-necked Avocet, Banded and Black-winged Stilt, Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper, and flocks of hawking Whiskered Tern (spring).

Probably the best spot for woodland birds at Tresco West is the south side of the lake, particularly the south-east corner. To get there, from the Golf Course, continue along Lalbert Rd to the reserves south-west corner. Here several tracks head east – the southern-most track is named Winery Rd. Birdwatch along both tracks for the next kilometre. In spring, this is a good area for Black Honeyeater, particularly in the stands of Long-leaf Emu-Bush, located the grassy woodlands bordering the lakes.

A small patch of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa) at Tresco. Is this the most south-eastern
patch of this Spinifex in Australia? As far as I am aware, it is at least 100 km from other known sites.

Other birds here include Pied Butcherbird, Crimson Chat, Rainbow Bee-eater, Singing, White-fronted and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-browed Babbler, Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel and Budgerigar, occasionally Red-backed Kingfisher, and Zebra Finch.

Other Birding Locations in the Area

When visiting Goschen Bushland Reserve, there are a number of other excellent birding locations nearby (discussed below).

Round Lake on Ultima-Lake Boga Rd, west of Lake Boga.

Round Lake and the Eremophila Patch
One kilometre west of the township of Lake Boga, on the Ultima-Lake Boga Rd, I always stop for a look at Round Lake. Here you may see Whiskered Tern (summer), Black-winged Stilt, Hardhead, Australasian Shoveler, Blue-billed, Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Great Crested, Hoary-headed and Australasian Grebe, Great, Intermediate and Little Egret, and, when the water level is low, Australian Spotted and Spotless Crake feed on the muddy edges. Along the roadside here, you can see Yellow-throated Miner, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Tree Martin, and White-breasted Woodswallow.

Just north of here, a kilometre along Long Lake Rd, there is a nice patch of Long-leaf Emu-bush, which, when flowering (usually late spring), attract birds such as Black, Singing and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-winged Triller and Rainbow Bee-eater.

4000+ Banded Stilt on Lake Tutchewop (Nov 2011). There has been an
influx of this species - arriving in Victoria after breeding at Lake Eyre.

Lake Tutchewop
The saltbush surrounding the Ramsar-listed Lake Tutchewop supports a healthy population of White-winged Fairy-wren and, in late spring/summer, Orange Chat. The best place to see them is along a track that runs along the western side of the lake (between it and a small water channel). The southern entrance leaves the Murray Valley Hwy, beginning immediately north of the Lake Steggals Rd intersection. The tracks northern entrance starts on the Benjeroop-Tresco Rd – starting immediately after you cross a small water channel 3 km west of the Murray Valley Hwy. Lake Tutchewop is a hyper-saline lake, it is part of the Barr Creek Drainage Disposal Scheme, which divert 550,000 tonnes of salt each year away from the Murray River.

Aside from White-winged Fairy-wren and Orange Chat have a look for Blue-winged Parrot, Blue Bonnet, Cockatiel, Black-faced Woodswallow, Brown Songlark, Fairy Martin, White-fronted Chat, and Zebra Finch, and raptors such as White-bellied and Wedge-tailed Sea-Eagle and Marsh and Spotted Harrier.

Lake Tutchewop is also major inland site for migratory shorebirds. Some of the shorebirds I've recorded here include Common Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, Curlew, Marsh and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Double-banded (winter) and Red-capped Plover, Banded (4000+ in 2011) and Black-winged Stint, Red-necked Avocet and Banded Lapwing. Waterbirds using the lake include Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Grey Teal, Australasian Shoveler, Caspian and Whiskered Tern, and occasionally Gull-billed and White-winged Black Tern.

White-breasted Woodswallow, Round Lake.

Lake Boga
The home of the Catalina (housed in the newly built Hangar), given the right conditions, waterbird can be plentiful on Lake Boga. After years of uncertainty during the drought, in 2010 Lake Boga was reinstated as part of the Mid Murray Storage system (for the Murray Darling River Basin), and was filled with water. It covers approximately 2000 acres and holds in excess of 37,000 mega litres. Here I have seen Great Crested Grebe, Whiskered, Caspian and Gull-billed Tern, Blue-billed, Pink-eared, Musk and Freckled (rare) Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Black-fronted Dotterel, while Blue-faced Honeyeater feed in the trees around the lake. In spring and summer, White-breasted Woodswallow roost on the powerlines around the Lake Boga.

Gull-billed Tern: an occasional visitor
to Lake Boga and Lake Tutchewop.

Foster Swamp
Just north of Kerang, Foster Swamp, and the adjacent to the Kerang Treatment Plant, at the end of Park St, are worth investigating, particularly in summer when species such as Greenshank, Marsh, Wood, Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and Pacific Golden Plover, start appearing in southern Australia.

Other birds here include Whiskered and Gull-billed Tern, Australasian Shoveler, Pink-eared and Freckled (rare) Duck, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterel, Australian Spotted and Baillon’s Crake, Black-winged and Banded Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, and White-winged Fairy-wren.

Loddon Weir
Just north of Kerang, it is visiting the Loddon Weir, located on Weir Rd. I've recorded a nice collection of interesting species here including Gilbert’s Whistler, Western Gerygone, Painted Honeyeater, Red-capped Robin, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, White-breasted Woodswallow and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill.

Black Honeyeater.

Back Swamp
Located in Kerang, Back Swamp is a series of wetlands between the town and the Loddon River, and there are usually a nice selection of birds here, such as Glossy Ibis, Buff-banded Rail, Nankeen Night Heron, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-winged and Variegated Fairy-wren, Little Friarbird and Blue-faced Honeyeater. Blue-faced Honeyeater is also found in Atkinson Park (in the main street of Kerang), and, when the gums are flowering, there can be large numbers of Musk and Little Lorikeet.

Gama Roadside Reserve
Approximately 100 km west of Goschen, another good site nearby for Black Honeyeater is the small roadside reserve at the locality of Gama, on the corner of Gama Sea Lake Rd and the Sunraysia Highway, Again, the best time to look is when Long-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia) is flowering, in spring and summer. Despite its size (it hardly seems to be a reserve at all), looks can be deceptive.

Aside from Black Honeyeater, other birds I've seen here include Brown Quail, Mulga Parrot, Blue Bonnet, Variegated Fairy-wren, Yellow-plumed, White-fronted, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-winged Triller, Rufous Songlark, Hooded Robin and White-backed Swallow.

A superb ground cover of Pink Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus exaltus), Rough Halgania (Halgania cyanea) and Inland Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus).

Sunset at Goschen: reminiscent of the twilight in the more arid areas of Australia such as Gluepot and Round Hill.

Goschen Flora Reserve


Location:	35°28'33"S 143°27'12"E
Description:	Mallee Reserve between Ultima and Lake Boga.
Observer:	Tim Dolby
Notes:	This is a complete list of species seen by me at Goschen (visited first in 1989, records from 1995 to 2011).
Species:	75
Common Names
	Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. Christidis and Boles. 2008.

Species	Scientific Name	Count	Comment
Australian Shelduck	Tadorna tadornoides		1 pair flying over.
Stubble Quail	Coturnix pectoralis		Several in farmland area in north-east.
Brown Quail	Coturnix ypsilophora		Small group walking on side of Ultima–Lake Boga Rd.
White-necked Heron	Ardea pacifica		1 near dam in north-east.
Black Kite	Milvus migrans		Several birds along Ultima–Lake Boga Rd.
Spotted Harrier	Circus assimilis		1 seen feeding over bordering farmland.
Brown Goshawk	Accipiter fasciatus		1 seen
Collared Sparrowhawk	Accipiter cirrocephalus		Several records.
Wedge-tailed Eagle	Aquila audax		Several records, usually in pairs.
Nankeen Kestrel	Falco cenchroides		Regular records.
Brown Falcon	Falco berigora		Several records.
Peregrine Falcon	Falco peregrinus		Occasionally seen perched on communication tower, hunting woodswallows and budgies etc.
Little Button-quail	Turnix velox		Reasonably common. Usually one or two birds (sometimes more) can be flushed from grassland/old cricket pitch area. Common and very vocal in spring 2011.
Common Bronzewing	Phaps chalcoptera		Common.
Crested Pigeon	Ocyphaps lophotes		Common.
Peaceful Dove	Geopelia placida		Reasonably common.
Galah	Eolophus roseicapilla		Common.
Little Corella	Cacatua sanguinea		Single small flock.
Cockatiel	Nymphicus hollandicus		In spring and summer, usually 2 or 3 birds in the reserve (always seen flying).
Eastern Rosella	Platycercus eximius		Reasonably common.
Red-rumped Parrot	Psephotus haematonotus		Common.
Blue Bonnet	Northiella haematogaster		Usually one or two birds on property - far more common along roadside between Goschen and Lake Boga
Blue-winged Parrot	Neophema chrysostoma		Several small flocks seen (and heard) overhead.
Budgerigar	Melopsittacus undulatus		Nomadic, and irregular. In a good year you may get small groups feeding grass areas. In 2011 at least 400 birds were present over the whole reserve.
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo	Chrysococcyx basalis		Usually 1 or two birds in spring and summer.
Southern Boobook	Ninox novaeseelandiae		1 heard calling over night 2011.
Australian Owlet-nightjar	Aegotheles cristatus		Sometimes flushed from dead tree holes in south-east corner of the reserve. At night, several birds can be heard.
Sacred Kingfisher	Todiramphus sanctus		Several records.
Rainbow Bee-eater	Merops ornatus		Reasonably common in spring and summer. 2011 is a particularly good year for this species.
Brown Treecreeper	Climacteris picumnus		Common, with several families.
Variegated Fairy-wren	Malurus lamberti		Several family groups in the reserve.
Pied Honeyeater	Certhionyx variegatus		Up t0 15 birds present in 2009, also a few birds in 2011.
Singing Honeyeater	Lichenostomus virescens		Common.
White-plumed Honeyeater	Lichenostomus penicillatus		Common.
White-fronted Honeyeater	Purnella albifrons		Nomadic and fluctuating. In winter 2008 it was the most common honeyeater on the reserve.
Yellow-throated Miner	Manorina flavigula		One main family, usually in the north-east section - although they they move around.
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater	Acanthagenys rufogularis		Usually common - although number fluctuate.
Crimson Chat	Epthianura tricolor		Good numbers in 2009 (15+).
Black Honeyeater	Sugomel niger		Present most year in spring summer. Large numbers in 2009 and 2011.
Brown-headed Honeyeater	Melithreptus brevirostris		Mod common.
Spotted Pardalote	Pardalotus punctatus		Mod common.
Striated Pardalote	Pardalotus striatus		Mod common.
Yellow-rumped Thornbill	Acanthiza chrysorrhoa		Usually several parties bordering paddocks.
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill	Acanthiza uropygialis		Small flock, usually just east of communication tower near Ultima–Lake Boga Rd.
Weebill	Smicrornis brevirostris		Mod common.
Western Gerygone	Gerygone fusca		Single bird seen in 2003.
White-browed Babbler	Pomatostomus superciliosus		Several happy families.
Masked Woodswallow	Artamus personatus		Often in large numbers, usually in association with White-browed Woodswallow.
White-browed Woodswallow	Artamus superciliosus		Often is large numbers. Literally thousands seen in Nov 2011.
Dusky Woodswallow	Artamus cyanopterus		Not nearly as common as Masked and White-browed.
Pied Butcherbird	Cracticus nigrogularis		One of two birds present - usually along roadside vegetation in far east of reserve.
Australian Magpie	Gymnorhina tibicen		Common.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike	Coracina novaehollandiae		Mod common.
White-winged Triller	Lalage sueurii		Regular during spring and summer, with numbers fluctuating (- being higher in some years i.e. 2009.
Varied Sittella	Daphoenositta chrysoptera		Several families seen over the year.
Rufous Whistler	Pachycephala rufiventris		Mod common.
Grey Shrike-thrush	Colluricincla harmonica		Mod common.
Willie Wagtail	Rhipidura leucophrys		Common.
Grey Fantail	Rhipidura albiscapa		Mod common.
Magpie-lark	Grallina cyanoleuca		Common.
Australian Raven	Corvus coronoides		Common.
White-winged Chough	Corcorax melanorhamphos		Mod common.
Red-capped Robin	Petroica goodenovii		Mod common.
Hooded Robin	Melanodryas cucullata		Mod common - good numbers in 2011.
Welcome Swallow	Hirundo neoxena		Common
Fairy Martin	Petrochelidon ariel		Mod common - number fluctuate.
Tree Martin	Petrochelidon nigricans		Far more common than Fairy.
Brown Songlark	Cincloramphus cruralis		In summer, mod common near farmland, and in cricket pitch.
Rufous Songlark	Cincloramphus mathewsi		Numbers fluctuate, and can be quite common. Large numbers in spring 2011.
Common Blackbird	Turdus merula		Several birds, usually around the tennis court.
Silvereye	Zosterops lateralis		Quite uncommon.
Common Starling	Sturnus vulgaris		Mod common near farmland.
Australasian Pipit	Anthus novaeseelandiae		Mod common.
House Sparrow	Passer domesticus		Common near tennis court.
Zebra Finch	Taeniopygia guttata		Surprisingly rare (probably due to lack of water) recorded once in 2009 near grassy area south of tennis court.

Tim Dolby (Nov 2011)

Round Hill Nature Reseve and Lake Cargelligo

2011-10-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

Black Honeyeater, Whoey Tank.

I have just spent part of the spring break (Oct 2011) visiting Lake Cargelligo and Round Hill Nature Reserve. With me were my son Rhys, brother Nic, and nephew Zac.

Round Hill Nature Reserve, and the adjacent Nombinnie Nature Reserve, are hotspots for Mallee birds, and include isolated populations of Red-lored Whistler and Malleefowl. Both reserves are 50 km north of Lake Cargelligo, 560 km west of Sydney, and for me the drive up from Melbourne was about 650 km.On the way up we stopped in to have a look at Cocoparra National Park, just east of Griffith.

Accommodation and Roads
Although there are no formal camping facilities at Round Hill Nature Reserve, we bushed camped near the Whoey Tank. It's located on the Whoey Tank Track, accessed via Euabalong–Mt Hope Rd about three and a half kilometres east of the intersection with Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd. The camping area's about 500 m down the Whoey Tank Track. If you are looking, other accommodation in the area include the caravan park at Lake Cargelligo, and apparently the Mt Hope pub is pretty good, in a simple sort of way. It's worth noting that nature reserves in NSW, generally speaking, are not open to the public - so if you plan to visit, it's worth contacting National Parks and Wildlife Service office in Cobar.

At Cocoparra National Park we camped at the excellent Woolshed Flat Campground, located off the Whitton Stock Route. Here there are picnic tables, and gas barbecues. Despite school holidays, we had both campgrounds to ourselves.

The roads at Round Hill, Nombinnie and Cocoparra are mostly dirt, however under normal condition they're pretty much accessible via 2WD. After rain however you'd need 4WD. It's also worth noting that the names of some of the roads in the area are confusing. For example, Google maps names the Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd as 'Murrin Bridge', and I have also seen it called 'Round Hill Rd'. Also many of the road names in the area have long hyphenated names (some weird NSW thing I assume); frustrating when you are trying to write up a trip report.

The woodlands around Whoey Tank, in the north-east section of the Round Hill Nature Reserve.

Whoey Tank (Round Hill)

One of the best areas for birding is around the Whoey Tank, in the northern section of Round Hill.

The habitat type here is known as White Cypress Pine (Callitris glaucophylla) woodlands. Aside from the pines, the main plants here are Rosewood (Alectryon oleifolius), Belah (Casuarina cristata), Wilga (Geijera parviflora), Red Box (Eucalyptus intertexta), Bimble Box (E. populneum), Kurrajong (Brachychiton populneus), Mulga (Acacia aneura), and Yarran (A. homalophylla). In terms of shrubs, there was plenty of flowering Eremophila, including Long-leafed Emu-bush (Eremophila longifolia), Budda (E. mitchellii), and Turpentine (E. sturtii), and other shrubs such as Hopbush (Dodonea viscosa) and Broombush (Melaleuca uncinata). The most common grass species is Variable Spear Grass (Stipa variabilis).

Striped Honeyeater

Waking up on the first morning at Whoey Tank was simply superb! At dawn the open woodlands were shrouded in a sunny morning mist. One of the first birds seen was Black-eared Cuckoo, hanging around a family of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. Other Honeyeaters included large numbers of Black, Striped and White-fronted, attracted to the area by the flowering Eremophila, as well as Singer and Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Noisy and Little Friarbird, and the place was teeming with parrots such as Mallee Ringneck, Mulga Parrot, and Blue Bonnet. Every few minutes I'd hear the wonderful cascading call of Western Gerygone. Other small passerines around the Tank included Speckled Warbler, Chestnut-rumped, Inland, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface. A few White-backed Swallow made an appearance - surely, in terms of its grace and style, one of the most under-estimated birds in Australia. Around the Tank there were several families of Variegated and Splendid Fairy-wren, with the males Splendids looking splendiferous in their full-breeding plumage.

Sitting down for a cup of tea, I noticed a male Spotted Bowerbird,doing a type of wing display under the closest tree to my tent! The tree was Wilga (Geijera parviflora), a drooping tree that looks a much like a European Willow; it seemed to be the preferred habitat for Spotted Bowerbird. Just on dusk a Spotted Nightjar flew past the campsite. Its call (for want of a better word) was a very distinctive and comical accelerating laugh - we heard it calling throughout the early part of the night. Other birds around Whoey Tank included Emu, Collared Sparrowhawk, Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Dove, Common Bronzewing, Crested Pigeon, mallee parrots such as Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Mallee Ringneck, Mulga Parrot, Blue Bonnet, a few Cockatiel flew through, Fan-tailed and Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Grey and Pied Butcherbird, Grey-crowed and White-browed Babbler, Grey Shrike-thrush, and Restless Flycatcher.

It's also worth birdwatching along the Whoey Tank Track. It leads west for about 2 km from the camping area and joins up with the Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd. Although I didn't stop to look, Red-lored Whistler have been seen in the Mallee along this track.

Nombinnie Nature Reserve: the north-west corner of the old wheat paddock.

