Birding 2011

 1 - 3.1.11

The Great Hudsonian Godwit Twitch

1.1.16 – 3.1.16                                                                                                                                  New South Wales

Mr M (aka Dave) picked us up at the doughnut shop at 19.00 in Sydney airport after a successful Jetstar flight. The great Hudsonian Godwit Twitch was on.

Saturday morning and we were  joined by Mr RH (aka Rob Hynson) and headed south to arrive two and a half hours later at Lake Wollumboola.

A large flock of between 300 and 400 White-throated Needletails overhead and a trio of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos were immediately evident before we headed down to the sand dune locked lake. 

Waders were easy to find and we quickly focused on a small flock of, mainly, Bar-tailed Godwits. Most were asleep and it took the better part of an hour before we were confident that the Hudwit was not present. We decided to head down the lake to see the other big attractant – the suspected wild Paradise Shelduck. This bird has apparently arrived from New Zealand and will, I believe, be the first mainland record in Australia. It was easy to see, although distant, associating with the Black Swans but staying well out on the edge of the flock, thank goodness. We didn’t approach too close, I, for one, didn’t want to be ‘the #@$^& from Queensland who flushed the Shelduck.’

As we headed back towards the Godwit flock we received news that the Hudwit had since arrived with other Godwits and so we hurried back to re-focus on the expanded flock. It took another hour or so before we all had satisfactory views of the underwing as this is, realistically, the only identifying factor to be 100% certain of the bird. 

We also had White-winged Black Terns, a Swamp Harrier, a Grey Plover, Great Knot and the more common Red-necked Stints, Red-capped Plovers, Curlew and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a Ruddy Turnstone.

Back to the car and we headed north, heavy traffic through Nowra and Berry before we stopped for a quick Hungry Jacks before turning off the main highway and heading up the range to Barren Grounds in the hope of Pilotbird for me.

We searched around the house and first car park but only found Brown Thornbills, Eastern Spinebills, Grey Fantails and a Satin Bowerbird. A new butterfly resolved itself to be a Varied Sword-grass Brown.

We drove up to the second, main, car park and wandered the tracks, first of all back towards the house where Mr RH pointed out an Eastern Water Skink Eulamprus quoyii then out along the popular Bristlebird/Ground Parrot tracks. We did have two Eastern Bristlebirds a single Beautiful Firetail and a very discreet, almost-impossible-to-see party of Southern Emu Wrens.

Surprising stuff for a warm, cloudy January afternoon!

We returned to the car and decided to stop briefly to check again for Pilotbird near the house. We had given up and were just about getting into the car when Mr RH shouted “Gang Gang” and ran up the track. We all quickly followed and then a pair of Gang Gang Cockatoos flew low over our heads and perched up briefly in the eucalypts on the other side of the track. I went for the camera and got shots of the female – unfortunately they didn’t stick around long so I missed the perched up male. But what a turn up! A long-sought and hoped-for lifer for me, but, realistically, unexpected on this trip at this time of day.

On the way down the range we turned off to Minnamurra Rainforest thinking a last ditch attempt for Pilotbird maybe? However, the gate was firmly closed and barred and a sign threatened dire consequences if we attempted to enter after 5.00pm.

We headed home well pleased with our haul.

3.1.16 It was a late start with Mr P and I going for a local wander and seeing very little for our trouble. Eventually we set off to Mr M’s 100% guarantee-or-your-money-back Red-whiskered Bulbul site. 

It did produce and we saw at least two birds and heard more – my first sighting in 35 years!

Then it was a visit to Centennial Park to look for Powerful Owl near the café – apparently there are 4 birds in the park, but we were unable top locate any despite searching the trees described by the receptionist at the information desk at the café.

So, approaching lunch time, and we thought a seawatch off Maroubra might be worthwhile as the wind was picking up from the south. We set ourselves up and started scanning the Wedge-tailed and small flocks of Short-tailed Shearwaters passing Mistral headland. A Sooty Shearwater was picked up and then a Buller’s Shearwater passed us by. Pomarine Skuas north and south sporadically and a distant flock of three Long-tailed Skuas headed south. A single Black-browed Albatross on the horizon and a couple of Fluttering Shearwaters had us all wondering what next! Black-winged Petrel was what’s next! I didn’t actually get onto it, but Mr P and Mr M were both happy with the view and identification points – a first record for Maroubra in 30 years of seawatching apparently! 

A rain storm chased us off the point and into a local bakery/café for a late lunch. When we returned to the rocks, the wind had swung to the northeast and the birds were almost non-existent.

Then it was time to get to the airport and our 18.05 flight. It left on time but was delayed over Brisbane for 30 minutes which extended Mr P’s hell, thanks to his fellow passengers, just that little bit longer……

January 2011 - Brisbane floods

A month of extraordinary events in Queensland, but minimal effect on yours truly. The Brisbane river flooded parts of the city and flash-flooding destroyed areas in the Lockyer Valley with resulting tragedy – well documented elsewhere. With my Mum, sister and niece visiting from Ireland I was on leave from work – but pretty tied up from New Year’s Day through to 28^th. 

Mum and I spent 7 days on North Stradbroke which did provide me with the opportunity to seawatch every day at dawn – an opportunity I took! The results were less than hoped for probably much as expected. Heaps of Common Noddies (100+), Pomarine (2) and Artic (13) Skuas, smaller numbers than expected of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, a few Short-tailed and a few Brown Boobies (5) were relatively poor compensation for 17 hours seawatching, but it was a lovely way to start each day! 

On my return to Brisbane it was survey time again and I was happy to be given back the Scrub Rd location in preference to the Prout Rd duo. As both companions were still away – Stu snowbound in the UK and Rob swanning around California, I went alone. A single Baza (Crested Hawk) was nice and I added Little Shrike-thrush to the list.

I also managed to do a couple (19^th and 28^th) of mornings in my own patch along the Holland Park stretch of Norman Creek – I could have done more, but just wasn’t as motivated as I should have been. A pair of Nutmeg Mannikins on both occasions was exciting and the Wood Ducks with a family of 5 well advanced ducklings was also appreciated. The river flooded a couple of times during the month, but there was no excessive flooding or long term damage.

Finally Stradbroke Island again on the 29^th – and this one produced the goods.

Rob, Stu, Andy and Stu P all on the 7.00 water taxi together, at the point at 8.00. With cyclone Yasi threatening North Qld we had hoped for some results and we got them - but the birds were more likely associated with the SE winds rather than the weather systems 1200 kms to the north. 

It was an exciting morning - 2 White-necked Petrels were identified shearing madly in the 2.5 – 3 meter swell – very difficult to get the ‘scope on them, 2 Black-winged Petrels almost positively identified although some doubt remained regarding the possibility of Gould’s(later research indicated they were most likely Black-winged…) 400 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters heading south, a few Short-tailedidentified among the closer birds, 3 Artic Skuas and 13 Common Noddies before Rob, Andy and Stu P left at midday. 

In the afternoon Stu and I had similar number of Wedge-tailed, another 2 probable Black-winged Petrels, a Streaked Shearwater, 3 Buller’s and 2 Flesh-footed Shearwaters! It really was the most spectacular day! 

All in all an interesting month. It is obvious that the seawatching on Stradbroke can be erratic but strong SE winds appear to be the predominate factor. The cyclone up north has still to ground somewhere along the coast and its effects remain to be seen in the coming weeks…

January 2011

Pt Lookout stuff

January proved a weak winded month generally – ending in a bang! 

I spent 7 days on the island on a family holiday in the second week of the month and seawatched every dawn at Point Lookout in winds of varying strength from the northeast around to the south east. Overall I had a poor return, but it did prove interesting, added to the database and was a lovely way to start each day! 

 

The results were less than hoped for but probably much as expected. Heaps of Common Noddies (100+), Pomarine (2) and Artic (13) Skuas, smaller numbers than expected of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, a few Short-tailed and a few Brown Boobies (5) were relatively poor compensation for 17 hours seawatching.

 

The winds remained weak through the month and so it wasn’t until the 29^th that we ventured to Point Lookout again and this one produced the best seawatch of the summer so far. 

 

Rob D, Stu W, Andy J, Stu P and I were all on the 7.00 water taxi together and at the point at 8.00. Cyclone Yasi was threatening North Qld and we hoped for some results - and we got them. On reflection, however, the birds were more likely associated with the strong SE winds rather than the weather systems 1200 kms to the north. 

It was an exciting morning - 2 White-necked Petrels were identified shearing madly in the 2.5 to 3 meter swell – very difficult to get the ‘scope on them, 2 Black-winged Petrels almost positively identified although some doubt remained regarding the possibility of Gould’s(later research indicated they were most likely Black-winged…) 400 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters heading south, a few Short-tailedidentified among the closer birds, 3 Artic Skuas and 13 Common Noddies before Rob, Andy and Stu P left at midday. 

 

In the afternoon Stu W and I had a similar number of Wedge-tailed, another 2 probable Black-winged Petrels, a Streaked Shearwater, 3 Buller’s and 2 Flesh-footed Shearwaters! It really was the most spectacular day! 

 

It is obvious that the seawatching on Stradbroke can be erratic but strong SE winds appear to be the predominate factor – this is not a new discovery, similar advice having already been offered by seawatchers from the ‘90s.

 

The cyclone up north has still to ground somewhere along the coast and its effects remain to be seen in the coming weeks…

February 2011 Round-up

Following our success at Pt Lookout the previous weekend and with the biggest cyclone ever to hit land in Queensland in the week between, Stu and I were keen to get to Straddie again to see what effect it would have on the seabird movement. I pushed for a dawn start and the only way to do THAT was to go to the island the night before and stay somewhere. After some debate we decided to camp at Cylinder Beach and walk up to the point before daybreak.

We got the last taxi from Cleveland at 18.25 and the connecting bus at 19.00, arriving at the campsite at 17.30, the bus dropped us off at the gate. It was STINKING hot – not a breeze, not a whisper and about 26 degrees. We found a campsite by torchlight and set up quickly and efficiently, then settled down for something to eat and a chat until we crashed at about 21.30. While we ate a Bush Stone-curlew wandered by at very close quarters. 

Waking at 4.00, we quietly dismantled the tents and packed our backpacks with virtually no exchange of conversation. We were very aware of the other campers sleeping around us and as we headed out up the road it was like we had never been there. 

We got to the point at 5.00 and set up, eagerly scanning the ocean. The sea was relatively calm – soft, smooth swells, minimal wind, little activity. In fact in the first hour we had 1 Artic Skua and 1 Common Noddy –and that was it! 

We stayed till 11.00 and then hiked back up to our favourite coffee shop for Piazza D’oros and shade. All in all we had 39 Wedge-tailedShearwaters, 3 Poms and 4 Artic and one very out of season Brown Skua, a very distant Frigatebird we left as ‘sp’ and 55 Common Noddys. A bit disappointing, but we realised the cyclone had been too far north to have had any impression on birds in the southern ocean, although the frigatebird was possibly one that had moved as a result of the threat. The experiment had worked however regarding the camping. It was viable, not too expensive (the site was $32) and the walk from there to the point not too exhausting (about 20 mins).

 

The following weekend I was on standby so Stradbroke was out of the question for me. Stu and I decided to try for a pair of Black Bitterns and a Superb Fruit-dove that had been reported recently from the Sunshine Coast area. It meant leaving early, so at 4.00am I headed over to Stu’s place and we arrived at Wappa Dam at 5.45 - just after dawn. 

We didn’t find the Bitterns but we did have two pairs of Azure Kingfishers – stunning birds – and a variety of other birds around the dam and along the outflow creek below such as Latham’s Snipe, Sea Eagles and a pair of Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.

It was when we were leaving the dam area that we came across a dead Yellow -tailed Black Cockatoo beside the road and, stopping to examine it, were amazed to see 4 other Yellow-tails fly in from some distance away and land in the tree above. They were calling and their thin high pitched whistle like calls were almost wailing; raising their crests and wings they appeared to be mourning the death of their mate. It was a sad and almost scary experience.

We drove down to Buderim and had a very nice coffee and breakfast at a small restaurant called Hungry Feel. Then it was on to Buderim State Forest and, hopefully, the fruit-dove.

It wasn’t to be either – we walked the circuit from Quorn Pl, played tapes and searched the canopy – to no avail. As it turned out we were unaware of the continuing track along the river bank below the bridge and so missed out on a view of this beautiful fruit-dove. (P.S. Andy J saw it the next day). The best bird we had there was a single Pale Yellow Robin.

 

Sunday (13^th) and another warm night/morning. I wandered down the road to check on my patch again – quite a good morning for Holland Park, not in quantity but the quality was good! Sacred Kingfisher, Little Black and Little Pied Cormorant, a view of the Coucal and for the second time only – Double-barred Finch – 4 birds this time!

 

Sat 19^th - The winds and weather did not suggest “Stradbroke” so Stu and I decide to have another go at the Superb Fruit-dove. He had seen it during the week - skiving off work – and seen it well, but decided that as there was nothing much else to do he might as well come along as well.

We decide to make a later start of it so left Manly at 7.00, arr on site at 8.10. The bird was quickly located calling high and hidden in the canopy. Rose-crowned Fruit-doves flicked around beside it and eventually (after an hour or so) it flew out and up the opposite slope. We listened to its tantalising call for another 20 minutes but still could not see it. Enough is enough, I decided, and headed up the hill through the chest high rain soaked ferns and low tree branches. I figured it was at least out of cover and had to be on a lower branch given the type of trees and the position of its call and so it proved to be, bending under a low branch, soaking wet from the chest down, I spied it sitting in the open on a bare branch about 40 meters away. Grabbing a quick look I decided that a photo shd be attempted and did so – failing miserably – only to watch it turn and fly further up and into deeper cover….

Back down the slope again and we waited another hour or so, joined shortly afterwards by Allan Benson, of NSW fame. After some time of no show we decided that breakfast is in order and so, headed off to Buderim village and ‘The Hungry Feel’ for banana pancakes and good coffee. 

Returning to the site we again found the bird had returned to the canopy hideaway and once again was out of sight but clearly heard. Another 2 hours of watching and searching and waiting and we decided to call it a day and headed home – 4+ hours for a 15 sec view, but finally Superb Fruit-dove was on my SE Qld list. Other birds we had around about while we waited were pretty minimal – 2 Spectacled Monarchs, Grey Fantails, Lewin Honeyeaters and Brown Cuckoo-Dove.

 

Sunday 20^th and I headed for Samsonvale alone. It was a warm, still morning and the full lake stretched into the distance calm and undisturbed apart from the occasional gar flicking on the surface. 11 Great Crested Grebes and approx 35 Black Ducks hung around under some tress on the far shore where a White-bellied Sea Eagle perched. 

I walked up the track to the Hoop Pine plantation and around it, as usual. Not much to see – the fig tree had undeveloped fruit on it, should be productive in a few weeks – the Owlet Nightjar was not at home. There were a number of Bush Turkeys crashing around – I counted 5 altogether – which seemed unusual – maybe someone has transplanted them from suburbia? 1 Brown Cuckoo-dove, a Forest Kingfisher, a total of 6 Spangled Drongos a Pheasant Coucal calling loudly from the long grass and a Cicadabird somewhere in the distance was about the sum of it.

Headed off to see Kerrod for coffee, before going home to hide from the heat for the rest of the day.

 

Tues 22^nd Picked up Jade from Coolangatta airport on her return from a month in Asia. Arriving home the unit immediately turned into a complete disaster area after a month of relative tidiness! By midday it became clear I was not needed, so packing quickly I headed out and managed to make the 12.55 water taxi from Cleveland with a minute to spare.

The wind howled across the bay, the ferry slipping and sliding, waves splashing over the front windows and lashing the rear deck. It was a pretty wild ride and my hopes were high for seabirds similarly affected by the wind.

Reached the point at 14.00 and settled down in the partial shelter of the main rock to – disappointment! Common Noddys and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters struggled south against the wind – the Wedgies doing better than the Noddys, but not by much! It was probably blowing 30 knots gusting to nearer 40 at times I would guess. Too strong? Maybe - there certainly wasn’t much out there! A single Brown Booby was the ‘highlight’ of the day, if it could be termed as such….I got the 17.20 bus to, and the 17.55 taxi from, Dunwich as dusk fell on another not-very-productive-trip-to-Straddie.

 

Saturday 26^th and off to Straddie again! Stu was on Lord Howe, and the Southport pelagic had taken Andy and Stu P, while Rob had gone to the north coast for the weekend so I travelled alone. NE breeze, couldn’t call it more than that – and the resulting poor outcomes. I sat till twelve – it was very hot – and then scuttled back to the shops for coffee and shade. In total – 4 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (2 each way), 1 Pom and 2 Artic Skuas and a total of 24 Common Noddys.

Sunday 27^th – feeling little motivation this weekend – spent most of it lying on the couch listlessly watching tv or reading. But went down the road to my patch on Norman Creek on Sunday morning. Another warm morning - will this bloody summer never end? 2 Black Ducks and a Dusky Moorhen paddled about, a few Fairy-wrens of Red-backed and Superb species, a sleepy Kookaburra, usual Willy wagtails, Silvereyes and Brown Honeyeaters. 

Kara and Antman came over and Jade and I had breakfast with them at the Rare Pear. 

February 2011 - Pt Lookout

Following the success at Pt Lookout at the end of last month and with the biggest cyclone ever to cross the Queensland coast in between it seemed prudent to make an extra effort to get to Pt Lookout as early as possible on 5^th. Camping overnight at Cylinder beach resulted in

Stu W and myself at the point as the sun rose at 5.00. 

The sea was relatively calm – soft, smooth swells, minimal wind, little activity. In fact in the first hour we had 1 Artic Skua and 1 Common Noddy –and that was it! 

All in all we counted 39 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 3 Pomarine and 4 Artic and one very out of season Brown Skua, a very distant Frigatebird we left as ‘sp’ and 55 Common Noddys before giving it away at 11.00.

A bit disappointing, but we realised the cyclone had been too far north to have had any impression on birds in the southern ocean, although the frigatebird was possibly one that had moved as a result of the threat

 

The winds picked up a little early the following week encouraging Stu P to take the trip across on Tuesday 8^th. A distant White-necked Petrel, 2 Streaked Shearwaters, (approx) 800 Wedge-tailed, 2 Short-tailed and 5 Fluttering/Hutton’s type Shearwaters, 5 Pomarine Skuas and 3 Sooty Terns were his reward for a 5 hour seawatch.

 

On Tuesday 22^nd I had taken a day off work for a family commitment but by midday it became clear I was not needed, so packing quickly I headed out and managed to make the 12.55 water taxi from Cleveland with a minute to spare.

The bay was wild with winds scouring the wave tops into white horses trailing spume and the taxi really rocked and rolled across to Dunwich. The seawatch began at 14.00 with Common Noddys and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters struggled south against the wind - it was blowing 30 knots gusting to nearer 40 at times and appeared almost too much for some of the birds. A single Brown Booby was the ‘highlight’ of the afternoon, if it could be termed as such….

 

Stu P followed up with a morning seawatch the next day with 1 White-necked Petrel, 1 Artic Skua and 10 Common Noddys. High winds – but not the expected turnout!

 

The rest of the month passed quietly, weather wise, but a final seawatch was required to see the month out. So, on 26^th, despite the only faint NE breeze, a single observer watched from 8.00 – 12.00. 

In total: 4 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (2 each way), 1 Pomarine and 2 Artic Skuas and a total of 24 Common Noddys.

 

Once again a month of generally weak winds and a resulting low in terms of bird numbers and species - yet even with a howling 40 knot south-easterly in the middle birds had not appeared. 

March 2011

5^th March - Off to Stradbroke Island again – this seawatching is becoming an obsession! This time Stu W fresh back from Lord Howe and I met up with Stu P at Cleveland and Gavin G appeared on the water taxi just before it left the dock. The winds were SE and blowing strong enough for spray to cover the front of the boat and cause it to rock ‘n’ roll across to Dunwich.

Anticipation was high, we are eternal optimists I think – certainly so far as birding is concerned, if nothing else!

A total of 79 Wedge-tailed Shears (15<, 64 >) 1 Pom (<) and 9 Arctic Skuas (5<, 4 >) with a couple of very nice adult, light phased birds among them. 62 Common Noddys (19<, 43>), 2 Fluttering/Hutton’s Shearwater types (1 x Stu P, 1 x myself) very distant and briefly seen and an unidentified Pterodroma Petrel (x Stu P). We noted larger than normal numbers of Common and Little Ternspassing, south – 350 and 160 approx. The highlight of the morning was a single Buller’s Shearwater seen well by all heading south. A very heavy shower rain during the morning had the other three cowering under the rock face while I sat it out with umbrella and rain jacket – although holding the brolly against the wind almost blew me into the sea! 

Although the wind continued to blow unmercifully in the 30–40 knot scale, Stu P left at midday and the rest of us vacated at 14.00 for coffee. The potential seemed vast, but the bird numbers just weren’t there to support it.

(Postscript – Rob Morris went over Sunday morning and had a Buller’s Albatross by 7.30)

Sunday 6^th. I went to Minnippi as I hadn’t been there for a while. The lake was very full thanks to all the rain and, probably due to the same reason, not many water birds were present.36 Black Ducks and 8 Wood Ducks mixed with the usual crowd of peasant rejects. I counted only 3 Purple Swamphens and 1 Dusky Moorhen, which is ridiculous – presumably they were hiding away somewhere due to the high water levels. The only birds of interest were 5 White-throated Needletails heading SE - otherwise the walk around the lake produced nothing but mild exercise. I did have 1 juvenile Dollarbird looking uncomfortable sitting exposed in a tree outside the forest edge, apparently accompanied by a Spangled Drongo which appeared to be eyeing it off as a possible meal….

 

Saturday 12^th. 06.00 Rob, Stu and I headed for Eagleby, parked up and walked along the road beside the flooded fields. Water levels at the expected high – and much the same as Minnippi last week – i.e. most water birds are elsewhere! The only real bird of interest was a Peregrine Falcon winging its way purposefully to the south, but a Buff-banded Rail crossing the road was nice. We retired for breakfast at Tarragindi to find it has changed hands and the resulting outcome does not encourage a re-visit…..

