Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Stockton Sand Spit

Red-necked avocet

Recognizing that shorebirds (Charadriiformes) and their wetland habitats are under threat worldwide, three Australian scientists conducted a large-scale aerial shorebird survey, sampling about a third of the Australian continent over a period of 24 years (1983–2006) and found that migratory shorebirds have declined by 73%, and Australian resident shorebirds by 81% in that period.

Of the 10 wetlands supporting the highest number of shorebirds within the survey bands, eight were inland wetlands and only two coastal, emphasising the importance of inland wetlands for shorebirds. Wetland area decreased significantly at four of the 10 main sites. Annual rainfall showed no trends but water extraction for irrigation was substantial for four of the 10 wetlands.

The study found that loss of wetlands due to river regulation is a significant contributor to the drastic decline in shorebird numbers in Australia.

'Long-term trends of shorebird populations in eastern Australia and impacts of freshwater extraction' Silke Nebel, John L. Porter and Richard T. Kingsford Biological Conservation
Volume 141, Issue 4, April 2008, Pages 971-980.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Tighes Hill TAFE

The worst of the dust has cleared, but there are still lots of allergens out there, the wind still blows and it's cold - well cold for late September in Newcastle, 16C, and I have lots of little jobs to do. So we didn't go too far afield this morning, choosing the TAFE grounds for our walk. The campus sits between Styx Creek and Throsby Creek and has mature fig trees as well as white cedar, eucalypt, and native shrubs now in flower.

Bird list:

Australian Figbird (Pictured above)
Australian Koel
Great Egret
Little Egret
White-faced Heron
Striated Heron
Chestnut Teal
Noisy Miner
Red Wattlebird
Common Mynah
Spur-winged Plover
Galah
Rainbow Lorikeet

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Basin

There were blue skies today after the dust storm of yesterday, but the wind was blowing a gale still. A good opportunity for flight shots over the Hunter River, as terns, gulls and raptors were held up by the wind as they cruised the shoreline. Well that was the theory.

In the event, while there were plenty of terns, for the most part they stayed well out in the centre of the Basin. Some feral pigeons, a raven and this immature kite were the only birds that came within photography range.

The dogs were hyped up by the wind and raced each other on imaginary figure eight tracks.

Bird List:

Black-shouldered Kite (Pictured Above)
Great Crested Tern
White-fronted Tern
Little Tern
Silver Gull
Australian Raven
Rock Dove
Australian Pelican
Superb Fairywren
Golden Headed Cisticola

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Australian Songbird Stamps

A recent Australia Post stamp issue highlights the contribution of John Gould to Australian ornithology and of the Gould League to bird preservation. The four songbirds featured on the stamps are:
  • Green Catbird - 55c
  • Noisy Scrub-bird - $1.10
  • Mangrove Golden Whistler - $1.65
  • Scarlet Honeyeater - $2.75

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Wallabadah Cemetery


Striated Pardalote, originally uploaded by steve happ.

Steve is blogging about his birding trip up the Hunter Valley to Nundle, with plenty of birding stops on the way.

Wickham Park


Little Corella

More avian signs that summer is on its way, this morning, with a large group of figbirds, several koel and five channel billed cuckoos noisily harvesting figs in the huge trees on Maitland Road. Red wattlebirds were making a similar amount of noise in the coral trees, and little corellas tried to outdo them while snacking on seed pods.

Kooragang Island

The egrets are returning to the Hunter Valley for the summer breeding season. This is a large puddle beside the road on Kooragang Island, and on our evening walk there were around twenty Great and Intermediate Egrets foraging in its murky depths.

A 1994 study identified thirteen active egret colonies between Sydney and the Queensland border, with the largest being at the Wetlands Centre here in Newcastle with over 2,000 active nests. Just six years later the number of breeding pairs had declined significantly - Great Egret by 80%, Intermediate Egret by 98%, Little Egret by 86%. Only the Cattle Egret remained relatively stable. Egrets no longer nest at Seaham Swamp.

Bird list:

Great Egret (Pictured above)
Intermediate Egret
Black Swan
Purple Swamphen
Silver Gull
Australian Pelican
Black-shouldered Kite
Pacific Black Duck
Sacred Kingfisher

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Nelson Bay

Australasian Gannet

Messing about in boats at Nelson Bay on a perfect spring Saturday, we saw a good variety of sea birds, bottlenose and common dolphin, and the fins of a pair of Minke Whales.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Hunter Wetlands Centre

Australian Reed Warbler

Back to more mundane locations for my daily walks ... Yesterday I had to go out to the University to sign some documents, so I popped across to the Wetlands centre for a few minutes. The grevillea and callistemon are coming into flower, attracting the local honeyeaters.