The Old Wheat Paddock
For Mallee birding, perhaps the best area is around the north-west corner of an old wheat paddock, now regenerating, but still relatively young and open. Not actually in Round Hill Nature Reserve, the old wheat paddock is located in the north-east section of Nombinnie Nature Reserve. The Cactus Track leads to the paddock, accessed via Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd, 1 km south of the T-section with the Euabalong-Mt Hope R - a Nombinnie Nature Reserve park sign marks its entrance.

Red-lored Whistler

The Mallee here consist of Red Mallee (Eucalyptus socialis), White Mallee (E. dumosa), Yorrell (E. gracilis), and is intermixed with scattered Mallee Pine (Callitris preissii var. verrucosa), Broombush (Melaleuca uncinata) with a Spinifex (Triodia scariosa) ground cover. Perfect habitat for Red-lored Whistler.

During the course of our visit to the corner of the wheat paddock we got on to three, possibly four, Red-lored Whistler - with good views of two of them. The first birds was seen down the short 150 metre track that leads west off Cactus Track, in the north-west corner of the old wheat paddock. While another bird was seen in the actual corner of paddock, and two more were heard south down the Cactus Track. I was pretty happy about seeing Red-lored Whistler here; I'd now seen them in every states that they occur.

Nombinnie Nature Reserve: Cactus Track, the access track to old wheat paddock.

Shy Heathwren (isolated race macrorhyncha) were anything but shy down the small 150 track, and Southern Scrub-robin and Chestnut Quail-thrush - again both isolated populations - both calling loudly, walking around the more open areas in the wheat paddock. Honeyeaters here included White-eared, White-fronted and Brown-headed, Yellow-plumed, and Grey-fronted, and there were mixed flocks of White-browed and Masked Woodswallow hunting for insects overhead, occasionally roosting in trees nearby. Other birds seen included Gilbert's Whistler, Crested Bellbird, Red-capped and Hooded Robin, Inland and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Western Gerygone, and Mistletoebird.

Southern Scrub Robin

Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd
Keep your eyes open while driving along Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd. Along here we saw a Malleefowl (2 km north of the Broken Hill railway line), Emu, Chestnut Quail-thrush, and a few reptiles including Sand Goanna, Central Beard Dragon and Shingleback. Although I didn't see any, Red-lored Whistler have been recorded along Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd - with the best spot meant to be between 5 to 7 km south of the Euabalong-Mt Hope Rd T-section.

[It is worth noting that Red-lored Whistler has also been recorded along the Nombinnie Track, in the western section of the reserve. To get there, from the Kidman Hwy, head west along the Marooba Fire Trail - the track is 12 km south of Mt Hope. Drive west approximately 11 km until you come to the Nombinnie Track heading north. Search for Red-lored Whistler in the mallee around the intersection, and north along the Nombinnie Track for about 3 km.]

Chat Alley: a good site for Orange Chat & White-winged Fairy-wren.

Chat Alley
On route to Round Hill from Lake Cargelligo we stopped at a site known colloquially as Chat Alley, a roadside shallow surface drain surrounded by saltbush. Here we saw a small party of Orange Chat, as well as White-winged Fairy-wren, Brown Songlark, Zebra Finch, Banded Lapwing, and a pair of Black Falcon hunted overhead. Chat Alley is located on Wallenthery Rd, a linkage road to Lake Cargelligo–Mt Hope Rd. To get there turn north off Lake Cargelligo–Euabalong Rd, 13 km east of Lake Cargelligo. Travel north 3 km, then turn west at the T-section, and Chat Alley is another 200 m.

Spotless Crake: one of three crake species at Lake Cargelligo Treatment Works.

Lake Cargelligo Sewage Treatment Works
For local waterbirds, we visited the superb Lake Cargelligo treatment works - birdwise, one of Australia's best treatment plants. To get there from the centre of town, travel south down Condobolin Road, past the showground, and then after 500 m, turn south down Showground Road. After a further kilometre you will find an access gate to the south-west side of the ponds - it is located just before the railway crossing. Along the edges of the reeds nearest the bird hide there were large numbers of the "BIG THREE" (I mean "small three") southern Australian crake - Baillon's, Australian Spotted, and Spotless Crake. Other birds here included Buff-banded Rail, Glossy Ibis, Black-tailed Native-hen, Whiskered Tern, White-fronted Chat, White-winged Fairy-wren, White-breasted Woodswallow, and Little Grassbird.

A superb wetland: Lake Cargelligo Treatment Works

Ephemeral Wetlands on Condobolin Road
While in Lake Cargelligo, we stopped at the small ephemeral roadside wetland where Australian Painted Snipe had recently been seen. It's located on Condobolin Road, 1 km east of Lake Cargelligo. The birds were seen in the second of the small swamps, just past the Showground Rd (the road to the treatment plant). Although we dipped on the snipe, the pond was full of Baillon's and Australian Spotted Crake, as well as Glossy Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, Black-fronted and Red-kneed Dotterel, Grey Teal, and Purple Swamphen.

Black Falcon, Chat Alley

Cocoparra National Park
On the trip up to Round Hill we visited Cocoparra National Park, camping at Woolshed Flat. It's about 20 km east of Griffith, and 130 km south of Lake Cargelligo. I'd been here several times previously, and there are some excellent birding spots - it's a seriously under-estimated birding destination. Along the Store Creek Track we saw Shy Heathwren, Black-eared Cuckoo, Crested Bellbird, Speckled Warbler, Striped Honeyeater, Western Gerygone, Inland, Chestnut-rumped and Yellow Thornbill, Mask and White-browed Woodswallow, Splendid Fairy-wren and Diamond Firetail. Along Binya Forest Drive there were Turquoise Parrot and Bar-shouldered Dove.

Painted Honeyeater and White-browed Treecreeper feed along the roadside trees near the intersection of Burley Griffith Way and Stock Route Rd (part of Binya State Forest). Spotted Harrier hunted alongside the roads into the Woolshed Flat, and around the Woolshed Flat campsite there were Emu, Mulga Parrot, Mallee Ringneck, Blue Bonnet, Spotted Nightjar, Spiny-cheeked, Striped, and Blue-faced Honeyeater, Speckled Warbler, Chestnut-rumped, Yellow, and Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Southern Whiteface, Western Gerygone, Restless Flycatcher, and Rufous Songlark.

Zac and Rhys, both texting at Cocoparra NP.

Cocoparra National Park also supports an endangered westerly population of Glossy Black-Cockatoo - the best chance of seeing them is feeding in the Dropping She-oak along the Mt Brogden Track.

Black Swamp
On the way back to Melbourne, via Hay, we stopped for a look at Black Swamp - an extensive wetland on the west side of Cobb Highway, about 15 km north of Wanganella. It was full of water, and teeming with waterbirds. There were literally hundreds of Black-tailed Native-hen scurrying about the paddock between the viewing area and the swamp. On, or near, the water were Musk and Pink-eared Duck, Australasian Shoveler, Hardhead, White-necked Heron (in large numbers - as they were everywhere), Great and Intermediate Egret, Swamp Harrier, Australian Spotted and Baillon's Crake, Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterel, and Horsfield's Bushlark.

Ostrich in New South Wales!
Our final stop on the return trip home to Melbourne, was to see the Ostrich, just north of the Murray River on the Moama-Barham Rd. In total we saw six Ostrich, three along Moama-Barham Rd, and another three on the east side of Lashbrooks Rd. Aside from being Ostriches and very big birds, the most obvious aspect about them and their behaviour was how flighty they were (for a flightless bird). As soon as we got out of the car, they would ran fast and direct, in the opposite direction - covering a distance of a kilometre or so.

Quick Summary of Western New South Wales
Like much of inland Australia, western New South Wales has had a lot of rain. The whole area, including the Mallee, is looking absolutely superb! Water lies everywhere, all the trees and shrubs are flowering, and the dry open woodlands, once quiet, are teeming with large numbers of birds.

Put simply, if you plan to do any birding over the next twelve months or so, head inland, to the more arid parts of Australia. You simply have to head to the open woodlands around Whoey Tank in Round Hill Nature Reserve to see what I mean.

Whoey Tank Track, Round Hill Nature Reserve

Tim Dolby

Gluepot Reserve & Billiatt Conservation Park

2011-07-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

Select image to enlarge.

This report covers a winter trip (early July) to Birds Australia's Gluepot Reserve. Part of the Riverland Biosphere Reserve on the South Australia and NSW border, it is located in the centre of the largest block of intact Mallee woodlands in Australia. On the way home from Gluepot we stopped at Billiatt Conservation Park, another Mallee reserve 150 south of Gluepot. BIG thanks to Greg Oakley for the use of some of his images in this report, Kay Parkin for her Red-lored Whistler images, Sandra Wallace and Ian Montgomery for the use of their Scarlet-chested Parrot images. To see more of Ian's superb photography visit Birdway at http://birdway.com.au/.

Immature Scarlet-chested Parrot.

Despite being the middle of winter I somehow managed to convince a couple of friends of mine - Greg Oakley and Fiona Parkin - to join me, with a vague (but obviously convincing) promise of seeing Scarlet-chested Parrot! Being a mid-winter trip I was also interest to compare the birdlife on the reserve with previous spring visits.

The wonderful Babbler Campsite.

Getting There
Gluepot's located 64 km north of Waikerie. The turn-off to Gluepot is from Morgan Rd, 30 km east of Morgan, 84 km west of Renmark (17 km north Waikerie). The Reserve is signposted – from Morgan Rd travel 1.5 km to the first gate and follows the signs. The last 50 km into the reserve is via a well-maintained dirt track traversable by conventional 2WD and caravans, although I'd recommend AWD or 4WD, particularly after rain.

Accommodation
While at Gluepot we camped at the Babbler Campsite, 3 km east from the Visitor Centre. No wood fires are permitted on the Reserve, not good if you're visiting in Winter! Although we brought in a little gas heater (which attached the top of a gas bottle), perfect for cold evenings. When visiting Gluepot you also need to be self-sufficient, bring in all your water and food.There is an entry fee of $5 per day per vehicle, campers $10 per night per vehicle.

1 of 15 Brown Quail feeding along roadside.

Another thing worth noting is that Gluepot's located in a fruit fly control zone (linked to the Riverland district). There's a checkpoint at the South Australia border, where you'll have to discard all our fresh fruit and vegetables. Here we quickly ate most of our apples, and then restocked in Waikerie.

On the way up to Gluepot the signs were looking good for some good winter birding. Near Wycheproof we came across a flock of 15 Brown Quail feeding on the roadside. It's been a great year for this species with a very high report rate across south-east Australia. A stop-off at Terrick Terrick National Park produced large number of open woodland birds, include large numbers of Rufous Songlark - a species that usually migrates north during winter. In an area just south of Reigal's Rock we counted at least 20 birds. We also got onto Spotted Harrier, another migrant that usually heads north during winter.

Lunn Road (the road into Gluepot)
The drive into Gluepot is always interesting. On the ferry across the Murray River from Waikerie you can usually see waterbirds such as Australian Darter, White-faced and White-necked Heron, Great and Intermediate Egret, and in the trees along the Murray, Little Corella, Blue-faced Honeyeater and Pied Butcherbird. Once you turn into Lunn Rd, the road into Gluepot, large numbers of Yellow Rosella (race flaveolus of the Crimson) start to appear, as well as Common Bronzewing, and Crested Pigeon.

Splendid Fairy-wren.

As you drive further north the Yellow Rosella start to disappear, to be replaced Australian Ringneck ('Mallee' race barnardi), Blue Bonnet (yellow vented race haematogaster), and Mulga Parrot. A particularly good spot to see these parrots is a cattle drinking tray about 10 km from the turn-off. Once you reach Taylorville Station and then Gluepot, the habitat starts to become pure Mallee. The roadside along here is perfect for Chestnut-quail Thrush. I've never failed to see them on the way in, usually running into the bush from the roadside. On a trip to Gluepot in 2001 I remember seeing 6 Quail-thrush before I'd reached the Gluepot's Information Centre. Also along the track you can also see Emu, Western Grey Kangaroo and the odd Red Kangaroo.

Michael Hyde Information Centre. Full on excellent birding resources.

The Babbler Campsite and Surrounding Woodlands
One of the great experiences at Gluepot is waking up on a sunny morning at the Babbler Campsite after a cold night. During the night the temperature dropped to an impressive minus 5 degrees celsius! Our tents were completely covered in ice. Fortunately I'd planned for this. I deliberately packed two sleeping bags and two self-inflating air mattresses. During the night I was actually warm.

Black Oak woodlands at Gluepot.

The open woodlands around the Babbler Campsite provide some of the best birding at Gluepot. There are two walks from the Babbler Campsite - a south walk and north walk.

The Babbler Camp South Walk, about 3 km long, passes through an excellent Black Oak (Casuarina pauper) open woodlands, with a nice range of shrubs as an understorey, such as Wait-a-while (Acacia colletioides), Spinebush (Acacia nysophylla), Bullock Bush (Alectryon oleifolius), and Desert Cassia (Senna artemisioides).

Along the track there was also a nice range of flowering Eremophila, including the purple flowered Silver Emu-bush (Eremophila scoparia), red-flowered Tar Bush (E. glabra glabra) and Small Tar Bush (E. glabra murrayeana), Turpentine (E. sturtii), an the delightful Twin-leaf Emu-bush (E. oppositifolia), flowering profusely, attracting nectar feeding honeyeaters such as Spiny-cheeked and White-fronted.

Twin-leaf Emu-bush (Eremophila oppositifolia)

Many of the arid woodland species that are uncommon at other areas of Australia are surprisingly common at Gluepot - testifying to the wilderness quality of the reserve. This is particularly evident along the South Walk. In one particular spot, just 200 metres from the campground, we had a mixed-species feeding flock of Gilbert's Whistler, Crested Bellbird, White-browed Treecreeper, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Splendid Fairy-wren (with a male in full breeding plumage, unusual for this time of year), Red-capped Robin and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill. Not bad. Further, all these birds showed no sign of being particularly shy, and we could have birded with them for as long as we wished.

Similar species were seen along the start of the North Walk, with the addition of Striped Honeyeater. Striated Grasswren and Shy Heathwren are also found along this walk; on a ridge with Mallee with an understorey of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa scariosa) halfway along the walk.

Due to recent rains, the ground surface along both walks was covered with an extremely complex cryptogamic crust. Microscopic plants, such as small mosses, lichens and algae together with slime from bacteria and fungi, formed a fantastic skin-like coating over the ground at Gluepot, literally holding the soil together. Of interest, it is not surprising that the greatest biodiversity on Earth is within 2 cm of the soil surface.

Cryptogamic crust: Gluepot's ground surface. (Note: Eremophila oppositifolia flowers.)

Other birds seen around the Babbler Campsite included Inland Thornbill, Hooded Robin, Grey Butcherbird, Grey Shrike-thrush, White-browed Babbler, Jacky Winter, Grey Butcherbird, Brown-headed Honeyeater, Pallid Cuckoo, Restless Flycatcher, Hooded and Red-capped Robin, while Regent and Mulga Parrot flew through the campsite itself. Nocturnal birds at the campsite included Southern Boobook and Australian Owlet-nightjar. Although not recorded on this trip, around the campsite I'd previously recorded Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Black-eared Cuckoo and Spotted Nightjar.

Scarlet-chested Parrot.

Track 8 T-section
The T-section is about 9 km east of the Information Centre (4 km east of the Babbler Campsite) at the end of Track 8, at the beginning of the Malleefowl Walk. This is a well-known site for Black-eared Miner. The key features to look for when distinguishing the level of hybridisation between Black-eared Miner and Yellow-throated Miner:

1. The darkness of the rump - the darker the rump, the less hybridization. It is worth noting that the local Yellow-throated Miner is often referred to as White-rumped Miner (race flavigula).

Black Oak or Belah (Casuarina pauper)

2. The darkness of the feathers under the chin/lower jaw. Again the darker the colour, the less hybridized the bird is. In essence, true Black-eared Miner the colour of feathers on the chin are darker than the feathers on the throat.

I'd seen Black-eared Miner at the T-section on my first visit to Gluepot. At the time I wasn't actually looking for them. I'd parked here to walk south along the Birdseye Border Track to look for Striated Grasswren. After getting some excellent views of the Grasswren (at one point I was surrounded by 4 birds, only several metres away, and all calling), I returned to the T-section only to find a flock of Black-eared Miner sitting in a tree above where I'd parked the car. The area around the T-section has since been burnt out in fire in 2006. However the Black-eared Miner are still here. On this trip we saw a flock of 20 birds plus, most of which were hybrids.

Along the Malleefowl Walk, which walks south from the T-section, look in the larger clumps of Spinifex for Striated Grasswren. Halfway along the walk there's a seat to view a Malleefowl mound. The end of the walk is also reliable place to see the Red-lored Whistler, favouring the low mallee on low sand dunes.

Mallee Bordering Track 8
One of the best areas of Mallee bushland at Gluepot is north of Track 8, particularly the area just north and northwest of the T-section. A good way to access this area is via the Birdseye Border Track, parking between the T-section and Grasswren Tank. Stop on the any of the decent sand-dune ridgelines that runs east to west (there's a nice dune about 700 m from the T-section) and then walk west into the Mallee.

Red-lored Whistler.

The best birding is about 500 metres in from the track, where the main trees are White Mallee (Eucalyptus dumosa), Red Mallee (E. oleosa), Yorrell (E. gracilis) particularly on the brown soils, and on the sand dunes Ridge-fruited Mallee (E. incrassata), and there is a nice understorey mosaic of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa scariosa). Don't forget to take a compass and water - you don't want to get lost here. With a relatively open canopy, the bush here exhibits a post fire age of at least fifty years, perfect habitat for rare Red-lored Whistler.

Malleefowl mound.

We got onto one (perhaps two) Red-lored Whistler. When we approached, the bird (s) came in for a quick look, and then disappeared. Pretty standard behaviour for Red-lored Whistler. Every other time I seen Red-lored Whistler they've behaved in exactly the same way. A brief appearance, and then gone. Other birds recorded here were Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (the most common birds on the reserve), Brown-headed Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, White-browed Babbler, Inland Thornbill, Weebill, and we came across a disused Malleefowl mound.

Scarlet-chested Parrot
A major part of my logic for visiting Gluepot in winter was the possibility of seeing the extremely rare Scarlet-chested Parrot, a potential new life tick for me. It wasn't good logic i.e. visiting Gluepot on the smell of an oily rag in winter to see Scarlet-chested Parrot, but at least it was logic. I had also planned to visit Danggali Conservation Reserve, north of Gluepot, where the chance of seeing Scarlet-chested Parrot was probably slightly higher, however the road from Canopus Dam to Tipperary Hut (where they're occasionally seen) was closed.