16.15 Stu W, Stu P and Rob met at my place. Piling into Stu’s car we drove to The Gap and a meet with Andy, then over the hill and a spot for Masked Owl. Andy had had the bird here two weeks previously and so we hoped to repeat his experience. Arriving just before dusk we stood in the road and watched and waited and listened and played tape – but to no avail. A large white owl shape did cross high above us in response to Barn Owl tape – but was not seen again or at rest. We also heard a Sooty Owl calling, but were unable to entice it in.

Heading back over the hill we stopped at Green’s Rd to try for the resident Sooty Owl there. Hearing a call as soon as we exited the car things looked hopeful, however, despite repeated attempts and an hour or so of hope, we did not see or hear any further evidence of the bird. As we headed down the hill we stopped a couple of times for a pair of Tawny Frogmouths, a Brush-tailed Possum and a Hareon the road!

Sunday 13^th, after last night’s effort I felt lazy and so didn’t get down to my patch until 7.15. Another warm night followed by a similar morning did not encourage activity. Nothing particular to write home about – pretty quiet, as expected. The usual Silvereyes, Willy Wagtails, 5 Black Duck, 1 Little Black Cormorant, the first Welcome Swallow since Christmas and Striated Pardalotes were vocal again.

Another day of couch potatoing, Sunday papers and snoozes…..

 

Saturday 19^th The winds were weak north-easterly so eliminating Stradbroke as a viable option and we had given consideration to the rest of the weather – showers threatening - and thought about the possibilities of good birds …… and Anstead was the decision. Met at my place, 6.00, and Rob, Stu and I arrived at Anstead at 6.30 to a damp looking morning – in fact we sat in the car for a few minutes as light rain passed over. Walked up the track from the field and ran into Rod G, local expert, as we tried to see what was upsetting a gang of Noisy Miners. Moving further on along the track we came across a ‘bird wave’ of sorts – Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Spangled Drongo, Spectacled and Black-faced Monarchs, a Yellow Robin, a Forest Kingfisher chased by a Rufous Whistler, several pairs of Striated Pardalotes and a couple of White-throated Honeyeaters flitted and fed around us while overhead a couple of Bee Eaterstopped the dead branches and a half a dozen White-throated Needletails flashed past above the canopy heading south. We were trying to get onto a honeyeater when a medium sized bird landed at another angle. I moved to cover it and discovered an Oriental Cuckoo. Unfortunately my view was poor – and brief as it launched almost immediately and flew off through the trees disappearing from all our views pretty rapidly. Further on along the track before we exited the trees a Brown Cuckoo-dove and a couple of Bar-shouldereds flew up. 

A look from the outlook over the recovering river banks produced little but as we moved along the track behind the water tank a small dove flew out of a low bush showing a distinctive pale green back and yellow tipped tail that screamed Fruit-dove and probably Rose-crowned. Thanks to Stu’s persistence we eventually had crippling views of this glorious little dove as it returned to feed in the same low bush surrounded by Figbirds.

Down the quarry track to check the fig tree - nothing, then back over the ridge and down the bitumen track towards the small car park. A couple of Pale-headed Rosellas, a Fan-tailed Cuckoo, more Bee Eaters and a flock of approx 20 Blue-faced Honeyeaterscompleted our mornings birding and we headed off to have breakfast at Kenmore.

 

Saturday 26^th and with Stu off in Melbourne and a report of a Satin Flycatcher at Anstead Rob and I decided to repeat last week’s effort on the chance of getting this difficult bird. Following the same timing and track as last week we didn’t see any fruit-doves, but did have a Common Bronzewing in virtually the same spot. No sign of the Monarchs and the number of ‘migrating’ species was down on the previous Saturday. However when we checked the fig tree on the quarry track we did spy 2 Barred Cuckoo-shrikes quietly feeding at the back of the tree.

Our information pointed to the flycatcher being seen half way down the bitumen track from the small car park so we switched on our iPods at that point to see if we could entice it out.

In the end it appeared we attracted every bird in the area to the track – Rufous and Grey Fantails, a Varied Triller, Willy Wagtails, Rufous Whistlers and, most importantly of all, flycatchers. We had at least 5 around us at one time and were confident in our identification of 4 – Leaden Flycatchers, 3 females and a male. One other female possessed a deeper coloured orange chest, appeared darker on the back and had a more obvious white area below the eye – eyering level. It also looked ‘different to me, bigger headed and a chunkier bird to the slimmer Leaden – but that is not an accepted identification feature unfortunately. 

Rob managed to get a photo or two so we will need further research, especially with Hansab – hopefully Stu has the one that covers flycatchers.

We retired for breakfast again to Kenmore, but this time tried out the new Greek place – not bad, although they stuffed up my order giving me more than I had asked for – and the coffee was excellent – Piazza D’Oro.

Sunday and the winds were 25 – 30 k SE – too good an opportunity to pass up. Rob and I were on the 6.55 water taxi from Cleveland. Arriving at the point at 8.00 the seas were wild – 3 meter swells chopped up and wind scoured. Wedgies and Common Noddysstruggled south against the howling wind. We settled in the relative lee of the rock and scoped the ocean – it was looking very good. 

Not long after we arrived a civilian approached us and said he did a bit of bird-watching and had we seen the Frigatebird over the headland? We told him we hadn’t and he went on his way - to come running back 10 mins later with a silhouetted photo of a frigatebird! Not too long after that and a magnificent male Lesser Frigatebird descended on a passing flock of terns and briefly chased one for its breakfast. We had excellent views as it flew south gradually rising above our heads back to its station somewhere over the headland. Later in the morning I saw the second bird – a female or immature high in the sky drifting south. 

A couple of small feeding flocks of tern/noddy/Wedgie mixes started about a kilometre out to sea. We watched these avidly in the hopes of a Buller’s or Streaked Shearwater, but to no avail. We did pick up a couple of small white bellied shearwaters buzzing in among the crowd, but the first was initially too far away to ID accurately. Eventually I had a total of 5 – four of which I felt were close enough to be comfortable with Hutton’s as identification due to the very dark underwing. A lone immature Brown Booby also ploughed past without hesitating and we saw several (all light phase) Pomarine Skuas, some indulging in the chase which was a nice spectacle. 

10.30 and Rob decided to leave to get the 10.50 bus and the 11.25 taxi back to the mainland. I decided to hang on in the hopes of an albert or a petrel. 

By 13.30 I decided that it was a futile effort and so I too left the point and boarded the 13.50 bus for the 14.25 ferry which rocked and rolled in the wild weather back to Cleveland. The conditions had been perfect – the birds just didn’t appear to be out there!

March 2011 - Pt Lookout

March started and ended with excellent seawatching winds – they died off a bit in the intervening weeks. Conditions were, apparently, perfect on the first weekend (5 – 6^th) and again on the last one (26^th and 27^th) – unfortunately, on the whole, the birds didn’t co-operate.

 

On the 5^th Stu W, Stu P, Gavin G and myself  braved the wild, wet conditions: 25–30 knots south-easterly, gusting to 35 knots, rain showers generally passing by off shore, but on occasion lashing across the point.

A total of 79 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (15<, 64 >) 1 Pomarine (<) and 9 Arctic Skuas (5<, 4 >) with a couple of very nice adult, light phased birds among them. 62 Common Noddys (19<, 43>), 2 Fluttering/Hutton’s Shearwater types and an unidentified PterodromaPetrel very distant and briefly seen.

We noted larger than normal numbers of Common and Little Terns passing south – 350 and 160 approx. The highlight of the morning was a single Buller’s Shearwater seen well by all heading south.  Seawatch from 08.00 – 14.00.

 

On the 6^th a single seawatcher, Rob M, was lucky enough to have a Buller’s Albatross pass very close to the headland at approx 7.30. This is an excellent bird for Queensland – and an exceptional record for Pt Lookout.

 

The winds were small and variable and generally north-easterly as a couple of weak high pressure systems, followed by lows passed to the south until the 27^th when once again the winds were predicted to be south/south-easterly 20 – 25 knots and another trip was undertaken.

 

The wind was very strong and the 3 meter seas were chopped to ribbons. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Common Noddys struggled south against the howling wind. Not long after Stu W and I arrived a magnificent male Lesser Frigatebird descended on a passing flock of terns and briefly chased one for its breakfast. We had excellent views as it flew south gradually rising above our heads back to its station somewhere over the headland. Later in the morning there was a female or immature high in the sky also drifting south. 

A couple of small feeding flocks of Tern/Noddy/Wedgie mixes started about a kilometre out to sea and were monitored closely in the hopes of a Buller’s or Streaked Shearwater, but to no avail. A total of 5 small white-bellied shearwaters buzzing in among the crowd over the period were probably Hutton’s due to the very dark underwing. A lone immature Brown Booby also ploughed past without hesitating and several (all light phase) Pomarine Skuas, some indulging in the chase, passed us by before we retired for the month at 13.30. 

 

It was surprising, and a little disappointing, that more petrels were not in evidence during the month. Whether this was due to sea surface temperatures resulting in poor food supplies or some other cause is not clear as yet. It does appear similar observations were made in the Sydney area with seawatchers there also noting the lack of petrels off the headlands. The surprise of the month, of course, was the Albatross – not only in species, but the fact that an albatross at this time of year is not a common occurrence.

April 2011

We decided to give Wappa Dam another chance to produce the Black Bittern. We had new info re the exact site and so 4.30 on Saturday (2^nd) morning saw me leaving home to drive to Stu’s. We headed north immediately on my arrival, our car swap over moving with military precision….

3 hours after we arrived we acknowledged that the bird was not going to show….. again… Azure Kingfishers and Yellow-tailed and Re-tailed Black Cockatoos are all very well, but we had come to see a Black Bittern and it just wasn’t good enough!

Breakfast in Buderim was little compensation and then we settled in for the long drive home.

I had been contemplating camping at Cylinder Beach for an early start at Pt Lookout, but enthusiasm was waning until Della told Stu he should go and camp as she had other things to do anyway…

I picked him up at 17.45 and we got on the 18.30 water taxi. We arrived at Cylinder at about 19.20 and were sitting down to a glass of wine while watching our meal heat through by 19.55.

Up at 5.00, we packed up and arrived at Pt Lookout at 6.00. Once again despite the effort it was a little disappointing – 8 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 1 Artic Skua, 98 Common Noddys and several hundred Common and Little Terns with a single, early juvenile Australian Gannet passing just off the rocks was the highlight of the day! We stayed till 11.00 then headed back for coffee, French fries and the bus at 12.50. 

Not the most inspiring of weekends – but the camping had been nice….

 

Stu was spending the weekend with Della. I was helping Kara move to her new house so Saturday was a no-go day for birding. On Sunday Rob and I, on my suggestion, went to Enoggera Dam and the Aracuria walk. We hadn’t been on it for ages and I felt like checking it out again. 

Virtually the first bird of the day was a pair of Bush Stone-curlews in the car park of the BFP HQ. They calmly stood, unblinkingly as passed by no more than 3 meters away. We found the track had not been very well maintained for the last while – in two locations it was ‘closed’ but we continued on never the less. The final ‘loop’ was very wet going with long grass trailing overnight dew onto our legs and pants – I was wet to the waist. But it was worth it – the bird numbers were good and some good species were easily seen – Black-faced Monarch, Rose Robins and Rufous Fantails showing evidence of the change of seasons. I managed to call in a group of White-naped Honeyeaters by imitating their call and we also had an immature Varied Triller which was accompanied by an adult bird, presumably its parent. A very dark Collared Sparrowhawk landed twice to allow perched but very distant views across the lake and, later, a Baza circled overhead at the top of the ridge. Fresh platelets littered the track down from the rainforest but we got no reaction to either BBBQ or Painted BQ calls played. The highlight was, undoubtedly, a juvenile White-eared Monarch that Rob identified immediately and we confirmed using playback to which it showed great interest.

We retired for breakfast at Home at Ashgrove in our soaked boots and socks.

 

The 16^th and time for the survey again. As the tide was high early on Rob and I decided to do Manly roost first to give his new scope a run with the waders. Stu had deserted us for the Southport pelagic in hopes of a Great Shearwater, so just Rob and I ventured down to the shoreline. The usual waders were present in average Autumnal numbers – 108 Pied Oystercatchers, 25 Stilts, 5 Pac Golden Plovers, approx 15 Red-capped Dotterels, 200 Bar-tailed Godwits, 50 Whimbrel, 20 Curlew, 9 Common Greenshanks, 15 Terek, 10 Sharp-tailed and 40 Curlew Sandpipers, 300 Grey-tailed tattlers, 20 Ruddy Turnstones, 150 Red-necked Stints, 15 Gull-billed Terns, 3 Little and 16 Caspian. 40 Double-banded Plovers had arrived from New Zealand and surprisingly a Mangrove Gerygoneand 2 Golden-headed Cisticolas had invaded the profusion of growth that had taken place on the island following the summer’s rain. 2 Striated Herons flew silently past over the calm ocean and a White-faced Heron, a Little and a Great Egret fed at the back of the pond. Grey and Chestnut Teal dabbled nervously on the upper pond until a Peregrine Falcon hammered in from the north and flushed everything up. It did a barrel roll and made a mocking attack attempt but its heart wasn’t in it and it continued on its way south to harass some other unfortunate flock! A Brahminy Kite soared over the harbour and a distant Sea Eagle completed the raptor list. On our way out a Mangrove Honeyeater put in an appearance at the back of the upper pond. 

We went on to our survey area – Vickerman’s on Scrub Rd, Carindale. It was very quiet and we struggled to find birds for the hour we spent wandering the property. It was a very still, warmish morning and everything seemed to have shut down – even at 8.30. We managed to scrape a total of 14 species – mostly thanks to Rob’s hearing.

 

Easter weekend and a 5 day holiday (thanks to Anzac Day also occurring at this time). None of us had chosen to go away which was an unusual outcome really – I was on standby so couldn’t go too far anyway…

It had been ages since we had done the Thylogale Track from Jolly’s Lookout to Bombala on Mt Glorious and my suggestion of that, and breakfast cooked at Jolly’s Lookout afterwards, was eagerly accepted for Good Friday morning.

It was a good walk – with all 3 Scrub-wrens, Brown and Striated Thornbills, Brown Gerygones, 3 Rose and 3 Yellow robins, 1 White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, 4 Fan-tailed and 1 Shining Bronze Cuckoo, 3 Grey and 1 Rufous Fantail, 2 Spectacled Monarchs, at least 4 Little Shrike-thrushes and 2 Russet-tailed Thrushes. We walked to the fire break and then back by the road. 

Usually Jolly’s Lookout is quiet. Today, of course, it was busy with heaps of citizens wandering around barbequing and whatever. We found a Table and a spare barbeque but there was no wood and none of us felt like going to find some – so we cooked on Rob’s ‘new’ stove. Bacon and eggs on toast and freshly brewed coffee and sat and chatted for quite some time before packing up and heading home.

Sat and we chose to have a ‘lay day’. I had some work to do building a frame for my bed so spent the day happily knee deep in sawdust and shavings.

Sun and Stu had gone to Noosa at short notice so Rob and I headed out to the Lockyer Valley for our first visit since the disastrous floods of January.

We followed the usual circuit – Atkinson’s Dam, the creek across the road, 7 Mile Lagoon, Lake Clarendon, Janke’s lagoon, Adare rd, Apex park and Gatton Uni for Lake Galletly.

Highlights – 

• Atkinson Dam full to overflowing for the first time in umpteen years – an amazing sight.
• A pair of Spotted Harriers over Boyce’s Rd – beautiful.
• 2 Musk Duck at 7 mile lagoon – a first for the valley for us.
• A huge number of Whistling Kites throughout the morning
• 8 Banded Lapwing at the end of Boyce’s Road
• Close views of 25 Red-rumped Parrots in the Uni grounds
• The usual (!) 2 Blue-billed Duck on Lake Galletly
• 1 Fuscous Honeyeater at Adare Rd
• Lake Clarendon also full to capacity with 3 Great-crested Grebes cruising the shoreline looking very cool.

A pastry and cold drink at Gatton kept us going until we reached home around 1pm.

 

We took the next couple of days off serious birding, I visited my local patch for the first time in ages. Two Spangled Drongos were the highlight – although it was nice to see 2 Black Ducks and 2 Dusky Moorhens paddling around the shallow creek. Amazing profusion of growth following all the rain this year. 

 

Last weekend of the month and we considered Stradbroke as the winds were SE 15 – 20 knots… however, a fellow birder, Chris S, went on Thursday and reported very few birds off the coast so we plumped for a visit to Whiterock Conservation Park. I hadn’t been to Whiterock since 2003 – but had had some interesting birds there on the two visits I had conducted. Recently I had mentioned again to Rob that it would be good to re-visit and since then another birder had seen Spotted Quail-thrush and Painted Buttonquail at the site, so 6.00 and we were leaving Rob’s heading west as the park lies close to Redbank Plains off the Ipswich Rd.

Rose Robins coming out of our ears! Never seen so many in one place. One male in particular in full colour responded well to call and whistles and Rob got some good photos. The first 300 meters in and we had lots of birds – White-throated Treecreeper, Scaly-breasted and Little Lorikeets, Yellow (and Rose) Robins, Golden and Rufous Whistlers, Striated Pardalotes, Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Noisy Friarbirds and some small canopy dwellers that were either Yellow Thornbills or Weebills…. 

Walking on the birds became a bit thinner on the ground – Red-browed Finches, Fan-tailed Cuckoos and 1 Shining Bronze Cuckoo calling. We reached the rock and climbed to the top for a view over the surrounding forest and hills, then followed the Ridge trail back to the forest track. We tried for Spotted Quail-thrush at numerous locations and noted several patches of platelets along the way but neither the quail-thrush nor buttonquail put in an appearance. We did have 4 Buff-rumped Thornbills - which I called initially as Yellow-rumped - which was nice, not a bird easily seen around Brisbane.

It was quite a long walk and then a long drive back to Holland Park to the Greedy Monkey for a very late breakfast.

April 2011 - Pt Lookout

April is a quiet month for seawatching. Only two visits were made to Pt Lookout this year. On 3^rd the winds were predicted to be S/SE 15-20 knots increasing to 20-25 knots offshore so an effort was made to be on the lookout at dawn. This necessitated an overnight camp at Cylinder Beach, a packing up of camp in the dark and an early morning hike! 

The sea was watched from 6.00 until 11.00 for a total of 8 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, 1 light phase Arctic Skua, several hundred Common and Little Terns, 98 Common Noddys and the bird of the day – an early immature Australian Gannet!

The second seawatch occurred at the other end of the month on 21^st and resulted in similar species, but even lower numbers…

Roll on winter!

May 2011

White-fronted Honeyeater find

May started with a fizzle and a bang!

The fizzle was a trip to Stradbroke for a seawatch on Saturday 7^th – 17 Aust Gannets and 1 Short-tailed Shearwater in 3 hours in a 15-20knot SE wind was disappointing but appropriate for the month. 

The bang on the other hand came, as most ‘bangs’ do, from a completely unexpected quarter when a mundane wander around Minnippi Parkland turned into an exciting and nail biting morning with the discovery of a White-fronted Honeyeater 800 kms east of its usual location!

Searching a short tree for a fly in both Rob and I came across the bird at the same time and immediately recognised it for something ‘off the wall’. It soon left the tree we had found it in and flew a short distance overhead to the edge of the forest where it spent the rest of the morning, apart from an hour or so when it disappeared altogether – hence the nail biting! Phoning and txting other birders, we managed to get Stu W and Andy J onto the bird but failed with Stu P before leaving the scene at 10.30 and heading off for a very late, McDonald’s breakfast. (Stu P managed to get back and see the bird later in the day)

Rob managed to get photos of the bird and reports were soon posted on Eremaea and Birding-aus. 

 

Over the next few weeks at least 30 people came to see the vagrant, some of them from as far away as Toowoomba! The bird was last recorded on the 5^th June….

14 - 18.5.11

South Australia Trip

Trip Report – South Australia

 

May 14^th – 18th 2011.

 

Overview: Two birders based in Brisbane (southern Queensland) birding in South Australia (Stuart Warren and author Colin Reid). In 5 days we visited 4 major sites within easy reach of Adelaide, the state capital – Brookfield Conservation park, the famous Gluepot, Hogwash bend on the Murray and Innes National Park as well as a couple of smaller, local sites.

 

Getting there and getting around: Stu had flown down for work on the Thursday. I flew with Virgin Australia early on the Saturday morning, picked up our hire car and then met Stu at Maggie Beer’s in Nuriootpa in the Barossa valley area at lunch time. I had managed to get $99 one way fares both ways -a not unusual price, but excellent value. The hire car was from Europcar - we had booked a Subaru Forester ‘or similar’ as we thought the AWD would be helpful in Gluepot should it rain. They gave me a Nissan X-trail which was even better as it is a 4WD, although in the end it probably would have made little difference as the weather behaved itself. The car did tend to try to vibrate itself to pieces at just over 100 kms per hour and the cruise control wandered 5 kms either side of the setting – other than that it was fine!

We found driving in SA exceptionally easy – 110 km speed limits were common and the roads in good condition – with a lot less traffic than we were used to, except in Adelaide itself. When crossing the city on our last day at 15.30 we were caught in endless traffic jams for no apparent reason. 

Gluepot is unsealed road driving – 70 kms in from the last bitumen and sandy, dusty tracks throughout the reserve. The tracks were easy to manage – I did put the car in 4WD for safety rather than necessity – but maintained a speed of at least 70 kms per hour on the inward and outward trips. In the reserve it self the speed limit is 40 kms and we were usually driving well below that. 

Innes NP is mostly bitumen with a well graded section to Brown’s beach being the only unsealed surface. 

 

Accommodation: We had pre-booked nothing! Our information advised that at both Gluepot and Innes self registration was the expectation and proved to be so. We had planned to camp as there was no available accommodation at either location and had brought our one man tents, sleeping bags, mats etc with us.