A pair of reed warblers spent some time gleaning insects from amongst the flowers.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Nyngan to Newcastle

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo

I didn't keep a bird list for the last stage of the trip, but there were plenty along the road. We were back on the Golden Highway, one of my favourite local drives and the dams were full, the crops glowing gold, and the sky filled with fluffy clouds. A great day for counting blessings.

I'm grateful to the Watagan Wanderers for letting me come along on their Simpson Crossing. Very warm thanks go to Alwyn, as trip leader, for his effective trip organisation that kept us occupied, entertained and safe. Gratitude to Mike, for joining me to present a combined defence in the face of Alwyn's sense of humour. Appreciation to Mick, Joan, Doug and Penny for treating me as a friend. And thanks to the many great people we met along the way; the cheerful helpfulness of the people at roadhouses, cafeterias, hotels and camping grounds, and the camaraderie of the fellow travellers we encountered, ensured the trip will live on in my memory as one of the highlights.

When people ask me about Australia I tell them about its wide open spaces, the beauty of its extremes of climate, of the vibrant colours of blue sky and red dust, of the transformation of the desert by a rainstorm. I used to know all this from reading books and watching television. Now I know it because I have experienced it.

I have stood and looked in every direction without seeing a single tree, building, hill or any other feature - just plains as far as the eye can see. I have climbed 30 metre sand dunes to see another 1000 dunes stretched out in parallel rows. I have heard the humming of insects and the singing of birds in a garden of eden that was arid claypan just months ago. I have smelled gidgee in flower. I have watched tiny lizards and brilliantly coloured birds find all of the resources they require in an environment which seems to offer nothing. I have heard dingoes howl in the crisp air of a desert morning.

Hey! I crossed the Simpson Desert!!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Bourke to Nyngan



We left Bowra Station after lunch, and wanted to get to Nyngan in time for the roast of the day at the RSL club, so most of the bird spotting was done at 100kmph.
However there were two moments of note. First was the amount of water along the road near Bourke. Long puddles attracted large number of birds including choughs and apostlebirds, and the green grass and herbs provided food and cover for many more. Second was the emu bush in bloom over a 20 km section between Bourke and Nygan which held literally thousands of woodswallows which flew up in flocks of 50 to 100 birds as we passed.
Bird list:
Masked Woodswallows (pictured above)
Apostlebird (pictured above)
Letter-winged Kite
Whistling Kite
Black Kite
Australian Kestrel
Australian Raven
Australasian Magpie
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
White-breasted Woodswallow
White-browed Woodswallow
Cockatiel
White-winged Chough
Galah
Red-winged Parrot
Crested Pigeon

Windorah

Our first night out of the desert we spent in Windorah, the name is based on the Aboriginal word for 'place of large fish' after Cooper's Creek. Charles Sturt named Cooper's Creek, describing it as a 'fine watercourse' which he would have liked to call a river, but felt he could not, as it had no current.

The caravan park and the camping area on the creek were both crowded with people headed to the Birdsville races, but we were able to convince the publican to let us camp on the lawns behind the hotel. However as the others started setting up tents, I caught sight of the motel units ... The others gave me a hard time about my deficiencies as a 'dune warrior' but they knocked on the door one by one to read in my light, or boil my kettle.

Honeyeaters fossicked in the garden shrubs, apostle birds argued about family matters, woodswallows filled the sky, and swallows in their hundreds came and went from nests under the eaves.

We started off to do some birding along the 12 km nature drive from Windorah along Cooper's Creek, but the birds were tucked away out of the strong winds, which made good photos impossible in any case.

Bird list:

White-breasted Woodswallow (pictured above)
House Sparrow
Welcome Swallow
Magpie Lark
Black Kite
Fairy Martin
Yellow-throated Miner
Corella
Galah
Australian Raven
Australasian Magpie
Willie Wagtail
Apostlebird
Crested Pigeon
Red-winged Parrot
Peaceful Dove
Pelican
Pacific Heron
Budgerigar
Black-fronted Dotterel
Great Egret
White-plumed Honeyeater
Cockatiel
Brown Falcon
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Australian Pratincole

Yowah




At our lunchtime stop in Quilpie the hot, dry wind made it uncomfortable to do anything outdoors, but we had a great lunch in a modern, air-conditioned cafe. Headed on to Yowah we struck a full scale dust storm, an event better experienced from inside the vehicles.

At Yowah we spent the night with friends, and in the early moring had the benefit of their efforts to provide water and food plants for the local birds. Finches and fairywrens took turns at the drain overflow, honeyeaters explored the bottlebrush and emu bush, parrots fed on the seeds of the acacia, and apostlebirds bossed each other around.

Before leaving town we explored the bore drain. An artesian bore provides much of the town's water and the overflow runs in a long shallow drain for some kilometres, ending in a densely vegetated pool. The wind had died down and it was pleasant to be able to walk.