Female Scarlet-chested Parrot.

The chances of seeing this rare bird in the Gluepot is always pretty slim, if not zero, with only a few sightings a year. However surprisingly most Scarlet-chested Parrot reports are made in mid-winter, and there had been a report of a large flock being seen three weeks earlier. My feeling twas that it was a good time to see parrots, particularly cohorts of post breeding immature birds dispersing out of their normal range looking for food. There had also been some fantastic recent rain throughout much of inland Australia, extending back to spring 2010. The rains had turned the vast arid areas of inland Australia from dry and drought stricken landscapes into lush green pastures and forests. In the last six months I had travelled across much of inland Australia, visiting the Red Centre around Alice Springs and the MacDonell Ranges, the Flinders Ranges, southeast Western Australia near Albany, Dryandra and the Stirling Ranges, Kangaroo Island, and east to Croajingolong in Victoria. With the exception of Western Australia, all theses sites were green and lush, with superb birding. Gluepot was the same; to put it mildly Gluepot is currently looking superb! There was plenty of plant growth, flowering gums and Eremophila and other shrubs and succulents everywhere, and an extremely complex ground cover . Lots of food for hungry birds.

Variegated Dtella (Gehyra variegata)

We were fortunate to see a large flock of approximately 20 Scarlet-chested Parrot, mostly immature and female birds, with a couple showing reddish coloring on the chest. We got these on a track east of the Information Centre. As mentioned, they'd also been seen at Gluepot three weeks earlier, however the observer had informed me that he'd looked for them many times since and they'd obviously left the area. While driving to through Gluepot I said "What we need right now is a large flock of Scarlet-chested Parrot on the road directly in front of us." A minute later a large flock of Scarlet-chested Parrot came screaming down the track directly in front of us, and then flew around the car, some so close that I had to check the grill to see if we'd cleaned any up.

Gluepot Reserve - currently the landscape is dominated by succulent plants.

[As an aside, over the year I've unfortunately (never intentionally) hit quite a few birds with the car. It pains to me to mention this, the more interesting birds I've hit list include Red-backed Kingfisher (stupid bird few straight into the car door), Budgerigar, Crimson Chat, Diamond Dove, Zebra Finch, White-browed Woodswallow, Galah, Australian Magpie, Australian Raven, and a few others. It would have pained me to have added Scarlet-chested Parrot to the list, although I would probably have had the best my "hit-by-car" list in Australia.]

To meet much of their fluid requirement Scarlet-chested Parrot has been linked to a number of plant species such as the succulent Broad-Leaf Parakeelya (Calandrinia balonensis), a plant found at Gluepot. Interestingly the succulent doing well at Gluepot at the moment is a Grasswort species - not only dominating Mallee landscape at Gluepot, but also across much of the Murray-Sunset and Hattah-Kylkyne. I've never noticed this plant before, and as yet I haven't been able to identify it. My feeling is that the Scarlet-chested Parrot are feeding on this plant, possibly explaining the large flock at Gluepot.

The other thing I noted about the Scarlet-chested Parrot was their call. As they flew past the car I noticed their call was quite unlike any other Neophema I'd heard, the closest being Turquoise Parrot. There was no tsiting or buzzing. Their call was a far-more mellow tweeting. This surprised me. When I'd looked for them previously I'd been listening for a classic Neophema call. It may well be there, but I certainly couldn't hear it.

Echidna tracks in the sand.

At the Scarlet-chested Parrot site we also came across the track of Short-beaked Echidna. They are found at Gluepot, indeed their image appear on the Gluepot banner. However they are not often seen

Other Sites at Gluepot
There are a few walks that I didn't do on this visit that are worth mentioning here. The Whistler Tank Walk (about 6 km long - so give yourself time) commences from the car park on Track 8 (1.5 km from the Visitor Centre). It takes you through a range of habitats including Mallee with an understory of Spinifex, Black Oak, and stands of Senna and Acacia. Keep a look out for Striated Grasswren, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Southern Scrub-robin, Chestnut crowned Babbler, White-browed Treecreeper, and Spotted Nightjar (sometimes flush along the track). A hide (at 2.5 km) overlooks a watering point provides an opportunity to see birds such as Regent Parrot, Gilbert's and Rufous Whistler, Striped and Pied (nomadic) Honeyeater. This walk is usually regarded as best place to see Scarlet-chested Parrot; look for them being around the carpark area near Whistler Tank.

Black-eared Miner hybrid at Billiatt Conservation Park

Around the Grasswren Tank, located in the northeast corner of the reserve, you might see Regent Parrot, White-browed Treecreeper, Gilbert's Whistler, Shy Heathwren, Crested Bellbird and occasionally Black-eared Miner. White-browed and Brown Treecreeper are found near the near the Homestead Dam, and Scarlet-chested Parrot have occasionally visited the dam. The Gypsum Lunette Walk, which starts from the main Waikerie to Gluepot road about 6 km south of Emu Tank, can be very active in birdlife, and is a good walk for Black-eared Miner and Striated Grasswren.

Billiatt Conservation Park

A brilliant little Mallee reserve, the habitat of Billiatt Conservation Park is comprised of sand plains and hills covered with Mallee. Running north to south through the Park, access is restricted to the Lameroo-Alawoona Rd. Despite this, there is excellent birding location along this road. The southern entrance to the Park is 35 km north of Lameroo. A site where the extremely rare Western Whipbird (race leucogaster) has been recorded is on the west side of the road 42 km north of Lameroo (30 km south of Alawoona). Here there is a roadside pull-in (located 400 m before the road turns east). Red-lored Whistler and Striated Grasswren prefer the habitat 2 to 3 km further north of here, between 43.5 and 46.5 km from Lameroo (around 25.5 to 28.5 km from Alawoona). Black-eared Miner (mostly hybridized) are also found here.

Superb examples of Spinifex (Triodia scariosa) at Billiatt Conservation Park.

36 from Lameroo (1 km after you enter the park from the south) turn west onto a small bush track and pull off the road; this is a good area for birding, and it is well worth climbing to the near Trig Point (133 m), providing views over the park.

At Billiatt Conservation Park keep a look out for birds such as Malleefowl, Regent Parrot, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Golden and Gilbert's Whistler, Southern Scrub-robin, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Crested Bellbird, Black-eared Cuckoo, White-eared, Purple-gaped, Tawny-crowned, Spiny-cheeked, White-fronted and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater. While driving through the park along Lameroo-Alawoona Rd there's plenty of areas that are worth stopping and investigating, looking, and listening for bird activity.

Tim Dolby

Western Australia's Wonderful South-West Corner

2011-03-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

Red-eared Firetail, Cheynes Beach, Waychinicup National Park (Greg Oakley)

Click images to enlarge.

Tim Dolby
The following report covers a birding trip to the fantastic south west corner of Western Australia. Joining me on the trip was fellow birding cohort Greg Oakley.

Our basic itinerary was to fly 4000 km from Melbourne (Victoria) to sunny Perth in Western Australia. From Perth we'd travel 500 km south to coastal heathland just east of Albany. On the way we'd stop at Dryandra Woodland. Dryandra is not only an excellent mid-point between the southern coast and Perth but also a significant birding site.

We visited a number of sites in south west Western Australia including Serpentine National Park, Dryandra Woodlands, Cheynes Beach (the location of both Arpenteur Nature Reserve and Waychinicup National Park, Mt Trio and Salt River Rd in Stirling National Park, 'The Gap' near Albany in Torndirrup National Park near Albany, and on the way back to Perth we stopped briefly at Northam, and in Perth Lake Monger and the impressive Herdsman Lake.

Honey Possum feeding on Banksia baxteri, Cheynes Beach.

The Birds
The south west is an area effectively cut off from other rainfall areas in Australia - eastern and northern Australian, being surround by a large areas of semi-arid deserts such as the Great Sandy Desert in the north, Gibson in the centre and Great Southern to the east. Such isolation has led to good numbers of endemics on a species and subspecies level. A number of these are regarded as relict species such as the skulkers, Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Bristlebird and Western Whipbird (considered three of Australia's most difficult birds to see - augmented by the fact that they are crepuscular, being active only at dawn and dusk). Others are similar but different to those on the east coast of Australia - the similarities formed when there was a continuity of temperate habitat across southern Australia. Aside from the three skulkers the endemics to the south west corners include: Red-capped Parrot, Western Rosella, Baudin's and Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (also known as Long-billed and Short-billed Black-Cockatoo), and Western (or Muir's) Corella (with two distinct races, the uncommon southern race pastinator and common northern race derbyi), Western Yellow Robin and White-breasted Robin, Red-winged Fairy-wren (a large fairy-wren that prefers moist temperate forests) and Blue-breasted Fairy-wren (prefers drier woodland), Western Wattlebird and the Western race chloropsis of the White-naped Honeyeater (considered by many to be a distinct species, to called either Western Honeyeater or Swan River Honeyeater), Rufous Treecreeper, Western Thornbill and Red-eared Firetail.

Dryandra Woodland, dominated by Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo)

Noisy Scrub-bird, Cheynes Beach

There is a collection of other interesting species found in the area including (in no particular order): Mute Swan (an introduced species found only in Northam), Laughing Dove (another introduced special with its range limited to WA), and local species such as Malleefowl, Rock and Elegant Parrot, Regent Parrot, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Western Gerygone, Tawny-crowed, White-cheeked and Brown Honeyeater, Brush Bronzewing, Splendid Fairy-wren, Bush Stone-curlew, Masked Owl, Flesh-footed Shearwater and Great-winged Petrel, just to name a few.

Due to the south-west isolation there's a high degree of local endemics on a subspecies level including the nominate race (anthropeplus) of Regent Parrot, both the green-bellied and red-front head band race (semitorquantus) of the Australian Ringneck, known locally as "Twenty Eights" (a reference to the parrots call) and the classic Port Lincoln Ringneck (race zonarius with the yellow belly) - with the south-west WA around Perth is a transition zone between the two races, Western Shrike-tit, 'Spotted Scrubwren' (race maculatus) of the White-browed Scrubwren, and Western Shrike-thrush' (brownish backed race rufiventris), and 'Western Magpie' (race dorsalis - with the female having a scalloped back), to name a few. Although I didn't visit Rottnest Island (18 km of the coast of Perth) on this trip, there are interesting subspecies located there: Singing Honeyeater (a race that is 25% heavier than mainland birds), Red-capped Robin and Western Gerygone, the last two with vocalisations that differ significantly from mainland birds. Rottnest Island also has wild populations of Common Pheasant and Indian Peafowl.

It is worth noting that Western Whipbird, Western Yellow Robin, Rufous Treecreeper and Blue-breasted Fairy-wren are also found across the Nullarbor in South Australia. Another thing worth noting is that most of Western Australia's endemics are found in south-west, aside from Dusky Gerygone (found between Carnarvon and Derby), the recently split Kimberly Honeyeater (formerly lumped with White-lined Honeyeater) and Black Grasswren (Kimberly), while the rare and endangered Western Ground Parrot (which seems likely to be raised to full species status) is found near Esperance 500 km east of Albany.

The perfect bush cabin - the Marri, Dryandra Village.

Accommodation and car hire
For this trip (Perth to Dryandra to Albany and back again) there were two excellent accommodation options. Firstly we stayed in the Dryandra village one night on the way down, and then one night on the way back. The cost were $25 per person per night - and for this you get to stay in a fantastic bush cottage with 2 bedrooms, lounge, outdoor eating areas, BBQ, fully equipped Fridge, front balcony etc. On the first night it was a warm evening, so I chucked a mattress on the front balcony and slept outside. Their contact details are 08_9884_5231, web http://www.dryandravillage.org.au.

Small heathland near Perth Airport.

Secondly, we stayed at the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, with one of the modern (but plain) 2 bedroom cabins costing about $120 a night. I particularly recommend the "2BRM Chalets"/cabins in the north-east of the caravan park - particularly 11 or 12, although 10 and 9 are also o.k. The real benefit of these cabins is that they literally border one of Australia most significant birding locations in Australia. To give you indication of the quality of birding near the cabins, from the balcony I heard Noisy Scrub-bird and saw Red-eared Firetail (a pair roosted on the wires next to the cabin), White-breasted Robin (family of 4), Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo (large flock roosted in the trees in the Caravan Park), Quokka and several Western Grey Kangaroo. Not bad! Cheynes Beach Caravan Park contact details are phone 089846247, web http://www.cheynesbeachcaravanpark.com.au.

In terms of carhire, we hired a new model Nissan X-Trail, a perfect 4WD option, not only because it easily handled any off-road conditions we encountered, but it also had a very large rear cabin space, easily fitting in all our gear.

WA Fringe Lily in heathland near Perth Airport

Heathland area near Perth Airport
Upon arriving in Perth I spent 3 hours (while waiting for Greg O's flight to arrive from Melbourne) wandering around a small heathland just outside the eastern border of the airport (on the east side of a small channel between Boud Ave and the Tonkin Hwy). Aside from a nice selection of Honeyeaters such Tawny-crowned, Singing, Brown, White-cheeked and New Holland. I also flushed a Southern Brown Bandicoot - it ran across the walking track. A nice start to the trip, and an interesting native mammal so close (5 km) to the centre of a major city. [Interested to hear local WA comment about Southern Brown Bandicoot's population in Perth.]

Serpentine Dam

Serpentine National Park
Stopped briefly at Serpentine Dam on the way down to Dryandra. 4,500 ha in size, it's only 60 km from Perth Airport. Around the Serpentine Dam Picnic Area and lookout the south side of the dam are an excellent place to see the WA's temperate Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest endemics such as Red-winged Fairy-wren (unfortunately eclipsed plumage males when I we there, and I was also surprised how large this bird looks for a fairy-wren, alomost Grasswren like), Red-capped Parrot, Western Spinebill, Western (White-naped) Honeyeater and Baudin's Black-Cockatoo. Other birds seen here include Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Twenty Eights, Splendid Fairy-wren, Golden Whistler and Scarlet Robin.

Western Shrike-tit, Tomingley Rd, Dryandra.

DRYANDRA WOODLAND
After Serpentine NP we headed to Dryandra Woodlands, not just a tremendous birding location - but it's also a good place to see mammals such as Numbat, Woylie and Tammar Wallaby.

The flora of Dryandra consists of extensive stands of Wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo), Powderbark Wandoo (E. accedens) and Salmon White Gum (E. lane-poolei). Stands of Jarrah (E. marginata) and Marri (Corymbia calophylla) provide additional top cover, and the understorey contains Rock Sheoak (Allocasuarina huegeliana) and extensive areas of Banksia ser Dryandra. Until early 2007 this latter shrub was classified as a separate genus Dryandra after which the Woodland is named. Species here include Golden Dryandra (Banksia nobilis) and Prickly Dryandra (B. armata).

Dryandra (environmental) Village
Somewhat similar to Kingfisher Park in FNQ but with a WA dry woodland feel, Dryandra Village is the perfect birders accommodation. Dawn dusk and the nights provided an extremely pleasant birding experience. Dryandra is an excellent stopping / mid point between Perth and the south-coast, we stayed there two nights, once on the way down and once on the way back.

Dryandra Village Dam.

On the first night we arrived late in the evening - both nights were warm, so I slept on the balcony. During the night I was serenaded by Bush Stone-curlew, Southern Boobook and Owlet Nightjar. We also heard a Tyto-type Owl, possibly a Masked Owl (rather than Barn Owl) because the call was more drawn out, stronger and deeper. Supportive of this was that a Masked had recently photographed at the Dryandra Village, and looking at the context of the Village (a small cleared area in the middle of woodland), it sort of makes sense.

In the morning I was awoken to a dawn chorus which including a plethora of honeyeaters such Western Spinebill, Red Wattlebird, New Holland, Singing, White-cheeked, White-eared, Tawny-crowned, Western (White-naped), Yellow-plumed, Brown and Brown-headed Honeyeater. Many of these drank at the water bath near the office, the 'Western Magpie' (race dorsalis - with the female having a scalloped back), Red-capped Parrot, 28s, Weebill and Silvereye (race chloronotus [gouldi], sharply demarcated yellow throat and olive back).

Dryandra Village Dam
A kilometre west of the village on Kawana Rd you'll find a water supply dam for the Dryandra Village. This was a fantastic dam for drinking birds, just after dawn, particularly Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Red-capped Parrot and Twenty Eights. The first time I visited the dam no less that 15 Re-capped Parrot were drinking at the dam - and in the north-west corner; dozens of honeyeater lined up to drink - a situation that reminded me of the drinking of the mixed flocks of drinking honeyeaters, finches and parrots at the waterholes in northern Australia. Interestingly finches - other than the uncommon Red-eared Firetail - are totally absent from this part of Australia. The dam is also an excellent place to find the (secretive) Blue-breasted Fairy-wren. They were quite secretive, we found then in the south-east corner, foraging under low scrub. Unfortunately the males were in their eclipse phase.

Start of the Ochre Trail, Tomingly Rd.

Also here were Western Thornbill (a very plainly plumaged Thornbill, even 'duller' than the Mountain Thornbill of FNQ, it contrasts with Inland Thornbill through lacking brownness on the rump), a juvenile Brown Goshawk, Brush Bronzewing, Western Gerygone, 'Spotted Scrubwren' (race maculatus of White-browed), 'Western Shrike-thrush' (brownish backed race rufiventris of Grey Shrike-thrush).

Ochre Walk and Arboretum (Dryandra)
Rufous Treecreeper was conspicuous at the Dryandra Arboretum (a collection of native trees) and the start of the Ochre Walk on Tomingley Rd - it ringing call being almost continuous. Along the start of the walk we got onto Western Yellow Robin - about 150 metres south of Tomingly Rd (you can see a small ridge line on the south-west side of the track) - the race (griseogularis) of the robin in the south-west has a bright rump. The Ochre Trail is also a reliable walk to see Numbat.

Western Yellow Robin, Ochre Walk.

