Strzelecki Track Tour
9-26 August 2000
Strzelecki
Track 2000 Participants:
Pam and Des Agnew (NZ/Aust), Shaun
Austin (Aust), Wendy Black (UK), John Clark (UK), Roger
Eastman (USA), John Eyre (UK), Jenny Flood (Aust), Brian Foster (UK), John McLennan
(Aust), Alan
Morris (Aust), Mike Shaw (UK)
Leaders:
Philip Maher and David Leslie
Philip Maher has led this tour for 13 years, sometimes twice a year.
Seasonal
conditions in inland Australia vary so much from year to year that you can never
predict what you will see or where you will see it that is what makes
birding the inland so exciting. The year 2000 was no exception and produced
four birds not previously recorded on our Strzelecki Track tours. This mainly
was due to the unbelievably wet conditions in north-west NSW, south-west Queensland
and north-east South Australia.
Pre-tour
Although the tour officially started in Deniliquin, I collected most of the
punters in Melbourne. We stopped briefly at Mt Ida Reserve near Heathcote (Victoria)
which produced a few species that we were unlikely to see on the tour proper;
for example, Speckled Warbler, Scarlet Robin and Yellow-faced and White-naped
Honeyeaters.
Spotlighting
on the plains north of Deniliquin that night produced no less than three female
Plains-wanderers. Seasonal conditions were still dry in the area so I suspect
the males were on eggs. That is an interesting characteristic of Plains-wanderers
they will nest early if conditions are dry. Other highlights that night
included Banded Lapwings (including one on a nest with eggs this species
also likes to nest early); eight Inland Dotterel; and about three Fat-tailed
Dunnarts. It was fortunate that we saw Inland Dotterels in the early part of
the trip as they proved to be quite elusive in the lush growth on the gibber
country where we would anticipate seeing them.
Day one
A couple of stake-outs in Deniliquin next morning gave us Boobook Owl and Tawny
Frogmouth. While both species are common, they can at times prove troublesome,
so it was good to get them out of the way. Three Superb Parrots were seen feeding
on the nectar of the non-indigenous yellow gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon var.
rosea) in a roadside plantation in pine-country east of Deniliquin,.
Travelling
north, the country improved markedly. Several Spotted Harriers were seen, probably
migrating back into the area from the interior. Brown Songlarks were quite common
on the plains between Hay and Gunbar. A pair of Major Mitchells Cockatoos,
feeding on the cones of introduced pines near the Goolgowi railway siding, was
a satisfactory finish to our first full days birding.
Day two
Five Diamond Firetails greeted us on our first port of call -the Lachlan River
- north of Hillston. In the black box (Eucalyptus largiflorens) on the
floodplain were Dusky Woodswallow, Brown Treecreeper, Western Gerygone and the
black capped form of Varied Sittella.
A roadside
stop at Nombinnie Nature Reserve produced White-fronted and Grey-fronted Honeyeaters
the Grey-fronted lured a bit further south than usual by the excellent
conditions. A delightful duet of Striped Honeyeaters added to the occasion.
A patch
of pine-scrub about half way between Hillston and Cobar produced a couple of
unexpected gems a pair each of Yellow Robins and Speckled Warblers. The
Robins are not overly common in the area and it was my first record of Speckled
Warbler north of Hillston. Usually this latter species is confined to rocky
ridges in this area. Grey-fronted Honeyeaters were again seen in the narrow
belts of mallee with an understorey of cactus pea (Bossia walkeri) which
occurs on both sides of the road towards Cobar. In most parts of Australia the
Grey-fronted Honeyeater is nomadic but at this location the species appears
to be resident.
Overall, birds were a bit scarce between Hillston and Cobar this year, our visit was probably a bit early in the season. Still it was unusual not see any Spotted Bowerbirds and so few Apostlebirds. Wedge-tail Eagle numbers were down, probably due to the rabbit calicivirus reducing rabbit numbers. However, Black-shouldered Kites were in great numbers through this area, presumedly feeding on mice.
Day three
Birding in Cobar produced the ever obliging Brown and Blue-faced Honeyeaters
and Spotted Bowerbirds perched on television aerials. Little Crows were a bonus
the species not usually recorded before Bourke. Yellow-plumed Honeyeater
was another unexpected species with singles feeding in mulga (Acacia aneura)
and clumps of Eremophila opposittifolia that were draped in pale pink
bells. White-fronted Honeyeaters were also feeding in the Eremophila in good
numbers.
A healthy list of birds including Mulga Parrot, Crested Bellbird, Splendid Fairy-wren and White-browed and Grey-crowned Babblers were quickly logged. In Bourke, Red-tailed Black Cockatoos serenaded us while we ate lunch on the Darling River. This species is not only approaching icon status in the town but is also becoming increasingly tamer.
A visit to the Bourke Sewage Treatment Works, while making us late for dinner
in Cunnamulla, was well worth the effort. We recorded two species of crake
Baillons and Spotless, although due to a misunderstanding Dave was the
only one to see the Baillons. Other birds of note recorded at the STW
were Intermediate Egret and Australasian Shoveller. I was hoping for Tawny Grassbird
at this locality as friends had seen several a couple of weeks earlier; however,
we were unable to locate them in the short time available.