>We saw lots of evidence of breeding activity. A pair of rufous whistlers perched beside their nest, and a hooded robin couple kept company on a bare branch.

On the way to Cunamulla we stopped at the Paroo River, near Eulo. Eulo contains a monument to a cockroach Destructo, who won a state of origin competition for NSW, beating the World Lizard Racing Champion 'Wooden Head' in a race. Unfortunately he was stepped on (by a Queensland riding boot) and killed - hence the monument. A number of different species of woodswallow were in the trees along the river, along with ringnecks, pink cockatoos and mulga parrots. Heron, egrets and dotterel fed in the shallows.

Bird list:

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (pictured above)
White-plumed Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner
Little Friarbird
Bluebonnet
Red-winged Parrot
Mallee Ringneck
Major Mitchell Cockatoo
Mulga Parrot
Little Corella
Galah
White-winged Fairywren
Hooded Robin
Restless Flycatcher
Mistletoebird
Zebra finch
Magpie Lark
Crested Pigeon
Willie Wagtail
Apostlebird
Brown Treecreeper
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin
Black-fronted Dotterel
Rufous Whistler
Halls Babbler
White-browed Babbler
Masked Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
White-breasted Woodswallow
Pacific Heron
Great Egret
Australian Raven
Whistling Kite
Australian Kestrel

Bowra Station

Little Woodswallow
Brown Falcon
Bowra Station is justifiably known as one of Australia's 'birding hotspots'. Formally privately owned by a couple who encouraged birdwatchers, it is in the process of being purchased by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy using a combination of government grants and private donations. Not all of the Conservancy's properties are regularly open to visitors so birders are anxiously waiting to see what the policies will be at Bowra.

The afternoon we arrived was heavily overcast, making conditions difficult for bird photography. We settled down beside the homestead lagoon to watch large flocks of ibis test out various trees for suitability as a night time roost. They eventually decided against this spot, and all flew off into the dusk. We had some light rain over night, but the next day dawned clear.

Around the homestead and its lagoon were ibis, stilt, ducks, heron, dotterel, swallows, flycatchers, woodswallows, babblers, tree creepers, parrots and an active bowerbird bower. No sign of the Grey Falcon which reportedly visits the home lagoon, but it had not been seen for some weeks - since the young fledged.

We went out to Sawpits Waterhole spotting Bourke's Parrots just where the sign said they would be under the mulga, and watching a Spotted Bowerbird take a lengthy bath. Ringnecks were involved in a noisy courtship routine, and the whistlers' loud, melodious song was heard along the banks. Honeyeaters defended choice clumps of eucalypt blossoms.

Near the Main Creek crossing we pursued Halls and Grey-crowned Babblers, waiting for them to sit still long enough to have their portrait taken. The Button Quail didn't hang about either. The dozens of woodswallows searching for insects on the eucalypts were more obliging. A juvenile even came and sat near us on the ground, presenting several angles to ensure a flattering image.

At Stony Lookout we saw two Chestnut-breasted Quail Thrush, and in following them came across a Red-backed Kingfisher and male and female Red-capped Robins, and Slaty-backed Thornbills. We could hear the Crested Bellbird but could not locate it.

Back at the homestead to pack up camp, Chestnut-crowned Babblers searched for insects at the edge of the lagoon, and a Restless Flycatcher hovered over the water.

Bird List:

Emu
Grey Teal
Hardhead
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Australian Pelican
Little Black Cormorant
Australasian Darter
White-necked Heron
Great Egret
Straw-necked Ibis
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Royal Spoonbill
Whistling Kite
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Black-shouldered Kite
Black Kite
Nankeen Kestrel
Brown Falcon
Australian Hobby
Little Button-quail
Black-tailed Native-hen
Common Bronzewing
Diamond Dove
Crested Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Little Corella
Galah
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
Mallee Ringneck
Blue Bonnet
Red-winged Parrot
Red-rumped Parrot
Bourke's Parrot
Mulga Parrot
Budgerigar
Laughing Kookaburra
Red-backed Kingfisher
Sacred Kingfisher
Brown Honeyeater
White-plumed Honeyeater
Little Friarbird
Yellow-throated Miner
Singing Honeyeater
Noisy Friarbird
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
Striped Honeyeater
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Grey Shrike-thrush
White-winged Triller
Australian Raven
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Fairy Martin
Willie Wagtail
Jacky Winter
Red-capped Robin
Crested Bellbird
Rufous Whistler
Grey-crowned Babbler
Hall's Babbler
Chestnut-crowned Babbler
White-winged Fairy-wren
Splendid Fairy-wren
Inland Thornbill
Slaty-backed Thornbill
Southern Whiteface
White-browed Treecreeper
Brown Treecreeper
Magpie-lark
White-winged Chough
Apostlebird
White-breasted Woodswallow
White-browed Woodswallow
Masked Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
Little Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Pied Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Spotted Bowerbird
Australasian Pipit
Zebra Finch

Big Red


One of the advantages of crossing the Simpson from west to east is that Big Red is the last dune to be crossed - it becomes a culminating moment for the trip. It's sort of a 4WD final exam, after all those smaller assignments.