Camping at Gluepot is restricted to 3 camp sites at various locations around the park and costs $10 per vehicle per night. Each camping area has a toilet – that’s it, no water, no showers, just a drop toilet.

Camping at Innes is also available at a range of sites. Strangely enough one site (Pondalowie) costs $16 per night per vehicle, while the others are all $6. There is no apparent difference between sites that we could see. Possibly the drop toilet in Pondalowie where we chose to stay is of more recent construction, however, if we went again we would definitely stay at Cable Bay – as will become apparent in the detail below. The tent sites at Pondalowie consisted of road base pounded into a cement-like surface – incredibly difficult to drive slim, aluminium tent pegs into. As we were, in essence, backpacking, we did not carry a peg hammer and so had to resort to rocks as hammers – it was not a pleasant experience in the dark on a cold night. Other sites in other areas such as Cable bay did not appear to be quite so ‘unfriendly’.  There is also a Day visit fee of $8 to be paid so the total for camping on unyielding ground, with the only facility being a drop toilet, for two nights was, I felt an extortionate, $40.

 

Communication: Mobile phone communication was not operating in either Gluepot or Innes NP – elsewhere it was as normal. We did not investigate any other type of Internet or phone communication in SA.

 

Preparation: as we were expecting to chase some hard to get species we had made numerous enquiries and researched all available information. Gaining specific direction to some species in Gluepot, for example, can be challenging as they are quite rare and the most recent update is generally from professional guides who, for obvious reasons, do not want detailed locations disclosed to the wider audience. This applies mainly to very restricted species such as Red-lored Whistler, most of the other birds can be found with some hard work and patience. 

We found the new version of Thomas and Thomas ‘Birds of Australia’ to be helpful and Peter Wanderers ‘Birding guide to SA’ on the internet to be very detailed and specific and ensured our success with at least one difficult species. 

We also asked for and rec’d camping suggestions for Innes from which we made a choice that could have been better!

 

Trip Summary – birds.

We had a wish list, as you do, and feel we were moderately successful – probably more so because of the time of year rather than the overall end result. Several people expressed concern that we were not going at the best time – that Spring would offer more opportunity. They may have been right, but we feel we did pretty well considering.

Red-lored Whistler – let’s start with the hard ones. We did see a singing male at Gluepot. Other than that we can offer no hints, we were given direction under an agreement not to publish, so we apologise in advance that we can’t disclose more.

Gilbert’s Whistler – on two of the walks in Gluepot – Malleefowl and Whistler. Probably not too difficult in reality.

Western (Mallee) Whipbird – Cape Spencer road, Innes NP. We had advice they were common along the sides of this road behind Cable Bay campsite as well as other locations in the NP.  This was the only spot we had them – one pair.

Black-eared Miner – one among a flock of 20 Yellow-throated was most likely our bird. The jury is still debating and may well do so into perpetuity.

Regent Parrot – Hogwash bend as per Peter Wanderer’s Birding Guide to SA – we had them brilliantly in the River Gums.

Rock Parrot – one only at Innes NP and then only for a few minutes perched on a bush before it flew high and wide.

Chestnut Quail-thrush – easy peasy, everywhere in Gluepot and Brookfield, very confiding, a real pleasure of a Quail thrush!

Shy Heathwren – on two occasions we had good views of this species, both at Gluepot - a pair on the Mallefowl walk and a single bird on Track 9.

Southern Scrub Robin – on two occasions. Track 9 at Gluepot and the track to Brown’s Beach at Innes NP.

Purple-gaped Honeyeater – we were a bit doubtful about the possibility of success with this bird, but had it on several occasions in Innes NP, at one stage approximately 8 birds together at Brown’s Beach carpark.

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater – ‘you can’t miss them’ was the usual phrase associated with YPH, which was a bit worrying as often this sort of advice imparts the ‘famous last word’s’ syndrome. We did see them at Gluepot, but not as commonly as I had expected and we didn’t see them anywhere else either.

Little Raven – most of the crows we came across on our visit appeared to be Little Ravens. We double checked the calls when they were heard and carefully noted the amount of ‘hackle’ visible. We did see Aust Raven at Innes, but were confident any crows that vocalised at Gluepot were Little Ravens.

Rufous Fieldwren – at Innes on the headlands around the lighthouses.  These birds were very washed out compared to inland individuals and the representation in the field guides and caused us some confusion.

 

We did use playback via iPod for most of the difficult birds – this might offend some, but in a short time frame out of the breeding season we felt it did little harm and make no apologies, it is unlikely we would have had as much success without it.

These were some of our target birds and lifers. We did see lots of other great birds which will be described in detail below…

 

The Trip

 

14.5.11 Rob pulled into the driveway as I stepped out the front door – timing impeccable. Chucked my back pack and cabin bag and camera into the boot and off we went. Brisbane airport at 5am is still a messy area – must be the only airport I have ever seen controlled by traffic lights and the drop off/pick up area? Don’t get me started….

The Virgin flight left and landed on time and I found the Europcar desk quickly. I had decided to get the car first, then pick up my bag as this might beat the rush – and it did! Finding the Nissan X-trail in the car park I took photos of it from every angle as insurance protection and then headed out and towards the coast line, just down the road from the airport. I cruised along generally heading west getting the feel of the unfamiliar vehicle and location and thinking about a quick visit to Port Gawler possibly before meeting Stu.

I tried to access the Torren’s river mouth with Fairy Tern in mind, but found the apparent access blocked by road works and general industry crowding out access to the waterfront – or maybe I just didn’t go far enough. During this drive I did see hundreds of Common Starlings which I am unused to seeing, and a few common Australian birds. I noticed some of the Magpies had a silvery sheen to their lower backs - these were females and a different form from our familiar Queensland birds. A Hobby caught my attention at one point and a Common Blackbird brought back memories of home (Ireland) as they always do.

I gave away the idea of the river mouth and found my way to the Pt Wakefield road heading north with Port Gawler still vaguely in my sights. Not long after crossing the river wetlands started to appear on the left and I eventually stopped at Barker Inlet for a few minutes for a smoke and a look. Birds one would expect were present – Swamphens, Moorhens, Black Swans, Black Duck, an Aust Grebe, White-faced Herons, Little Pied Cormorant and my first South Australian Singing Honeyeater. A Black-fronted Dotterel gave himself up with careful scrutiny of the muddy spots. I hopped back in the car and continued west, then ignored the Port Wakefield turn off and got lost – well not really, but I wasn’t on the road I expected to be on and so I wasn’t exactly sure where I was… 

I noticed it was approaching 10.30 and I still had supplies to purchase so started looking for a Woolworths or Coles supermarket. Found one, filled a trolley, queued to pay, grabbed a McDonald’s coffee and cheeseburger and decided that Port Gawler was not a choice anymore as I had to get to Maggie Beer’s place at Nuriootpa to pick up at Stu by about 12.30 so headed for the Great North Rd and points north.

Arriving in the car park Stu was ready to go so, after quickly grabbing some of the famous Ver-juice for a friend in Brisbane, we headed north again towards Waikerie. An hour or so up the road and Brookfield Conservation Park was signposted. We decided that as Gluepot was only a relatively short distance and it was early in the afternoon we’d stop off and see what Brookfield had to offer. 

The park is designed to be driven slowly around on unsealed, well graded tracks and almost immediately we had birds flying across in front of the car so we stopped and wandered the immediate vicinity on foot. Crested Bellbirds, a number of Southern Whitefaces, Brown Treecreeper, White-browed Babbler, Rufous Songlark, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Striated Pardalotes, Hooded and a plethora of Red-capped, Robins.A couple of Masked Woodswallows perched up followed quickly by 4 White-browed showing very well in the sunlight while in the distance a pair of Wedge-tailed Eagles circled. 

I had a bit of luck. The reserve is specifically known as a premier location for Hairy-nosed Wombat and one can see the evidence of their residence just off track where their burrows resemble earth moving by gigantic rabbits. As we explored these excavations and while looking down a burrow I realised I was looking at the hairy nose of a Wombat a couple of meters down the tunnel! I called Stu to come and see, but unfortunately before he got a look, the wombat must have decided that he didn’t really need the toilet after all and disappeared back underground. Despite our quietly checking every other available burrow we didn’t locate another animal. They are best seen early morning and evening – a time slot we were unable to accommodate, so I counted myself lucky!

We drove on to the Mallee circuit stopping on occasion to follow up on fly bys – Mallee Ringnecks, Mulga Parrots and Brown-headed Honeyeaters all caught our attention and then, as we were on the return leg of the circuit, a low flying bird caught Stu’s eye and following up we got our first trip lifer – Chestnut Quail-thrush. A pair moved unhurriedly across the sand in and out of the low plants and trees, even perching up on a log for an extended period of time affording stunning views. It quickly became our favourite Quail-thrush! A few Splendid Fairy-wrens, Chestnut and Buff-rumped Thornbills and a single Pallid Cuckoo completed our tour of the park. 

Returning to the main road we turned left and headed in towards Waikerie – we had Stu’s Tomtom on the windscreen and it made navigation very easy and manageable. Reaching Waikerie we headed straight down to the ferry. The Murray River crossing on the fixed line ferry is considered a part of the road system, there is no payment required and the ferry runs 24 X 7 – unless the river is in flood. Once across we barrelled out towards the turnoff for Gluepot. We were aware that darkness was fast approaching and we had 70 kms of unsealed road ahead of us. The road, as it turned out, was well graded and easy to follow, there were no mishaps and we arrived at the visitor centre at Gluepot just after dark at 18.00. One the way in several Yellow Rosellas and at least one pair of Bluebonnets crossed our path.

We collected some maps, track descriptions and the latest sightings, signed in and paid for two nights camping ($20) and then drove the last couple of Ks to the Babbler Camp site. There were a couple of sites in use but we located an empty one and set up our small one man tents. We were travelling as light as possible so had brought no ‘cooking’ equipment. We did have, however, a 12 volt kettle which when plugged in to a power outlet or the cigarette lighter produced boiled water. The only inconvenience being that it took 15 minutes to boil one jug of water – we did discover that this would provide two decent cups of coffee, but we had to take it in turns when it came to our noodles…so a lot of time was spent standing round the back of the car in the dark watching the kettle and wondering if the car would start in the morning if the battery was drained. 

It was dead still; a light cloud cover kept the temperature around 9 – 10 degrees and it was very, very quiet. Stu had his noodles and I was just getting mine when a shape flew overhead. Dropping everything – as you do - we chased after it and in the light of our torches saw an owl perched up ready to go. A Southern Boobook we decided as it silently shadowed off through the trees. We crashed around 21.00 more for lack of anything else to do, rather than a need for sleep and woke around 5.30 to a cool, clear morning. 

 

15.5.11 Rising before dawn allowed us enough time to have a coffee via the stand-around jug and some fruit (Stu’s observation - apples are hard going first thing in the morning!). While so indulging Stu wandered a short distance form the car following a high pitched call which eventuated into a Chestnut Quail-thrush a mere 30 meters from the tents. 

We watched it for a bit before heading off up Track 8. We had been given direction to a possible site for Red-lored Whistler under the strict agreement we would not publish the specifics so, enough to say it was off Track 8 and we decided to try for it straight away.

The first birds to grab our attention however were 6 Red-rumped Parrots close by the car, followed by more Chestnut Quail-thrushes, Striped and White-eared Honeyeaters, Red-capped Robins, Grey Currawongs and White-fronted Honeyeaters, the latter a nice bird to see again, having just discovered one the previous weekend in one of our local patches in Brisbane - 800 kms out of range!

A distant flock of Yellow-throated Miners encouraged us to dump the car and hoof it along the trail. There were about 20 birds all doing the Miner thing, calling hysterically, flying in and out of the trees and generally acting like demented housewives who have spotted a burglar. 

We worked through the flock bird by bird as best we could – one single attracted our attention. It had more black on the face than the others – i.e. a bigger masked area - and looked ‘different’. I stayed with it and, when it flew to another tree, had a clear view of its rump and back and it was consistently the same colour from nape to tail – a light grey. I called it as a Black-eared Miner to Stu, but the flock had decided that there was nothing more of interest in the immediate area and were moving on rapidly through the bush away from the track and we lost sight of them - and the bird in question. We assumed we would see more flocks but we didn’t - that was it for Miners at Gluepot for us. Do you tick a lifer on such a sighting? Two birders together and only one is certain of identification? As mentioned above – the jury is still out and I am torn.

We reached our advised turn off point and headed off the track. Not far in and a bird in a tree ahead of us warranted a look – a Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, our second lifer for the trip. We soon had 10 or 12 around us calling and providing close and extensive views. Moving on we arrived at the designated spot and played our iPod – within a few minutes we had a response! And shortly thereafter had crippling views of a male Red-lored Whistler in full song on an exposed branch, 20 meters away! Brilliant! I thought Stu was going to pass out with excitement but after a while the Whistler had had his say, we were silent and he headed off to do what he was doing before we rudely interrupted him and we headed back to the car. Back at the track we encountered Weebill, Jacky Winters, a Rufous Whistler and Chestnut-rumped and Inland Thornbills, but no Striated Grasswren despite repeated hopeful playings near good looking habitats. 

We discussed our options and decided on the Malleefowl walk. Parking up we headed into the bush following the marked stakes and reached the seat where we sat and watched the Malleefowl mound for a while. However, it looked undisturbed and we figured as it was not the right season it was unlikely to produce the goods. We headed on following the life saving markers seeing Jacky Winters, the odd Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Weebill and White-eared Honeyeater until Stu again heard a thin high pitched call which completely eluded my aging hearing. We played for Shy Heathwren and I was delighted when a pair responded showing well for quite some time flitting from bush to bush, running up and down fallen branches and generally behaving well for a bird called ‘shy’. I even managed to get some photos which pleased me, although they are record shots for my amusement only…..

Moving on we tried for Gilbert’s Whistler and again were rewarded! We had two birds, both basically unmarked apart from the whitish throat and general overall light grey appearance. We believe they may have been brother and sister as one responded well with song and behaviour while the other continued feeding at a lower more discreet level. We had great views though and again I managed to get some personal shots. So far so good!

We finally reached the turn around point at, supposedly, 2.5 kms – a distance that would, normally, be of little consequence to us. We had obviously walked further with our wanderings and the track’s curves and faced the 2.5 km walk back along the vehicle track with dismay. However there was nothing we could do about it and headed off in the sun reaching the car 30 minutes later feeling unusually exhausted and thirsty. Food and water quickly revived our senses as we decided what to do with the afternoon. 

A visit to the visitor’s centre again to check on any updates – nothing new. Hoping a warden would be available for a chat and some pointers for more target species – no one around. So it was Babbler Camp South track and, in particular, any areas of Spinifex . Within the first 100 meters we encountered a bird wave of Grey Fantails, White-browed Treecreepers, Red-capped and Hooded Robins, Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, aCrested Bellbird, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistler, Chestnut Quail-thrush, Striated Pardalotes, Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters, a Grey Butcherbird and Splendid Fairy-wrens. Then the track was very quiet for some time - strange how that happens sometimes. We did pick up Inland Thornbills, Mulga Parrot, a large party of White-winged Chough and Grey Currawongs, Brown-headed and Striped Honeyeaters, Variegated Fairy-wrens, Red Wattlebird and Mallee Ringnecks  but once again no Striated Grassswren.

Arriving back at the car we again went to the visitor centre to again gain nothing new except a Fan-tailed Cuckoo that flew across in front of us and perched up in sight from the car. By this juncture it was getting on in the afternoon and so we decided to drive the circuit of Track 6 – 7 – 8 and look for flocks of Miners. We set off and shortly met the wardens coming the other way – stopping for a car to car chat we elicited some assistance for Southern Scrub Robin and generally discussed possible sighting locations in the park.

As we drove on darkness fell quickly and it wasn’t long before our headlights picked up a lovely Spotted Nightjar sitting quietly in the road ahead. We had good views via bins from the car but it didn’t hang around when we got out - flashing off into the darkness. 

Returning to camp we again stood around the stand-around kettle waiting patiently (?) for coffee and then noodles, bread and boiled eggs brought all the way from Queensland. While we waited we tried for Owlet Nightjar and got three responses locally, but, as usual, no one wanted to show themselves.

Once again we crashed around 21.00…….

 

16.5.11 ……and woke at 2am absolutely freezing cold. We spent the rest of the night dozing fitfully, cursing quietly and trying to retain some heat. When we eventually emerged at 6.30 we discovered ice on the picnic table and windscreen and, when dismantling our tents, on the inside of our flysheets. It was - 1 degrees at 7.00 and the kettle seemed to take for ever to boil! Once the sun was up however it felt warmer - although the temperature stayed down for some time afterwards.

We drove to Track 9 to follow up on the warden’s advice for Southern Scrub Robin. This species we had been told were ‘everywhere’ at Gluepot but we had seen neither hide nor hair over the past 24 hours. However a quick play on the iPod and an immediate reaction two thirds of the way down Track 9 as a pair of SSRs showed immediately. One sat high in a dead tree providing us with lengthy views and more photos. He was still calling when we left. We also had 4 Mulga Parrots,  a pair of Eastern Ringnecks, Red-capped Robins, Jacky Winters, 3 Aust Magpies, Chestnut Quail-thrushes, Chestnut-crowned Babblers, Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Striated Pardalotes, Crested Bellbird and another Shy Heathwren popped up, briefly, below the calling Scrub Robin!

We were still desperate for malleefowl and so decided to walk the Whistler Track directly to the ‘tank’ where one had been seen a week or so before… a long shot, but the only one we felt we had. Again within the first 200 meters or so we had heaps of birds – White-browed and Brown Treecreepers, Striated Pardalotes, Chestnut-rumped Thornbills, Weebills, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, Red-capped Robins, Grey Fantails. We motored on moving as quietly as possible while maintaining a pace to cover the 2 kilometres as quickly as we could. The ‘tank’ is a 44 Gallon drum cut lengthways and placed about 3 meters high on a wooden construction - the idea being to restrict access to open water for pest species such as foxes, wild cats etc. It is comfortably viewed from a strategically placed hide at the same level. We sat for 45 minutes and watched as Yellow-plumed, Brown-headed and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, 2 Grey Shrike Thrushes, a male Hooded Robin and a female Grey Butcherbird came in to drink. A pair of Striated Pardalotes hung around in good view and Red Wattlebirds were in the trees above. We filled in the form to identify the birds using the tank then headed back the way we had come. A calling bird alerted our attention and shortly we had a nicely coloured male Gilbert’s Whistler responding to our iPod and giving close, if somewhat brief, views. Walking on further we came across another pair and while trying to get photos of the male a flock of Varied Sitellas came in overhead and we were distracted chasing down the black hooded female, so different from the familiar white-headed form in SE Qld.

We arrived back at the car a little later, grabbed something to eat and then headed off on Tracks 6-7-4  to drive the circuit, again looking for flocks of miners as a last ditch effort. We weren’t in luck, although we did have 2 Emus and an Aust Kestrel to add to our Gluepot list. 

We left the park at 13.00 and back along the track to the main road. Some confusion as we tried to locate Hogwash Bend via the Tomtom – it sent us across the river via the ferry at Cadell and then wanted to send us back again…we decided to resort to the directions provided by Peter Wanderers guide and so headed for Waikerie with the intention of working back towards Cadell. We stopped at a service station for fuel ($1.45/litre = $65) and asked directions to be advised that ‘the locals take the signs down cause they don’t like the city folk coming in and going mad down there’ OK – fair enough…. We obtained directions to the turnoff back towards Cadell – coming from Cadell it’s the second turn left, there are very few turn offs and this one is on a right hand corner and goes straight down to the river through a vineyard. The road had a closed sign on it, but we drove around it and then stopped when we came to a large pool in the middle of the road – there were two like it and after checking they wouldn’t swallow the car, we drove through quite safely and arrived at the river bank among the huge river gums. It was obvious this area had been recently heavily flooded - hence the road closure and damage. The river gums were OK, of course, in fact probably the healthiest they have been in years as the Murray has suffered dreadfully from irrigation practices along its complete length and has not flooded for years. Yellow Rosellas flew up and through the trees as we searched every movement for our target. Eventually Stu had a female in the ‘scope – Regent Parrot, Yahhooooo! Over the next half an hour we enjoyed the company of perhaps 10 of these spectacular parrots both male and female perched around in nearby trees posing well for close ups with the scope and camera. We also had Noisy Miners, Dusky Moorhen, Aust Darter, Laughing Kookaburra, Whistling Kite, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Aust Magpies, Wood Duck and Great Egret. As we started to drive out a family party of Black-tailed Native Hens crossed the road, we stopped and one youngster decided to check us out and strolled down the road towards us until suddenly realising we weren’t edible panicked and fled, tail cocked high. A flock of 15 Apostlebirds also crossed the road as we came to the vineyard – these were the only ones of both these species we saw on the trip.

So – now the drive to Innes, it was 16.00 when we eventually crossed the Murray again by ferry and hit the road proper – 350 kms to go. We stopped at a BP service station in Port Wakefield for a very poor steakburger and chips, but the shower was very welcome after three days without. The roads were easy, relatively clear of traffic and mostly in good condition. I maintained a fair speed, seeing no animals on the road – in fact we saw almost no road kill at all – apart from mice. There were dozens of them running across the road in places and it was impossible to miss them although I did try as safely as possible – its instinctive! 

