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Strzelecki Track continued ...

Day thirteen
Travelling south to Burra and Morgan, the country became drier still. Burra produced the usual Adelaide Rosellas, Musk Lorikeets were well represented in Morgan, with only a few Purple-crowned Lorikeets sighted. We got our first Regent Parrots along the Murray River between Wakerie and Loxton. In this area we noticed that a few of the Yellow Rosellas had some orange on the breast and more red on the forehead than the species further east along the Murray River —something of an intermediate form between Adelaide and Yellow Rosella.

Pallid Cuckoos where becoming more common as we drove further south, as were Whistling and Black-shouldered Kites.

Day fourteen
Billiat Conservation Park had had quite decent rains and we quickly logged some target species: Purple-gaped and Tawny-crowned Honeyeaters, Shy Heathwren and Striated Grasswren — reaching our trip target of four grasswren species.

Red-lored Whistler became the objective. After a solid four-hour death march, only broken by the diversion of two male Chestnut Quail-thrushes, did we hear the notes of a male Red-lored, Tracking him down in no time, we were privileged to crippling views of this prince of Whistlers.

About six pairs of Striated Grasswren were heard in the regrowth mallee while searching for the Red-lored. This park possibly has the highest density of Striated Grasswrens in a good seasonof anywhere in Australia . After lunch we located a Malleefowl’s mound but not the bird. A pair of Southern Scrub Robins and a group of the black- capped form of Varied Sittellas were seen in the pine scrub. Oddly, we could not locate a Gilbert’s Whistler.

Day fifteen
A large area within Ngarkat Conservation Park had been burnt since my 1998 visit and nothing new or notable was seen on this visit. Pink Lakes (Victoria) was more productive; we had great views of Mallee Emu-wren in the spinifex. Parrots were plentiful at Pink Lakes: Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, Mulga Parrot, Australian Ringneck, Redrump Parrot and Bluebonnet.

Day sixteen
Our last morning in Hattah National Park gave us our remaining mallee endemic — a Malleefowl not far from his mound. Other good birds include Chestnut Quail-thrush, more Owlet Nightjars and a pair of the mallee race of Golden Whistler. A visit to the Woorinen Evaporation Basin produced an unexpected Ruddy Turnstone, plus Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Musk Duck and Great Crested Grebe.

Day seventeen
Australasian Bittern and Buff-banded Rail were flushed from wetlands near Deniliquin on the last morning of the tour. A stop off at Gulpa Forest finally gave us a Gilbert’s Whistler, three Superb Parrots including a nice male and Azure Kingfisher and Crested Shrike-tit were added to our lists. Crosbie State Forest, near Heathcote, was our final stop on the way back to Melbourne. Three species of lorikeet were seen including Little, a species not been seen on the trip. Olive-backed Oriole and Yellow-tufted and Fuscous Honeyeaters were recorded plus an ‘out of its range’ Yellow-plumed Honeyeater.

The Deniliquin back to Deniliquin tally was 239 bird species plus 11 more on the Melbourne to Deniliquin and back to Melbourne section.

The brilliant seasonal conditions, a fantastically enthusiastic group and an excellent lieutenant in David made Strzelecki 2000 a tour leader’s dream. Thanks guys!

Philip N Maher