Of the 1000 parallel dunes that make up the Simpson Desert, Big Red is the largest. It stands approximately 36m above sea level, about 35 km from Birdsville. At the base of the dune is a large clay pan, which gives travellers a good view of Big Red, and time to decide whether to go straight over, or to take the alternate route to cross at the much less challenging Little Red.

A week later, when the Birdsville races were on, there would be a traffic jam here. But when we arrived we had just the voices of one group ahead of us over the radio, sharing the tribulations of their climb. The weather gods had given us 60 kmph winds, which had obliterated the regular tracks over the dune, piled soft sand on the crest, and carved a vertical drop on the east side.

The drivers agreed on a route and decided that the best plan of attack was not to pause. Even though they would only be able to see sky at the top of the dune, they were not to think of a previous occasion on the stockton dunes when one vehicle landed on its grill at the base of a dune, but to continue over the edge with the power on. Easy in theory. In practice we got the opportunity to dig out one of the vehicles that bottomed in the soft sand at the top of the dune. Not much fun in the wind driven sand, but afterwards, in the Birdsville hotel, it seemed like just one more life-time experience.

Following up the beer with a pie at the Birdsville bakery, we were ready to hit the road again. It was 37 C and still blowing a gale.

Headed to Windorah we saw quite a few emus, then on dusk came across a large group of pratincole on the road and the service track beside it. Just out of Windorah there was the amazing sight of 1,000, maybe 1,500 corellas perched of the rails of a large stockyard in the early evening light.

Bird list:

Australian Pratincole
Little Corella
Emu
House Sparrow
Magpie Lark
Willie Wagtail

Eyre Creek Channels

Pied Honeyeater

Pink-eared Duck (by Alwyn)

We drove to Eyre Creek, where the dry season crossing was covered with water and a detour advised. We paused to take a swim in the crisply cold water and to watch the fairy martins flying in and out of their mud nests, then turned back a few kms to one of the channels where a larger flat area was available for camping. In the next swale a billabong was filled with water so we had the best of both worlds.

A square-tailed kite was nesting, and honeyeaters were feeding on the emu bushes. A promising sunset ended up not delivering the colours I'd hoped for, so I opted for an early night and and early rise. On packing up in the morning we drove over to the billabong, where we found water birds, raptors and/or bush birds occupying every ecological niche. It was great to see pink-eared ducks in such numbers, and to find two different species of dotterel. The sight of a tern surprised those of us who had always associated them with the beach.

The detour around Eyre Creek had us driving alongside the water for much of the way, with several stops as we saw birds in the trees, or glimpsed action on the water's surface.

Bird list:

Pink-eared Duck
Pied Honeyeater
Chirruping Wedgebill
Cinnamon Quail Thrush
Crimson Chat
Orange Chat
Crested Pigeon
Diamond Dove
Budgerigar
Zebra Finch
Pacific Heron
Great Egret
Masked Woodswallow
Horsefield's Bronze Cuckoo
Galah
Little Corella
Hardhead
Grey Teal
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Square-tailed Kite
Red-Kneed Dotterel
Black-fronted Dotterel
Little Black Cormorant
Caspian Tern
Australian Pipit
White-plumed Honeyeater
Fairy Martin
Willie Wagtail
Magpie Lark
Australian Kestrel
Australasian Magpie

Irruption


Crimson Chat (photos by Alwyn)
An irruption is a sudden, dramatic increase in a bird population in an area. Because of the boom or bust nature of the Channel Country many of the birds here have developed the ability to breed quickly to take advantage of a change in conditions, or to migrate in mass to follow food availability.

The Crimson Chat is able to do both of these and there were huge numbers on the floodplain. While they have the brush tongue of the honeyeater, they primarily feed on insects close to the ground. However they can supplement this diet with nectar and soft fruits when available - another adaptation that explains their success in this environment.

Flood Plain




In most years the water in the Mulligan and Georgina Rivers just peters out, lost to absorbtion and evaporation on its journey from northern Queensland to the Lake Eyre Basin. However during flood years they fill the multiple channels that cross the area known as the Channel Country. While the area is currently drying out after the heavy rains earlier this year, the landscape is evidence of the presence of water.

After four days of a familiar pattern of red sand dunes and grey clay pans, with vegetation pretty much limited to sandhill canegrass on the dune crests, spinifex in the swales, and the occasional hardy acacia, we crested one dune to see a lush green valley spread out before us. It was such a suprise, and a thrill, that we stopped and called the other vehices up to join us at the top of the dune.

