Alice Springs birding tour

21 April to 27 April 2013


Pre-tour
20 April 2013
Overnight: Alice Springs

Day 1
21 April 2013
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 treatment works, 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
22 April 2013
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 slatey-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
23 April 2013
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

24 April 2013
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
25 April 2013
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
26 April 2013
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 there may be a few lingering princess parrots about following this year's irruption. 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
27 April 2013
Tour finishes after breakfast.

Cost is $3,900.00 AUD (twin share)

Single supplement:
 $573
Cost includes accommodation from pre-tour (20 April) to and including last night (26 April), meals from breakfast from first day (21 April) to breakfast on post morning 27 April; land transport, guiding and park entrance fees.

2011 Alice Springs checklist of species seen


2010 Alice Springs trip report

2010 Alice Springs checklist

2010 Alice Springs photos

2009 Alice Springs checklist

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