Alice Springs Birding Tour
18 to 25 April 2015

Pre-tour day
18 April 2015
Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 1
19 April 2015

We will start this tour by tackling the difficult skulkers first. We'll bird the spinifex- covered hills southeast of Alice for dusky grasswren, rufous-crowned emu-wren and spinifexbird and we'll endeavour to obtain good views of all three. If we have been successful in our skulker quest, we'll call in at the Alice Springs waste treatment ponds, which can be good for a variety of ducks and other waterfowl. Red-necked avocet and red-kneed dotterel and crake species are possible.

Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 2
20 April 2015
Our best chance for grey honeyeater, Australia's plainest and most difficult honeyeater, is in the mulga country northwest of Alice. Other rarities here include slate-backed thornbill and Bourke's parrot as well as a host of more common passerines — such as crested bellbird, hooded and red-capped robins, splendid fairywren and inland and chestnut-rumped thornbills. Further out in the open country we have a chance for banded lapwing and ground cuckoo-shrike. 

Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 3
21 April 2015
Alice Springs to Glen Helen Lodge

Heading out of Alice, we'll bird the West MacDonnell Ranges. We'll be on the lookout for western bowerbird, western ringneck, spiny-cheeked and grey-headed honeyeaters, white-browed and grey-crowned babblers, zebra finch, diamond dove, Major Mitchell's cockatoo and spinifex pigeon around geological wonders such as Simpson's Gap, Ellery Creek Big Hole and the Ochre Pits. 

Overnight: Glen Helen Lodge

Day 4

22 April 2015

Glen Helen to Alice Springs

We will visit the magnificent Ormiston Gorge and surrounding area this morning. Here we have another opportunity for those skulkers: dusky grasswren, rufous- crowned emuwren and spinifexbird. Also, we have our best chance for painted finch and spinifex pigeon. Pied and black honeyeaters are also a possibility in this area, as are budgerigars, white-browed and masked woodswallows; and as always, we'll be on the look out for grey falcon.
Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 5

23 April 2015
Alice Springs to Erldunda

Today we'll travel south to bird the more open mulga and saltbush towards Erldunda. We have a chance for the chiming wedgebill, orange and crimson chats, banded and southern whitefaces and inland dotterel. We could encounter Major Mitchell's cockatoo, red-tailed black-cockatoos and an assortment of raptors — such as wedge-tailed and little eagles and black falcon. 

Overnight: Erldunda

Day 6

24 April 2015
Erldunda to Alice Springs

Princess parrots in the general Kings Canyon area caused some excitement among the birding fraternity in 2010 and 2011. We'll explore country northwest of Erldunda, towards Kings Canyon, in the hope of seeing princess parrots. We also have a chance for cinnamon quail-thrush and more opportunities for banded whiteface and orange chats; and ever the optimist, grey falcon is always a prospect in the desert country. In the afternoon, we'll return to Alice Springs. 

Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 7
25 April 2015
Tour finishes after breakfast.

Cost: $3,995.00 AUD (twin share) 
Single supplement: $530.00 AUD
Cost includes accommodation from pre-tour (18 April) to and including last night (24 April), meals from breakfast from first day (19 April) to breakfast on post morning 25 April; land transport, guiding and park entrance fees.

© AOS P/L 2014 
www.philipmaher.com

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2014 Alice Springs tour notes

2013 checklist of species seen

2012 checklist of species seen

2012 Alice Springs tour photos

2011 checklist of species seen

2010 checkist of species seen

2010 trip report

2010 Alice Springs tour photos

2009 checklist of species seen

2009 Alice Springs tour photos