The rat’s tail couch (Sporobolus mitchellii) which elsewhere was just clumps of dead sticks had produced masses of new growth. Other grasses, sedges and annual plants had appeared from below-ground rhizomes or tubers or previously dormant seed. There were thickets of pea-bush
(Sesbania cannabina) and an unidentified purple flowering plant formed tunnel walls either side of the track. Coolibah trees (Eucalyptus coolabah), belalie (Acacia stenophylla) and lignum (Muehlenbeckia florulenta) shrubs dotted the area. Deep ruts crossing the swale testified to recent muddy conditions.

We stopped to variously investigate insects, animal tracks, plants and birds and to just enjoy the green shade. The number of birds in the area was amazing.

Bird list:

Orange Chat (pictured above)
Crimson Chat
Red-capped Robin
Square-tailed Kite
Whistling Kite
Letter-winged Kite
White-winged Fairywren
Zebra Finch
Australian Pipit
White-breasted Woodswallow
Masked Woodswallow
Australian Magpie
Banded Lapwing
Black-tailed Native Hen
Little Corella
Galah
Fairy Martin

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Simpson Crossing







From Purni Bore we travel the French Line. The challenges primarily came from the corrugations on the dunes - the result of people who don't let their tyres down to low enough pressure, and who then put their foot down heavily in several attempts to get over the dunes, carving out the subsand and then continuing on their way oblivious of the damage they have done. Our drivers seemed to be working on a footprint length of 300 to 350 mm which translated to 18 psi on the Prados and 16 psi on the Pajero.

At the Bore we met two KTM riders with a support team who were aiming for a three day crossing, but for most vehicles four or even five days is more realistic. 100 km a day leaves time for appreciating the view, photographs, and rest and meal stops.

The French Line from Purni Bore to Colson Junction crosses the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve with sand dunes averaging 8 to 12 metres in height. Just before Colson Junction we struck our first tricky dune - about 20 metres high with a dog-leg across the top, soft sand, deep holes beside cane grass mounds and a scalloped approach.

The Colson Track heads south, running along a swale between the lines of dunes, to meet the WAA Line. Clay topped for the most part, the track was smoothish compared to the French line and a change from crossing the dunes.

We turned east on the WAA line which seemed little travelled compared to the French line. It's interesting how quickly wind and the occasional rain shower can return the track to pristine desert. The dunes were higher than those we'd encountered on the first part of the French Line, perhaps averaging 12 to 20 metres. Many of them had a sharp drop on the eastern side. We encountered a couple of vehicles travelling east to west, and discussed which was the better route. Opinions were divided. East to west has steeper climbs, but west to east has longer climbs and steep drop offs.

We found a level clay pan to pull off and set up camp for the night. Low dunes and a few scraggly acacia provided some protection from the wind, and the Wild Turkey had a warming effect. Pre-dawn, fairywrens and bowerbirds provided an accompaniment to the brillance of the stars as they gave way to a red dawn.

Just before Tilly Junction we crossed a large saltpan, and began to see the first of the gypsum outcrops that would become common. At the junction we headed north on Knolls Track, named for the Approdina Attora Knolls, two gypsum topped hills that are both fragile and scientifically significant. We walked to the top, where there were wonderful views out over the gidgee scrub and the saltpan that is Lake Tamblyn.

We spent that night near Peoppel's Corner after playing the customary, "I can stand in three states at once" game and taking it in turns to pose for photos. The morning brought spectacular light peeping through storm clouds and highlighting the textures on the dune and saltpan.

Heading up the QAA line we came across an amazing dune, perfectly sculptured, beautifully lit by the low morning sun and tracked by a dingo, birds and lizards. We stopped for some time at the top, playing with the wideangle lens. The red dune and blue sky made for wonderful pictures.

More dunes, alternating with empty saltpans - a couple of big dunes, some suprisingly with flowering plants, but for the most part the vegetation was restricted to occasional gidgee trees.

Then, about 5 or 6 kms past the rabbit fence, we came over the top of a dune to see a veritable 'meadow' spread out before us - grass, flowers, trees ...


Bird list:


Eyrean Grasswren
White-winged Fairywren
Crested Bowerbird
Brown Falcon

Dalhousie Springs


Our lunchtime stop on the way to Purni Bore was Dalhousie Springs, an oasis in the centre of Witjira National Park. Comprising a group of about 80 mound springs, with one of the larger springs minimally developed as a swimming hole, it is a great spot to experience the reputed health benefits of the warm mineral waters. While the middle of the day was too hot to really appreciate a warm swim, the area was a gathering place for both bush and waterbirds.