We arrived at Innes National Park at 22.00 and reviewed the available camp grounds. For some reason Pondalowie cost $16 per night + the $8 day visit fee which I thought a bit steep. In my experience most places charge one or the other – don’t we pay enough taxes? The other sites, for some unexplained reason were priced at $6 a night + the day fee. We had received info that indicated Whipbirds had been heard behind Pondalowie and on the road to Cape Spencer near Cable Bay campground – we decided on Pondalowie, paid our $40 fee for the two nights and drove the 15 kms on the bitumen 40 kms speed limited road to the campsite encountering a few (as it turned out) Western Grey Kangaroos on the way. The camp site is a bit weird – maybe it gets very busy at other times – but it all seems to be wires and poles and the camping sites themselves seem to be made of compacted road base – almost impossible to drive aluminium pegs into. Why on earth they are made so inhospitable I have no idea but it really does deserve the questions - do they want visitors? And have they ever camped themselves? We were using expensive light one man tents with light weight aluminium pegs – fairly standard for back packers I would have thought - but of course were not carrying a peg hammer – one would have needed a heavy mallet to defeat this ground. We resorted to rocks to force our buckling pegs into the iron hard surface – not a particularly pleasant experience on a cold autumn night. Anyway, as we struggled with the ground our stand-around kettle bubbled away and we had a hot coffee before crashing around 23.00. 

 

17.5.11 It was pretty cold when we emerged at 6.30 – 3 degrees by the gauge in the X-trail and a small breeze off the ocean (invisible from the camp ground) kept us alert. 

Our main target here was, of course, Mallee Whipbird, debatably Australia’s third Whipbird having a distinctly different call from both Western and Eastern, but still included as Western Whipbird on the lists. We had a location from the Birds in Australia 2010 edition which referred to the West Cape road, park after 300 meters, climb the sand dune to the left and look into the hollow where the central bush is a regular singing location.  We struggled through the heavy growth to the top of the sand dune and stood for an hour watching and waiting and occasionally playing for the bird – nothing. A couple of Grey Currawongs showed interest in the bush and the occasional Singing Honeyeater popping up now and again kick started our hearts – otherwise nothing, nada, zilch.

We scrambled back down and went to our second location – the track to Cape Spencer, behind the Cable Bay campsite. We parked at the bottom and started walking up the track playing for the bird. A flock of 26 White-fronted Chats flew past downhill as we walked. Just past a foot path to the beach a response – a pair of birds calling from the scrub at the edge of the road and, before we could get bins off our chests, a bird in the road, landing, hopping and returning to the cover - all in an eye blink. Yes!!! – Western (Mallee) Whipbird. Now we just had to see it properly! 

2 hours we spent standing on the opposite side of the road watching the two birds flit through the thick undergrowth no more than 10 meters away. We caught glimpses of a tail here, a head there, a back there – talk about skulking! Eventually they flew across the road into the thicker vegetation on the opposite side and moved further away. 

We stretched aching muscles and began walking back to the car. A honeyeater type bird crossed the road between us and we both recognised something different from the dozens of New Holland Honeyeaters we had been seeing all morning – it perched up and we managed to get onto it before it flew again – Purple-gaped Honeyeater, our second target bird for Innes! 

Returning to the car we drove the rest of the way to the car park at the top of the track and walked to the lighthouse. On the way we had a lovely Tawny-crowned Honeyeater perched up on the left and from the lighthouse Aust Gannets over the ocean, a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers on the rocks below and a Brown Falcon high above. We also recorded White-browed Scrub-wren, Osprey, Pacific Gull, Splendid Fairy-wren, Silvereyes, Welcome Swallows and 3 Rufous Fieldwrens!. . Another birder we had met had suggested that Striated Grasswren was a possibility – we played for it, but only managed to raise the Fieldwren – which was a nice bonus, especially for me, but not the bird we sought.

When we reached the road again I suggested that a visit to the park headquarters for possible info on Malleefowl and a search for a cup of coffee would be a nice idea. The headquarters were closed Monday and Tuesday and today being Tuesday - that wasn’t helpful. Rhino’s Tavern provided the coffee – it wasn’t especially good, but the lady did fill our flask full of hot water on request, which was nice.  A House Sparrow surprisingly stuck his head up as we sat on the verandah and discussed our plans for the rest of the day.

West Cape – drive to the car park, walk to the lighthouse. Very windy, more Pacific Gulls, an Aust Kestrel hunting over the cliffs and another 3 Fieldwrens – very good views and photos even! Stu had seen Rufous Fieldwren before – in the interior - and these initially caused some confusion as they were so washed out looking compared to the interior rufous birds. 

The information we had was that Malleefowl were ‘common’ in the wooded areas of the park so we tried to find wooded areas – not very successfully - the undergrowth was extremely dense and impenetrable so, apart from a male Red-capped Robin, we didn’t see anything and gave away the effort pretty quickly. Without more local knowledge I think it would be difficult, although several road signs suggest they are crossing in such numbers one needs to drive carefully!

We drove the road to Brown’s Beach and had a look at the beach and headland from the car park. A Pacific Gull and another pair of Sooty Oystercatchers hung out on the rocks. Stu suggested a short walk along the track to Gym Beach – as it was getting late we chose not to do the whole circuit. We had 2 Brush Bronzewings, approx 8 Purple-gaped Honeyeaters – with excellent views – Spiny-cheeked and New Holland Honeyeaters, the only Golden Whistler of the trip, heaps of Red Wattlebirds, Silvereyes , White-browed Scrub-wrens and 1 Dusky Woodswallow. As we returned to the car Stu picked up a high pitched call (I really will have to look into hearing aids…) and soon we had a Southern Scrub Robin bouncing around on his long legs from bush to bush acting like a Scrub Robin should! As we watched him 2 pairs of Aust Shelducks flew overhead! 

We drove back to the Cape Spencer road and stood again for some time listening for Whipbirds – to no avail. We wandered the campsite itself, as they have been heard in the immediate vicinity, but again no response. Casually checking the beach I picked up a trio of Hooded Plovers and a pair of Pacific Gulls – and got some keeper shots of both. Darkness fell and we had to give it away. The campsite at Cable Bay looked more ‘friendly’ – and as noted earlier – cheaper! It overlooks Cable Bay which is quite picturesque and with Hooded Plovers and Pacific Gulls running around, Purple-gaped Honeyeaters and Mallee Whipbirds within spitting distance? Why wouldn’t you stay there? It would definitely be my choice next time!

Returning to our campsite a little deflated as a result of our failure to see the Whipbirds in more detail the long, cold, dark evening stretched before us with only the stand-around kettle for entertainment. We managed to make a mixture of hot noodles and cold baked beans that I was assured was ‘really nice’ – but was what it was, hot noodles and cold baked beans….I suggested that maybe a visit to Rhino’s Tavern would at least give us light, probably a little warmth and other humans to relate to – and we could get coffee that tasted like coffee….

Well, we got the light and the warmth and coffee that tasted a bit like coffee and a sticky date pudding that wasn’t too bad, but the human element was somewhat lacking with a lack of enthusiasm or interest that was palatable. It was a bit like watching one of those dysfunctional family sitcoms on TV that you think doesn’t really exist – but you know it does. We only stayed an hour or so and then headed back to our cold tents where I battled with a reluctant zip and then crawled in for a long night which ended at 4.30 when Stu thought he heard rain and suggested we “pack up now before the tents get wet”. Yep – great idea! We did, but we didn’t need to, it never rained, however, dare I say it? It gave us something to do in the early morning before it was dawn, while the stand-around bubbled away. (I never thought I’d need something to do at 4.30 in the morning…)

Back to Cape Spencer for a last desperate throw at the Whipbirds – standing in the pre dawn straining to hear and hearing nothing. I finally managed to drag Stu back towards the car and, as I did, spotted a parrot sitting on top of a bush about 150 meters away – we quickly scoped it before it flew, a Rock Parrot and a lifer for both of us. Not the way I had expected to see one, but happy with the view and the outcome.

We filled up with fuel again just outside the park ($1.49/litre) and headed back up the peninsula for our first stop off at Port Gawler. It was 160 kms before I overtook another car on the road and even when we hit ‘traffic’ on the Adelaide side of the gulf it was still very light and easy going. 

Arriving at Port Gawler we took the road that went straight towards the coast and stopped along it to investigate the mangrove bushes for Thornbills – Slender-billed being our target here. We had plenty of Inland Thornbills, a Brown Songlark, 6 Intermediate Egrets, 4 Chestnut Tealand a handful of Aust Pelicans overhead, but no definite Slender-billed. A pair of Thornbills may have been this species, but they flew over a channel and into more distant mangroves - out of reach. We searched the rough scrubby area at the junction of the tracks then drove on out to the actual reserve and looked around there for no better result apart from about 10 Singing Honeyeaters and a late Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo. I saw a small thin snake in the sand, but have no idea what it might have been.

Ok – so Port Gawler didn’t deliver – let’s try St Kilda. 

Hammer back down the road to the main drag, turn right and then hammer down the road to the St Kilda frontage… another hour of listening and checking Superb Fairy-wrens, hordes, it seemed, of White-browed Scrub-wrens, Inland Thornbills, another Brown Songlark, Common Blackbird, Willy Wagtails and Grey Fantails, Crested Pigeons and, on the wetlands behind, Black-winged Stilts, Silver Gulls and Aust Pelicans. We went to the mangrove boardwalk and checked through more scrub-wrens and Thornbills… but it wasn’t to be, Slender-billed Thornbill continued to elude us.

Accept defeat – move on. We had another destination in mind – the Adelaide Hills for Purple-crowned Lorikeet. 

So, Tomtom on and a bearing for Belair Park – and we spent the next hour stuck in traffic for no apparent reason – i.e. it was 3.30 pm, there were so few cars we just seemed to be unlucky in the route chosen to cross the city suburbs. By the time we did get to Belair it was 16.00 and starting to cool down. We bailed from the car and hurried onto a track that showed promise – we didn’t have any idea where we might find Lorikeets but figured they’d be heading to roost about now and a roost should be easy to find… We did have loads of Red Wattlebirds and Rainbow Lorikeetsand a few nice examples of the Adelaide form of the Crimson Rosella, but no small Lorikeets at all to excite us.

Back at the car we dragged everything out onto the ground and packed our bags for the airport. The gates of the park shut at 17.00 and we made it with 5 minutes to spare, reaching the airport at 17.30 for Stu to check in for his 18.45 flight. I was booked to fly at 20.30 so had some time to hang around after he had gone. 

Dropped the car back without any issue, after advising them of the vibrations and wandering cruise control, and had a cup of coffee and some chips before Stu boarded.

 

Learnings: Given that it was not the prime time of year I think we did alright. I was disappointed by the lack of Malleefowl and Stu was frustrated with his second unsuccessful attempt for Slender-billed Thornbill, however, we did score some exceptional birds and had a great holiday at a realistic cost. We do need to go back and I look forward to returning to Gluepot, and possibly Innes NP again, at some stage in the future. 

Trip Report – NSW – Southern Highlands

 

July 21^st – 24th 2011.

 

Overview: Two birders based in Brisbane (southern Queensland) birding in the New South Wales Southern Highlands (Stuart Warren and author Colin Reid) in search of 5 specific target species. In the 4 days we were ‘in country’ NSW experienced the wettest July period in 60 years, however, we persevered and managed to bird the main sites in the highlands and enjoy a couple of excellent seawatches from well known locations.

 

Getting there and getting around: We flew Virgin Australia with $59 one way tickets (+$12 for baggage) – one really can’t complain about the cost or service! We had hired a car from Europcar via the website carhire.com.au - which I have always found very useful as it compares prices across all the major hire companies – and had settled for a 4 door Hyundai IE30 ‘or similar’ as  the most convenient sized vehicle for our needs. We had Stu’s Tomtom to navigate our way around – although probably not strictly necessary it was great to not have the stress of trying to read maps or street directories, especially getting out of Sydney - and provided up to the second distances and directions which is always helpful.

 

Accommodation: We had pre-booked nothing! We had come to camp, carrying our one man tents, sleeping bags, mats and minimal cooking/eating equip. This plan vanished very quickly in the face of the weather and we ended up staying in the Country Motel & Chat’s Café and Restaurant in Robertson for $99 a night – which was heaven, given the wet conditions! I had hurt my back in a push bike accident a week before the trip and the muscles were inclined to seize up if I lay or sat too long in the one position – the hot shower and electric blankets were exactly what the doctor would have ordered….

We didn’t see many camping options in the Highlands area incidentally. It would appear it is not a popular option? We did find Robertson to be an excellent base, being 15 mins from Barren Grounds and Morton National Park - i.e. the Fitzroy Falls area - and within an easy drive to Mittagong and Bowral and other places of interest.

 

Communication: Mobile phone communication was available in all areas, we didn’t look for public internet use, it may be available in Bowra or Mittagong, but we didn’t notice any in Robertson.  

 

Preparation: We had made exhaustive enquiries regarding our target species via emails to Birding Aus and received several replies all identifying a couple of key areas.  We had read and noted the relevant pages from the latest ‘Complete Guide to finding the birds of Australia’ by Thomas and Thomas and reviewed all the lists we could in Eremaea for the specific sites in an attempt to reduce our options as accurately as possible. I had requested a txt from anyone who may see Gang-gang Cockatoos in the area over the period we were there – in the end I rec’d no notifications.

 

Trip Summary – birds.

We had accurate locations for 3 of the 5 species we wanted and, I guess, felt pretty confident in our knowledge. The other two species were at opposite ends of the spectrum in some ways. 

 

Eastern Bristlebird – Barren Grounds was the location and BG was the place – although the bird didn’t give it self up as easily as we had expected.

Rockwarbler – the enigma of the Origma… sorry! The only NSW endemic took some getting, three and a half days of trying, to be precise, but get it we did, eventually - at Nowra.

Pilotbird – failed completely, despite the aforementioned 3.5 days of trying. Can only assume the birds had departed down hill for warmer, drier climes following an early snowfall the previous week – but have no evidence except absence to support this theory.

Superb Lyrebird – This one was for Stu, I had seen it (poorly) previously and we felt sure we’d find one. We did - and had crippling views as it stalked around our feet at Fitzroy Falls. Probably not a big deal for NSW birders, but it was a hugely enjoyable experience for us.

Gang-gang Cockatoo – we knew this was always going to be difficult given their dispersal in winter and their random feeding patterns (we assumed). We didn’t succeed, despite scanning miles and miles of trees along the roads as we drove, much to my disappointment, I had thought we might just get lucky…..

 

We did use playback via iPod – this might offend some, but in a short time frame out of the breeding season we felt it did little harm and make no apologies.

These were some of our target birds and lifers. We did see lots of other great birds which will be described in detail below…

 

The Trip

 

21.7.11   We touched down in the rain at 7.30 and found our way to the Europcar desk in the carpark. Heading out into the traffic the weather looked set to stay. We got to Maroubra and cruised the area identifying the car park and track to the headland at the south end of the beach. The rain was teeming down and the wind was howling so we decided that breakfast was a preferable option and headed for the nearest MacDonald’s and pancakes and coffee. You might knock ‘em, but at least you know what you’re getting and the quality is consistent.

10.00 and we headed back to the headland,  parked up, dressed up in our wet weather gear and headed out along the sodden track. Pushing through the wet heath, dodging the worst of the flooded track New Holland Honeyeaters all around us, the ocean crashing onto the rocks to our left. We didn’t want to stop for the birds on the heath, but one did attract my attention – surprisingly a Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo sat up for a few seconds before diving back into shelter.

We reached what we believed was the ‘spot’ – the ‘second’ rocky outcrop – but could see no cement bunker, however, we managed to squeeze under an overhanging edge and avoid most of the weather. Unpacking the scopes we scanned the ocean and immediately things started to happen. The first bird we saw was a Black-browed Albatross, skimming across the heaving seas about 200 meters off shore – this was to be the first of approx 50 we saw in the next two hours. We quickly realised there were dozens of Fluttering/Hutton’s Shearwaters just off shore too - we decided that all the ones we looked at were Fluttering. A dark brown bird heading south within bin range was quickly identified as a South Polar Skua and almost at the same time a larger dark bird shearing north was our first tick of the trip – Southern Giant Petrel. It came in to within 300meters of the headland, it’s very pale bill standing out clearly. Shortly after it had moved on Stu picked up the first Prion – 250 meters maybe off shore? Looking more carefully we found a line of them appearing and disappearing in the 2-3 meter troughs they appeared to be feeding as they walked and hovered and landed on the surface moving slowly south. We agreed they were Fairy Prions given the distinct wing pattern and the amount (large) of black on the tail.

Then suddenly it all stopped. A few Gannets passed, the odd distant Black-browed Albatross, but there was nothing close or different – weird! 

Twenty minutes later it started again! The alberts moved in and more Prions appeared. A large dark bird on the surface lifted off and showed itself as a  Brown Skua and a single Buller’s Albatross was found among the Black-browed.

What a seawatch – it was uncomfortable, my back was killing me, we were wet through and the gear kept fogging up, but the birds were magnificent. We were used to seawatching off the Queensland coast, but rarely got the numbers, or variety all at once, of birds we were experiencing here.

12.30 and we decided we had had enough – it had died off again and we were really starting to feel the cold and damp. We packed up and headed back to the car.

Dried out a little, and warmer, we headed south following the Tomtom directions, finally turning off the highway and up to the range to Robertson. The road winds around itself to get up the slope and as we drove through heavy forest I eventually spotted something I had been half expecting to see – a Superb Lyrebird at the side of the road. It was behind the metal crash barrier and Stu missed it, much to his disgust, even though we stopped and he ran back down the road it had disappeared.

Arriving at Robertson it was a dismal afternoon but we pressed on towards Morton NP and Fitzroy Falls, hope in our hearts and wet socks in our boots.

Just as we turned left off the main road Stu noticed a small bird in the middle of the road and on rescuing it we found it was a Brown Thornbillwhich had been clipped by a passing vehicle. He poor little bugger survived for a few hours wrapped in a cloth, but didn’t make it. We reached the Fitzroy Falls carpark and walked out towards the falls – but it was really too late and too wet to get serious so we chatted to the ranger in the Visitor Centre. She was very helpful but with, self admittedly, no knowledge of birds, which was a surprise considering we were asking about NSW’s only endemic. It would appear the NSW National Parks and Wildlife focus more on admin than they do on the wildlife, which seems a strange set of priorities….

Anyway as it was still raining and getting dark we decided that camping really wasn’t realistic and as the Country Motel & Chat’s Café & Restaurant seemed to be the only (affordable) place to stay in town we returned to Robertson and booked in. A warm room, comfortable beds, hot showers, and a flat screen TV to watch Le Tour, for $99 and we were happy.

22.7.11 Up before dawn and a huge breakfast in the warm dining room as the mist and rain assaulted the exterior. When smoke started issuing from the door of the wood stove Morrie had to climb up onto the roof on a ladder to fix the wind cowl on the chimney while we coughed our way through our second cup of coffee. Eventually we decided we would stay here a second night , so booked in and then headed out for Fitzroy Falls. The first road we tried was temporarily closed so we turned left and went to Belmore Falls, sadly seeing a dead Wombat on the road, to find the causeway covered in too much water for our little car. The nearby falls were spectacular, of course, given the water falling from the sky, and the river itself drowned out all but the loudest bird calls. We did try for Rockwarbler here on the road – and believe we heard one, but nothing showed.

Driving back to the junction we discovered the road had been reopened and proceeded on to Fitzroy Falls. Walking out to the falls we decided we’d try the East rim first as one of the locations we had been offered. Just across the bridge over the creek, and a few meters in front of us, was Stu’s first lifer for the trip – a Superb Lyrebird nonchalantly picking at the soil on the track. We watched it for about 5 minutes in silence before it headed off up the slope and appeared to cross the road above us. We went on, pushing aside the dripping branches in places that almost overgrew the track. Eastern Spinebills, Brown Gerygones & Thornbills, the odd Crimson Rosella but nothing to write home about. After checking a wet gully – a very wet gully as it happened - we returned to the falls and headed out on the West rim which promised more opportunity. 

At each lookout we gaped at the waterfalls – what a perfect day to see them! Thundering, cascading tons of water – spectacular. We came across a few birds, including two more Lyrebirds, both with subdued tails suggesting females, but neither of our target species. All the way to The Grotto and my back aching with every step up and down – and there are a few very steep sections - rain intermittent, wind steady, mud and water continuous.  

As we arrived back at Fitzroy Falls we heard a Lyrebird singing on the other side of the creek and decided to investigate – we didn’t see it sing, but we did experience one of those times when the rain, wind, lack of birds and general malaise was forgotten as a male Lyrebird wandered around almost at our feet as we stood in awe – a memory that will last with me always. He walked past us no more than 2 meters away, back onto the track to our left, then back again, this time passing even closer - priceless.

We headed for the café and a well-deserved coffee and muffins – highly recommended, hot, quality coffee and huge muffins – as our jackets leaked pools of water onto the floor and we rung out our soaked gloves, our faith restored.

We discussed our options and decided to try Barren Grounds – we didn’t hold out a lot of hope, but we had to see the lie of the land anyway in case it ever stopped raining. Before we did we scouted the car park finding another Lyrebird scratching in the leaf mould and this time I managed to get some photos and video – I hadn’t had my camera with me earlier of course…. We also had a nicely coloured Rose Robin, White-throated Treecreeper, White-browed Scrub-wrens and a few other minor players.

Arriving at the car park at BG we suited up and headed out the ‘upper’ loop. It looked promising and we were enthusiastic but the conditions were appalling and nothing of any interest showed except a Southern Emu Wren flying from a small shrub training his tail behind him. We had great views of it popping in and out of the low heath and it was some compensation for our efforts.

On the way back to Robertson we stopped off at Carrington Falls – it sounded like a train going over a cliff and the view from the lookout was truly awesome – but no birds worth our while.

We had dinner in the restaurant and retired for the evening to watch the next stage of the Tour and Masterchef, our room festooned with drying socks, jackets, overpants etc etc.

23.7.11 Up again before dawn. NO breakfast this morning – off to Barren Grounds, 15 minutes and we’re there – and so is the rain, worse than ever. We sat in the car, then in the shelter, my back was killing me, it’s windy and the rain is continuous. We walked out along the ‘lower’ trail from the car park- through the eucalypts and along the track between varying thickness of stands of heath, sheltering from the wind wherever possible. Nothing moved. As we approached the side track to the Illawarra Lookout we could hear a Lyrebird singing somewhere to our left. 