Tomingley Rd (Dryandra)
While in Dryandra we travelled up and down Tomingley Rd a few times, mainly because of the openness and good quality of the Wandoo eucalyptus woodland. Along Tomingly Rd saw 'Western Shrike-tit' (white bellied race leucogaster Crested Shrike-tit), Restless Flycatcher, Fantail Cuckoo, Rufous Treecreeper, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Dusky Woodswallow (smaller darker race Perthi - with less whiteness on outer-primaries and tail-tips - looking somewhat like Little Woodswallow), Rainbow Bee-eater, Western, Inland and Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Scarlet Robin (which seemed to be present at every location we visited), Grey Butcherbird, Tree Martin, and there is a possibility of seeing the diurnal Numbat, especially in along the open woodland gullies on the south side of the road.

Dryandra Woodland map

Surrounding Roads (Dryandra)
On the road in and out of Dryandra for Western Rosella, Red-capped Parrot and Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo, we saw a large flock feeding on fresh pine cones along the Wandering - Narrogin Rd. We also found a unusual mixed flock of Black-faced Woodswallow and Varied Sitella (black-capped race pileata) along a dry roadside - this seemed a very strange coupling, for example in eastern Victoria Black-faced Woodswallow are an open country and Samphire species while Varied Sitella are a woodland species, so the chance of seeing them together is very slim. The southern area of Guru Rd, around the two fenced areas, is a good site to see Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong - we also had a few around our cottage in the village), Numbat and Bilby (part of a release program).

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo.

WAYCHINICUP NATIONAL PARK AND CHEYNES BEACH
Cheynes Beach, located within Waychinicup National Park is quite simply a brilliant birding location! Here I was targeting the critically endangered Noisy Scrub-bird - one of Australia's rarest species and an iconic skulking species thought extinct until its rediscovery in the early 1960s. I was also after two other skulking species, Western Bristlebird and Western Whipbird.

The main sites for Noisy Scrub-bird are actually located in a small reserve known Arpenteur Nature Reserve, a sub-reserve of the larger Waychinicup National Park. The dominant flora in the reserve is the reserve is the wonderful Baxter's Banksia (Banksia baxteri), Dryandra-leaved Banksia (B. dryandroides), Candlestick Banksia (B. attenuata) or Scarlet Banksia (B. coccinea), paperbarks (such as Melaleuca baxteri, M. striata and M. thymoides), hakeas such as Hood Leaved Hakea (Hakea cucullata), or Two-leaf Hakea (H. trifurcata). There are also thickets of thickets of Sword-sedges (Anarthria spp.), and stunted eucalypts (especially Mallee eucalypts such as Ridge-fruited Mallee (Eucalyptus angulosa), Bald Island Marlock E. conferruminata and Jerdacuttup Mallee E. goniantha, and Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea spp.) is common.

Arpenteur Nature Reserve (a small reserve adjacent to Waychinicup NP), Cheynes Beach.

Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Bristlebird and Western Whipbird
Looking to Noisy Scrub-bird was a significant milestone in my birding career (along with Eyrean Grasswren, also rediscovered in 1961); it was one of a number of species of bird that I'd talk about with my Father when we discussed rare and unusual birds in Australia. Indeed my Father had made his own trek to this area (visiting Two Peoples Bay in the 1970s) to see Noisy Scrub-bird. Unfortunately he didn't see the bird; however it didn't seem to matter to him. I remember him saying "I could hear them very close to me in the scrub, but despite crawling on hand and knees I could track him down". I managed to go one crawling step further, and managed to get crippling views of the Noisy Scrub-bird on several occasion.

Arpenteur Nature Reserve.

The best spots for the Noisy Scrub-bird at Cheynes Beach are within cooee of the caravan park. A small population of 14 were translocated here from Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve in 1983, followed by another 16 in 1985, and recently over 200 hundred 223 male birds had been heard singing in the area.

A distant Western Bristlebird.

There were two good sites for them along Cheyne Rd (see map below). The first is on the south side of Cheyne Rd, 100 m west of the intersection of Cheyne Rd and Bald Island Rd, in the areas between a culvert (an enclosed drain under the road) and a dirt track that that leads down to the beach), with the bird first heard calling in a large bush beside the road. The birds here are well known, colloquially known as the "Culvert Scrub-bird". Upon hearing Noisy Scrub-bird it's hard to believe that a bird so small can make such as a powerful call - occasionally it was almost deafening.

The second site for Noisy Scrub-bird was on the north side of Cheyne Rd, about 300 m east of the intersection with Bald Island Rd. This is the areas between the road and the Cheyne Beach Car Park. There an old toilet block here, where it would be easy to listen to the Scrub-bird while ... well you know ... and as a result colloquially the bird here is known as the "Toilet Scrub-bird". (I just made that up.)

White-breasted Robin, Cheynes Beach

We saw Western Bristlebird at Cheynes Beach immediately east of the Bald Island Rd, about 100 metres south-east of the turn-off to the Caravan Park (60 metres after the road becomes a dirt track). From the Caravan Park entrance travel south for 50 metres past the Caravan Park entrance and then take the easterly track for about 20 metres (see map below). Western Bristlebird can be found in the heath on the north-east side of this track. Another site for them is along a small walking track immediately south of the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park; on your right as you head to the first site.

Greg and I didn't see Western Whipbird at Cheynes Beach - although we didn't actually look for them (we'd planned to target them at Betty's Beach - see site details below). However if you do want to search for Western Whipbird here look for them 200+ m past the Western Bristlebird site on the Bald Island Rd (track), south-east of here, around the intersection near Back Beach, and 800 m directly south of the Caravan Park, near an intersection that branches west (where Noisy Scrub-bird and Western Bristlebird have also been recorded). See map.

Cheynes Beach Mud Map.

Other birds at Cheynes Beach
White-breasted Robin are common in the Caravan Park near as the entrance area and around the cabins, and also along the tracks leading to the beach from Cheyne Rd. As a complete side note: I reckon the White-breasted Robin should be renamed the "White Robin" (in the same way we have a Yellow, Scarlet, Pink, Rose and Flame Robin). It's a far stronger, more straightforward, iconic name. A good place to see Southern Emu-wren (race westernensis) is at the intersection of Cheynes Rd and Bald Island Rd. Red-eared Firetail are found in the area between Bald Island Rd and the cabins in the Caravan Park. Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo feed and roost in the pines in the centre of the Caravan Park; Purple-crowned Lorikeet seem to prefer the gum (especially when flowering) at the east side of the Caravan Park Other bird we saw here included Brush Bronzewing, Western Rosella, White-checked, New Holland and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Splendid Fairy-wren, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, White-browed (Spotted) Scrub-wren, Inland Thornbill, Dusky Woodswallow, Black-shouldered Kite and Wedge-tailed Eagle. We also saw Regent Parrot on the way into Cheynes Beach, surprisingly in the Blue Gum plantations about 5 km from the South Coast Hwy (half way to Cheynes Beach).

The area is also an excellent place to see heathland mammals. I had spectacular views of a Honey Possum feeding in a large Baxter Banksia (Banksia baxteri) just east of the intersection of Cheyne Rd and Bald Island Rd, and a Quokka, along with Western Grey Kangaroo, feed in the grassy areas behind the Cabin 11 in the Caravan Park. Other mammals in the reserve include Western Pygmy Possum, Bush Rat, Southern Brown Bandicoot and the endangered Dibbler, a large antechinus (in a surprising parallel context to Noisy Scrub-bird it was rediscovered at Cheynes Beach in 1967 after a gap of 80 years).

Western Whipbird Site, North Point.

North Point and Betty's Beach
Located on the edge of North Point (which faces Two Peoples Bay) Betty's Beach is a really interesting birding site worth further investigating. It proved a very good site for Western Whipbird (nigrogularis), hearing them as soon as we got out of the car, as well as Rock Parrot. On a recent trip to Kangaroo Island in South Australia I got onto Western Whipbird and Rock Parrot at Cape Du Couedic on the Weir Cove Tk.

Rock Parrot sitting on a rock.

The similarity between that site and Betty's Beach was remarkable. Upon arriving at both sites I heard Western Whipbird immediately as I got out the car. In both sites the Whipbird were on the north side of the road up a short track at the base of a hill, and the site over looked a rugged granite headland massif, with a major headland on the west side of the coast. At both sites birds include small flock of Rock Parrot, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Southern Emu-wren, White-browed (Spotted race maculatus) Scrubwren, Southern Emu-wren, Tree Martin, Welcome Swallow and Australian Raven. The only difference was the species of Spinebill - Weir Cove they were Eastern Spinebill, while at Betty's Beach Western Spinebill.

Looking across to South Point, Little Beach and Two People Bay from the Limestone Rocks at North Point provides excellent sea views into Two Peoples Bay. Here were saw Flesh-footed Shearwater, Great Cormorant and Caspian Tern, while Black Oystercatcher feed on the rocks. At the small fishing locality of Betty's Beach (where you seem to step back in time 50 years) a large Kings Skink scurried across the road.

Great seabirding at The Gap, Torndirrup NP, near Albany.

The Gap, Albany
From the lighthouse at The Gap we had superb views of the seas. The seas were calm, so there weren't many species seabirds around, however we did manage to see Flesh-footed Shearwater, Great-winged Petrel, Sooty Oystercatcher, and a quick view of a pterodrama, possibly a Soft-plumaged Petrel. The Gap, in Torndirrup National Park, is on the southern side of Frenchmans Bay 20 km south west of Albany (pronounced, I've been informed Al-bany not All-bany). The area consists of wind-swept coastline and rugged headlands, with some protected bushlands. Looking from the cliffs, to an area behind the surf I also saw a very large shark (~15 foot), too hard to tell what it was, but large enough to suggest Great White.

Mt Trio, Stirling Ranges

Stirling Ranges
Brief visit, which didn't do the area justice. We visited Mt Trio in the Stirling Ranges, an area of mixed mallee heath, and a good site for the mallee race (oberon) of the Western Whipbird. Here we saw Purple-gaped, Yellow-plumed, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Western Wattlebird, and what a brief very short and distant of call of what I thought was a Gilbert's Whistler. Golden Whistler was also heard here. A good place to see the distinctive Rosenberg's Goanna is along the dirt section of the Salt River Rd, which runs along the northern boundary of the park. Along here we had two Rosenberg's sunning themselves along the road.

Rosenberg's Goanna, Salt River Rd, Stirling Ranges

Rocky Gully
Rocky Gully is a small town on Muirs Hwy, and is one of the best locations to see the uncommon southern race (pastinator) of the Western Corella. A particularly good location is around a farm 200 m west of the town centres along the Rocky Gully - Franklands Rd. You can view the farm from the Muirs Hwy via a small powerline break in the roadside vegetation (opposite Mills Rd). Here we saw a large flock of Western Corella in the area bordering farmland.

Beverley
From here we headed back to Dryandra (where we stayed a second night) and then north to Northam through Western Australia's "wheatbelt" via the Great Southern Hwy. Along the way there were a couple of good birding locations. The northern race (derbyi) of the Western Corella, along with Little Corella, flocked to drink at a storage dam on the west side of the Great Southern Hwy in the centre of the township of Beverley - providing a nice opportunity to see both species (Little and Western Corella) side by side (literally).

Western Corella, uncommon southern race (pastinator).

York
In the Township of York, on the Avon River there was an impressive array of waterbirds between the bridges on Balladong St and South St. Here we saw Nankeen Night Heron, Darter, Little Pied, Little-black, Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Hoary-headed and Australasian Grebe, all roosting along the river. The best access was via the west side of the South St Bridge (through a small train museum).

View of Avon River at Northam Weir (find the Mute Swan).

Northam
One of the strangest birding twitches I've undertaken was heading to the Northam Weir 100 km east of Perth to see Mute Swan. Perhaps romanticized the moment - when I would see a legitimized population of Mute Swan in Australia. However upon reaching the site it was like visiting the wetlands the city Zoo. The birds where there, but it didn't feel like you'd seen them in the wild. For example I remember seeing Flamingos in Hong Kong and there wasn't any emotional attachment; it wasn't until I saw a true wild population in the Camargue in France that it took a real emotive experience. (I could name dozens other similar experiences.)

Mute Swan, Northam

That being said the birds (Mute Swan) were there, and what a superb birds they were! Being in Northam reminded me of the stories of the disbelief that 18th century Europeans felt when they first heard about existence of 'Black Swans'. Such an idea turned flat-world conservative thinker's views of reality on their head. Soon we'd believe that mammals could have a bill like a duck!

Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger Reserve
Before heading home we dropped in a couple of the Perth's suburban lakes, Herdsman Lake and Lake Monger Reserve, both located only a few kilometres from the centre of Perth. Herdsman has extensive areas of reed beds in centre which is shallow at low water levels, and narrow strip of paperbark around lake. We birded on the north side getting onto a nice selection of birds including Great Crested Grebe, Australasian Darter, Australasian Shoveler, Pink-eared, Blue-billed and Musk Duck, Great Egret, Yellow-billed Spoonbill (interestingly Royal Spoonbill is very rare in SW WA ), Australian Reed-Warbler, Little Grassbird and Western Gerygone (another surprising city species - in Victoria you'd have to travel well over 100 km out of Melbourne to have a chance of seeing this species).

Mute Swan, near Northam Weir

Lake Monger is also a large lake (~2km diameter) however it's surrounded by pen parkland. Again there was a nice selection of waterbirds, including a range of ducks that in the eastern states are uncommon (certainly in or near cities), but where the common ducks on suburban lakes, such as Australasian Shoveler, Pink-eared, Blue-billed and Musk Duck - I wonder if this has something to do with WA's drought i.e. uncommon species pushed into urban landscapes (for example in Melbourne during the drought period this was most obvious with our Parrots and Cockatoo, such as Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo.)

By the end of our trip we'd seen all the local south west WA endemics - and also picked up Mute Swan. The most noticeable about WA was how incredibly dry it was. For example one of dominant aspect of Dryandra (and much of the southern part of the state) was the number of trees that had either fallen over, or were in in the process of falling over. After any strong wind, trees would start tumbling down. The major cause is obviously: the prolonged Western Australia drought (the land was as dry as a bone) has affected the root systems of many of the trees (contracting to the point of non-existence). In many ways it reminded me of eastern Australia prior to recent rains (and floods). The most affected areas, in terms of fallen trees, I came across was in Dryandra along the northern section of Guru Rd; it looked as though it had been hit by a cyclone. Despite the dryness of south-west WA the birdlife and birding was tremendous - being almost the perfect birding destination, with all the common species a little bit different to what I'm used to in Victoria, intermixed with a nice selection of rare and unusual species. There is also a nice selection of mammals, such as the Honey Possum and Numbat, adding wonderful wildlife experience.

Big thanks to Greg Oakley, Tim Bawden and Frank O'Connor (and his tremendous website birdingwa.iinet.net.au) for their good dirt, and to the birders who'd provided mud map details at Cheynes Beach. Thanks also to the people at Dryandra Village, great stuff.
Cheers,

Tim Dolby

Tomingley Road, Dryandra Woodland

(A) SITE LOCATION INDEX

2011-03-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

New South Wales
Bomaderry Creek Reserve
Jervis Bay and Booderee National Park
NSW Far South Coast
NSW Mid Coast: Barrington Tops, Boorganna, Crowdy Bay National Park and Ash Island
Round Hill Nature Reseve and Lake Cargelligo
Sturt National Park and Mutawintji National Park

Northern Territory
Alice Springs 2010 - After the Rains
Alice Springs and Surrounds 2007
Darwin and Kakadu

Queensland
Cairns, Georgetown, Karumba on Gulf of Carpentaria
Iron Range National Park and Musgrave Station
Lamington National Park
Michaelmas Cay Great Barrier Reef
Balloo Overflow

South Australia
Flinders Ranges, Gluepot, Strzelecki Track
Flinders Ranges 2010
Kangaroo Island 2011
Cameron Corner

Gluepot Reserve & Billiatt Conservation Park

Victoria
Finding Rare and Uncommon Birds in Northern Victoria
Chiltern Mt Pilot National Park
Croajingolong National Park and Mallacoota
Deen Maar Indigenous Protected Area
Edwards Point Faunal Reserve
Glenlee Flora and Fauna Reserve

Goschen Bushland Reserve and Surrounds
Hattah-Kulkyne NP and Lake Tyrrell
Inner Melbourne Reedbeds
Little Desert National Park
Murray-Sunset National Park, Ned's Corner, Yarrara FFR
Terrick Terrick National Park
Western Grampians
Wyperfeld National Park

Western Australia
Western Australia's Wonderful South-West Corner (2011)

Victorian Twitchathon and VicTwitch
Birding Victoria 2006
Victorian Twitchathon: Racing for Ornithological Conservation
Victorian Twitchathon 2009
VicTwitch 2009 Part 1
VicTwitch 2009 Part 2

A Couple of Interviews
Radio Interviews: ABC Conservation Hours and with Red Symons

Kangaroo Island / January 2011

2011-01-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

Click images to enlarge. (copyright Tim Dolby)

Immature Rock Parrot, Weir Cove Hike.

This report covers a trip to Kangaroo Island (KI) in South Australia, visited (by Tim Dolby) with family during January 2011. Somehow I managed to convinced my family that KI was a good place to visit over summer (following up on a recent trip to the Flinders Range). The weather was perfect, the scenery wonderful, and the birds were everywhere.

January in KI is normally very hot, with temperatures regularly reaching 45 degrees. However this year by comparison has been extremely mild, averaging around 30 degree. As a consequence it was a perfect time to visit the island, so I jumped at the opportunity. KI is seven times the size of Singapore, and owing to its isolation from the mainland it has retained more than half of its old-growth vegetation. Perfect for visiting as a birdwatcher - and the many pristine beaches and stunning lookouts are perfect for a visiting family.

Accommodation
On KI we camped several nights, the first on the banks of Chapman River near Antechamber Bay - a very pleasant river inlet, and an area abounding with birdlife, such as Rainbow Lorikeet, Little Corella and Grey Currawong. We then camped camped at Wheatons Beach on the southern edge of D'Estrees Bay, an area with longs sandy beaches and reefs.

After this we stayed in the Postmans Hut at Flinders Chase National Park. A wonderful (small) sandstone cottage built in the late 1800's, it has one-room with cooking facilities, a table, three beds (one double, two single) - perfect for a family or couple (unfortunately no showers). Immediately outside the cottage: during the day family groups of Cape Barren Geese fed on the grassy areas surrounding the cottage; while at night Southern Brown Bandicoot, Tammar Wallaby, Kangaroo Island Kangaroo and Brush-tailed Possum fed on a fruiting Kangaroo Apple (Solanum laciniatum) immediately in front of the Cottage, while Southern Boobook and Bush Stone-curkew called in the distance. Wonderful stuff. Highly recommended.