Though the red sand dunes were seemingly endless the national park also contains salt lakes, tracts of spinifex and gidgee woodland and, wherever moisture collected, stunning and unexpected bursts of colourful wildflowers. At the springs, natural and planted native trees and shrubs along with the date palms gave an oasis feel, and clean modern facilities provided a touch of luxury. This was a popular camping spot, with many people visiting the springs who were not continuing to cross the Simpson.

Bird list:

Rainbow Bee-eater (Pictured above)
Australian Grebe
Variegated Fairywren
Grey Fantail (Pictured above)
Welcome Swallow
Hardhead
Zebra Finch

Purni Bore

Grey Teal at sunrise (by Alwyn)



Spotted Crake (by Alwyn)


Black-tailed Native Hen

By the time we reached Purni Bore, it was hot, there were thousands of bush flies in my ears, up my nose and filling the space between my eyes and my sun glasses. (I have a number of photos that feature extreme close-ups of the flies). Alwyn went birding and was rewarded with great photos of an Australian (Spotted) Crake and a Spotless Crake. I sat in the shade of the tank-stand where a juvenile western gerygone came obligingly close, pecking on the ground under an acacia, and trillers stayed out of camera range in the shrubs.

The bodies of two camels lay together just off the road. Unfortunately the only camels we saw on the trip were dead or captive.

Overnight I heard a noise outside and looked out of the tent to see a dingo 2 metres away. He had found something to eat in the ashes of a previous camper's fire, and stood there for some minutes finishing his snack.

The morning dawned cool and clear. Just on first light my dingo howled nearby, and was answered by another in the dunes - their conversation continued for some moments. Wonderful! A light mist hovered over the billabong and the early morning light reflected off the reed beds turned its surface to liquid gold. A large group of native hens went about their business, galahs and corellas filled the trees and ducks floated motionless in imitation of pool ornaments.

Purni Bore is the result of drilling by the French Petroleum Company in 1963. It was capped and sealed when they abandoned oil exploration, but over time the wellhead corroded and water flowed out of the bore at a rate of up to 18 litres per second, creating an artificial wetland. The bore was capped in 1987 when the excessive flow was found to be affecting the flow of the nearby Dalhousie Springs. Travellers used to be able to swim at Purni Bore, but since the water flow was reduced reeds have grown along the bore drain. Now a sufficient flow is maintained to sustain the wildlife that has come to rely on this permanent water source. We saw footprints of dingoes, kangaroos, wallabies and camels, and many lizards and small mamals.

Water flows out of the borehead at 85C. Almost hot enough to make tea!

Bird List:

Black-tailed Native Hen
Australian Crake
Grey Teal
White-headed Stilt
Black-fronted Dotterel
Spotless Crake
White-winged Triller
White-winged Fairywren
Western Gerygone
Galah
Little Corella


Mt Dare

Black-faced Woodswallows (by Alwyn)

Budgerigars (by Alwyn)


Crested Pigeons (by Alwyn)



We met up with the others at Mt Dare, to start the Simpson Crossing. A steak dinner, a catch up with the various travel experiences of the others and cultivating the friendship of Chester, the hotel dog, occupied the evening. We gained agreement to a late-ish start so that we could do some birding at the dam and bore overflow at first light. Our efforts were well rewarded.

Huge flocks of budgerigars, galahs, zebra finches, corellas and red-tailed black cockatoos perched on every available tree waiting a turn at the water. White-breasted and black-faced woodswallows circled and returned to favourite branches. Honeyeaters fed on the garden shrubs. My laptop died before I had copied more than 4 of 14 folders to an external hard drive, I was able to recover the files from the card in the 30D with the wide angle, but not from the 50D which I was using for bird photography. So most of my birds from the trip are gone. I've posted some from Alwyn here to give an idea of the feast and famine situation with birds in the desert. Find water and you'll find birds.

Heading to Dalhousie Springs, we stopped at Blood's Creek and then at 3 O'Clock Creek. At Blood's Creek we saw yet another flock of Zebra Finches - these are tough little birds, able to eke out a living in the most arid landscapes. Blood's Creek was an important waypoint for both the Overland Telegraph and the Ghan Railway. In 1901 the Government put down a 2002 ft bore and a giant windmill which still spins slowly today, though there is little water available on the surface. Legend has it that when a traveller died here, they only had enough whiskey crates to make a short coffin with an open end and had to bury the man with his legs sticking out of the end of the box.

We stopped at 3 O'Clock Creek for a closer look at the Red Mulga or Minniritchi (Acacia cyperophylla). Also in the area were Coolibah, mentioned in Waltzing Matilda, Witchety Bush, amongst whose roots the tasty grubs can be found and Dead Finish, a wattle with such survival skills that it is said that when it dies everything is over.

Fairywrens and grasswrens flittered amongst the spindly shrubs.