We checked out the Lookout, but with the mist the view was mostly wasted. Back along the track towards the car park and a small dark bird lifted off the track and dived into a bush - a brief, tantalising view of parts of a Beautiful Firetail and that was it. We trudged back to the car and thought about leaving, but Stu suggested we try the ‘upper’ track once more and so off we went.

As we emerged from the trees we realised the rain was easing, we could see distant landscapes, the wind dropped and the mist cleared and suddenly, wet through though we were, all was looking good! My back even seemed to ease out. Almost immediately we spotted a male Southern Emu Wren hopping along the edge of the heath and watched it contentedly feeding 20 meters away. We had reached the end of the ‘open’ area and were turning back for the walk back to the car when Stu exclaimed and we were onto the bird we had hoped for and almost expected – Eastern Bristlebird. It hopped along the edge of the taller heath completing ignoring us as we eagerly hung on its every move. Eventually it made its way to the track and hopped around out in the open before crossing and moving through the brush right past us! It was no more than 3 meters away at the closest point and I thought Stu was going to die with excitement. It finally moved deeper into the bush and disappeared and we turned and looked at each other with delight.

As we headed back along the track we spotted a dark shape on the ground some 30 meters in front of us. It was a Beautiful Firetail. Gradually over a period of 15 minutes or so we stepped closer and closer until we were within 2 meters of this stunning finch as it fed on seeds on the track. We had both seen this bird in Tasmania but this was unbelievable – we wouldn’t have had a better view in an aviary. When we decided enough was enough and walked around the bird, it simply fluttered a few feet past us and landed again and we left it to its morning tea as the rain closed in again and the wind started….

Feeling inspired we walked part of the lower track again looking for the side track described in Thomas and Thomas for Pilotbird. We couldn’t find any track as described, so chose to walk the entry path back towards the warden’s house.  We had heard that Gang-gangs and Pilotbird had been seen along here. We did have Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, a Swamp Wallaby and a single White-throated Honeyeater, but neither of the target birds. 

Back in the car and back to the Chat Motel for a well-deserved breakfast and a bit of a dry off before packing everything up, checking out and heading for Boxvale Walk near Mittagong, about 30 kms away. We had recent info describing ‘Rockwarblers dancing down the track’ from a local birder and hopes were high and positive.

We found Mt Alexandria reserve and then the Boxvale Walk and headed off towards the lookout. We had just found a pair of feeding Glossy Black Cockatoos when Terry found us. Terry had provided the ‘dancing down the track’ description and now gave us specific details for the location. We found the track before the creek crossing and moved quietly along watching and listening. We had White-browed Scrub-wrens, Eastern Yellow Robins, White-throated and Red-browed Treecreepers, Brown Thornbills, and dozens (it seemed) of Eastern Spinebills but no Rockwarblers. We hammered that track for 3 hours but had no luck. Finally at 16.00 we called it a day and walked back to the car; coffee was called for and we got some - and pastries - in Mittagong. We considered staying in Mittagong, checking out the RSL Motel, but eventually agreed that as Fitzroy Falls was our target the next morning (again) it would be better (and cheaper) to return to our old haunt – Chat’s Motel and Restaurant in Robertson. We did and they gave us the same price for the Saturday night as the previous two nights. We got back well after dark, had dinner and settled down to watch TV before crashing early, hoping the morning would bring improved weather – as the forecast predicted.  

24.7.11 And it did – improve that is. Clear skies, freezing weather (2 degrees), ice on the windscreen, no wind and 10 female Satin Bowerbirds in the car park lifted our spirits and hopes. Maybe today would be the day? We packed up and got to the National Park car park as quickly as we could. We checked out the car park itself, nothing very much; we walked into the falls and along the, now familiar, west rim. Cutting a long story short – nothing changed, we saw no Pilotbirds or Rockwarblers, in fact, we saw very little along the rim to The Grotto and back via the firetrail to the road. We retired to the café for a muffin and coffee as a substitute for our missed breakfast (excellent again) and agreed that, as far as the Southern Highlands were concerned we had rolled all the dice we had and it just hadn’t worked.

We walked the car park again just in case then headed out and down to our last option – Ben’s Walk in Nowra. One of our contacts (Marie T) had offered this location as a Rockwarbler and Gang-gang site and everything we had was crossed!

Forty or so minutes later and the Tomtom led us to the showgrounds and a quick question of a local dog walker pointed us to the top of the walk overlooking the river.  Immediately we were surrounded by huge sections of bare sandstone and 5 minutes later, 20 meters from the top of the walk we were enjoying the very personal attention of a pair of Rockwarblers! Brilliant! What a stunning little bird – so much more personality than we imagined, such an engaging character, it was wonderful! We spent some time with them until they tired of us and moved on – and so did we. The walk along the river, across the suspension bridge over Nowra Creek, up-river through the field to the rock crossing and back along the river bank was very interesting. There were loads of birds, something we had been missing really for the past three days, strengthening our suspicions that the snow may have chased them to lower altitudes. There were Yellow-faced Honeyeaters and Red-browed Finches in the field on the ground, the first Grey Fantails of the trip flipped for insects along the edges of the woods, Chestnut Teal in the creek, Mangrove Gerygones in the mangroves further upriver and a second pair of Rockwarblers, but no Gang-gangs. 

Back at the car and we took off for Kiama. The Blowhole had to be visited, my first time since 1980 and although the hole was the same, the tourist set up more developed than I remembered. We watched it blow a few times, then moved on, next stop Bass Point, Shell Harbour.

As we approached the headland a bird on the wires attracted our attention – a Fan-tailed Cuckoo confirmed and then Stu was calling ‘Albatross in the bay’ and it was back in the car for the final dash to the point. Seawatching from Bass Pt is at water level and subsequently a little difficult – but the several Black-browed and single Yellow-nosed, Albatrosses were so close we had no problem seeing them, Fluttering Shearwaters were just off the rocks and Stu picked up a single Fairy Prion between the waves. On the opposite side of the little bay behind us there was a strange object on the rocks just above the waterline. Turning our bins on it we saw it was a dead juvenile Hump-backed Whale. We made our way round to the carcass and had a close look – it must have died very recently as there was only a strong fishy smell as opposed to the normal gut wrenching stench that generally accompanies dead sea mammals.

We returned to the car with the intention of heading straight to Maroubra, 2 hours away. If the birds were this good at Shell Harbour, what would it be like at Maroubra?

Stopping only to grab burgers, milkshakes and fries at a local Mackers we were restricted only (just) by the speed limit in our efforts to get back to the Sydney suburb. We got there at 16.40 and almost ran out to the seawatch point to find……. flat calm seas, no wind and (virtually) no birds. A few distant Black-browed Albatrosses and a single Brown Skua were all we saw before dusk fell and it was time to head back while we still had enough light to follow the track. We would have been better off staying at Shell Harbour and driving back after dark… however, one makes choices and lives with it…

In the carpark we pulled everything out and repacked our bags in preparation for the airport. Our flight didn’t leave until 21.30 so we had plenty of time. Firing up the Tomtom we negotiated our way to the airport through the incredibly heavy traffic for that time on a Sunday evening, missed the Rental Car turnoff – its at Arrivals, not Departures, go figure – and had to go round again. Checking in with Virgin we asked if there was any chance of getting on an earlier flight and managed to get seats on a flight half an hour earlier than the one we had booked, which was a real bonus. 

 

Learnings: Preparation and research from local birders is invaluable. If we hadn’t had the info from all the birders who responded to our enquiries our trip would have been much less successful. Getting out and about despite the conditions is critical – one has to keep moving and trying. There may have been reason to consider the Blue Mtns when the weather along the coast was so awful but we had targeted the areas that had promised most success – maybe more flexibility is something to consider in future trips, although we consider ourselves generally pretty open to suggestion. The trip had been a disaster weather wise, but the birds we had had been excellent.

Trip Report – NT, AUSTRALIA – Darwin, Kakadu & Mataranka

 

August 21^st – 28th 2011.

 

Overview: Two birders (Stuart Warren and author Colin Reid) based in Brisbane (southern Queensland) birding in the Northern Territories in search of 40+ target species. We ‘restricted’ ourselves to the Darwin environs, Kakadu National Park and the Mataranka (Elsey National Park) area; (i.e. we did not venture further west to Victoria River/Timber Creek or south to Alice Springs)

 

Getting there and getting around: We flew Virgin Australia on special discounted fares obtained via their Happy Hour (4-6pm each weekday) I was lucky enough to have sufficient points to cover the entire cost of my flights, Stu paid $350 return.

We had hired a car from Hertz via the website carhire.com.au - which I have always found very useful as it compares prices across all the major hire companies – and had organised a Toyota Corolla ‘or similar’ with the intention of asking for an upgrade on arrival. We did and were offered a Camry              but at an additional cost of $3 a day (I thought upgrades were free?) – we accepted, however, and appreciated the additional boot space for discrete storage. 

The real stinger in hire cars in Darwin is the limited mileage. It appears that all hire companies will only allow 100 kms per day, after which you pay a cost per kilometre. In our case it was 25 cents a kilometre over the 800 ‘free’. This is ridiculously unfair as 100 kms a day would hardly take you out of Darwin. Another, smaller, trap is that the other fees increase as well dependent on the overall mileage – something I emailed Hertz on my return.

(PS I received a phone call from Hertz a little over a week later in response to my emailed feedback. Steve explained that they do it because everyone else does it, which, as I pointed out doesn’t make it right. Hint – booking a car via Tourism Top end, or via the Tours option when calling Hertz, will get you the option of unlimited mileage – but at a cost of $30 - $50 per day extra. May be worthwhile considering if Alice Springs was to be included in the itinerary – in our case it would have resulted in extra expense)

 

Other points to be aware of, incidentally, are the rules stipulating no driving at night and no driving on unsealed roads – the latter almost impossible in Kakadu if one wants to bird the highlights.

The end cost of the hire car to us was $374 for the initial hire (we did 2022 kms having to pay for 1222 =) $305 extra mileage and the ‘hidden incidental costs increase brought the final price to $705.)

 

We had Stu’s Tomtom to navigate our way around – although probably not strictly necessary it was great not to have the stress of trying to read maps or street directories, especially in and around Darwin – although we didn’t bother using it once we had left the town.

 

Kakadu. I feel I should offer some comments regarding Kakadu and my expectations and observations. It fell short of both. Nourlangie Rock was informative, Gunlom was picturesque, Yellow Waters was interesting, however there was a lot of driving in between with no special scenery and no access to anything else. I had expected the scenery to be more dynamic, awe inspiring, dramatic, instead it appeared a bit worn, over used and access restrictive.

There are only two sites one can access on bitumen off the main road - Nourlangie Rock and Yellow Waters/Cooinda and, even with a 4WD, places such as Gunlom and Twin Falls/Jim Jim Falls are 40 – 60 kms of unsealed road driving. 

Birds aside I wouldn’t rush back, in fact we found there were bigger numbers of birds outside the park and except for the specialties on the sandstone escarpments I can see no reason to go there. 

Maybe I’m being harsh and will probably have some critics - remember these are my observations as a first time visitor with some expectations - but you need to be aware of the distances when planning a visit and realise that one can drive for a long way through featureless bush between stops. 

I was disappointed – Kakadu has been a place of mystery and promise for a long time, even in my non-native-Australian mind, and I had been looking forward to seeing it for myself.

 

Accommodation: We had come to camp, carrying our one man tents, sleeping bags, mats and minimal cooking/eating equip. Camping was easy although varied in price from $17 to $35 per night (that’s for both of us in separate tents). We couldn’t really see how the extra cost was justified as we got a similar piece of dirt and similar showering facilities in all locations regardless of price. The ground was pretty hard all over and after finding a rock each on the first night to punch in the tent pegs, we took them with us for the rest of the week…

Mataranka ($19) was probably the nicest camp site and provided the most facilities – i.e. a camp kitchen but no cooking utensils. Mary River ($?) had no cooking facilities but did offer restaurant meals at a reasonable price. Cooinda (Yellow Waters) ($35) had a camp kitchen with no running water (go figure) and meals at unreasonable prices! Gunlom ($20 per night) was a basic NP campsite with great showers and Lee Pt in Darwin ($35) offered only showers in a council estate kind of atmosphere…

 

Communication: Mobile phone communication was unavailable in most areas and even where we saw others using mobiles mine did not appear to pick up a signal except in Katherine. I had it turned off most of the time as a result.

We didn’t look for public internet services but the campsite in Mataranka offered a wireless option in their kitchen area and I am sure there is an internet café and possible WiFi in Katherine at least.  

 

Preparation: We had made exhaustive enquiries regarding our target species via emails to Birding Aus and received several replies all identifying a couple of key areas.  We had read and noted the relevant pages from the latest ‘Complete Guide to finding the birds of Australia’ by Thomas and Thomas and reviewed all the lists we could in Eremaea for the specific sites in an attempt to reduce our options as accurately as possible. We had pored over, highlighted, read and reread McCrie and Watson’s ‘Finding birds in Darwin, Kakadu and the Top End’ and referred to it on a daily, if not hourly, basis during our trip. It proved to be extremely helpful and despite its ‘age’ (2^nd edition, 2006) very up to date. There were two areas where time has affected the data – the Red Goshawk nest has moved across the road approx 100 meters from the description in the book and White-throated Grasswrens have not been seen on the Gunlom escarpment for several years – it would appear they have moved on or died out at that location.

We had received the latest update and best locations for species from the famous Keats and are much indebted for their generosity and accuracy as it proved to be on the money on several occasions!

 

Trip Summary – birds.

 

As neither of us had been to the North of the Northern Territories before we had a wish list as long as today and tomorrow – we wanted about 50 species between us. To cut a long story shorter, and assist with quick reference, I will summarise the birds I believe most birders who read this report would want too.  

Firstly, the bad news, we dipped on the following species:

Great-billed Heron

Chestnut Rail

Rufous Owl

Partridge Pigeon

Mangrove Fantail

Yellow-rumped Mannikin

Pictorella Mannikin

 

So if you were hoping to gain advice on these, we can only tell you what WE tried – and believe you me, we tried!

 

Chestnut-backed Button-quail: we got perfect info for this one and saw a covey of 6 relatively quickly along the Marrakai Track. Very discreet - and very pleasing.

 

Banded Fruit Dove: we struggled with this one. Thought it would be ‘easy’ at Nourlangie Rock, and eventually did get one there despite the advice of rangers and information pointing us elsewhere.

 

Northern Rosella: we expected this to be tough – but we got it at three different locations over two days – a small creek stop 3 kms south of Fergusson River, Copperfield Dam and near Bukbukluk lookout in Kakadu.

 

Hooded Parrot: nearly tore our hair out in Pine Creek the first visit, got it the second time and again next morning south of Fergusson River. Its one of those that you almost expect as a given … and then become frantic when its not that easy.

 

Barking Owl: this was a big one for both of us having spent many hours looking at other locations. We were a bit lucky, possibly, in that we had one in the car headlights at Fogg Dam within a hour of leaving the airport and another on the road to Gunlom. We did hear them at several locations but they always seemed to be some distance away and we failed in any further efforts to locate them.

 

Rainbow Pitta: we got ours at Howard springs – really the only location where we really tried. We did half heartedly play for it elsewhere but, as our tale will tell, left it for the last day – and what a stunning bird!

 

Black-tailed Treecreeper: I hadn’t realised how difficult this can be – we got ours on the Marrakai Track, but didn’t have a peep anywhere else and it appears others have missed out on this big creeper.

 

Yellow-tinted Honeyeater: we were in the right place at Elsey NP and Mataranka but didn’t see a sign of it, so we had almost given up hope when we lucked on a pair near Fergusson River – although that location is  listed as the most northerly possible point (in our trip). This one was a real pleasure!

 

Bar-breasted Honeyeater: we had heard it was hard and we only saw one, although we appeared to be in the right environment on several occasions. We had it at Mary River on the Bamboo Walk.

 

Buff-sided Robin: Stu was really keen to see this, I didn’t rate it as highly as some other species, however, when we did connect with a pair in Elsey NP I was very pleased we had – it’s a smart looking bird.

 

Mangrove Golden Whistler: Adelaide River crossing twice and a pair at Leanyer Sewage farm. Females easy, males much more discrete.

 

White-breasted Whistler: we wanted a male, but had to settle for two females at Adelaide River and 1 near Leanyer Sewage farm in Darwin.

 

Sandstone Shrike Thrush: Gunlom escarpment - and away from the river. We think this may not be as easy as one expects, although it is very responsive to playback.

 

Arafura Fantail: Adelaide River Crossing – we had two in seconds, another I hadn’t targeted overly, not too dissimilar to Rufous Fantail.

 

Gouldian Finch: For me the bird of the trip in terms of difficulty and surprise. Stunning little guy that lived up to expectations and left us wanting more. Pull-in 3 kms south of the Fergusson River between Pine Creek and Katherine – an excellent site described in more detail below.

 

Red Goshawk, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, Masked and Long-tailed Finch, Yellow White-eye, Paperbark and Broad-billed Flycatcher, Rufous-banded, Red-headed and White-lined Honeyeaters, Green-backed Gerygone and Varied Lorikeet were also part of our successful tally, but possibly not of as much interest. All ‘fell’ either easily or repeatedly almost as expected. 

There were also other birds Stu needed that I had had in other locations – Banded Honeyeater, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher and Rufous-throated Honeyeater being three such which were also seen, but are not so NT specific.

 

We did use playback via iPod – this might offend some, but in a short time frame out of the breeding season we felt it did little harm and make no apologies.

 

Please note: There were some birds that were just so common everywhere it’s pointless noting them at every location so assume that the following birds were seen consistently – Bar-shouldered Dove, Peaceful Dove, Toressian Crow, Rainbow Bee Eater, Whistling Kite, Black Kite, Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Great Bowerbird and White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike. 

 

 

The Trip

 

21.8.11 The flight left Brisbane at 21.00 (9pm) on Saturday night and so we had a leisurely dinner and a virtually traffic free drop off in plenty of time to board and relax. Arriving in Darwin 4 hours later was a less pleasant experience. Tired, stiff, sticky-mouthed we found our way to the Hertz rental desk and opened up negotiations for our car. The young guy offered us an upgrade in response to my question - @ an extra $3 a day, as noted above - we accepted the deal including the max 100 kms a day mileage. 

Darwin suburbia was dead as we drove cautiously south (I kept forgetting it was south, not north. I don’t know why but this confusion persisted with me through the week) The car hire ‘rules’ negated the insurance if the car was driven outside city boundaries after dark so we kept an intense eye out for drunken locals, lost wildlife or insomniac cattle. Reaching Humpty Doo we kept going, searching eagerly for the turn off of the Arnhem Highway to our planned destination tonight. Fogg Dam is outside the city boundaries and there are no street lights, but it was, relatively speaking, an easy drive and I would do it again given the same circumstances.  

As we drove up to the causeway Stu urgently asked me to halt the vehicle – well, he yelled ‘STOP’ – and, being an obliging kinda guy, I did………to see the first bird of the trip, in fact the first bird in Darwin and a long sought after lifer for both of us – a Barking Owl standing on a wooden pole a scarce 3 meters in front of the car perfectly lit in the headlights. It turned its head and glared at us – big yellow eyes looking directly into the headlights – Wow, what a start, what a bird! It lazily took off and disappeared into the darkness and we continued on across the causeway, noting the ‘Do Not walk across the Causeway cause there’s a big crocodile in residence’ sign with interest.

The dam wall is very low to the water, in fact the ‘dam’ is more a wetland area than a water-filled ‘dam’ and so Stu spotlit the water surface as we crawled along and, much to his satisfaction, spotted a small croc for a few seconds before it sank below the surface in that menacing kind of way they have. 

We parked up in the car park at the far end of the causeway and stepped out into the surprisingly cold night air. We could hear 3 or 4 Barking Owlswoofing away -an absolutely exciting sound and one that suggested good birding ahead – I mean, with a start like this how could anything go wrong?

We slept in the car – very comfortably as it happens – and woke just before dawn. A spectacular morning and one I would love to repeat. 

Going up to the top floor of the hide and watching as the sun broke across the wetlands and hundreds of  birds began to move – Whistle duck of both species, Pied and Night Herons, 3 species of Ibis, Egrets, 2 species of Spoonbill, Radjah Shelduck, a Black-necked Stork, Masked Lapwings and Australian Pratincoles all materialised in the next 40 minutes or so. Small passerines began to appear in the trees immediately behind us as our second ‘tick’ – Rufous-banded Honeyeater provided close views followed closely by Paperbark Flycatcher along with Varied Trillers, Rainbow Bee Eaters, a Dusky and several White-throated Honeyeaters, a (Yellow variety) Australian Figbird and, in the top of the closest Pandanus Palm, a couple of Crimson Finches. A flock of several hundred Little Corellas streamed across the sky while two Sulphur-crested poked around the trees in the carpark and a single Red-tailed Cockatoo called as it flew past.

A party of tourists arrived in a couple of 4WD Land Rovers and we left them the hide while we scouted the car park. A few minutes and Stu had two more lifers – White-gaped Honeyeater and Lemon-bellied Flycatcher. A couple of Leaden Flys got some serious interest until we decided their bills just weren’t big enough and a Yellow Oriole kept calling stridently from cover. 

It was all going off!

We walked back to the causeway in some vague hopes of seeing the ‘Croc’ instead picking up a single Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns and a couple of really blue Forest Kingfishers.

Heading back towards the hide two birders walked towards us – it was Sheryl and Arthur Keats on one of their final visits before flying back to Brisbane! They told us to waste no time in going to the Marrakai Track as the morning was getting on, so we did.

The turn off to the Marrakai Track is not well signposted – which is strange as it is the only one that goes from the Arnhem Hwy through to the Stuart Hwy. ‘If you reach the Corroborree hotel – you’ve gone too far’, Arthur had said, and, using that information, we found it, an unsealed red track turning off to the right (when heading south.) 