Postmans Cottage, Flinders Chase National Park.

Note: the bigger Mays Homestead (adjacent to the Postmans Cottage in Flinders Chase) also looked excellent. It would suit larger groups (such as a gaggle of birdwatchers), with a number of bedrooms and showers! (Not that birders stink.) Both the Postmans Hut and Mays Cottage are reasonably priced. I was also told that the cottage at the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse on the far-east side of the island was spectacular, with extensive 250 degree views of the ocean.

Getting around
The ferry across to the island is very expensive. One of the locals told me it was the most expensive ferry per km in the world. It cost us (with one car, two adults and two kids) nearly $450! It is cheaper if you book online, and it's worth booking your ticket well in advance, not only to avoid the shock of the price, but it is also a very popular ferry, and you're not guaranteed a place on the boat.

TD on the ferry over to KI.

That being said, if you haven't pre-booked, there is a stand-by waiting area - and you can usually get onto the next available ferry. This is what we did (typically not booking ahead), and while we waited (typically) I managed to do a bit of birding around the Penneshaw port area - in the process seeing Eastern Reef Egret, Fairy Penguin, Black-faced Cormorant and a pod of Common Dolphin.

Most of the roads on KI are unsealed and often corrugated - except for the islands two main roads (Playford Hwy and South Coast Rd). Although you can get around in a 2WD, some form or 4WD is recommended. We drove our new Xtrail (white, of course) perfect, not just in terms of handling the track, but also in terms of room for camping gear etc.

Western Whipbird habitat, Weir Cove.

Flora
Western Whipbird inhabit the thick shrubland on the southern side of the island dominated by Coastal White Mallee (Eucalyptus diversifolia - also known as Soap Mallee), Dryland Tea-tree or Moonah (Melaleuca lanceolata), with low shrubs such as Boobialla (Myoporum insulare) and Pigface (Carpobrotus rossii). In the east, Kangaroo Island Narrow-Leaf Mallee is the main multi-trunked mallee. The open woodlands on the island are dominated by eucalypts such as Sugar Gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx), the main breeding tree for Glossy Black-Cockatoo, South Australian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. leucoxylon), Cup Gum (Eucalyptus cosmophylla) so named for the large sized gum nuts compared with other species, Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) and River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). There is a wide variety of wattles on KI including Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) and Swamp Wattle (Acacia retinodes ssp. retinodes). Other small trees and large shrubs include the Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata), the major food source for Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Scarlet Bottlebrush (Callistemon macropunctatus), and the slow-growing Tate's Grass Tree (Xanthorrhea semiplana ssp. tateana). The Xanthorrhea on KI was some of the most impressive I've seen - their wonderful round shape dominated the KI landscape.

Background notes on the birds on Kangaroo Island
There were a few species that I was particularly targeting including the cryptic Western Whipbird, the endemic race of the Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Rock Parrot and a range of local endemic subspecies. Kangaroo Island is Australia's third largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island (in the NT). Like Melville Is, because KI has been isolated from the mainland (for the last 10,000 years) there is a high level of endemism at the subspecies level. Local race endemics include: Grey Currawong (race halmaturina), Crimson Rosella (race melonoptera), Glossy Black-Cockatoo (race halmaturinus), Crescent Honeyeater (race halmaturina), New Holland Honeyeater (race campelli), Purple-gaped Honeyeater (race cratitius) and Western Whipbird race lashmai).

Cape Du Couedic from Weir Cove Tk.

Also there are some interesting introduced species - some Australian endemics but also overseas introduced birds. These include Gang Gang Cockatoo (introduced 1947 and 1956), Cape Barren Goose (introduced between 1923 and 1935, although birds present independent of this introduction), Laughing Kookaburra (introduced 1926, but possibly self introduced), Australian Brush-Turkey (perhaps the most unusual introduction, in 1936 [they were also introduced in Victoria in the Brisbane Ranges]) and Indian Peafowl (introduction date not known). While on the island I also recorded a family of Wild Turkey. These may be a new to the island. The dwarf Kangaroo Island Emu is now extinct (by 1837), however in between 1927 and 1957 the mainland Emu was introduced. All these introduced Emu seem to have gone except for a single bird at Flinders Chase National Park. Crested Pigeon was also introduced in 1937, but didn't take, perhaps surprisingly, because it's common 14km east on the mainland.

Unfortunate Black-faced Cormorant.

Similarly a number of common species found on mainland Australia are not found on KI, including Red-rumped Parrot, Rufous Whistler, Weebill, Noisy Miner, Singing, Yellow-faced and White-plumed Honeyeater, Mistletoebird, to name a few. This situation reminds me of French Island in Victoria, where Superb Fairy-wren is not found on the island, despite habitat conditions being perfect. (Don't tell anyone; I might introduce them myself! ; )

A few major rarities have been recorded on the island including several beach-washed Fiordland Penguin, Antarctic Tern seen off Cape de Couedic Sept 2006 and 2007, Garganey at Murray Lagoon, and a possible Red-tailed Tropicbird. I wasn't expecting to see any of these.

Scenic Walkway, also known as the Fish Cannery Walk Trail, American River

BIRDS SITES VISITED
Here are some of the areas I visited, and a summary of some of the interesting birds seen on KI.

Penneshaw Port
Little Penguin plus all the Black-faced, Great, Little Black, Pied and Little Pied Cormorant (a set of five) were seen in the port of Penneshaw. There is also a small breeding colony of Little Penguin immediately adjacent to the ferry terminal. Little Corella is common in the town. On the ferry across I had fantastic views of an Arctic Jaeger, classically chasing a Crested Tern.

Tim and Rhys Dolby, Wheatons Beach.

Chapman River, Antechamber Bay
We camped beside the east side of the Chapman River, a really nice camping spot. A number of the larger species were in abundance here, including Purple Swamphen, Grey Currawong (race halmturina, much like ‘Black-winged Currawong'), Little Corella, Rainbow Lorikeet (a bird that seem very different from the Rainbows in Victoria, being small and having a very different call, and going out of a limb, based on no more than simple observation, I'd suggested these are a different subspecies), Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Galah, Crimson Rosella (slightly bigger and darker race melonoptera, looking more like the nominate race elegans rather than the mainland fluerieuensis ), Grey Shrike-thrush, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, and a large female Peregrine Falcon came in several times, chasing Currawong and Corella for breakfast. Also a single Indian Peafowl was seen running across the track near Lashar Conservation Park at Antechamber Bay. Around the campsite there were several Heath Goanna (also known as Rosenberg's Goanna, and up to 1.5 metres long), so keep your food well stored. On the road into Antechamber Bay we just missed running over a large Black Tiger Snake.

Wild Turkey - a new wild species for Kangaroo Is.

In bushland along Three Chain Rd I came across 3 Wild Turkey. Recently Wild Turkey were also been seen near Western KI Caravan Park (by Tim Bawden) and there are records from the Vivonne Bay and Lathami Conservation Park, so perhaps this is the beginning of an established wild population.

American River
Got onto 3 Glossy Black-Cockatoo (race halmaturinus, with a longer bill, and nearly 2000 km from nearest population of Glossy Black-Cockatoo in Gippsland, Vic and NSW) on the beginning of the Fish Cannery Walk Trail (which starts 1 km north of the main shops), in a large Sugar Gum (100 m on the leftside of the track) immediately after the Scenic Walkway sign. Crescent Honeyeater (smaller Mt Lofty Ranges race halmaturina with more prominent yellow on the wings), Golden Whistler, Scarlet Robin were also seen here, and there were Pied Oystercatcher on the waterfront. A few Common Greenshank were seen in American River Aquatic Reserve. While entering American River we sang "American River, stay away from me, American River, mama let me be.."

Creekline dominated by Tate's Grass tree (Xanthorrhea semiplana ssp. tateana)

Wheatons Beach
We camped here one night. Driving along D'Estrees Bay Rd near Wheatons Beach the first bird I saw was an Osprey. On the beach was a pair of Hooded Plover and a single Eastern Reef Egret. On the small reef at the south end of the beach, waders and terns gathered, including a couple of Ruddy Turnstone, large numbers of Red-necked Stint, Crested and Caspian Tern. Here also the odd Elegant Parrot (with their distinctive golden belly) buzzed across the sky, usually high in the sky. Also here were New Holland (race campelli, with a smaller bill and smaller wings), Crescent and Purple-gaped (race cratitius, larger and darker) Honeyeater.

Western Whipbird, Weir Cove Hike - the best photo I could get.

Postmans Hut
At Flinders Chase National Park we stayed several nights in the Postmans Hut. As mentioned above, while there Cape Barren Geese fed in the grassy areas surrounding the cottage. Other birds here included Beautiful Firetail, Scarlet Robin, Crescent and Brown-headed Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, Striated Thornbill, Striated and Spotted (yellow-rumped race xanthopygus) Pardalote, Dusky Woodswallow, and at night a few Bush Stone-Curlew and Southern Boobook were heard. Also in the evenings Southern Brown Bandicoot, Tammar Wallaby, Kangaroo Island (Western Grey) Kangaroo and Brush-tailed Possum fed on a fruiting Kangaroo Apple (Solanum laciniatum) immediately in front of the Cottage. Wonderful stuff! Does it get any better!

Hooded Plover, with Eastern Reef Egret in the background.

Weir Cove and Cape Du Couedic
Weir Cove for me was the birding highlight of the trip. I was hoping to track down Western Whipbird - a species I was yet to see (initially I was hoping to track this down in sunny Victoria, but this seems unlikely) so drove along Cape Du Couedic Rd to Admiral Arch carpark. It was early, pre-dawn'ish, and the only things around were Tammar Wallaby and Kangaroo Island Kangaroo; most of the birds were just awakening. At the lookout, I could see New Zealand Fur Seal, a few Australian Lion-seal, a pod of Common Dolphin, Crested Tern, Silver Gull, the odd Pacific Gull, including a few brown immature birds, as well as flocks of Welcome Swallow and Tree Martin.

The habitat at the lookout seemed wrong for Western Whipbird, so I decided to try the shrubland near Weir Cove. To get there, take the unsealed track 1 km before the Admiral Arch carpark. I stopped at the corner of the Weir Cove Track and Cape Du Couedic Rd, and had fantastic views of Southern Emu-wren, Beautiful Firetail and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater.

Wing of Crimson Rosella (race melonoptera).

No sign or sound of Western Whipbird so I drove to the Weir Cove carpark, and the first bird I heard as I got out of the car was Rock Parrot; in the heath bordering the carpark there was a flock of 6 birds. They proved to be surprisingly tame - when flushed they would simply move 20 or so metres and start feeding again.

The next bird I heard was Western Whipbird! This was race lashmari, with slightly bigger bill and more undulating call than mainland birds. The birds were calling from a ridge-line about 100 metres from the carpark. Heading north-west along the Weir Cove Hike, to a small rise, from here I could hear a pair of calling in the small valley on the west side of the rise. The scrub here was fairly open, so I was able to position myself near where the birds were calling. After an hour or so of skulking through the scrub, I managed to get some excellent views of this cryptic bird. Also here were Purple-gaped, Crescent and New Holland Honeyeater, Southern Emu-wren, White-browed ('Spotted Scrubwren' race maculatus, with streaking on the breast) Scrubwren, Rock Parrot, Brush Bronzewing, Tree Martin, Welcome Swallow and a family of Little Raven followed my every move.

Aside from Weir Cove, the habitat along the southern end of Cape Du Couedic Rd was worth investigating. Although I didn't hear or see Western Whipbird - the habitat was perfect - the roadside was a good place for honeyeaters such as Purple-gaped, Crescent, White-eared and Brown-headed.

Carcass of a Humpback Whale, Seal Bay.

Also in Flinders Chase National Park there were Shy Heathwren in heathland on the Playford Hwy, just west of the intersection with West End Hwy. On the roadside near here I also flushed a small dove, looking very much like a Peaceful Dove, a bird that would be rare on KI, so interested to hear if anyone else has seen this bird.

Mammals and reptiles on KI
Mammal seen on KI included:

Western Grey Kangaroo race fuliginosus known as the 'Kangaroo Island Kangaroo' - common over most of KI
Tammar Wallaby - common at Cape Du Couedic, particularly earlu in the morning.
Southern Brown Bandicoot - feeding on Kangaroo Apple at the Postmans Hut, Flinders Chase NP.

Tammar Wallaby

Common Brushtail Possum - Postmans Cottage.
New Zealand Fur Seal - a large colony (estimated at 30,000) at Cape Du Couedic
Australian Sea-lion - colony of 600 at Seal Bay, also several at Cape Du Couedic
Kangaroo Island Short-beaked Echidna race multiaculeatus, which is smaller and paler, an unfortunate road-kill on Playford Hwy
Koala - tame at Duck Lake.
Common Dolphin - a pod at Penneshaw
Black Tiger Snake
Rosenberg's Heath Goanna.

Other areas visited on Kangaroo Island:

Murray Lagoon; stopped briefly at the campsite, deciding against camping here. Briefly visited the lagoon. There were Beautiful Firetail at the Timber Creek crossing, as well as Black-winged Stilt and Swamp Harrier.

Seal Bay: the area around the carpark is said to be good for Western Whipbird. When I was there, there were literally hundreds of tourists, so birding was limited. It is worth visiting, despite the cost, with Australia's largest breeding colony of Lion Seals.

"Spotted Scrub-wren"

Hanson Bay: visited Hanson Bay mainly to go for a swim with my two sons (as I did at Browns Beach and Vivonne Bay), where a small flock of Gang Gang Cockatoo flew across the road.

Duck Lagoon: good birding. This was the only place I saw White-naped Honeyeater and Yellow-billed Spoonbill, and there were plenty of Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Purple-crowned Lorikeet and Tree Martin. Also 3 Domestic Geese.
Also Browns Beach and Vivonne Bay, both good swimming beaches.

There were a few areas I didn't get to visit - such as West Bay, Cape Borda, Stokes Bay, and spending more time as Murray Lagoon. Next time. Kangaroo Island - what a brilliant place!

View across Coorong National Park from Beacon 19.

Goolwa Barrages and Beacon 19
Intrigued to see what the Coorong's looked like after all the rain travelling down the Murray-Darling river system, on the way home from KI we detoured to Goolwa to visit the Goolwa Barrage and Beacon 19.

An excellent site for shorebirds, a number of rarities recorded here including Ruff, Lewin's Rail, and in May 1987 Australia's first recorded Citrine Wagtail was seen here.

Single Point Birdhide, Goolwa - just before the barrages.

The waterlevels were high, and the place was looking very green. While I was there (albeit briefly) a number of migratory waders were seen including Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Red-necked Stint, a single Pacific Golden Plover, and resident waders such as Black-winged Stilt and Red-necked Avocet, as well as Caspian and Fairy Tern.

Cheers,

Tim Dolby

Flinders Ranges Spring 2010 - Wet and Green

2010-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Tim Dolby (c)

(Click on images to enlarge.)

Red-backed Kingfisher, calling regularly at Wilkawillina Gorge (Photo: Jon Thornton)

IN SPRING 2010 with family and friends I visited the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. Just prior to this trip I'd just been the Alice Springs in the Northern Territory (see my report Alice 2010) and I was intrigued to see how the Flinders Ranges compared with the MacDonnell Ranges, especially considering all the rain that the arid lands of central Australia had been having. I wasn't let down. This trip also contrasted sharply with a previous trip to the area, mainly because the Flinders Ranges were totally green! And purple. Due to large areas of the invasive Salvation Jane (Echium plantagineum). Salvation Jane is a name particularly used in South Australia, while Victoria we tend to call this plant Patterson's Curse, and in its native Europe it's known as Purple Viper's Bugloss!

The Flinders Ranges are located 450 km north of Adelaide, and have a wide range of habitats including dry woodlands, mallee, and rivers and creeks lined with River Red Gums. We had driven in from Melbourne stopping at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park and then Broken Hill on the way up; and on the way back the Clare Valley and northern Wyperfeld National Park.

Like the MacDonnell's the Flinders were similarly stunning, particularly in terms of the greenness of the place, and the wildflowers. The native pine forests before Wilpena Pound were carpeted in green grass, looking more like a pine forest in Germany, and the Triodia grasslands were all flowering. I found flowering Sturt's Desert Pea at Wilkawillina Gorge. It's an amazing experience to stumble across this plant in the wild in an unexpected situation. Spring had bought a carnival of colour to the ranges, with many flowering plants and birds celebrating another breeding season. Although I'd visited the area a few times before I thought I'd chase down some of the Parks specialist species such a Short-tailed Grasswren, Elegant Parrot, Redthroat and Chirruping Wedgebill to name a few.

Flinders Ranges: looking more like a pine forest in Germany than arid Australia.

While in the Flinders (once again) I stayed at Willow Springs Station, 21km north east of Wilpena Pound. A great camping site, all the campgrounds here are without exception excellent. I remember Graeme Chapman wrote that Willow Springs 'preferred' campsite in the Flinders - which sums it up. We stayed in the campground at the end of a line of five campgrounds, spaced about 300 metres apart. There's also a campground situated at the base of the Stokes Hill appropriately called the Grasswren Campground (can it get any better than that!). Willow Springs is an excellent place to base oneself to see Short-tailed Grasswren.

Grasswren Campsite at WillowSprings - a birders campsite if there ever was one!

The bare spinifex covered slopes at the Stokes Hill Lookout is one of the most reliable places to look for Short-tailed Grasswren - sometimes (locally) known as 'Flinders Ranges Grasswren'. Once considered a sub-species of the Striated Grasswren, it has evolved sufficiently to be considered a separate species, differing by having a shorter tail and the black moustache is broken by white-streaking. The turn-off to the lookout is 13 km north of Wilpena and then another 2 km to the lookout. Short-tailed Grasswren is found over most of Stokes Hill, although they are reliably seen west of the ridge-line northwest of the car park. From the top of the lookout I headed south-east to a fence line 200 m from the top and the walk down and followed the fence east for about 500 m. On the north side there is a small valley sloping down (you can see the top of the hill on your left side). Search amongst the spinifex and Xanthorrhoea grasstrees in the gullies 50 m to 200 m from the fence. I found a pair within 30 min or so.