Bird List:

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (pictured above)
White-plumed Honeyeater
Budgerigar
White-breasted Woodswallow
Black-faced Woodswallow
Galah
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Corella
Zebra Finch
Magpie Lark
White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike
Willie Wagtail
Australian raven
Crested Pigeon
Diamond Dove
Australian Magpie
White-winged Fairywren
Eyrean Grasswren
Brown Falcon
Grey Fantail

Monday, September 7, 2009

Eringa Waterhole


Australian Hobby - Race murchisonianus, originally uploaded by alwynsimple.

We arrived in Oodnadatta to find that the guy who ran the tyre service at the Pink Roadhouse was away for the weekend, he'd be back Monday - or maybe Tuesday. So we did a quick trip to Coober Pedy; a few beers in an underground bar, a night in a caravan park, early morning repairs by a very obliging garage and back to Oodnadatta. At least it gave us the opportunity to see the Moon Plain (where films like Mad Max, Priscilla and Pitch Black were filmed) and Coober Pedy though we no longer had time for the Painted Desert.

Back to Oodnadatta then across Fogarty's Claypan without incident as it was conveniently somewhere in between too wet and too dry. Ponds along the road dug to support roadworks attracted clouds of zebra finch and flocks of diamond doves.

We had been following a bicycle track for some time, and caught up with the rider at Eringa Waterhole. It would have been interesting to find out his story - bicycling through the Simpson is hardly a mainstream activity, but he wasn't inclined to chat.

The explorer John McDouall Stuart camped at Eringa during his trips in the 1860’s, but long before this it was a significant area in Aboriginal mythology. The waterhole was part of the holdings of the ‘cattle king’, Sir Sidney Kidman, and the ruins of a house, a rainwater tank and a meathouse built during the Kidman era were interesting to explore. With the permanent water and majestic white-trunked gum trees, it was a very pretty spot.

Bird list:

Australian Hobby - Race Murchisonianus (pictured above by Alwyn Simple)
Western Shrike -Thrush
Australian Raven
Cockatiel
Yellow-throated Miner
White-plumed Honeyeater
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Black Kite
Galah
Diamond Dove
Zebra Finch
Australian Magpie
White-breasted Woodswallow
Black-fronted Dotterel
Australian Grebe
Magpie Lark
Pied Butcherbird
Willie Wagtail
Whistling Kite
Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike

Algebuckina Waterhole


We got our first puncture when we pulled off the road to see Plane Henge, and the second when we pulled over for a closer look at the Algebuckina Waterhole and the iron bridge over Neale's River. We had been warned about the sharp stones on this section of the track. There was nothing much I could do, and there was a lot of swearing near the vehicle so I climbed up onto the bridge and wandered along the edge of the watercourse. A brown falcon flew off from the top of the bridge, and a wedge-tailed eagle soared high overhead. Thornbills twittered in the trees. The cliff face held kingfisher nests and fairy martin were adding to their mud tunnels under the cliff overhang.

The waterhole east of the bridge looked inviting, but the river wasn't flowing, though apparently at times it can run a mile wide. The imposing bridge looked a little incongruous above the gravel river bed.

The nineteen iron sections of the bridge were constructed in Scotland and shipped out in 1890 to Adelaide, then transported to this remote spot. While most of the bridge is fenced, you can walk a little way onto it, and read the information on its history. Rusting vehicles, old graves, and the remains of railway buildings make it an interesting place to explore.

Bird List:

Inland Thornbill (pictured above)
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Brown Falcon
Red-backed Kingfisher
Fairy Martin

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Edward's Creek


The Edward's Creek Siding was an important maintenance point on the Old Ghan, and was then re-developed during the second world war as a crew change station. Today it is an interesting collection of ruins .. however on stopping, we noticed a bore with associated trees and shrubs on the other side of the road, so we turned left.

The creek was dry, though the extensive coolabah trees along the banks were evidence that it is sometimes filled with water (cooliah seeds must be immersed in water to germinate). Water was pumped from a bore into a holding tank and a stock trough, the overflow from the tank creating a tiny wetland.

As is the case everywhere in the desert where water is provided, the birds were in abundance. There were several Port Lincoln ringnecks with their blue-black heads feeding and roosting in the trees. White-plumed honeyeaters came down to drink at the overflow. A large flock of zebra finches perched in the salt bush, and took turns to come to the edge of the pool. A red-backed kingfisher perched watching the wetland. We ate lunch quickly - not wanting to miss a photo opportunity, and reluctant to provide the hordes of bush flies with additional sustenance.

Then one of those moments that happens all too rarely in a bird photographer's life. A pair of Bourke's Parrots flew down to the water trough less than ten metres from us, and stayed there for three or four minutes.