We drove out to the first ‘ridge’ – 10 kms from the Arnhem Hwy – and parked up to walk into the rocky, blasted looking environment along the ridge top itself. It was hot, dusty and windy – not the best conditions for birding, however, a flicker of life ahead and we had our fourth tick - Long-tailed Finch – 3 of them sat up in a dead tree. Brilliant. We had just got over that and had had a good look at them when Stu stage whispered me over and pointed down the slope into the gully – Chestnut-backed Button-quail, 6 of them – it took me a few seconds to see them against the ground walking hurriedly  in a rough line up the far side of the gully. Within a few more seconds they had vanished.

We, as quietly as we could, moved down our slope, across the gully and up the far side – to find nothing, they had disappeared. Feeling a bit cheated we cast around and suggested options – mine was to continue up the gully as that was basically where they were heading, Stu’s was that maybe they had sat down back where we had first seen them? He returned quietly to that area while I watched from a  distance, not really expecting anything. A hand waving behind his back while he watched something in his bins attracted my presence and there on the slope below us, heads only showing over the rise, were two Button-quails – they must have sat tight as we walked right past them…. We had excellent views of their big bills and streaked head pattern before moving in and gently stirring them to short flights and speedy walks before they too disappeared. As we walked back towards the car we flushed another from a spot we had searched before too….. pretty sneaky!

Back at the car we reviewed the other possibilities for this spot – Black-tailed Treecreeper? Hmmmmm no sign of any Treecreeper … we started driving back towards the Arnhem Hwy with thoughts of a cold drink or coffee when once again Stu demanded I bring the vehicle to a halt. Screaming ‘Black-tailed Treecreeper’ at the top of his lungs (I might exaggerate a little here and there, but I’m sure you get the picture) he was out and running back up the road as I hurried to follow.

Within seconds we had 6 birds in the trees surrounding us – the biggest treecreeper in Australia it used its tail like a Woodpecker to brace itself off the trunk and their ringing calls echoed through the bush despite the increasing wind. 

As we walked slowly through the trees 3 small finch like birds rose out of the grass and were swept up to tree top level – I checked out a single perched apart from the pair and shouted ‘Masked Finch, I have a Masked Finch’, which dragged Stu’s immediate attention away from the BTTs. The other two finches were Long-tailed – super comparison, the yellow bill of the Masked instantly obvious despite similar head/face markings. We also had Weebill, White-throated Gerygone, Helmeted Friarbird, the race………….. of Varied Sitella, White-winged Trillers and a Little Wood swallow before heading back to the car and to the Corroborree Hotel for much needed refreshment.

Two hours we sat in the shade of the wide verandah watching a Great Bowerbird come and go and eating pies and pasties. 

Next stop Adelaide River crossing – a non-descript bridge in the middle of nowhere with an edging of pretty scrappy riparian vegetation, including a thin line of mangroves, which was to provide one of the most exciting 20 minutes of birding I have ever experienced!

We parked at the Jumping Crocodile coffee shop and before I had closed the car door Stu had 2 Red-headed Honeyeaters in the tree above. Moving on when they did, we walked over towards the river bank. It was pretty blocked up by fences and pontoons so we followed directions given and walked under the highway to the locked enclosure just the other side. In the next ten minutes had 2 Green-backed Gerygones, 2 Arafura Fantails and 3 Mangrove Golden Whistlers (2 females and a slippery male) almost at our feet, literally. A Paperbark Flycatcher overhead completed that scene. We didn’t know where to look first, but eventually both got great views of all 3 lifers.

Almost sated we waited till they tired of us as well and then walked back along the bank through the coffee shop/entrance to the Jumping Croc and just the other side had our first definite Broad-billed Flycatcher – what a bill! This one as it happened was directly overhead and I swear the bill almost eclipsed the sun! I think some tourists thought the crocs had jumped into the trees as they looked up with some concern at our exclamations and dramatic finger pointing….

Moving out the other side of the enclosure we followed our noses down a track to a gate, across a small deserted paddock and into some brush behind the mangroves. We were rewarded for our efforts with another pair of Mangrove Golden Whistlers and, almost unbelievably 2 female White-breasted Whistlers. These were not listed as being at this site in any of the literature but with their heavy dark bills, very pale undersides with faint streaking on the breast and throat and grey uppers we had no doubt of their origins. They expressed interest in the playback too – although we didn’t manage to lure a male within sight. Another Paperbark Fly, a Varied Triller, White-throated Honeyeaters and a female Red-headed Honeyeater were also present and a Golden-headed Cisticola perched up on a fence line as we returned to the coffee shop. 

Sitting in the shade revelling in our luck and muttering ‘what a day’ over and over I pointed out a large croc lazily drifting in the river below – all a bit incongruous when seen over a skinny flat white (good coffee incidentally - if the woman makes it, not so good if it’s the guy).

Heading south we were drained, but still keen, so stopped off at the Mary River Excavation Ponds located………………………………………………

As we drove off the road a flock of, what appeared to me to be, small parrots flew overhead – I called them for Varied Lorikeets but they vanished before we could get any bins on them. We wandered around the pond closest to the road seeing several Double-barred and Crimson Finches, but no unusual birds among them. However a medium sized bird with bright white wing patches flying overhead intrigued us – some sort of Myna? Some new species we hadn’t catered for? Nope – just the northern form of Blue-faced Honeyeater, this sight was to be repeated over the next 7 days and every time, I think, we both hesitated for a millisecond as the white wing flashes indicated something different.

Splitting up I had a couple of Imperial Pigeons in a tree and a Brown Goshawk swept past. Shortly after that – probably stirred up by the hawk – a flock of 12 Red-winged Parrots loped overhead, followed by screaming flocks of both Rainbow and Varied Lorikeets. Walking further away from the pond I had several perched up in an open canopied tree and sustained views of their slightly comical clown like face with its white eye patches surrounded by the usual pale green feathering. Cute! Catching up with Stu again we tracked down another flock and both enjoyed further views of this northern Lorikeet.

Late afternoon now and we headed on for our first nights destination – Mary River Caravan and Campgrounds. Booked in and enquired about the Rufous Owl we had heard had been seen in the immediate area recently – the lady at reception knew nothing to add to what we already had.

We picked a camp site and pitched the tents – the ground was rock hard and so I located a couple of rocks to use as hammers. We ended up carrying these rocks in the car for the whole time and they proved very useful each night! We were pretty knackered – it had been a very big day. 14 Lifers for me, 16 for Stu, 12 hours solid birding, 3 hours sleep…. We opted for a meal in the restaurant rather than the cold meat, boiled egg and crackers I had brought from Brisbane and enjoyed a huge chicken schnitzel, chips and salad washed down with a couple of big lemon, lime and bitters, followed, of course by coffee while we wrote notes, discussed plans for the morrow and reviewed the day’s success.

We spotlit the trees as we returned to camp and wandered around the edges of the campsite with hope but no success. Very distant barking Owls did not enthuse us to search further, bed beckoned and Stu was asleep in his tent before I had fully sorted myself in mine.

22.8.11 Dawn saw us up and out again, raring to go. We washed a boiled egg and a muesli bar down with water and headed for the Bamboo Walk. This walk runs alongside the Mary River and promised a good variety of birds. Over the next couple of hours we had Aust Darter, Rufous Night Heron, a perched up White-bellied Sea Eagle and a white phase Grey Goshawk (stunning), Red-winged Parrots, flocks of Rainbow and Varied Lorikeets, Green-backed Gerygones, Red-headed and Rufous-banded and best of all, a single Bar-breasted Honeyeater. Another bird we had both longed to see for some time, this was, in fact, going to be the only BBH on the trip so it was perhaps fortunate we spent some time watching it fly catch and chase other Honeyeaters from its Paperbark tree hanging over the river.

Leaden and Shining Flycatchers, Varied Trillers, Mistletoebird, both Olive-backed and Yellow Orioles, Sacred Kingfisher and Spangled Drongos. There was a lot going on but not quite enough to bring us new birds, we circled back to camp via an open field and felt the full force of the late morning sun and increasing wind as we trudged along.

We broke camp, thought about coffee in the dining room in the camp site, decided to wait and have it at our next planned stop – the Aurora Resort in Kakadu beside the South Alligator River. We passed through the sandstone pillars marking the boundary of the park and stopped shortly thereafter at the unmanned information centre where we collected a booklet about Kakadu from a box on a pillar. We arrived a little while later at the Aurora Resort to find…. Both coffee machines broken, very little for sale and a general lack of interest or enthusiasm in a run down looking reception/bar area. We both bought our park passes here ($25 each for a 14 day pass and noted the advice to ‘Carry This With You At All Times’ – maybe they identify your remains by it when a croc gets you?), Stu bought an expensive map and we got back on the road. 

We had passed over the South Alligator River bridge when he suggested we check out the trees along the river bank – it hadn’t looked like much, cringing in the mid day heat, hammered by the southerly wind, but we turned around and went back and parked in the car park, as you do….

Wandering along the tree line we turned up a surprising number of species – almost immediately another lifer for both of us – Yellow White-eyesipping nectar from sparse red flowers on some old gnarled trees.  Whistling Kites at a nest and a possible cuckoo chick in a Lemon-bellied Flycatcher’s nest that Stu spotted 20 meters or so up a tree, we could only see one chick completely enveloping the nest so assume it was a cuckoo.  Paperbark Fly, Sacred Kingfisher, Blue-winged Kookaburra and Rufous-banded Honeyeater were also noted.

We were pretty pleased with our find and headed on in higher spirits, arriving at Jabiru after another 40 kms of bush. Jabiru is the main town in Kakadu and as such had a supermarket and a coffee shop - well it did have other small shops which we weren’t really interested in. First stop the coffee shop where, following a confusing conversation, we were served two large Soy Flat Whites in mugs, extra hot and a single cup of skinny flat white. I have no idea what went wrong with the order, but we had only wanted 1 coffee each – mine shd have been the skinny flat white, while Stu prefers Soy milk, both in mugs, extra hot… anyway it was good coffee and despite the soy milk we enjoyed it very much….

To the supermarket where we stocked up on food for the coming week – noodles, long life milk, processed cheese, corned beef, apples, mandarins, more noodles and, best of all, a small cylinder for my gas stove top which I had brought in just such hope! We could now make our own (instant) coffee – the elixir of life as we know it! The prices in the supermarket weren’t bad, but when we filled up with fuel it was $1.63 a lire – at least 20 cents/litre more than we were used to. 

(Note – we found the fuel price in Pine Creek on the Stuart Hwy to be even worse @ $1.65/l, Katherine had the best prices - we got it for $1.41/l @ Woolworths – that’s competition for you).

We left Jabiru and got on the road to Pine Creek , stopping shortly thereafter at Bowali Visitor’s Centre – nice display, friendly staff, no bird knowledge although they did try to help. 

Next stop Nourlangie Rock and surely Banded Fruit Dove, White-lined Honeyeater, Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeon, Sandstone Shrike-thrush would fall into our laps?

16 kms off the main road – bitumen access, we parked up and fought against the tide of tourists heading back to their buses. A park ranger stopped us and asked for our passes! Wow – its true, you need to Carry Them With You At All Times!! I was impressed. What if we hadn’t had them? Would we have been turned away? Charged a fee? Arrested? I’ll never know ‘cause I was so excited I forgot to ask. In anticipation and fear we Carried Them With Us for the next 5 days …. but were never asked for them again – go figure.

Anyway – back to the birds….. we headed up the path, under the fig trees beside the Rock, looking, listening, peering, nothing. The fig trees reputed to hold the Banded Dove were pretty scatty – they didn’t look like they would hold up a fig bird, never mind a large, fat pigeon. We ended up at the lookout point and looked out – no flying pigs, nothing much moving except for Friarbirds calling and occasionally showing in the forest below. 

Heading back down the track towards the rock, I suggested we walk a little bit along the 12 km ‘Don’t Walk This Alone’ Baark bush walk and so we did, up and over the first hump and within a few minutes we had a White-lined Honeyeater for our trouble. Very close views of this neatly marked species, I even got some acceptable shots on my Panasonic Lumix.

We went back to the lookout and faintly on the afternoon breeze we could hear a Dove calling – sounded like a Banded should sound, so down into the trees along side the rock again, but we couldn’t find anything. 

The C-q Rock-Pig and Shrike Thrush? Not a sign, we hung on every corner, checked every crag, stood motionless and watched the ‘Rock’ until 17.30 and saw nothing that resembled either. OK, that’s cool, it’s our first site, there are others….

Back to the car, the rangers meanwhile had gone and we thought a quick look at Anbangbang Billabong might be worthwhile – Intermediate Egret, Magpie Goose, Plumed Whistle-ducks, Green Pygmy Geese, Jacanas, Whiskered terns and a very large wild pig standing in the far end of the ‘pond’ and we were back in the car and heading towards our camp site for the night – Gunlom.

 I had really little idea of how far it actually was and, now, on reflection, Cooinda/Yellow Waters would have been a preferable option for camping at this point, however, I had set my mind on Gunlom so Gunlom it was going to be…..

As we hammered west Stu tried to work out how far it was. Actual signposted distances are rare in NT fro some reason, the direction is pointed out, but the distance is often left to another sign, if you’re lucky, some way down the road you have chosen, which makes it difficult to turn back. Maybe its because there are so few choices it doesn’t really matter how far it is – but it was a phenomenon I hadn’t encountered before and it didn’t make planning any easier. 

The result for us was we had a long way to go to get to Gunlom – approx 90 kms + 40 kms unsealed after that and it would be dark in an hour…. We made the turn off as the sun dropped below the far escarpment and for the next hour suffered the corrugations, dust, gravel and rocks, wash outs and holes, dips and hills of a road that was classed as ‘open’ to 2WD. Well I guess it was OK, but a bit more rigorous than I would have preferred. We did have some luck though – headlighting a second Barking Owl in the road for a few seconds before it flew up into a roadside tree and then on into the bush as its eyes re-adjusted. Close to Plum Tree Creek a nightjar flew across the headlights and although we both registered a good impression of the wing pattern, both failed to note the tail and so it remained unidentified, but most likely a Large-tailed Nightjar, the only one of the trip unfortunately.

We got to the camp site without further incident, found a spot, tented up, cooked dinner – coffee, noodles, muesli bars, fruit and more coffee - showered (great showers, plenty of hot water) and crashed.

23.8.11 Up at 5.15, over an hour before dawn, we whispered our way thru coffee, boiled egg and muesli bars and then headed over to the escarpment for the climb we had been anticipating for months. I had formed a bit of a concern regarding the ‘climb’ from the way people had spoken about it, however, 20 minutes later with one stop about half way, we were at the top which in fact was no more than a tough walk with some big steps thrown in. Magic view – us being the first there and it being dawn - the sky turned slowly lighter blue as we watched and the trees and rocks came into sharper focus – definitely worth getting up early for! 

Following the path over the top and down to the river brought us to the swimming pool to end all swimming pools – we referred to it as the Infinity Pool from then on. Perched a few meters behind the edge of the escarpment, when one is submerged to the shoulders nothing else is visible except the view – pretty cool! However, now was not the time and we headed on up the track beside the creek following instructions, turned off and hiked ourselves up onto first one outcrop, then with more effort, a second. We sat in the early morning light watching the valley below – little was moving, although Stu spotted a Black Walleroo on a ledge several hundred meters away and a flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos crossed the skyline discussing their plans for the day.

Stu suggested after a while that maybe playing for the Rock Pigeon may elicit some response. I turned the speaker on, chose the call on the iPod and as it played thought I heard a call behind me. Turning around as best I could perched on the crag I spotted a Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeonsitting at the entrance to a horizontal split in the rock about 20 meters away! It sat patiently for several minutes while I photographed it and we examined every detail before taking off with a distinct slap of its wings and glided down a rock below us, being joined by another from in front of us! Wow!

Well, if it worked for one….. a few minutes later a pair of Sandstone Shrike Thrushes were in close proximity providing crippling views for even longer. Two excellent birds in a very short space of time, we were on a roll!

Unfortunately our roll hit an end at that point and despite trying for another hour and a half we failed to gain any sign of our third escarpment species – the Grasswren. There was little spinifex around, but we tried several locations, sitting and watching, playing the call occasionally, on both sides of the creek until we decided that a swim was in order and retired to the infinity pool.

We descended back down the escarpment in late morning and worked our way down the creek bed below the falls and lower pool. We had Dusky and White-throated Honeyeaters, Leaden Flycatcher, and a Brown Goshawk among the more common species, but not our hoped for target – Banded Fruit Dove. 

Returning to camp as I prepared lunch (being the kitchen bitch) Stu wandered off to find his first Banded Honeyeater virtually over the tents, a pair, the male showing only briefly, moved away in a short period. It was very hot, very windy and very dry and it sucked the energy right out of us. We had a shower and sat inside the shower block and found that to be the most comfortable place until the afternoon started to cool a little.

Taking the walk to ‘the Billabong’ we went as far as the banks of the Alligator river without seeing much of any consequence except a large flock of about 90 Red-tailed Black Cockatoos streaming past at tree top level. Shining Flycatcher, Red-winged Parrots, Varied Lorikeets, Little and Silver-crowned Friarbirds, Forest Kingfishers, Golden-headed Cisticola, Great Bowerbird, Northern Fantail and White-gaped Honeyeaterare on my list for the day either on that walk or around the campsite itself and we found a Great Bowerbird’s bower in the grass behind the campsite. Wandering down to the lower pool below the falls to look again in the trees for the Fruit Dove, again with no luck, we did bump into a park ranger who did know about birds and provided some helpful information.

We rested and had a ‘dinner’ of noodles and baked beans before heading down to the trees in the creek bed to spotlight for owls – again with no luck, but we did see two snakes hunting in the pools below the foot bridge – probably File Snakes – and a variety of fish and freshwater crayfish.

24.8.11 Our third day and it seemed we had been doing this for ever. Up at dawn, broke camp and headed out onto the road back to the bitumen. We had heard from a couple of sources that the WT Grasswren had been recorded by park rangers near Plum Tree Creek so were determined to try again there. Pulling in off the road we noticed an apparent increase in spinifex so hopes were high. We tried both sides of the river and lucked onto 4 more Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeons on an exposed outcrop which required us to cross the dry creek bed to reach. A Common Bronzewing on the road’s edge gave us some excitement initially and 3 Red-winged Parrots and 2 Little Wood Swallows completed the bird life at PT Creek that morning.

At last back on the bitumen, much to my relief, we looked out for and stopped at the Ranger’s Station. The ranger we had met the day before had told us that Northern Rosellas used the hot water systems on the roof to gain water from and he had had to chase them away on occasion because of the noise. There were none the day we were there – but there were plenty of Rainbow Lorikeets, Friarbirds, Noisy Miners, and a Grey Butcherbird apparently using the facilities.

So, next stop Pine Creek and Hooded Parrot! Well we found Pine Creek, but we didn’t find any Hooded Parrots. We drove around and up and down and in and out of that town for about one and half hours finally stopping for a coffee and huge sausage roll in the cafe in lieu of lunch. It was the middle of the day and, obviously, not the time to see them – the info we had, said ‘late in the day or early morning’ – but you can’t be everywhere in the early morning so we pushed on to Katherine (90kms).  Arriving there we stocked up on food in Woolworths, another gas cylinder from the camping store, ice creams and fuel and headed south for Mataranka, another 110 kms down the road.

23 kms short of the town we spotted a dead bird on the side of the road, pulling in it was obvious it was a raptor and subsequent investigation identified it as a Red Goshawk! Our first and it was dead, it wasn’t even warm, although it was a bit ripe… It appeared to have little real damage apart from a broken wing, possibly swooping too close to the road it had been clipped by a passing truck - we reckoned it to be a first year bird as its head was quite dark and yet it showed no sign of nest damage to tail or primaries.

Mataranka appeared to be a nice sort of place but we didn’t actually stop in ‘town’, but headed immediately down the signposted turn 5 kms on Martin Rd to Mataranka Cabins and Camping camp ground. The Red Goshawk had been nesting in the grounds to one side however in recent years they had moved across the road to another private property. This was all quickly described to us by the proprietor of the camp ground, a map provided and 3 minutes later we were looking at a female Red Goshawk on the nest 100 meters inside the fence line!  We set up the scopes, prepared the camera, made coffee and noted other birds in the immediate vicinity (White-winged Trillers in particular, Striated Pardalote, Lemon-bellied Flycatcher, Horsfield’s Cuckoo and 2 White-faced Herons) while she occasionally stood up, moved around and once, to our great excitement, flew off the nest to chase a Whistling Kite that had approached too close for her liking. All this activity suggested to us that she had an egg or eggs in the nest. 

We had been there about 40 minutes when I noted a man approaching across the paddock from the house on the property we were watching, I whispered to Stu that this was going to go one way or the other – we’d be asked to move on or we’d be invited in… it proved to be the latter and John was very friendly and happy for us to enter his front yard, as it were, and set up closer to the nest tree. I would not suggest for a second that anyone rocks up and just walks in – I would suggest waiting, as we did, for an invite. I believe if John is there one will be forthcoming and his observations of the Goshawks behaviour is amazing for a non-birder.

He told us the male would return around dusk and we had about 30 minutes before that point so we decided to go back to the campsite and put our tents up while we had a bit of light. We were back in 20 and set up about 40 meters from the base of the tree, however, the male did not return that evening and the female settled down quite happily for the night completely uncaring about our presence and we left her to it.

After a shower we made dinner in the camp kitchen (fridge, toaster, kettle, stove top, microwave and washing up facilities, but you need your own utensils and cooking equip) and then headed down the road, a short walk, to the Bitter Springs Thermal Pool. In the dark by the light of our torches the water was crystal clear and shoals of small fish darted near the surface, the water was pleasantly warm and it was a weird sight in the thick bush surrounds. The campground owner had told us that they had heard a Rufous Owl calling in the area recently and that was our target. We searched the trees and spotted a Tawny Frogmouth but that was it and we returned to our tents ready for a good nights sleep. 

That wasn’t to be as I was awakened at 12.15 by Stu calling me from his tent asking if I had heard it? I did - a low hooting in the deathly quiet of the night. Did I want to go for it? What do you think? We dressed and hurriedly evacuated the tents under a star filled sky. 