This year Short-tailed Grasswren seem to having a great year, being present in far more numbers than previous years. For example, on the way back to lookout I found a pair of Short-tailed Grasswren in the small gully just 20 metres north of the lookout. I returned to this gully the next day to show my family the Grasswren and found them within a minute of arriving at the lookout. I can't remember a time when I could show off Grasswren with so little effort.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Photo: Jon Thornton)

I also got onto Short-tailed Grasswren nearby on the Appealina Ruins Track, which is north of the turnoff to Willow Springs / 5.5 km north of the Stokes Hill turn-off. They were in the flatland immediately beside the road about a kilometre from the turn-off. They were extremely forthcoming and at one point a family of Grasswren even crossed the road. This is the area immediately in front of the 'Bounceback: Bush Bird Barometre' sign. Along the creek near the ruins I also saw Redthroat, and at both Stokes Hill and the Ruins, several flocks of Elegant Parrot flew through.

At Willow Springs there was a couple of birds of interest. One was Crimson Rosella, here there was an interesting subspecies known as subadelaidae, a yellowy-orange mix between the yellow race flaveolus and Adelaide race Adelaidae. The Australian Ringneck in the Flinders is also fascinating, being in the hybrid zone between Port Lincoln race zonarius and Mallee race barnardi, having features of both, being slightly dull, but having a black head.

Short-tailed Grasswren: doing well at Stokes Hill and Appealina Ruins Tk (Photo: Geoff Jones)

Other birds around the campsite and up and down the creekline was (in no particular order) Southern Whiteface, Variegated Fairy-wren, Rufous Whistler, Collared Sparrowhawk, Brown Goshawk, at night Southern Boobook and Australian Owlet-nightjar, Inland and Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Weebill, Little Corella, Striated Pardalote, Red-capped Robin, Tree Martin and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. Red Kangaroo, Western Grey Kangaroo and Euro (a short-stocky kangaroo) were also common at Willow Springs and Stokes Hill. Euro preferring upper-slopes, Red Kangaroo the open plains, and Western Grey Kangaroo lightly wooded areas. At the start of the drive into Stokes Hill and Willow Springs you’d usually see Brown Songlark and Emu.

The 3 dominant plants at Stokes Hill: Velvet Potato-bush (Solanum ellipticum), Onion Weed (Asphodelus fistulosus), a weed from the Mediterranean, bordered by Spinifex (Triodia pungens).

3 km north of Willow Springs is the turn-off to Wilkawillina Gorge – along Wirrealpa Rd and then Wilkawillina Gorge Rd. Wilkawillina Gorge is a Red-gum lined creek-bed and gorge, surrounded by ridges and hills covered in Callitris pines. Along the river before the gorge there were large pools of water after the rain. The birds here were excellent, reminiscent of the gorges of central Australia, and a number of similar species. Birds around a large waterhole between the carpark and the beginning of the gorge included Red-backed Kingfisher, Elegant Parrot, Rainbow Bee-eater, Peaceful and Diamond Dove, Little Corella, Rufous Songlark and Striated Pardalote. Little Woodswallow was common, at the beginning of the gorge, along with Tree Martin hawking at the top of the cliff faces. Little Woodswallow is uncommon this far south, being the southern extreme of its range. It was really nice to link up with this bird – it was a feature of the gorges of the MacDonnell Ranges. White-winged Fairy-wren was seen in the moonscape area just north west of the creek-line just before entering the gorge.

Sturt's Desert Pea - surely one of the worlds most beautiful wildflowers.

There’s an easy 10.8 km walk along the gorge, called the Mt Billy Creek Trailhead. Birds seen along here included a few Grey-fronted Honeyeater and Redthroat; as well a single Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby, some Red Kangaroo and Euro were common. Other birds seen included Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australian Raven, White-browed Babbler, Grey Shrike-thrush (there wonderful call reverberating up and down the gorge), Yellow-throated Miner, Spiny-cheeked and White-plumed Honeyeater. Also along the gorge, on a small ridge line there was flowering Sturt's Desert-Pea – as mentioned it was fantastic stumbling across this plant in the wild.

Appealina Ruins Tk: Short-tailed Grasswren were common here, regularly crossing the road.

In the area between 8 km and 12 km from the turnoff to Wilkawillina Gorge there's a nice section of mallee with some patches of Eremophila, with a particularly good area for birding between the two crossings of Mt Billy Creek. Birds seen here included Mallee Ringneck, Mulga Parrot, Grey-fronted, Yellow-plumed, White-plumed, Variegated Fairy-wren, Crimson Chat, Weebill, Masked and White-browed Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird and Red-capped Robin. I also found Chirruping Wedgebill 5 km down the 7 km Wilkawillina Gorge Track, in areas of scattered bluebush, wattle and saltbush, as well as Southern Whiteface, White-winged Fairy-wren and some Crimson Chat.

Tim Dolby in a field of Round-leaf Pigface (Disphyma crassifolium)

Wilpena Pound is dominated by areas of native pine, mallee woodland, heathland and River Red Gums along creeks. Surprisingly one of the best areas for birds was near the information centre, where there were Apostlebird, Yellow-throated Miner, Striated Pardalote, Australian Ringneck, Crimson Rosella (race subadelaidae) and Red-rumped Parrot. The Mount Ohlssen Bagge and Drought Busters walks were particularly rewarding, with unexpected finds being Shy Heathwren and White-fronted and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (the northern South Australian limit for this species), seen when taking a wrong turn in the track, and heading into some scrub on the side of the gorge. Also along here were Inland, Chestnut-rumped and Yellow Thornbill, Red-capped Robin, Singing, White-plumed, Brown-headed, Spiny-cheeked, Yellow-throated Miner and Red Wattlebird White-winged Triller, Brown Treecreeper, Spotted and Striated Pardalote, White-browed Babbler, and Grey Butcherbird.

You can tell you're in South Australia - West End Draught

Brachina Gorge was washed out when we were there, however a brief stop at the eastern end produced Elegant Parrot, Redthroat and Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Babbler, Southern Whiteface, and honeyeaters such as Spiny-cheeked and White-plumed. Parachilna Gorge, 10 km east of Parachilna, produced Redthroat, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-browed Babbler, Spiny-cheeked and Singing Honeyeater, Zebra Finch, Peregrine Falcon and Black-fronted Dotterel, Dusky Woodswallow, Rainbow Bee-eater, and in the flat areas on Wilpena Road just 2 km east of Parachilna there was Chirruping Wedgebill.

The trip back to Melbourne was via the Clare Valley, known for its Riesling. It was also where I watched the 2010 Grand Final draw - disappointing, but only for a week, when the mighty Pies stormed home. Of real interest in Clare was the number of parrots - if anyone has wondered where they've all gone in Victoria it's here, in South Australia. Some of the parrots seen included Purple-crowned, Musk and Little Lorikeet, Red-rumped Parrot, Australian Ringneck, and the Adelaide subspecies of the Crimson Rosella (race fleurieuensis). Interestingly this was the fourth significant subspecies of the Crimson Rosella I'd seen for the trip - which include 'Adelaide' (two races - fleurieuensis and subadelaidae), 'Yellow' (race flaveolus), and of course Crimson Rosella (nominate race elegans).

The next stop on the way home was northern Wyperfeld, where again parrots were on the birding agenda, with all the wonderful mallee parrot seen around the Casuarina Campground - 9 in total: Galah, Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, Little Corella, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Mallee Ringneck, Mulga Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Blue Bonnet and Regent Parrot.

In the last month I'd done trips to two of the great mountain ranges in Australia, the Flinders and the MacDonnell's. Both were green, with the rivers full of water. There was also an abundance of native grasses and wild flowers, such as the wonderful Sturt' Desert Pea in the Flinders and the Upside Down Plant in the Red Centre. As a result there was lots of wonderful birds linked to this type of habitat, such as Grasswren and ground feeding parrots. If you have time, you need to get inland as soon as possible.

Tim Dolby

The track to the campsites at Willow Springs.

A creekline in the Flinders Ranges.

Alice Springs 2010 - After the Rains

2010-10-09T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tim Dolby (c)

The Background

(Click images to enlarge)

Princess Parrot: photographed prior to rejection of permits (Geoff Jones)

Following a report of large numbers of Princess Parrot in the Northern Territory I booked a flight for Alice Springs. Fortunately friends Paul Dodd and Ruth Woodrow were visiting the area and they offered me a seat in their car. The parrots were seen west of the Mereenie Loop Track (also known as Larapinta Drive), and were located on Aboriginal lease land. To enter this area required an entry permit. The local Aboriginal community received nearly 80 applications from birders, and due to such large numbers (and a concern over the impact such as large number of people would have on the environment), the permits were rejected. Given the circumstances I fully understand the anxiety of the local land owner. However in defence of birdwatchers, of any group of people, birders would be the most likely to be most respectful of the land and have the lightest footprint. This would have been in line with the laws of behaviour set out in Tjukurpa (the spiritual principles of the local Aboriginal people), particularly the relationship between people, plants, animals and the physical features of the land.

The Fink River: normally a series of pools, was now flowing.

Because our group couldn't obtain an entry permit, we decided to bird some of the key bird sites around Alice Springs. Paul and Ruth had not birded the Red Centre before, so there was much to be seen. We also thought we'd drive the Mereenie Loop Track (a road that requires a transit permit, obtained from Kings Canyon or Glen Helen), and then bird in Watarrka National Park. There was a recent report of someone photographing some Princess Parrots in Watarrka - so we were hopeful of finding suitable habitat.

This was the second trip I'd done to the region in 3 years - I'd done a similar birding trip with friend Greg Oakley in 2007, see Alice Springs and Central Australia. On that trip the region was wonderful, but typically dry. However this year, 2010, heavy rains had been falling consistently over a large area of central Australia, replenishing underground water, and the country changed dramatically. After rain the drought resistant (and evading) perennial plants have rapidly carpeted the ground, with ephemeral wildflowers everywhere. Central Australia was looking fantastic! A mixture of red, green and blue: the red of the soil and rock scapes, the greens of the trees, flowers and grasses, and the blue of the sky and water. The birdlife was also prolific - with an abundance of Zebra Finch, Diamond Dove, Budgerigar, Crimson Chat and Rufous Songlark everywhere you went - and it was presumably these rains that sparked the rise in Princess Parrot numbers. Special thanks to Jon Thornton and Geoff Jones for the use of some of their excellent images.

From 39,000 ft - almost full Lake Eyre on the flight to Alice Springs.

Tiger Flights

For the record, I flew to Alice Springs from Melbourne on Tiger Airlines. They are offering extremely cheap flights - the ticket from Melbourne to Alice cost $85! (The return flight was $160.) Beware though, my excess baggage cost $170 (and then $70 on the way back, after tossing half my stuff). I literally could have bought all my logistical provisions in Alice Spring for less! So if you do travel via Tiger make sure you upgrade your luggage allowance; it would have only cost me only $20.

Tim Dolby birding Kunoth Bore just before dusk.

The Flora of the Red Centre

Paul and Ruth at Trephina Gorge.

Before talking about the birds it's worth mentioning the plant life that was dominating the region. There are a number of very distinct environmental communities in the Centre; these includes sand dunes scattered with the graceful and long-lived drooping Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) and Spinifex on the top (providing a stable micro-environment), riverbeds lined with River Red Gums, sand-plain open woodlands, tickets of mulga and shrublands, and sparsely vegetated rocky ridges, ranges and outcrops, sometimes with wet gullies. From my experience, when birding in the Centre it's important spend time in each of these different habitat in order to see all those special birds for the regions.

Desert Heath-myrtle (Thryptomene maisonneuvei)

The area has a wonderfully rich plant life, with some 600 species, including both rare and relict (those that have persisted from a time when the Centre was a much wetter place) species. While I was there perennial drought-evading wildflowers carpeted the ground and flowering Cassia and Wattle created a yellow haze over the landscape.

Splendid Fairy-wren - race musgravi, the Turquoise Wren (Jon Thornton)

A number of plant species were dominating including Desert Heath-myrtle (Thryptomene maisonneuvei), about 1.5 m high, found mostly on dunes, in masses of densely packed flowers, Button Grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) and Broad-leaf Parakeelya (Calandrinia balonensis),

Flame Grevillea (Grevillea eriostachya)

Umbrella Bush (Acacia ligulata) - Watarrka is the Luritja name for this plant -, the spectacular Flame (or Honey) Grevillea (Grevillea eriostachya) and Honeysuckle Grevillea (Grevillea Juncifolia), both dripping with nectar, Holly (or Wickham's) Grevillea (Grevillea wickhamii), Cassia (Senna Artemisioides), Desert Hop-bush (Dodonaea viscosa) and there three kinds of Spinifex, known by local Aboriginal communities as Tjanpi - Soft Spinifex (Triodia pungens), Hard Spinifex (T. basdowii, which grows out from the centre of the clump, forming 'fairy rings') and Feathertop Spinifex (Plectrachne schinzii).

Upside-down Plant (Leptosema chambersii)

Honeyeater attracting Eremophila / Emu Bush were flowering at nearly every site we visited, including E. Willsii, E. latrobei, E. longifolia (a species we get in south-east Australia), and the purple Eremophila christophori and gilesii.

The wonderful Upside-down Plant (Leptosema chambersii) was common along most of the Mereenie Loop Track and at Watarrka National Park, showing bright-red flowers around the base of the flower. This intriguing plant produces lots of nectar, and ground feeding birds harvest its nectar. It has been suggested that the flowering of this was a significant reason for the high number of Princess Parrot in the Centre.

Desert Rose (Gossypium australe)

The attractive Desert Rose (Gossypium australe) was flowering around Watarrka, as was the Lantern Bush (Abutilon leucopetalum), and the extremely cute perennial Yellowtail (Ptilotus nobilis) and Green Pussytail (Ptilotus macrocephalus) were everywhere. Trees in the area included Snow Gum (Corymbia aparrerinja), Bloodwood (Corymbia opaca), often covered in flowering Mistletoe, Desert Karrajong (Brachychiton gregorii), and in mulga woodlands True Mulga (Accacia aneura). Finally on my flight into the Alice I could see that much of the rocky hill tops in the MacDonnell Ranges were covered with large area of the red Wild Hop / Rosy Dock (Rumex vesicarius), sadly an introduced species.

Yellowtail (Ptilotus nobilis)

Birding and Birding Sites

On this trip - in chronological order - I birded Kunoth Bore (mulga), Trephina Gorge (a rocky Gorge outcrops), the Fink River (a river), Mereenie Loop Road (sand-plains and open woodlands), stopped at Jump-up Lookout, Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve, Watarrka National Park (with gorges with rockholes), walking the Kathleen Springs and Kings Creek Walks, birded along the Desert Oak lined Luritja Rd, then back to the Ormiston Gorge turnoff, back east to Santa Teresa Road, and finally the Alice Springs Treatment Plant. In the end I saw 132 species for this trip to the Red Centre.

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill at Kunoth Bore. (Jon Thornton).

The Mulga at Kunoth Bore

55 km north of Alice Springs, the mulga groves along the road to the Hamilton Downs Youth Camp (located just off the Tanami Rd, 20 km west of the Sturt Hwy) is an excellent place to start any trip to the Centre. The ground was covered with flowering annuals, and grasses were knee high. In the Mulga on the west side of the road about 1.5 km down there was birds everywhere. The two most common species were Zebra Finch and Diamond Dove; we were literally kicking them out of the way. Despite both species being delightful, they were also frustrating in their commonality, dominating the birding landscape, making it hard to concentrate on other species.

Mulga near Kunoth Bore, resplendent with flowering annuals.

Bird we saw included Slaty-backed and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Black, Pied, Singing, Spiny-cheeked and a possible Grey Honeyeater, Crimson Chat, and there were mixed flocks of Weebill, Western Gerygone, Red-capped and Hooded Robin, Southern Whiteface, Splendid Fairy-wren, many in full breeding plumage, as well as Australia (Port Lincoln race zonaruis) Ringneck, Rufous Songlark, Crested Bellbird, Rufous Whistler, Black-faced Woodswallow (often immature, looking very White-bellied CS like, with a small triangular area of black on the face), White-winged Triller and Pallid Cuckoo.

Little Button-quail was more common than I've witnessed anywhere before - again we were literally kicking them out of the way (not literally). I'd estimate we flushed over 100 birds. Another feature of the mulga near Kunoth Bore was the architecture of the nests of the Mulga Ant (Polyrhachis macropa), a large solid soil ring covered in mulga phyllodes.

Along the Tanami Road (on the way to Kunoth Bore) we saw a pair of Black-breasted Buzzard, easily distinguished by their large white wing spots. Birding around an area of Eremophila on the east side of track we found nesting Black Honeyeater.

Mulga Ant nest.

On dusk we staked out Kunoth Bore itself, hoping to see Bourke's Parrot. There were few waterbirds on the bore, and no land species were coming in to drink. By contrast the last time I was at Kunoth Bore there was nearly a hundred Common Bronzewing, amongst others. This time they were absent. The reason was obvious - there'd been so much rain in the areas that there was no need to drink at the bore. Bourke's Parrot, for instance, normally arrive immediately after dusk - this time they didn't arrive. We did here them though, roosting in the trees nearby.

Trephina Gorge

From Kunoth Bore we headed to Trephina Gorge 85km east of Alice Springs in the East MacDonnell Ranges - arriving late in the evening. With some misfortune the camping ground was full, so we set up a night camp in the picnic area. Almost immediately a Southern Boobook started serenading us from a few trees away. When we awoke in the morning several Painted Finch feed on the ground immediately next to our picnic table! As did Hooded Robin (normally a wary bird, here a pair approached within several feet - we almost had to shoo them away), Zebra Finch and a family of 'purple-backed' race assimilis Variegated Fairy-wren. The morning colors of the gorge were stunning, vivid reds, match by the white and green of Ghost Gum ((Eucalyptus papuana). [It is interesting to note that Trephina Gorge contains the largest Ghost Gum in Central Australia.]

We did the Trephina Gorge Walk, coming across a pair of Dusky Grasswren at the highest point of the walk. We also quickly caught up with Grey-headed Honeyeater - these two species were new birds for Paul and Ruth, so not surprisingly they were very pleased with themselves. On the walk back along the gorge it was a real treat to hear the call of a Grey Shrike-thrush (the more rufous race rufiventris) echoing between the walls of the Canyon. Other birds here include Budgerigar, Crimson Chat, Diamond Dove, Little Woodswallow, Zebra Finch and calling Western Gerygone.