Excellent spotting by Jenny some 25 kilometres north of Bourke gave us our first ever record of Black-necked Stork (Jabiru) on a Strzelecki Track tour. An immature bird and an brillant record that far west. At the same locality we were delighted to see a Baillons Crake if only so Dave couldnt grip us off! Variegated and White-winged Fairy-wrens were also present.
Good numbers of Major Mitchells were recorded between Bourke and Barringun.
Our bus came to an abrupt stand-still on the cry of BUSTARD! about
10 kilometres south of Baringan: two adult males on the Warrego floodplain.
Bustards are now quite rare south of Queensland, this was only the third occasion
I have seen this species in NSW. Arriving unforgivably late for dinner in Cunnamulla
had its upside a couple of Barn Owls just south of town.
Day four
About 40 kilometres out of Cunnamulla the next morning, an interesting looking
bird was noticed near the roadside. A tape of Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush
soon had a pair of Quail-thrush parading in full view. These things can only
happen in good seasons! Closer to the 9 Mile Bore, good views were had of a
group of Chestnut-crowned Babblers building a nest and not far away, a group
of Halls Babblers. The Halls Babbler is not at all common near the
9 Mile Bore, I have only seen them in one locality south of the road in that
area. A large party of birdwatchers were camped near the 9 Mile Bore; the group
we approached for a chat, sadly, were none too friendly.
Further
west, Lake Bindegolly was brimming with water, in sharp contrast to 1998 when
it was nearly empty. There was an abundance of birds and we tallied up a big
list in no time. Highlights were Caspian and Gull-billed Terns, Great-crested
Grebe, Blue-billed and Musk Ducks, Brolga and more Baillons Crake. The
much hoped for Freckled Duck eluded us. With so much water in the inland this
year Freckled Ducks can pick and choose their lignum swamp on which to breed.
Lateness for dinner again proved fortuitous when we flushed a Spotted Nightjar
south of Thargomindah.
Day five
Before dawn, two pairs of Barking Owls woofed at each other across the Bulloo
River at Thyangra Station; we found one roosting bird later that morning
another new bird for the Strzelecki Track tour. A walk along the Bulloo produced
an abundance of Diamond Doves and White-browed and Masked Woodswallows. Of course,
wherever these migrants go Budgerigars, Cockatiels and White-winged Trillers
are not far away. Red-backed Kingfishers were also prevalent plus we had a brief
look at a Little Eagle.
We flushed
a covey of Brown Quail from a swampy area in floodout country west of Thargomindah,
giving us yet another new bird for the tour. Presumedly this species comes down
in good seasons from the north where it is common. We also flushed the first
of Little Button-quail for the day. We searched an area of Eremophila bignoniflora
where Pied Honeyeaters are frequently present, and less often, Black and Painted
Honeyeaters, but no luck this time. Where were the Pied Honeyeaters? A few days
later we would find out.
Further
west in the Grey Range we had some nice looks at Bourkes Parrot and we
were lucky enough to flush up a Spotted Nightjar during the day. We got a scope
on it from about 15 metres. Driving out of the Grey Range, about 300 Budgerigars
ascended from the roadside a swirl of yellow twisting to green framed
by the setting sun. Several more pairs of Brolgas were seen between Thargomindah
and Noccundra and it was wonderful to see hundreds of Fairy Martins nesting
at every creek crossing. We encountered our first Ground Cuckoo-shrikes.
Day six
Setting out from Noccundra early the next morning we had not gone far south
when we came across another three adult male Bustards not far off the road.
About 20 kilometres south, a flash of pink and blue crossing the road gave us
more Bourkes Parrots and more Chirruping Wedgebills, with their cute topknots,
were seen.
In some
of the lightly timbered creek lines further south, at the edge of a vast gibber
plain, we got a couple of pair of quail-thrush that were an intermediate form
between Chestnut-breasted and Cinnamon. The males had chestnut coming well onto
the sides of the breast but not right across it as in the Chestnut-breasted.
They were also paler on the back than Chestnut-breasted and shared some characteristics
of each species. Another 50 kilometres further south again, on the other side
of the gibber plain, we came across another pair of quail-thrush which were
much more like the typical race of Cinnamon Quail-thrush.
On the gibber
plain we had great views of a male Gibber Chat; by his behaviour, he had a nest
or young nearby. Sadly, Flock Pigeons, the most nomadic of inland endemics,
proved too elusive for us on this occasion. In the sandhill country further
south, we saw our first Pied and Black Honeyeaters feeding on the flowers of
Eremophila serralata.
The view from the top of the Grey Range out over the Bulloo Overflow was superb. The Overflow has had some water in it now for three years but was dry from 1990 to 1998. A brief but successful foray on to the Overflow produced about 40 Orange Chats and Australian Pratincole, Banded Lapwing, Red-chested Button-quail (my first ever sighting for this area), Spotted and Swamp Harriers and a grand flock of 35 Brolga again, I think my first sighting for the Overflow. Yet another adult male Bustard was added to the list a little further south. A group of Grey Grasswrens was also encountered briefly but we would have to wait to cement that relationship.
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