We placed the owl behind the toilet block but there was no way into the bush without making too much noise, then another started calling back from closer to the campsite in the bush beside a small creek running under the road. We found rough tracks on each side of the creek and entered both, but found our way blocked by muddy side creeks that we were unable to find a way across and so, after an hour or so of trying had to give up and return to bed, leaving the owl still calling repeatedly.

25.8.11 Dawn saw us back at the Goshawk’s nest tree, she was still in residence and within 30 minutes he made his appearance, a Rainbow Lorikeet held in his talons. He gave her the kill and attempted to mate, but she was only interested in the food and told him so in no uncertain terms. He perched in the tree above us, preened and snoozed while she consumed the Lorikeet and continued to scold him in a very human like manner. We watched, scoped both birds, took photographs and just enjoyed being so close to one of Australia’s rarest raptors for an hour or more before finally tearing ourselves away and heading back to break camp. (Stu’s first Rufous-throated Honeyeater put in a brief appearance while we were watching the nest, we also saw a family party of Red-backed Fairy Wrens, Rufous Whistler and Paperbark Flycatcher among more common species).

We had decided that the Botanical Walk in Elsey National Park offered the best option for a walk and so drove back through Mataranka and down John Hauser Drive. We were looking for honeyeaters – Yellow-tinted in particular, but found instead a very responsive pair of Buff-sided Robins who proved to be much more interesting than I had thought. We also had White-gaped and Brown Honeyeaters, Azure Kingfisher, Rufous Night Heron, Shining Flycatcher, a grey phase Grey Goshawk and a Northern Fantail’s nest.

Back to Katherine and a coffee and muffin in the Coffee Club in the main street while I caught up with my notes, a pair of Zebra Finches built a nest in a tree on the centre divide and Stu boned up on the next destinations – Chinaman and Chainman Creeks, 15 and 18 kms west of the town. 

These were to prove a disappointment although, once again it was late in the morning and the heat was up. Chinaman Creek in particular was ….disgusting, actually. Empty beer cans and liquor bottles, rubbish, human excrement, fires and a general destruction of the local habitat surrounded the clear, flowing creek. Spray painted graffiti on the old road described the Benjari mob as being the local drinkers and I didn’t feel comfortable hanging around too long. For a people who continually espouse the land as being important it is difficult to understand how they explain this sort of behaviour.

We went on to Chainman Creek which was dry but undamaged and saw a few birds there, but nothing of note, having being particularly interested in finches at these sites.

Back to Katherine and a milkshake and cheese burger from Mackers to compensate for lunch, then on, north this time, towards Pine Creek again. 

Taking the Nitmiluk National Park turn off, Edith Falls Rd, we pulled off left 5 kms in and walked the bank of the creek bed with its billabongs and high banks looking for finches.  It was early afternoon and still very hot so we didn’t rate our chances too highly. We did have Paperbark & Leaden Flycatcher, Rufous Night Heron, Golden-headed Cisticola, Crimson Finches, Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Little Friarbird and Azure Kingfisher and, when we separated for a while, I had the only Black Bittern of the trip, flushed from the river bed into a nearby tree. We met up again and sat to watch a pool for a while. A group of 6 Masked Finches flew overhead and perched up some distance away, but did not seem inclined to come down to drink so we headed on towards Pine Creek.

Arriving there at 17.00 we drove alongside the football pitch and old railway station, checked the water gardens and the sprinklers at the Lazy Lizard campsite – plenty of Rainbow Lorikeets, a couple of Grey-crowned Babblers and White-browed Woodswallows, but no sign of any Hooded Parrots. We set up near the campsite where we could see any movement in most of the most likely spots and I made coffee while Stu kept an eye out. 17.30, 17.45, 18.00, 18.15 – nothing. Were we going to be the only birders not to get Hooded Parrot in Pine Creek? It was getting desperate, but before we booked in to camp anywhere we decided we would try a last drive around before dark and find them we did. Up the street beside the playing field and there on a fence of a private residence sat a male and several females with more females on the ground feeding on weed seeds on the roadside verge. A dog scared the birds up and we followed them up the road eventually counting about 30 birds, but only two fully feathered males. The light was bad, the view was relatively poor, but we did enjoy getting to see this pretty little Parrot.

We had planned to camp at Copperfield Dam, but found that camping is no longer permitted, we considered Nitmiluk NP but it was 50 kms away, so maybe Umbrawarra Gorge? Heading in on the unsealed road, again in the dark, after about 5 kms we found a river crossing neither of us were interested in trying to cross so we turned back to Pine Creek. We checked into the Lazy Lizard campsite close to a Great Bowerbird’s bower and slept through a noisy door slamming, truck revving, pub closing night.

26.8.11 Up again at dawn, boiled egg, fruit and coffee before breaking camp and heading back up the Katherine road to a site described by the Keats, and documented in McCrie and Watson, as a Wayside stop 3 kms south of the Fergusson River bridge. 

We got there not long after 7 (or dawn in this part of the world) turning off at the long truck stop, driving to the end and walking alongside the railway track towards the concrete ‘bridge’. There were Masked and Long-tailed Finches feeding in the grass and suddenly Stu was calling ‘Gouldian, I have a Gouldian’ – and perched 5 meters up in a dead tree a single black-headed male sat up long enough for us to take in all the details before dropping down out of sight. Wow - this was one bird I had not expected to get! 

We moved on slowly to the bridge and ended up sitting on the concrete side looking down onto the creek below for the next three hours enjoying the spectacle as birds came to drink and bathe. We had Black-faced and White-breasted Woodswallows, Hooded and Red-winged Parrots, White-winged Trillers, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes, Weebills, Masked, Long-tailed, Crimson and Double-barred Finches and the Gouldian(presumably the same bird) put in another appearance, White-throated, Brown, Rufous-throated, Blue-faced and Banded Honeyeaters, White-throated Gerygone, Leaden Flycatcher, Little and Silver-crowned Friarbirds, a Pheasant Coucal, Striated Pardalote and Red-backed Fairy-wren. It was all going off, as they say, but best of all was the pair of Northern Rosellas and the pair of Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters that dropped in! We had both given up hope on the latter when we left the Mataranka area, but Fergusson River is listed as a possible site and we were rewarded.  

A Black-necked Stork flew over while a Collared Sparrowhawk flew through the scene twice and, when I went to the car for some food, Stu had the only Diamond Dove of the trip and I had the only Jacky Winter! Around 10 it all died off and we decided to move out.

Stopping at Copperfield Dam to brew the necessary coffee a pair of Northern Rosellas flew in to the tree above while a single Cockatiel (only one of the trip) and a Brown Falcon flew overhead.

We fuelled up again in Pine Creek @ a surprisingly expensive $1.65 a litre and headed in to Kakadu again. Stopping off at Bukbukluk Lookout we saw a Collared Sparrowhawk and a Golden-headed Cisticola in the heat of the day but little else. We stopped again just a short distance later and walked the banks of the creek in our search for Banded Fruit Dove. A trio of Northern Rosellas gave us our third view of this species and we also had a Brush Cuckoo, Spangled Drongos, Shining Flycatcher and flushed a flock of 20 Brown Quail from the grassed banks.

We got to Cooinda mid-afternoon and booked in to the Yellow Waters cruise ($97 including buffet breakfast, a bonus!) for the next morning and a campsite for the night ($35). We made camp and had a quick look around – Rufous-banded and White-gaped Honeyeater, Intermediate Egret, Radjah Shelduck and Mistetoebird – before heading off to Nourlangie Rock to try yet again for Partridge Pigeon and Banded Fruit Dove. We drove the road in slowly scanning the sides for no result and then hurried in to the deserted rock area searching the thin fig trees for the dove.  Nothing. Over the hill at the beginning of the Baarck Bushwalk to check the forest in the gully below. We had White-lined Honeyeater again, Sacred and Forest Kingfisher; then we heard a Dove calling and scrambled down the slope into the forest, but couldn’t see anything in the trees. Feeling discouraged Stu suggested we try the lookout and as we reached the top he spotted, finally, our quarry - a single bird sitting in the open in the top of a tree close to the rock 300 meters away. Its white head and chest stood out clearly against the dark stone and we watched as it called repeatedly in the gathering dusk.

We drove the road again looking for the pigeon but arrived back at Cooinda pigeon-less, but pleased we had at last scored with the dove!

Noodles and corned beef tonight in the camp kitchen without any running water (4 gas rings and a fridge though). Then to the open air bar to have a drink, proper coffee and note writing. We noticed a number of the indigenous population drinking in the bar area and were a little surprised as we understood there were restrictions on serving alcohol in these areas, we assumed they were employees of the resort. The ranger we had spoken to at Gunlom was entertaining the mostly tourist crowd with guitar and song and recognising us asked, in the middle of a song, if we had seen our birds. 

Last drinks were called at 10 and we were happy to leave to return to camp, being tired and having a date with a boat at 6.15 the next morning. Unfortunately our sleep was disturbed until 3am by a noisy bunch of locals yahooing, fighting and singing – a disappointing experience given the class of resort we were supposedly staying at. We did hear Barking Owls and Bush Stone Curlew calling in the early hours.

27.8.11 We were at the bus stop at 6.15 and off to Yellow Waters almost immediately. 10 minutes later and we were boarding a flat bottomed boat at the dock and then Margaret took us out onto the Billabong and eventually the South Alligator River. The bird life was prolific and the views stunning. 

We got to within touching distance of Little and Azure Kingfishers, spitting distance of Black-necked Storks and Rufous Night Herons, we saw Brolgas, Magpie Geese, dozens, if not hundreds of Intermediate Egrets, Comb-crested Jacanas, Radjah Shelduck, Green Pygmy Geese, Plumed Whistling Ducks, Paperbark, Lemon-bellied and Shining Flycatchers, Pied Imperial Pigeons, White-necked Herons, Little Egret, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns, 3 species of Ibis, Crimson Finch, a pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles and an Australian Hobby. And then there were the crocodiles, of course, the reason most of the tourists are here. 3 – 4 meter long reptiles within stepping distance of the boat, they were sluggish, apparently docile, despite the food basket within jumping distance. Quite deceptive I assume, but generally the birds held our attention! Margaret was very informative and an excellent boat operator and we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hour cruise. Back at the boat ramp an immature Brush Cuckoo perched up nearby as we discussed Partridge Pigeon sites with Margaret then back to the resort for a big breakfast and completion of a feedback form regarding our experiences at Cooinda. 

Broke camp and back up the road a bit to drive around Mardugal camp site (we should have camped here last night and would next time – it’s cheaper and quieter than Cooinda…) Nothing of note. Once again we drove the Nourlangie access road, but only to the gate (incidentally we worried each evening we were there that we would get locked in, advice we have is the gate is never closed its just threatened). 

Bowali Visitor Centre was our next stop, another PP hangout – but not today. White-gaped, Rufous-throated and White-throated Honeyeatersand a Northern Fantail. 

On to Jabiru to drive the streets as another possible PP site – once again, nowt but dust and Bar-shouldered Doves.

At this point we agreed that we would probably have to admit defeat, we had 5 birds targeted in Darwin and needed to get there before dark to set up camp in preparation for the last day of the trip. However we couldn’t go past the Mary River campsite without a last check (PP is a possibility on the driveway in) and the Excavation Pits, again nothing of note. 

Finally the Adelaide River crossing and a 30 minute stop, including coffee, brought us 4 Mangrove Golden Whistlers, Mangrove Gerygone, Paperback, Lemon-bellied and Broad-billed Flycatchers, 4 Yellow White eyes, 2 Arafura Fantails and a Black-necked Stork instead of the hoped for Great-billed Heron.

Getting in to the outer suburbs of Darwin mid-afternoon we decided we might as well try Leanyer Sewage Works as we were within reach and it would save us time tomorrow. We found our way to the end of Hodgson St and nervously parked the car ensuring nothing was visible through the windows, headed off through the dry scrub to the pipeline and along beside it to the fence. We had not organised access to the works, of course, but this is available, seemingly, if enough notice is given in advance. There were a number of species inside including a huge number of Pied Herons, Plumed Whistleduck, Australian Pratincoles, Whiskered Terns, Silver Gulls, Radjah Shelduck, a single Cattle Egret and approximately 10 Common Sandpipers. We spent a little while searching for anything unusual but were disinclined to walk around the fence as there was no established track and we weren’t confident it was worth the effort. We walked back along the pipeline and concentrated our efforts on the mangroves to one side, seeing a Buff-banded Rail, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow White eye, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Double-barred Finch, White-gaped Honeyeater, a pair of Mangrove Golden Whistlers and a single female White-breasted Whistler. Almost back at the car and in the last bits of bush 8 Long-tailed Finches lifted off the ground in front of us and perched up giving good views.

Interesting location, but without access a difficult place to bird.

We drove, in a round about way, to Lee Point and booked in to the Lee Point Caravan Park ($35) which reminded us of a council estate for some reason. It looked like an ex-military type park, however, the showers were hot and the water plentiful and security seemed pretty good given the barbed wire topped fence surrounding the park. Noodles for dinner again….

28.8.11 Our last day and we had targeted 5 birds in Darwin. Great-billed heron – maybe we’d pick one up somewhere; Rainbow Pitta – we would try Howard Springs and take it from there; Mangrove Grey Fantail – we had a couple of locations and hadn’t finalised anything specific; Rufous Owl – Botanical Gardens, we figured as it was a roost, time would not matter; Chestnut Rail – Buffalo Creek on a dropping tide and we thought the tide first thing was pretty good – an 8m high tide at dawn, taking 2 hours to drop to 4m which, we were assured, was the best tide. So, as B. Ck was a mere couple of Ks up the road we were there before dawn.

We had heard that one needed to be very careful where one left one’s car in the Darwin suburbs as breakins were common – not anything specific for Buffalo Ck, but certainly for some of the other locations (Holmes Jungle, for example)  - and we had consciously made plans to avoid visiting some of them as a result.

We found a compound at B Ck where for $10 we could park our car behind a security fence watched over by the operator and his dog – we decided to take the option. If I went back today for the same exercise I wouldn’t bother. One can park right beside the boat ramp and on Sunday morning there were enough cars coming and going to make it quite safe. We also had little need to wander far from the car, after checking out the beach and getting eaten alive by sand flies before the Tropical Strength Aeroguard saw them off – there wasn’t a whole lot to see out there – a few Pacific Golden Plovers nicely coloured up, a single Australian Pelican, Eastern Curlew, a Common Greenshank and a few Red-capped Dotterel to add to our trip list. We did have Emerald Doves along the road – showing a smart white shoulder patch different from our Queensland birds. We played for Rainbow Pitta but only saw Spangled Drongos, White-breasted Woodswallow, White-gaped Honeyeater, Lemon-bellied Flycatchers in the scrub between road and beach.

So - back to the boat ramp and for the next four hours we watched the tide drop and, it appeared, most of the male inhabitants of Darwin come up with their trailer, reverse down the ramp, detach the boat, start the engine, drive the car away, come back on foot carrying cans of coke/bags of ice/bait/lunch/hat/kitchen sink, get in the boat and chug/roar off down river. I could feel Stu’s frustration as the morning wore on and we thought the last boat in Darwin MUST have gone only to hear the now familiar rattle of yet another trailer behind us. It was only to be expected and, in fact, I had prophesised the night before that this would be the case and anyway, wouldn’t the Rails be used to it?

Well may be they are - but they didn’t show that Sunday morning. Despite two sets of eyes continually scanning the far bank as the tide dropped and apparently delicious areas of mud just waiting to be ‘railed’ opened up the little buggers just sat back in the mangroves and laughed at us – we heard them on several occasions cackling away deep out of sight on the far side of the creek. We even had them do the same on our side, but were unable to entice them out or find them among the mangrove roots.

We did have Red-headed and Rufous-banded Honeyeaters, Black Butcherbird, Eastern Reef Egret, Common Sandpiper, Yellow White eyes, Mangrove Gerygones, Crested tern, Yellow Orioles, Sacred kingfisher and an Australian Darter to amuse ourselves with in the meantime so it wasn’t a complete loss – the Butcherbirds especially were pretty cool. 

However by 10.30 we had had enough and disappointedly headed back to the campsite to retrieve our tents. We had been locked out and our PIN gate code didn’t work anymore, as we had only booked one night, and had to get the manager to open the boom gate especially for us going in and coming out. 

Once out we headed for Howard Springs – we needed a lift after our disappointment and we wanted Rainbow Pitta.

It was approaching midday when we got to Howard Springs and hot. We walked in to the first footbridge without seeing anything – and then had 3 or 4 birds calling in response to brief playback. We waited and after a few minutes a bird appeared, a stunningly beautiful bird with his black head and chest, red vent, pale green back and blue shoulder – what a cutie! He hung around for quite a while and we were able to get very close and a lot of photographs were taken before he flitted off into the bush again. During this time we also had a pair of Grey Whistlers pass us by – the NT brown race, which on reflection and comparison to the female White-breasted Whistlers were so different there could be no doubt of separate species. A Rose-crowned Fruit-dove called above, but refused to show itself, a pair of Green-backed Gerygones, Northern Fantail, Leaden Flycatcher, Orange-footed Junglefowl, Spangled Drongo, Shining Flycatcher and Sacred Kingfisher completed our list in the hour and a half we took to walk the circuit.

Coffee and cake at Fannie Bay’s (self named) Hot Spot was in order and we sat out some of the heat of the day among the trendies in our sweat stained shirts and dusty boots and paid above market rates for average coffee and, admittedly, good cake.

East Pt Reserve was our next site – Mangrove Grey Fantail our next target. It was very hot and still as we walked out through the dry bush to the mangrove boardwalk. Little Friarbird, Green-backed Gerygone, a female Mangrove Golden Whistler, Broad-billed Flycatcher (briefly), Black Butcherbird and, at last, good views of Red-headed Honeyeater in the lower mangroves, but no luck with our target.

Where else could we try that was close? Kukaluk Bay? Lots of Brown Honeyeaters, a couple of Red-headed Honeys and an O-F Scrubfowlwas all we found.

We decided that it was time for the Botanical Gardens as we wanted to give it a good go before dark. We had advice that the owl roosted ‘along the rainforest boardwalk, look to the left as you walk up’ so we found our way there via the park maps and searched the trees along the boardwalk, both sides, eventually and just about every other tree in the rainforest area for 2 hours before deciding there was no owl here today. There’s no doubt we could have missed it and we have no reason to doubt the advice provided - it just wasn’t our day! We did have a Collared Sparrowhawkfly in and perch up briefly, Imperial Pigeons, Aust Figbirds (the yellow variety of course) Green-backed Gerygones, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, White-browed Woodswallow and Blue-winged Kookaburras. We paid our respects to the original Rufous Owl tree behind the toilet block standing in silence as we contemplated the destruction by the Parks and Wildlife – then we left.

We needed to wash the car so we asked around and found a car wash, spent $8 and 30 minutes, vacuuming, scrubbing and high-pressure hosing the car till it shone. We filled up with fuel and re-packed our bags on one side of the forecourt before cruising the streets of Darwin for a while checking out the early evening activities – plenty of drinking going on – and ended up at the Wharf area for a meal of Barramundi and Chips while watching the giant Batfish in the water below.

Finale – we spent time over dinner and then a couple of coffees in a Turkish café getting to the airport at 23.00, gave the car back to (Ms) Hertz and queried the final sum, then found that we couldn’t check our bags through until 90 minutes before the 01.45 flight! All airlines were the same and so all passengers were trying to find seats or a bit of free floor to lie on until such time as we got through security and relaxed in the departure lounge on the very comfortable chairs up there. (PS. I emailed Virgin regarding this ridiculous situation and have had a reply advising they will ‘pass the info on to their local team’). 

The flight left on time and arrived a few minutes early in Brisbane at 5.55 – we managed to sleep a little this time and arrived home relatively refreshed and ready to go!

 

Learnings: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - preparation and research from local birders is invaluable. If we hadn’t had the up to date info from other birders who responded to our enquiries our trip would have been much less successful. Our thanks also to those who offered suggestions and advice regarding car hire and camping spots as well. 

More research re distances would have been helpful in planning, but definitely the 130 km speed limit (outside Kakadu, 110 in the reserve) and quality roads does make distances easy.

Thomas and Thomas and McCrie and Watson were constantly referred to and provided excellent information, however, one can’t visit all the sites properly in this typical period of time so one has to make the best choices one can and live with the outcome. We have, as Stu put it, ‘unfinished business in NT’ and we’ll be back to address that down the track.

Trip Report – Northern Queensland

 

December 1 – 5th 2011.

 

Overview: Two birders based in Brisbane (southern Queensland) birding in the Cairns/Atherton Tablelands/Cooktown region (Rob Dougherty and author Colin Reid). In 5 days we visited most of the major sites on the Tablelands, took part in a successful search for one of Australia’s rarest birds and made a quick trip north of Cooktown for a couple of tropical species.

 

Getting there and getting around: We flew Virgin having got tickets on a special at $99 each way + $23 checked baggage.  As usual the flights were relatively hassle free, although the return flight to Brisbane was delayed for some reason by about 25 minutes.

We hired our car (Toyota Corolla or similar) through Avis as they appeared to be a bit more flexible when it came to driving on unsealed roads, although there is always an element of doubt where that is concerned! When we asked for the possibility of an upgrade the representative offered us a Toyota Rav 4 (All wheel drive with clearance) for $4 extra per day – we took it, of course.

Driving on the tablelands is easy – the roads are good, clearly marked and well signposted. Off road requirements are minimal. The road to Cooktown is sealed bitumen all the way and is probably negotiable in almost any weather. From Cooktown to McIvor River crossing there is approx 40 kms of unsealed road. Some of it was good, Battlecamp Rd was not. Several (currently dry) river crossings on the McIvor section would almost definitely be impassable in the wet season.

We had no issues at any stage and it would appear that improvements are under way, we can probably expect more bitumen in the foreseeable future.