Spinifexbird

The Spinifex at Ormiston Gorge Turn-off

Next stop was the Ormiston Gorge turn-off 135km west of Alice Springs in the West McDonnell Ranges, a 220 km drive from Trephina Gorge. The main target bird here was Spinifexbird - I'd seen them here with Greg Oakley on my previous visit in 2007. Tricky birds to see at the best of time, so we were expecting a long search. However before we'd even got out the car a Spinifexbird flew into a small tree 15 feet away, calling it heart out. If only all birding was this easy - then again, where would the challenge be! (The harder to find the better.) To access this site, from Larapinta Drive, travel only about 100m and park on the left side of the road and search the Spinifex in this area.

Spinifex near the Ormiston Gorge turnoff.

On my last trip here I'd seen Rufous-crowned Emu-wren at this site; however they evaded us this time round. A number of others had also reported that they'd not seen them at this site. We weren't particularly perturbed, and we didn't really search that hard (as hard as it takes to find a Rufous-crowned Emu-wren) - we'd planned to catch up with this species later in the trip at Santa Teresa Rd. At the turn-off we also saw Brown, Grey-headed and White-plumed Honeyeater, Little Woodswallow, Fairy Martin and Australian Ringneck. Nearby, along the Ormiston Gorge Access Rd (about a kilometre from the turn-off), a pair of Spinifex Pigeon (the white-bellied race leucogaster) flushed from the roadside to small rocky outcrop. This was the first for the trip and a new species for Ruth and Paul, giving us excellent views.

Finke Two Mile Bushcamping Area.

The Finke River

Like the camping ground at Trephina Gorge, the Ormiston Gorge camping site was full, so we headed to the nearby Finke Two Mile Bushcamping Area (you can camp up to 2 km south and downstream of the Trail-head), a fortuitous move, as it proved to be a wonderful camping area overlooking the Fink River. The Fink River (sometimes sited as the oldest river in the world), is usually a string of waterholes; however it was now almost fully flowing. The campsite is accessed by a sandy track on the north side of the hwy - the turn-off is not signposted but is to the north of Namatjira Dr just past Glen Helen Resort - upstream from the Finke River crossing on Namatjira Dr. You will need a 4WD to get to it and there are no facilities, but the feel of the place is hard to beat, and we camped there 2 nights.

Dingo footprint, immediately outside my tent.

Here we picked up some waterbirds including White-faced and White-necked Heron, Great Egret, Great Cormorant, Australian Grebe, Black-tailed Native-hen, Purple Swamphen, Coot, and at night heard a flock of Plumed Whistling-Duck. Other birds here included Black-fronted Dotterel, Little Grassbird, Australian Reed-Warbler, a nice flock of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Cockatiel, Whistling Kite, Pallid Cuckoo, Rufous Songlark (fast becoming the bird of the trip - we were hearing them at every stop we made), Striated Pardalote (yellow-rumped black-headed race uropygialis), Pied Butcherbird and Mistletoebird.

Interestingly I was starting to notice that the Centralian dawn chorus seemed to be starting earlier than down south (in sunny Victoria). Most birds called pre-dawn (starting with the Pied Butcherbird), and then by dawn were happily feeding away; possibly an adaptation to the usually harsh conditions of the Centre. In the morning a Sandy Inland Mouse (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis) happily feed nearby on a food scrap (a piece of ginger from breakfast cereal ) while we ate our breakfast.

Crested Bellbird - a ventriloquist regularly heard (Jon Thornton)

During a clear sparkling night, the Milky Way showed its full band of the starry lights. It's been calculated that you can see 3000 separate stars with the naked eye - and I think that night we could see them all. Also during the night distant Dingoes howled. When I awoke I found a footprint immediately outside my tents entrance!

Falcon's Bluff - Tnorala Conservation Reserve (Gosse Bluff)

Tnorala (Gosse Bluff), west of Alice Springs, is the remnant of a huge crater left by a comet 130 million years ago. There is a Western Bowerbird bower near the first picnic table, and on the walking track from the carpark we saw Red-browed Pardalote, Black Honeyeater, Red-capped Robin and Splendid Fairy-wren - with the males looking resplendent in full-breeding plumage Also along here we found a note drawn into the sand stating "Bird hotspot: Water ahead". There is a possibility that this was drawn by friends of mine, Fiona Parkin and Jon Thornton, who'd visited the site several days earlier. They'd actually flown out of Alice Springs an hour before I flew in - I must ask them.

Since I originally wrote this I've found out that yes, Fiona had indeed written this message in anticipation that we might pass by! The Interweb is clearly not the only way to convey birding information

A message in the sand: "Bird hotspot - Water ahead".

From the top of the lookout we were able see Red-browed Pardalote, Grey-headed Honeyeater, Dusky Grasswren, Tree Martin, Little Woodswallow and a pair of very grey looking Brown Goshawk circled the pound - the northern form is much paler than southern Goshawk. Other birds here include Little Button-quail, Fairy Martin, Crested Bellbird, the turquoise Splendid Fairy-wren, again in full breeding plumage. Also here a young Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis) was seen basking in the sun on Spinifex.

The Mereenie Loop Track

Despite not being able to access the area where the Princess Parrot had been seen, we'd calculated that if we drove the Mereenie Loop (Larapinta Drive), we'd at least be within the range of where the birds might be. A number of people had said that there was appropriate habitat along the road. A distance of about 290 km it follows the George Hill Range and the Gardiner Range to the west side of Watarrka National Park. The road passes through Aboriginal land, so a pass is required. It is available from the Alice Springs Tourist Information Centre, Glen Helen Resort and Kings Canyon Resort for about five dollars. It's a good quality unsealed road, but is corrugated, and has some bad ruts (waterlines across the road), so I'd advise driving it with a 4WD. It passes through some beautiful scenery and rocky ranges, with woodland dominated by Desert Oak and Desert Kurrajong, with a scattering of small termite mounds.

Looking up; the long-lived Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana)

Although strictly speaking you weren't meant to stop on the Mereenie Loop Track we did park a couple of times (toilet breaks) beside the road to have quick look at some nice looking sand dunes covered in Desert Oak. These dunes were superb habitats for wildlife, with plants such as Upside-down Plant, Flame Grevillea, and Eremophila all flowering.

Flowering Cassia (Senna Artemisioides) created a yellow haze over the lands.

Unfortunately there were no Princess Parrot, we did however see Spiny-cheeked, Pied, Black and Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Crimson Chat, Western Gerygone, Crested Bellbird, Mulga Parrot, Australian Ringneck, our only Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (pink-crested race mollis), White-backed Swallow, large flocks of Zebra Finch and Diamond Dove feeding on seeds, and Black-faced and Masked Woodswallow hawked for insects. We also saw feral species mammals such as Camel, Horse, Donkey as well as a few Dingoes.

As we passed a couple of tracks that turned west in to the lands that the parrots had been seen we lamented what might have been. As it was, these tracks were in an area that was still very wet, and it would have been impossible to drive them - indeed only a couple of days earlier the Mereenie Loop Track was closed due to rain and flood.

Track leading west, Princess Parrot country, with a Desert Oak marking the entrance!

20 km from Watarrka National Park the Jump-up Lookout provided spectacular views over the land, including the area that the parrots had been seen. (Could you scope a parrot from 30 km?) The lookout was a pleasant spot to stop and get our bearings. Around the look out Western Gerygone was common, as were Hooded Robin, Mulga Parrot, Rufous Songlark and Pallid Cuckoo.

Nomadic Black Honeyeater, common wherever we found Eremophila.

Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park
We camped at Kings Canyons Resort - not a bad place, bit touristy, although the food at the resort was dreadful and expensive. But at least you could have a nice cold beer in the bar. In the morning we were serenaded by Pied Butcherbird - the last three notes of its call sounding exactly like the last three notes of the ABC theme music (Da Na Naa).

A view up the edge of the canyon wall, Kathleen Springs.

Our aim was to drive up and down the main road in the park, a road lined with Desert Oak. Mike Carter recently reported that a flock of six Princess Parrot had been seen on a "main road near Kings Canyon", so we held some hope of seeing the parrot, but unfortunately we didn't

While there we did a couple of walks along the parks spectacular gorges; the Kathleen Springs Walk and the Kings Creek Walk. The gullies on both walks were microclimates, supporting a range of birds and plants, including remnant species such as the Finke River Palm. Spinifex Pigeon (the white-fronted race leucogaster) was common along both walks, often, as if by magic, appearing at your feet when you stopped. There are a lost smaller that you think, almost half the size of a Crested Pigeon, which was also common. Red-browed Pardalote (in the upper foliage), Grey-headed, Brown and White-naped Honeyeater foraged for food in the River Red Gum, while Zebra Finch and Painted Finch (surprisingly common) regularly dropped into drink at the waterholes. Dusky Grasswren was also seen at the start of the Kings Creek Walk - and they were surprisingly tam, with a pair bouncing around the path near the first creek crossing. Western Bowerbird was seen and heard, often in association with Desert (or Rock) Fig (Ficus platypoda), calling like a cat with the flu.

Zebra Finch not surprising was the most common bird in the Centre. (Marj Kibby)

We also drove up and down Luritja Drive within Watarrka National Park - a road lined with Desert Oak. Birds included Mulga Parrot and Australian Ringneck, and a few raptors, such as Spotted Harrier and approachable Brown Falcon. After Kings Canyon we headed back along the Mereenie Loop, camped once again on the Finke River, and then headed to Santa Teresa Rd, south of the Alice Springs airport.

Tyre in a telegraph pole, Santa Teresa Rd.

Tyre at 32 km, Santa Teresa Road

A series of stony slopes 32 km from the airport road about. It is a recently popularized site for seeing Spinifex specialist such Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Dusky Grasswren and Spinifexbird. The best place to look is the spinifex just east of a tyre wedged in a telegraph pole. Here we found Rufous-crowned Emu-wren in the small valley between a ridge line about 100 metres from the road. On a ridge a further 50 metres north we found Dusky Grasswren. We also saw our second group of Grey-fronted Honeyeater for the trip, and perhaps surprisingly a small flock of Painted Finch. Other birds included Budgerigar, Pallid Cuckoo, Rufous Songlark, and Crested Bellbird - and on the drive back in to Alice, Swamp Harrier, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Masked, White-browed and Black-faced Woodswallow .

Low rocky Spinifex covered ridges at Santa Teresa Rd.

Alice Springs Wast Treatment Plant

The final site for my trip was the Alice Springs Waster Treatment Plant - perhaps one of the best contained wetland areas in Australia. It is superb place to bird-watch, being an important refuge for inland waterbirds and stopping point for migratory waders. It's located on Commonage Rd, just south of Heavitree Gap. There is a birder access gate - however you need to get a key from Power and Water in the Alice Springs Plaza in Todd Mall.

Ducky Grasswren (Geoff Jones)

Alice Springs Treatment Plant, birders paradise, with the Gap in the background.

Although it was relatively quiet, in terms of the variety of bird species - presumably due to the abundance of water throughout central Australia - there was still some excellent birds to be seen. We walk around most of the ponds, with the highlights being Glossy Ibis, Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, Yellow-billed and Royal Spoonbill, Black-tailed Native-hen, Red-kneed Dotterel, nice flocks of Black-winged Stilt and Red-necked Avocet, Common, Wood, Marsh and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Whiskered Tern, Little Crow, Tree Martin, Australian Reed-Warbler and Little Grassbird, and in the shrubland areas in the south-east, full of water,Variegated and cobalt-blue White-winged Fairy-wren.

Alice Springs

I stayed the final night of the trip in downtown Alice Springs. The most common bird 'on the street' was Australian Ringneck - the yellow-bellied black-headed Port Lincoln race zonaruis, a pleasant surprise - it seemed to play the role that a Rosella might play in south-eastern cities. Another common town birds was White-plumed Honeyeater, race leilavalensis, a bird that's much more yellow than the south-eastern birds. Galah, Willie Wagtail, Pied Butcherbird and Yellow-throated Miner were also birds about town, as was Spotted Turtle-Dove, the only introduced species I saw for the whole trip.

Looking tired after a long day, banks of Finke River.

I also heard a Pied Currawong (while drinking a beer) in the restaurant courtyard the hotel, which seemed immediately odd, considering the nearest population was well over a thousand miles away. It turned out to be a recording, played over the hotels internal speakers; they were randomly playing Australiana music CDs (mostly new age elevator music, the sort of stuff you buy in an airport newsagent) and they'd reach a CD called 'Australian Birds Calls'.

Summing up

The recent rains in the Centre have created perfect conditions for birding. When I was there the days where fine and sunny (my last day in Alice it was 33 degrees). However just before I arrived there were some seriously heavy rains, with much of the Centre swamped and most of the bush tracks impassable. Interestingly the day I left it started to rain again - and I've just heard that Paul and Ruth ended up getting stuck for four days, and had to camp out, after their car was caught up in an overflowing river near Hermannsburg!

What a brilliant trip, great birding and spectacular landscapes, excellent company, and due of the rains the plant life was at its complete best. Flowering Eremophila, Grevillea, Thryptomene, Cassia, Spinifex, Allocasuarina, Accacia, Leptosema (the wonderful Upside-down Plant) and Eucalyptus says it all. Not mentioned the birds - there was a feast of wrens, such as Dusky Grasswren, Rufous Emu-wren, and full breeding plumage Variegated, White-winged and Splendid Fair-wren. Could it get any better!

Tim Dolby

Cobalt-blue White-winged Fairy-wren - great photo! (Jon Thornton).

Radio Interviews: ABC Conservation Hour and Breakfast with Red Symons

2010-10-08T01:50:00.000-07:00

David Lindenmayer, Michael Veitch and Tim Dolby

Tim Dolby Conversation Hour Interview October, 2008

Follow this link to a podcast of the Conversation Hours 774 ABC Melbourne 22 October, 2008 - see www.abc.net.au, discussing the documentary Chasing Birds.Ali Moore and co-host Michael Veitch chat about twitching and ecology with and Tim Dolby and David Lindenmayer. Michael Veitch, a twitcher and also the presenter of Sunday Arts on ABC TV, were joined by ecologist David Lindenmayer and fellow twitcher Tim Dolby.

The second half of the show discusses the television show Chasing Birds. Every year, an event takes place Australia wide over one weekend that brings a whole lot of odd bods together to take part in a highly competitive race featuring their shared obsession - bird spotting or 'twitching'. Tim Dolby is a twitcher from Victoria and joins us to provide a perspective on this most unusual past time. Tim Dolby, a former president of the research organisation Birds Australia, is the equivalent of the team captains from Chasing Birds. Chasing Birds premiered on ABC 1 at 9.35pm Thursday 23 October 2008.

Tim Dolby Interview with Red Symons, November 2010

An interview with Red Symons on ABC radio 774 about birds and the Twitchathon can be found at http://kiwi6.com/users/show/TimDolby

Jervis Bay and Surrounds (NSW)

2010-02-04T01:07:00.000-08:00

A coastal zone with stunning white beaches, reportedly the the whitest in the world, complex floristic biodiversity which includes rainforest and coastal heath, and a rich variety of birds - what more could you ask for! I've just returned from family beach holiday to Jervis Bay (approx 150 km south of Sydney) on the central south coast of NSW. During the trip I visited a number of sites in the area including Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay National Park particularly the heath behind Hyams Beach, Bomaderry Creek Regional Park near Nowra, and Berrrara and Conjola National Park.

Bomaderry Creek Regional Park
I'll start with Bomaderry Creek Regional Park, mainly because it was the site I visited first in the Shoalhaven area. Bomaderry Creek is a really interesting bushland reserve situated only a couple of km from downtown Nowra. There's a nice variety of bushland habitats including remnant rainforest, Spotted Gum bush and what's often described as a 'secret' gorge, with sheer sandstone cliff faces and rock walls with overhangs and caves.

Bomaderry Creek, couple of km from Nowra, a southerly sites for Rockwarbler .

To get to Bomaderry Creek from Nowra travel north over Shoalhaven River Bridge to 2nd roundabout, about 2 km, and then turn left into Narang Road. After about 300 metres you come to the reserves carpark and the Narang Road picnic area on your left .The 6 km gorge walk (down and back) is spectacular and the birding is really diverse. There's also a shorter 1km walk also, crossing the creek near the main gorge lookout.

It is perfect habitat for Rockwarbler with Bomaderry holding one of the most southerly populations of this wonderful little bird. The best place to look is the areas with sandstone boulders and ledges. I found the best spot for them was at the clifftop lookout about 500 metres down the south side of the main walk (just before the 1st loop intersection). Here I found 4 Rockwarbler in the area just behind the look out; scurrying around on a path that leads up the hill (sth). Once found the birds where quite easy to see as pairs of Rockwarbler have a habit of continually calling between themselves to stay in contact. The view from the lookout is perfect for birding, giving good view across the gorge, giving you the chance to check out any birds that may fly up and down or across the creek. I just sat here and did precisely that for an hour or so - relaxed, watched birds and enjoyed the view - and the birdlife was firing.

'Secret Gorge' - sheer sandstone cliff faces, rock walls, overhangs and caves.

Aside from the Rockwarbler at Bomaderry there was Cicadabird, Olive-backed Oriole, Satin Bowerbird, Black-faced Monarch, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Channel-billed Cuckoo and along the track wonderful mixed flock made up of Varied Sitella (a somewhat blended ssp of white- and dark-headed), White-throated Gerygone, Striated Thornbill, Eastern Spinebill, honeyeaters such as Yellow-tufted, Brown-headed and Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Variegated Fairy-wren, White-throated Treecreeper, Leaden Flycatcher, Rufous Whistler. Also seen was a single Australian Hobby and the common corvid was Australian Raven.

