1 September 2019
Pre-tour day: arrive Perth
Overnight: Perth
Western rosella Philip Maher
2 September 2019
Day 1
Perth to Dryandra area.
This morning we will bird the lakes and wetlands around Perth for the various waterbirds including crakes that inhabit this area. Some highlights could include freckled, pink-eared, blue-billed and musk ducks as well as spotless crake. We’ll lunch at Wungong Gorge where we have a chance for some of the South West endemics including white-breasted robin, western rosella and red-capped parrot. The recently described western whistlerPachycephala occidentalis could also be seen here. After lunch we’ll travel to the small town of Narrogin, near the iconic Dryandra forest, home to several WA endemic birds and rare Australian marsupials.
Overnight: Narrogin
3 September 2019
Day 2.
Dryandra Forest
We’ll spend the day birding the Dryandra Forest. Treasures here might include rufous treecreeper, elegant parrot, blue-breasted and splendid fairy-wrens, painted button-quail and western yellow robin. The western form of white-cheeked honeyeater Phylidonyris niger gouldii, a possible candidate for a split at some point, also occurs here. We also have a chance here for the rare western form of crested shrike-tit. The numbat, one of Australia’s few diurnal marsupials, also resides in Dryandra. After dark we’ll spotlight for another cute marsupial, the Woylie or brush-tailed bettong, a tiny member of the kangaroo family. Tammar wallaby is also found in Dryandra forest.
Overnight: Narrogin
Numbat Philip Maher
4 September 2019
Day 3
Dryandra to Stirling Ranges
We’ll head back to the Dryandra Forest this morning for any species we may be missing. Species we may see include the recently split Gilbert’s honeyeater Melithreptus chloropsis, western and inland thornbills and purple-crowned lorikeet. There is a small population of bush stone-curlew here and the western race of varied sittella also occurs in this area. Later, we’ll travel south to the Stirling Ranges looking en route for the western race of regent parrot, which is quite different from the eastern subspecies.
Overnight: Stirling Range Retreat
5 September 2019
Day 4
Stirling Ranges
This morning we’ll bird the Stirling Ranges where our first quarry will be the recently split form of western whipbird, momentarily called mallee whipbird and now known as black-throated whipbird. This is a cryptic species and we will do our best to outsmart it. Other species to look for in the area include regent and elegant parrots, square-tailed kite, Carnaby’s black-cockatoo, purple-gaped and tawny-crowned honeyeaters. We also have a chance here for the western form of rufous fieldwren and another opportunity for blue-breasted and splendid fairy-wrens and western yellow robin. The western race of hooded plover can also be seen around the salt lakes in the area.
Overnight: Stirling Range Retreat
Western fieldwren Philip Maher
6 September 2019
Day 5
Stirling Ranges to Cheynes Beach.
We do our final birding in the Stirling Ranges this morning for any species still missing. While in the Stirling Ranges, we may see one of the most attractive members of the kangaroo family, the western brush wallaby. We then head off to Cheynes Beach to the east of Albany. After our arrival at Cheynes Beach we’ll make a start on the species to be seen in the area. Species we could see in the afternoon could include brush bronzewing, red-eared firetail, rock parrot and southern emuwren. Maybe even one of the difficult three could be encountered.
Overnight: Cheynes Beach.
Day 6.
7 September 2019
Cheynes Beach area
This morning we will have a red-hot go at finding three of Australia’s most challenging species in the coastal heath around Cheynes Beach. The most difficult is usually the noisy scrub-bird, one of our rarest and shyest species, thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1961. The others are western bristlebird and the aforementioned black-throated whipbird. Luck will play a part in seeing any of these species although we should hear each of them. We also have a good chance of seeing the uncommon little wattlebird in the area.
Overnight: Cheynes Beach
Western bristlebird Philip Maher
8 September 2019
Day 7
Cheynes Beach
We’ll spend the day in the Cheynes Beach area to give ourselves another chance for the three toughies as well as the red-eared firetail, which can also be a challenge. Spotted nightjar and brown quail can also be encountered in the area, as can the delightful honey possum.
Overnight: Cheynes Beach
9 September 2019
Day 8
Cheynes Beach to Augusta
Today we drive west towards Augusta on Cape Leeuwin, which is about as far southwest as it is possible to go in Western Australia. Our main target birds today will be the rare western corella in the Rocky Gully district and the difficult to identify Baudin’s black-cockatoo, which likes to feed on huge gumnuts in the bloodwoods. In the giant Karri forests around Manjimup we have another chance for the western race of crested shrike-tit.
Overnight: Augusta
10 September 2019
Day 9
Augusta to Perth
We’ll visit Cape Leeuwin this morning if we still need rock parrot, which can be a tricky, plus any other species we require. The headland can also be good for seabirds and species we could encounter include yellow-nosed, black - browed and shy albatross and perhaps great-winged and soft-plumaged petrels. We head for Perth, checking out areas for regent parrot should we still require better views and maybe stopping at wetlands for terns or waders if there are any about. We’ll arrive back in Perth late afternoon.
Overnight: Perth
11 September 2019.
End of tour after breakfast.
$5,745.00 AUD per person
Single supplement $740.00 AUD
Cost includes accommodation from pre-tour night 1 September 2019 to and including 10 September 2019; meals from breakfast 2 September 2019 to breakfast 11 September 2019; land transport while on tour (small bus or 4WDs); guiding and park entrance fees.
Starting time: breakfast at our hotel in Perth on 2 September 2019.
Accommodation comprises good to quality motels and cabins.
©AOS
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