 

Accommodation: There are a number of accommodation offers specifically targeting birders on the Tablelands – we chose our regular place to stay, Kingfisher Park. There are three levels of accommodation – camping, ‘donga’ and self contained units. We chose the middle option, 2 singles in a smallish room, shared bathroom facilities 80 meters away, shared kitchen facilities 20 meters in the other direction, bedding and cooking equip provided @ $55 for 2 people per night. Its hard to beat Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers outside your bedroom…..

Keith and Lindsay Fisher – the proprietors – will provide all the local bird information that anyone could want and it leaves you within easy reach of Mt Lewis, Abattoir swamp,  Mt Molloy, Lake Mitchell, Mt Carbine and is a good kick off point for Cooktown (2 hours), other parts further north or the Daintree River (55 mins).  www.birdwatchers.com.au

Even if you don’t stay here, a visit to Kingfisher Park is a must for any visiting birder and is easily our choice of places to stay at the northern end of the Tablelands.

 

Communication: Mobile phone communication was not available at Kingfisher Park and a bit ‘spotty’ elsewhere. We did not investigate any other type of Internet or phone communication. KFP offer internet PC connection at a small additional cost.

 

Preparation: The initial stimulus for our trip north was an email in August requesting volunteers to search for Buff-breasted Button-quail (BBBQ) from 24^th November. Circumstances prevented our presence on that first weekend (26 – 27.11) but we booked flights for 1^st December intending to participate in a continuation of the search. As we had been involved in the preparations for the exercise we received backup data and information relating to the bird, so we were as well prepared as anyone for the BBBQ.

Contact had also been established with Alan Gillanders of Youngaburra - specifically relating to the Golden Bower-bird and Rufous Owl (www.alanswildlifetours.com.au) - and with Kath Shurcliff and Dave Houghton of Cooktown for the more tropical species.

 

We had been monitoring the local sightings website - (http://cairnsbirds.blogspot.com), the KFP blog - http://kingfisherparkbirdwatchers.blogspot.com, Birds Australia emailing and Eremaea listings and sightings for several weeks prior to our trip.

 

We had pre booked a Daintree River excursion with Murray Hunt having discussed by email and phone the best day for a Great-billed Heron opportunity when we were in the area. This is another must see/must do and highly recommended for the visiting birder - www.daintreerivertours.com.au

 

Trip Summary – birds.

We had a wish list, as you do, and as we had both previously birded the area fairly extensively our list was relatively short.

 

Buff-breasted Button-quail (BBBQ) – being the original reason for our trip and one of the rarest birds in Australia must come first on the list. The previous weekend’s efforts by the volunteer team had produced results in the Mt Molloy area and we were naturally pretty keen to follow in their footsteps. We did and spent 4 hours along the slopes with 10 other birders eventually flushing a bird within 20 meters of the car park which provided satisfactory views to all involved to convince us of our success.

 

Great-billed Heron – this was for me. The Daintree boat trip with Murray Hunt was booked a month ahead as a priority and considered the best opportunity to see the bird at this time of year - it proved successful, but only at the last minute!

 

Black-throated Finch – Again just for me, the most likely place to see this finch was, in our minds, Mareeba wetlands and so it proved. We tried for it elsewhere but without success.

 

White-streaked Honeyeater – we researched it for north of Cooktown in the McIvor River crossing area, but saw a rare wanderer at Abattoir swamp near KFP – we never did find any further north.

 

Black-winged Monarch & Tropical Scrubwren were our other two McIvor River targets – we got both at the crossing.

 

We dipped, unexpectedly, on Spotted Whistling Ducks, a group of which had been present at Wonga beach, 40 minutes north of KFP for some time – local disturbance may have been the reason. We had, or at least I, had expected to get them fairly easily. 

We also couldn’t find Rufous Owl where we had been advised to look – there will always be a next time.

Black-backed Butcherbird eluded us and we failed to find any of the 3 Wagtails that had turned up three weeks previous to our visit – but hadn’t be seen again, so it wasn’t just us!

 

These were some of our target birds and lifers. We did see lots of other great birds which will be described in detail below…

 

The Trip

 

Thursday 1.12.11 We arrived in the heat of Cairns on time at 9.00, negotiated an upgrade to our hire car successfully and, with Rob driving, headed up the range for Kuranda. We needed a cup of coffee after our early (4am) start from home and after driving in circles around Kuranda chose a coffee/pie shop and had one of each each – not to be recommended, but the Black Butcherbird unusually exposed on the overhead power line was a nice little kick start. 

We had a rough plan in mind for the 5 day visit and our first target was Rufous Owl at Emerald Creek Falls. “look along the river bed in the thickest canopy in the taller trees” was the advice. 5 kms before Atherton we turned left and after about 10 kms of ‘not suitable for caravans’ unsealed, but good condition, road arrived at the creek 

We wandered the creek bed, especially downriver – for about 90 minutes but were unable to locate the bird. We did have a pair of Bush Stone Curlews under the trees and Yellow Honeyeater, Cicadabird, a pair of Black-chinned Honeyeaters and Cicadabird among more common species.

Hastie’s Swamp south of Atherton was our next stop. Hoping for Sarus Crane again, we were disappointed. There were heaps of other birds of the usual expectations including 6 Glossy Ibis and 3 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, which was nice, but nothing much else to write home about.

On to our next target – the Golden Bowerbird’s bower at Longland’s Gap. We had both seen female GBB before, but not a male. We had got very specific direction to the bower’s location, but as someone had disguised the entrance to the thin track it took us a precious hour to actually find the bower.

We had just settled down to await the male’s expected arrival when I thought I saw a bushy rear end and tail of some mammal going down a tree trunk about 30 meters away. I brought it to Rob’s attention and we watched the area while we listened for the GBB. A few minutes and Rob spotted a movement and we had our first, very exciting, Lumholtz’s Tree Kangaroo. This was a huge bonus as far as we were concerned, having both expressed hope of seeing one as we had driven in that morning! It sat placidly watching us as we photographed it again and again and again. Unfortunately  its height in the tree put it against the light and the gloom and intervening leaves and branches were inclined to absorb a lot of the flash – however, we did manage photos that we could be happy with considering the status of this, relatively rare and long hoped for, mammal.

The male GBB had arrived back just as we located the Kangaroo, but it had been summarily dismissed at that stage in favour of our find – now however we settled down again and within 10-15 minutes the bird was back, appearing quietly on a chosen perch within 10 or 15 meters of the bower. I have to admit I was a little disappointed – this was a long wished for observation and it wasn’t as spectacular as I’d hoped. However, it was nice to finally see the yellow male and hear it’s call in the sunlight challenged forest.

Rob had never been to Mt Hyppamie and The Crater and so we headed there, parked up and marched fairly quickly in after checking a Grey-headed Robin at the door…..  A sign indicated an ‘aggressive Cassowary’ was present – which, much to our disappointment, didn’t appear. We did see a couple of Shining Bronze Cuckoos, heard a Spotted Catbird and an Orange-footed Scrubfowl hot-footed it ahead of us up the track. A quick look at the Crater – hey, it’s a big hole in the ground? And down to Dinner Falls where a Grey Wagtail had been seen two weeks previously – it had obviously departed for parts unknown so we headed back to the carpark and had a discreet Bower’s Shrike-thrush and a pair of Bridled Honeyeaters squabbling overhead as several Grey-headed Robins foraged on the grass. Then it was off to Mareeba in the gathering dusk and food shopping at Coles. Finally arriving at KFP at 20.00 we cooked and ate while chatting to two American researchers – Eliot and Bryan.

 

Friday 2.12.11 Up at 4.30, a quick cereal and coffee and the 55 minute drive to the Daintree River. 2 Black Bitterns flew past as we waited on the dock for Murray to organise the boat. Great-billed Heron was our target bird, but with a high tide and being out of season it seemed unlikely, however we were optimistic. 

On our 2 and a half hour river ‘cruise’ we saw a Black Bittern nest with adult sitting, a pair of Shining Flycatcher in similar circumstances, 2 Papuan Frogmouth nests with adults sitting, one with a large fluffy chick who eyed us with curiosity, 2 tree snakes at close quarters, a pair of courting Azure Kingfishers, 2 crocodiles (starts to sound like the famous Christmas song, really) and a partridge in a pear tree… Not quite, but just as we had given up all hope and, as you would have it, approached the boat ramp to disembark, a Great-billed Heron marched up the grassy slope opposite, peered at us over the edge of the ‘dyke’ and then strode nervously into cover behind a tree where it promptly disappeared. A view to die for - we were well satisfied!

We shared a cup of coffee with Murray and discussed the search for the BBBQ discovering that several participants were intending to gather at 6.30 the next morning – we agreed to meet and headed south again.

Our next target, Spotted Whistling Duck, had been found in a small dam on private property half way to Wonga Beach from the highway. It appeared that a misunderstanding between visiting birders and the neighbour had caused a problem and, although the house on the property was up for sale, there were no boundary fences, dogs or any other impediment, the neighbour had seen fit to erect a sign barring all entry ‘beyond this point’ which restricted access to viewing from the road. Distance wise it was nothing, approx 50 meters to one pond and 80 meters to the other, but the lack of elevation made seeing into the dam difficult. We did our best and could see approx a dozen Wandering Whistle Duck and a few Black Duck, but no sign of the spotted ones. There was no sign of the neighbour either, although a motor mower noisily circled the house next door, and being unwilling to compromise the local birders future opportunities we moved on. 

We stopped at the Newell Beach turn off and checked the swallows around the farmer’s shed - all Welcome, I had had Barn and Red-rumped here on a previous visit, but not this time.

We dropped into KFP to touch base with Keith and Lindsay as they hadn’t been around when we arrived last night. Local knowledge updated we headed off again – this time just down the road to Sidings road, a grassy track off to the left where we slowly walked the 100 meters or so to the edge of the cane field seeing Brown Cuckoo Doves, Graceful Honeyeater and both Black-faced and Spectacled Monarchs. This track has produced the goods before but not today.

On to Abattoir Swamp, another 5 minutes down the road, and parking up walked the boardwalk to the hide. Brown, Brown-backed, White-throated, a single Scarlet and Yellow Honeyeaters and eventually, the bird we had come to find, the wandering White-streaked Honeyeater. A first year bird, this was the furthest south one had been recorded in recent times and had been on site for several days. It was very active and tended to shyness so we spent some time catching glimpses of it here and there and trying for photographs. While thus engaged two more birders turned up – Chook, the original finder and a client. Chook was very excited as he had just had a second bird a few kilometres away at Mt Molly and had dashed down to make sure the Abattoir Swamp bird was still present.

Leaving Abattoir we headed to Mt Molloy for a well deserved icy cold Coke - and Squatter Pigeons at the school basketball court. We also found Great Bowerbirds and their large active bower in the school grounds as above Red-winged Parrots and Rainbow Lorikeets waged war on a  large Goanna that had climbed high up an isolated tree.

The afternoon was getting on so we headed back to KFP stopping off to check out a dead snake on the bridge near Mt Molloy and then sitting for an hour or so beside the pond waiting for the Red-necked Crake’s evening performance – however stage fright took hold and he never showed. 

 

Saturday 3.12.11. The search for the BBBQ began with a meeting of interested parties at Quaid’s Dam south of Mt Molloy at 6.30. Once all had arrived we headed 2 kms further down the road and parked at a truck stop. Then it was ‘form a line and walk through the bush’. There were 9 birders to start with, joined by Murray half an hour later and another local birder, Cate, 30 minutes or so after that. The going was a bit rough – flat, sparsely grassed, rocky ground flanked by a steep little hill broken by wash outs, boulder clumps and thinly treed. The area had been burnt in the last few months, and the grass had re-seeded but there was still a lot of open ground between the sprouting clumps. The recommended habitat was basically the lower slope and bottom of the ‘curve’ of the slope. 

In the first 200 meters we flushed several quail/buttonquail. None was positively identified although opinions suggested Painted Buttonquail to be the most favoured. A small covey of Brown Quail were flushed from the flatter area and seen well - then came 2-3 hours of very little. At one point the group came across a Brown Goshawk stranded on the ground with what appeared to be a broken wing. After a short chase we managed to grab it and get it into an empty backpack. Later it was dropped off at a local vet and latest reports have it recovering from its damaged wing - and loss of dignity.

Around 10.30 a couple of birders dropped out and the remainder of us agreed to a final sweep – which produced nothing. Walking back to the car in a straggling group we were all re-energised as a large buttonquail-type bird rose from in front of myself and Murray. It flew low for approx 50 meters and dropped out of sight. The team formed up again and advanced on its last known location – and it flushed again, having run right about 20 meters. This time it flew 80 meters before landing again and again we advanced and approached the spot slowly. For a third time the bird rose and this time flew about 100 meters before dropping at the base of the steep hill. We moved forward to cover the ground fairly quickly and suddenly there were calls of “its on the ground, there, there….” Some got a view of it on the ground, some weren’t so lucky – I did, Rob didn’t. No one got photos, despite the wealth of camera gear available. It ran through the grass, ducking and weaving and then flushed again, flying straight up the hill and landing behind a fallen tree. Three of us moved up the hill, but did not succeed in re-locating the bird.

So ended the great BBBQ hunt of December 3^rd. We did flush another, smaller bird as we returned to the vehicles, one that was identified as a probable female Painted BQ.

Consensus agreed the bird we had flushed was most likely a Buff-breasted Button-quail. It’s large size, flight type, the appearance of darker wing tips contrasting with body colour, lighter head and streaked nape and upper back all indicated that species, several observers got ‘extended’ (in terms of buttonquail) views on the ground from a range of about 10 meters as it ran ahead of the pack.  One observer claimed chestnut shoulders indicating a Painted BQ, however, no one else saw colour to that extent on the bird and my personal sighting was a three quarter view slightly behind and from the left side taking in the head, neck, shoulders, upper back and flanks and there was no evidence of strong colour anywhere. Unfortunately no one got a clear view of the bill as the bird was either running or flying away. The two observers who had had prior experience of BBBQs both agreed it was the most likely candidate.

At this time, barring any further evidence, we are happy with the identification.

Following discussion and an exchange of opinions and details Rob and I headed off to Mareeba and a date with another icy Coke and Mars bar in celebration. Then it was into the wetlands and coffee and cake on the veranda while Green Pygmy Geese, Black Swans and various ducks hung out on the lake below in the midday heat.  A family of Emus wandered around the back of the reception centre with 6 chicks in tow – so tame I wondered if they were really wild?

Our target here was Black-throated Finch – for me – and the sub species of Brown Treecreeper was a possibility too. We took the Pandanus Walk after paying our $10 each and followed the dusty track through the bush to the favoured site for the Finch. Nothing much moved in the still heat – it was the middle of the day, an active group of Grey-crowned Babblers wee the only noticeable birds until we approached the hide half way around. A few duck, Magpie Geese and a pair of Brolgas (the only ones of our trip) were visible from the hide. 

After a short sit we headed back the same way and this time came across a pair of Brown Treecreepers who performed well for us, providing excellent views of their smaller size, darker ‘look’ and more visible eyestripe then their southern cousins – race melanota.

Nothing much else happened until we reached the junction of the lake edge walk and the Pandanus walk and then Rob called ‘finches’ – a few seconds and we had located a pair of the target species drinking at the lake’s edge. We advanced and managed to get some nice photos and excellent views of (one pair only) Black-throated Finch – very pleasing, lovely little bird.

Leaving the wetlands we grabbed another Coke and Mars bar at the service station and headed south for a couple of Ks before stopping at a small wetlands on the corner of Brady Rd. An Eastern Wagtail had been reported here two weeks previously so we were keen to check it out. 

No wagtail, but a nicely confiding pair of Radjah Shelducks and a number of other wetland species were present. 

We headed back through Mt Molloy and the BBBQ site again and spent 30 minutes walking the area close to the car park without flushing any quail, then it was back to KFP and another fruitless session at the waterhole waiting in vain for the Crake to appear. Rob and I went for dinner at the Highlander, the hotel just down the road for a credible pub style meal and a couple of drinks before returning to crash in preparation for an early start.

 

Sunday 4.12.11. I was up at 4.15, Rob at 4.30 and we left KFP at 5 heading north. Through Mt carbine and out onto the ‘unfenced, stock on road’ northern highway - and immediately there were stock on the road - and wallabies. Heaps of them just waiting to run across in front of us. However, 2 hours of careful driving (I reckon if the cattle are feeding they are probably not going to move – it’s the ones with their heads up or young calves that are the problem) and we had reached Cooktown, we just kept going and an hour later pulled up at McIvor River Crossing.

We stepped out of the car and a White-browed Robin was the first bird we saw! Nice start. Within 2 or 3 minutes we had our first target bird – Black-winged Monarch, only briefly, but a clear and unequivocal view. More ‘good’ birds followed as we searched for our second target – Fairy Gerygone, Wompoo Fruit Dove, Macleay’s, Yellow-spotted, Graceful, Brown-backed and Dusky Honeyeaters, Azure and Forest Kingfishers, Grey Whistler, a pair of Shinning Flycatchers, Rose-crowned & Superb Fruit Doves and Shining Bronze Cuckoo calling and finally on the other side of the creek, our second target bird, Tropical Scrubwren, followed shortly after by overhead views of a couple more.

2 and a half hours and we decided we had seen all there was to see so we headed back to Cooktown but only after spending a few minutes chatting to a local on a quad bike who owned the property around the crossing and gave us, a little belatedly, permission to access the riverbank as far as we wanted!

Fish and chips in Cooktown on the wharf were very acceptable, then it was back on the road towards ‘home’. We wanted to get clear of the unfenced part of the road before dusk as we preferred to not have a steer or wallaby as a bonnet trophy…

We stopped at Palmerston Roadhouse and enquired about Butcherbirds. Playing Black-backed Butcherbird via the iPod in the beer garden brought in a Pied - and a gardener, the latter describing a purple bird with a long bill he had seen many years ago ‘up the cape’. Sounded like a good story, but appeared to be a genuine belief - makes one wonder what has been blown in or landed as a single vagrant in an area that is not at all well explored.

We turned off at Hurricane Rd, approx 20 kms north of Mt Carbine and stopped after 4 kms at Dave’s Dam on the left hand side of the dirt road. The dam is on private property but we understand the owners are generous with birders.

A surprising number of species  - 2 Black-necked Storks, 4 Brown Quail, 20 Black Duck, 10 Grey Teal, a White-necked Heron, a Darter and about 5 Apostlebirds took off as we approached! We noted a small flock of Double-barred Finches, Great Bowerbird, Pale-headed Rosella, Weebill and Grey-crowned Babblers while a Black-fronted Dotterel called and another pair of those northern Brown Treecreepers yelled constantly from nearby trees.

Arriving back at KFP Rob went down to the dam for another session trying for the crake, while I showered and relaxed with a book for a while. After dinner we went for a spotlight and turned up some good stuff. Northern Leaf-tailed Geckos and a Green Ringtail Possum and while we were showing Bryan the former – he found a stunning Striped Possum! 

Returning to have a coffee with Eliot and Bryan before hitting the sack a Boyd’s Forest Dragon ran into the kitchen grabbed a large longhorn beetle and scuttled off with legs and antennae hanging out of his mouth! Bryan ran and grabbed his camera and took some stunning photos of it at ground level where it posed obligingly before gulping down its prize.

Monday 5.12.11 A late start at 6.00 and a cooked breakfast set us up nicely for a trip up Mt Lewis. We had no particular targets in mind, but were keen to re-establish acquaintance with the Mt Lewis specialities. We parked in the clearing and walked up the track to the dam and back. There were, unfortunately, no Parrot finches – none had been seen for a couple of weeks, but we did have Victoria’s Riflebird, Tooth-billed Bowerbird, Grey-headed Robin, Spotted Catbird, a couple  of Noisy Pittas, Macleay’s, Scarlet, Graceful, Bridled and Lewin’s  Honeyeaters, close views of Fernwren, Fairy Gerygone, Eastern Spinebill, Bassian Thrush, Barred Cuckoo-shrike, Wompoo and Superb Fruit Doves (heard only),Mountain Thornbill, Atherton Scrubwren, Bower’s and Little Shrike Thrush, Rufous Fantail and a pair of examples of the minor race of the White-throated Treecreeper.

Down from the tablelands and the temperature climbed three degrees – back to Wonga Beach for another go at the Spotted Whistling Duck location – no luck, even less duck here than a few days ago. We did talk of borrowing step ladders or standing on the roof of the car to see better into the dams but abandoned both ideas as being 1. impractical and 2. expensive. Rob did spot an Oriental Cuckoo at the end of the road – flighty as usual, gone before he could get his camera on it.

Stopped at Mossman for a coffee and sandwich/pastie in the main street, then on down the coast to Cairns. 

The Botanical Gardens or the Esplanade? The tide was not high until 18.00 or thereabouts so @ 14.00 we decided the gardens offered the best opportunity. Walked the boardwalk and tried for Red-necked Crake with no result. Usual few birds around including a Green Pygmy Goose on the lake, but nothing unexpected, so to the esplanade, arriving at 14.40. 

Grabbing scopes and bins we charged out to the middle – right outside Muddie’s playground – set up and started scanning the waders. The tide was much higher than I had expected and the birds were in excellent view, ignoring the walkers, cyclists and pram pushers moving only meters away. 

A Striated Heron, 150+ Great Knot, Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits, Curlew and Terek Sandpipers, Lesser and Greater Sand Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Eastern Curlew, Red-necked Stints and is it? Yes, it’s a Broad-billed Sandpiper – a nice finish to the weekend!

Back to the car, dash off to the service station, fill up with fuel, change clothes, pack bags, arrive airport at 15.35, dump car, check in baggage, get a coffee, flight called at 16.00, board and arrive in Brisbane 2 and a half hours later, 25 minutes later than planned.

 

Learnings: Preparation and research once again played a big part – enquiries prior to arrival enabled us to make the most of our time and resources and ensure we were in the right place at the best time. Although we didn’t get all our targets (6 out of a possible 10) we did pretty well and in addition saw some great mammals we hadn’t expected