Fern Glen, a good site for wet forest birds such as Yellow-throated Scrubwren

The best spot I found for rainforest gully birds was an area named Fern Glen (of course), which is about 3/4 of the way down the south side of the walk. Here I saw 3 sp of scrubwrens in one binocular field of view - Yellow-throated, Large-billed and White-browed. I just love Yellow-throated Scrubwren; coming from Victoria it's always a real treat to see this colorful little bird. Also seen here were Black-faced Monarch, Wonga and White-headed Pigeon, Brown Gerygone, Eastern Whipbird, Bassian Thrush, Rufous and Grey Fantail, Azure and Sacred Kingfisher and Scarlet Honeyeater. Bomaderry Creek also has a healthy population of Yellow-bellied Gliders, suggesting that it may be a good site for forest owls such as Masked and Powerful Owl. Copper-tailed Skink and Eastern Water Dragon were also fairly common along the walk.

3 species of scrubwren in 1 view: Yellow-throated, Large-billed & White-browed Scrubwren.

Back in Nowra Little Corella was common. Interesting virtually all the available Australia field guides suggest that Little Corellas are not found on the NSW south coast, so it seem a review of maps by these texts is necessary. Dollarbird was also a common street bird.

Another good walk in the area is Ben's Walk. A good place to start is the Hanging Rock Lookout near the Nowra showgrounds. Like Bomaderry, this walk is a good place to see Rockwarbler on the clifffaces along the main track. There are also some nice areas of grassland, where you can find Southern Emu-wren.

Eastern Bristlebird management track, Jervis Bay Np

Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay National Park

One bird I was particularly targeting in the area was Eastern Bristlebird. This was a bird I'd seen quite a few times elsewhere, such as in Victoria at Howe Flat (where it is possibly that states rarest breeding resident bird), however I hadn't see it at Jervis Bay, said to be easiest place to see this endangered and highly cryptic species. I found the best spot to find this bird was in the heathland area at the back of the township Hyams Beach, particularly along Kallaroo Rd (sometimes called Hyams Rd) - specifically 1km stretch between Jervis Bay Rd and the township of Hyams Beach.

Glossy Black-Cockatoo feather, Hyams Beach on Jervis Bay.

The coastal heath and scrub in the area is wonderful to look at. The common heath species are Heath-leaved Banksia (Banksia ericifolia) and Saw Banksia (B. serrata), Dagger Hakea (Hakea teritifolia), Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium), Grass Trees (both Xanthorrhoea resinosa and X. australis), Scrub She-Oak (Allocasuarina distyla) and Coastal Tea tree (L. laevigatum).

The other area which was really productive for Eastern Bristlebird was at the intersection of Erowal Bay Rd and Jervis Bay Rd. Particularly the walk east from the corner of the Erowal Bay Rd and Jervis Bay Rd up to the Water Tanks, about 1.5 kms (thanks Bob Cook for the tip). This track for some reason is marked down on Google maps as St George Ave - perhaps in anticipation of future housing development - although it certainly not an avenue but a rough walking track. Getting onto bristlebird here was relatively straightforward along. Also seen here was a flock of about 6 Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Beautiful Firetail, Southern Emu-wren, a distant calling Eastern Koel, and overhead a large flock of about 50 White-throated Needletail. Honeyeaters were in good numbers, with Lewin's, White-cheeked, New Holland, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Spinebill, and Red and Little Wattlebird all common, and there was also Eastern Whipbird and Rufous and Golden Whistler.

The walking track to the ruins of Cape St George Lighthouse, one of the best known sites for seeing the rare and elusive Eastern Bristlebird.

Booderee National Park

Another good spot for Eastern Bristlebird was the Cape St George Lighthouse, a ruin at the end of Stony Creek Road. I had a bristlebird run across the road just before the carpark, and there were several birds calling along the walk from the carpark to the lighthouse. Also seen here were Variegated Fairy-wren and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater. The lighthouse is also (not surprisingly) an excellent place for seabird watching. For example I got onto Black-browed Albatross, a Jager (possibly Pomarine), Australasian Gannet, Short-tailed Shearwater and Crested Tern.

Always great to see - several Square-tailed Kite were seen along Jervis Bay Road.

The story of the lighthouse is quite interesting: the reason that it's no longer used as a lighthouse was because it was erected in the wrong place. For a start it was not the most easterly point along that part of the coast and therefore actually caused shipwrecks rather than prevent them! The lighthouse was later moved to Point Perpendicular on the northern side of Jervis Bay, which, as you can tell by the name, is the most easterly point.

An excellent site for seabirding - the view from the lighthouse.

Another bird I was keen to track down in the area was Ground Parrot. I didn't get them at either Hyams Beach or the Lighthouse, so I tried an area of heath located on the small road to the Jervis Bay Airport (it the turnoff just before Wreck Bay Rd, and borders Jervis Bay Rd). My first impression of the heath here was that it looked perfect for Ground Parrot; in parts it was it was knee high, similar to the heath at Shipwreck Creek in Croajingolong (Vic), where I see Ground Parrot regularly. After some struggle I managed to flush a single Ground Parrot, tramping for an hour or so through this heath. I also flushed several Brown Quail.

It was also really nice to see a couple of Square-tailed Kite at Jervis Bay. I saw them at 2 places: one circling above Southern Mahogany (Eucalyptus botryoides), Blackbutt (E. pilularis) and Bloodwood (E. gummifera) forest between the information centre and the turnoff to township of Jervis Bay, and the other much closer to the Princess Hwy, over bushland on Island Point Rd.

Of interest I also heard a single Eastern Bristlebird in the heathy area near the start of Cave Beach Rd - the road to the Booderee Botanical Gardens, and there were areas here that looked perfect for Ground Parrot - such as the heathland on the northern border of the gardens. I had a bit of a look here, seeing Brush Bronzewing and Southern Emu-wren, but ran out of time for a decent look for Ground Parrot. Booderee Botanical Gardens is also worth a visit, with wide selection of plants and bushland birds. The Gardens are the only Aboriginal owned botanic gardens in Australia, jointly managed between the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community Council and the Australian Government's Director of National Parks.

Coastal heath anD scrub dominated by Coastal Tea tree, Heath-leaved Banksia, Dagger Hakea and Grass Trees.

The area around the Murray Boat ramp is also interesting, and a walk to Governor Head is worthwhile. Here I recorded White-bellied Sea-Eagle, and there was an Eastern Reef Egret feeding on the rocks.

Berrara and Conjola National Park

The final area I that I birded in the Shoalhaven area was around the township of Berrara, the towns where we rented a cabin. Berrara is a very pleasant township, with excellent beaches, a logon and creek that's surrounded by the eucalypt forests and coastal vegetation of Conjola National Park and Nature Reserve.

On the beach between Berrara and Bendalong there was a pair of Hooded Plover. As far as I know this is the northern most breeding population of this species. There was also Caspian and Crested Tern and Pied Oystercatcher.

Around our actual cabin (located overlooking the lagoon on Berrara Rd) I ended up with a pretty good bird list. Channel-billed Cuckoo and Eastern Koel were regularly seen and heard (especially when playing cricket with my son Rhys), as were Rainbow Bee-eater and Dollarbird. There were resident Little Wattlebird, Eastern Spinebill, Eastern Whipbird, Satin Bowerbird and Kookaburra. Parrots were doing well in the area including King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Rainbow Lorikeet, occasional Musk Lorikeet and Galah.

A pleasant surprise was seeing an Osprey, which circled just above our cabin (also seen while playing cricket with Rhys), as did occasional White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Whistling and Black Kite (I didn't think to see this sp here) and flocks of about 50 White-throated Needletail. The creek provided ideal habitat for a variety of water birds including Azure Kingfisher, Nankeen Night Heron, Great and Little Egret, Chestnut Teal, Great and Little Pied Cormorant, and White-faced Heron. Other birds included a single Grey Goshawk, Scarlet Honeyeater, and Sacred Kingfisher.

Finally, while staying at Berrara the NSW ABC news announced that 11 Hooded Plover had successfully been reared on the NSW south coast - a very fitting news story considering where I was staying. Thanks to Bob Cook and Charles Hunter for exchanging information about Jervis Bay, both of whom had just visited the area before I'd got there.

Great skies - don't forget to look-up. Birds seen while looking up included several flocks of White-throated Needletail, Osprey and Square-tailed Kite.

2009 Victorian Twitchathon

2009-11-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

See below a report of the 2009 Victoria Twitchathon for the 7 Year Twitchers. The team members were Tim Dolby, Greg Oakley and Fiona Parkin. We started at Goschen, moved down through central Victoria, and then headed to coastal Victoria, including the Otways and the Bellarine Peninsular. Thanks Jon Thornton for the use of some of your excellent photographs.

Masked Woodswallow, common throughout much of Victoria.

Goschen and Lake Boga
Arrived at Goschen at around middaty, so had a good 4 hrs to look around. We tracked down all the birds we wanted to see, planning to return to each spot (quickly) when we started racing. Our plan was to do a circuit of the site.

The Twitchathon began at 4:00pm. It was 38 degrees (and had been 40 degrees an hour or so earlier), but things were starting to cool down. We'd done our reconnaissance of the site and knew exactly where to find all the magical birds at the Goschen. The race started - Black Honeyeater, Budgerigar, Crimson Chat, a Peregrine Falcon on the communication tour feasting on woodswallows by the thousands, Pied Honeyeater - and we hadn't even started to move about! Then Red-capped Robin, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, White-browed Babbler, Rufous Songlark, White-winged Triller, Hooded Robin, Cockatiel, Rainbow Bee-eater, Yellow-throated Miner, Jacky Winter and a few others. Dipped on Little Button-quail and Variegated Fairy-wren (which we ended up seeing later) - and picked up Pied Butcherbird and Blue Bonnet on the way into Lake Boga.

Long-leaf Emu-bush or Berrigan (Eremophila Longifolia) flowering well at a number of sites, attracting rare birds such Black and Pied Honeyeater into northern Victoria.

Round Lake & Lake Boga
At Round Lake (just west of Lake Boga) we saw Whiskered Tern, Great Crested Grebe and Blue-billed and Pink-eared Duck, Hardhead, amongst other waterbirds - these were waterbirds we'd see later in the thon (at the WTP), but nice to get out them of the way. At Lake Boga (the township, not the lake, which is completely dry) we saw White-breasted Woodswallow and Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Lake Tutchewop
Triple fairy-wrens - what a great place - White-winged, Variegated and Superb Fairy. We then got onto Orange Chat, Zebra Finch, Brown Songlark, Horsfield's Bushlark and Black-tailed Native-Hen. On the drive to Terrick Terrick we saw a few of the common raptors (such as Black Kite), and a few more Cockatiel and Budgies, and picked up Little Friarbird at Kerang and Little Corella while on the road.

Terrick Terrick NP
At Terricks we got onto most of the targets relatively easily, such as Mallee Ringneck, Gilbert's Whistler, Southern Whiteface, Peaceful Dove, Yellow Thornbill, Restless Flycatcher plus a few other. Next stop the Whipstick, picking up White-necked Heron on the way.

The picnic area at Terrick Terrick National Park, a relaible site for Gilbert's Whistler, Mallee Ringneck, and Southern Whiteface.

Greater Bendigo NP
We drove into the Whipstick section of the Greater Bendigo National Park via the Eaglehawk-Neilborough Rd. This is a good option because it got us into the main eucalypt heathland quickly and easily. The other option is to drive in via Kamarooka, which can take an extra half and hour or so. At this stage of the race we are desperate for time, so any savings is really worthwhile. The birding was pretty good. In terms of honeyeaters we picked up Yellow-tufted, Fuscous, Yellow-plumed as well as Dusky Woodswallow, Inland Thornbill, Shy Heathwren, Golden Whistler, Australian Hobby and Brush Bronzewing. A couple of bonus birds at the Flagstaff Hill, Black-chinned Honeyeater, Grey Butcherbird (perhaps surprisingly we usually don't see any on the thon) and Scarlet Robin (which saves use having to have a look for this near Anglesea). Dipped on Crested Bellbird and Spotted Nightjar and a few honeyeaters such as White-fronted, Purple-gaped and Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, but we weren't complaining.

The Whipstick, part of Greater Bendigo National Park.

Great Otway NP
From Bendigo we headed to Lorne and bush camped. During the night we heard Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Owlet Nightjar and Boobook. (Interestingly Yellow-bellied Glider was quiet during the night, as was Koala.) In the morning almost the first bird we heard was Brush Cuckoo, which was then followed by Satin Bowerbird, Pied Currawong, Spotted Pardalote, White-throated Treecreeper, Striated Thornbill, Rose Robin, Rufous Fantail, Crescent (surprisingly few calling), Yellow-faced, Brown-headed, and White-naped Honeyeater and Forest Raven on the road out. We dipped on Gang-gang Cockatoo (perhaps our biggest dip for the thon) and Bassian Thrush although we usually don't get this bird anyway.

Great Otway National Park near Lorne.

Great Ocean Rd
On the Ocean Rd picked up Rufous Bristlebird, Little Wattlebird, Wedge-tailed Eagle, New Holland Honeyeater, and stopping at a wetland near Aireys Inlet got onto Latham's Snipe. Anglesea Heath was good as usual, getting onto Blue-winged Parrot, Southern Emu-wren, and Pallid Cuckoo (we'd dipped on this in the north). Hooded Plovers at Pt Roadknight - as well as a White-browed Albatross (the only albatross we saw for the entire race), which was sitting the water only few hundred metres out to sea.

Racing the Victorian Twitchathon: Tim Dolby (far right), Greg Oakley and Fiona Parkin. Our team saw 215 species in 24 hrs.

Point Addis was a real disappointment! We dipped on Shy Albatross, but did get onto Short-tailed Shearwater, Crested Tern, Australasian Gannet and Pacific Gull. Nearby The Ironbark Basin walk was good; Buff-rumped Thornbill, Satin Flycatcher, Varied Sittella were the highlights.

Bellarine Peninsular
A female Flame Robin was a bonus species as we rarely see them thon. We also saw Shinning Bronze-cuckoo and Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo in a wheat paddock. At Barwon Heads the tide was high, so not good for waders; however we did see Eastern Curlew, Little Egret, Caspian Tern, Musk and Rainbow Lorikeet.

Cockatiel, seen on a number of occassions throughout northern Victoria.

Point Lonsdale was really disappointing, our worst site for the race. I don't think we got a single species? We'd normally get Black-faced Cormorant, clean up Shy Albatross if we hadn't seen it already, and bonus species such as Artic Jaeger and Fluttering Shearwater. But nothing. An inpromptu stop at Reedy Lake (Lake Connewarre) making up for the dry Lake Lorne in Drysdale (our normal site Freckled Duck), was good for Magpie Goose. We also dipped on Banded Stilt ay Moolap salt works, so we had a bit of work to do to keep up our excellent total. We were however doing really well in terms of our time. Our next targeted stop was the You Yangs.

Hovell Creek in the You Yangs, a good site for Diamond Firetail, Rainbow Bee-eater, Restless Flycatcher, Rufous Songlark and White-winged Triller.

You Yangs
Hovell Creek, as the name suggested, is not the most attractive birding destination. It suffers erosion and in some parts seems more like a rubbish tip. It is however a great place to go birding watching. Here we picked up Little Eagle, Long-billed Corella, Diamond Firetail (fortunately because we'd missed seeing them at Terrick Terrick), Red-browed Finch, Sacred Kingfisher (surprisingly not seen or heard prior to this), Purple-crowned and Little Lorikeet, and we got onto the resident pair of Tawny Frogmouth near the parks office.

Budgerigar, having a good year in northern Victoria.

Western Treatment Plant
The plant is always good for birding and great for racing a Twitchathon. It just depends on how good it would be. First stop was the Brolga site, but no Brolga. At the Spit we ran into Fred Smith. If there's a true legend in birding it is Fred Smith. I remember reading his reports when I was 10 years old. In 1989 he also won the Twitchathon! It was really nice to see him while racing an event that he'd won 20 years earlier almost to the day! At the Spit had a nice selection of waders including Pectoral, Curlew, Marsh and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Greenshank, Spotted Crake, Pied Oystercatcher and Yellow-billed Spoonbill, and at sea we saw Fairy Tern.

The Western Treatment Plant, with the Bellarine Peninsular in the background.

From The Spit we headed to Kirke's Point. Nothing special, more Fairy Tern. On the way through WTP we picked up species such as White-winged Black Tern, Striated Fieldwren and Australasian Shoveler. A stop over at the Burrow Pits produced Red-necked Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Glossy Ibis and Royal Spoonbill.

We were running very close to time, and we weren't quite what to do. Do we head along the coast and hope to see some of our missing seabirds (such Black Oystercatcher, White-bellied Sea-eagle, Artic Jaeger, Shy Albatross and Fluttering Shearwater). Then we realised that we hadn't seen Cape Barren Goose, so we headed to the only major area we hadn't covered at the WTP, the T-section. Sure enough we soon got onto about 6 geese. A minute or 2 to go, may as well see if we can find the Brolgas again. No Brolga, but a pair of White-bellied Sea-Eagle being mobbed in the distance! If we hadn't scanned the horizon for the Brolga we would never have seen the eagles. Great finish, a tick just before the end of the race.

Our final total was 215, and we had won! A big win, the 3rd highest winning total in Victorian thon history. We beat the 2nd placed team by 7 birds; they'd apparently had a disastrous last few hours, being caught in northern Victoria during a hot 40 degree day.

Summary
In summary it was a good but very hard Twitchathon. Goschen was brilliant (despite the 38 degree heat), putting us about 7 birds up (on our previous best) in the first 15 minutes! From there we actually went backwards. By my calculations, if we hadn't have done so well at Goschen we would have scored 208, the exact same score as the team that came second.

Also (due to family circumstances with one of our team members) we were forced to race a week earlier than the other 24 hr teams. An unavoidable situation, and if we hadn't done this we would have had to abandon the race altogether. As the Twitchathon is about raising money and awareness for bird conservation I've always allowed the option to race on an alternative weekend. Did this change the circumstance of the race? Yes, it would have altered race conditions. Did it give us an unfair advantage? My personal feeling is that it didn't. As mentioned, when we started our race in northern Victoria it was 38 degrees, similar temperatures to the following weekend. We were also lucky to start the race in northern Victoria at 4:00pm on the 1st day, as the temperature started to cool almost as soon as we began. If we'd raced in northern Victoria during the heat of the day we would have been racing in 40 degree heat, and our score would have dropped significantly. In the end I found it the hardest race that I've raced.

Cheers,

Tim Dolby

Great Egret, perhaps surprisingly this bird is often dipped upon during the thon - a number of teams during 2009 Twitchathon reporting seeing no egrets.