Bird List:

Bourke's Parrot (Pictured above)
Peaceful Dove
White-plumed Honeyeater
Zebra Finch
Galah
Yellow-throated Miner
Little Corella
Port Lincoln Ringneck
Red-backed Kingfisher

William Creek


William Creek is one of the smallest towns in Australia, with a population of just 10, but it is situated on possibly the world's largest working cattle stations - the 24,000 square kilometre Anna Creek Station, part of the S Kidman & Co empire. Over the years the pub has been adorned with business cards, hand-written notes, caps, underwear and anything that visitors feel like leaving as a calling-card.

The Memorial Park contains an eclectic collection of objects such as the first stage of the Black Arrow Rocket, Britain's only successful independent space launch, and a truck belonging to the outback mailman Tom Kruse, who was the subject of a 1950s documentary called Back of Beyond.

While the town had the usual collection of 'urban' birds, about 10 kms before we reached town two quail-thrush crossed the road ahead of us and scampered up onto the old ghan line. Hard to believe they were finding something to eat in the arid stony region we were travelling through.

Bird List:

White-plumed Honeyeater (pictured above)
Cinnamon Quail-thrush
Magpie
Magpie-lark
Black Kite
Galah

Friday, September 4, 2009

Coward Springs

Galah in a nest box on the shower block.

Coward Springs is a veritable oasis in the desert. During the construction of the Ghan Railway Coward Springs became a large settlement and even after its completion, when the railway workers had moved on further north, Coward Springs remained an important siding for a long time.


A natural spa has been built over the springs, providing a soothing dip for weary travellers before feeding a wetland area of over 200 hectares that has been fenced to exclude stock. Over 120 bird species have been recorded here, with new birds sighted each year. The old buildings have been wonderfully restored with marvellous touches of bush craft and railway memorabilia. Even lighting the 'donkey' fire for hot water was a mini outback adventure.

It was dark when we pulled up, and soon began to rain, but the morning dawned fine, if cloudy. We were on a tight schedule to meet up with others at the appointed time, but we packed up, and went for a walk around the wetlands. The path we chose, unfortunately, led down a side of the bore drain that was heavily vegetated and it was difficult to good photo opportunities where the water birds were concerned. Bush birds were a little easier to capture.

At the Beresford ruins, a little further on, a dam gave us an opportunity for further birding with ducks and grebes on the water and honeyeaters in the shrubs.

Bird list

Galah
Australian Raven
Spotless Crake
Australian Spotted Crake
Pied Honeyeater
Rainbow Bee-eater
Chirruping Wedgebill
Little Corella
Australian Grebe
Hardhead
Red-necked Avocet
Black-winged Stilt
White-plumed Honeyeater
White-breasted Woodswallow
Crested Pigeon
Black Kite
Australian Magpie
Magpie Lark
Zebra Finch
Singing Honeyeater
Southern Whiteface
White-breasted Cuckoo-Shrike
Willie Wagtail
Welcome Swallow

Wabma Kadarbu


Wabma Kadarbu Conservation Park protects three examples of artesian mound springs. Water enters the Great Artesian basin on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, and around two million years later bubbles out of fracture zones in the rocks of the Lake Eyre region. The combined action of water, sand, silt and clay and the deposition of limestone from the groundwater forms mounds around the mouth of the spring.

Due to their isolation from other water courses over millions of years, they have developed unique ecology and a spring can support flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

Blanche Cup and The Bubbler are active mound springs in the conservation park. Hamilton Hill, a large hill in an otherwise flat landscape, is an extinct mound spring. The Bubbler had a very strong flow of water, and lush greenery alongside its stream. Blanche Cup supported a small wetland.

We pulled in just on sunset. The water was so clear that you could see it bubbling up at the bottom of the pool. The combination of the crusty limestone deposits, the clear running water, and the lush vegetation gave the landscape an 'other world' appearance, especially in the soft light of dusk.

Bird List:

Red-necked Avocet (pictured above)
Black-fronted Dotterel
Willie Wagtail
Zebra Finch

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Old Ghan Railway Heritage Trail


From Wilpena we headed northwest stopping at Leigh Creek to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables, as we had to leave what we had at the border fruit fly control roadblock, and at Marree for fuel. Marree was a major rail-head for the old Ghan Railway, today it's one of the 'civilization' bookends of the Oodnadatta Track.

We were following the Old Ghan Railway Line that was abandoned when it was replaced with the current Ghan Line, which runs further west. Named after the afghan traders that rode their camels through these parts, the railway follows the old telegraph line, the construction of which was the impetus for Burke and Wills’ fateful journey.

We stopped at Farina for lunch. The area was originally proclaimed a town in 1878 and called “Government Gums” because of the mature River Red Gums in the creek to the north of the town. Later it’s name was changed to “Farina” (Latin for wheat or flour) by farmers who optimistically hoped to turn the vast flat lands here into fields of grain. For a few years the rains were unusually good, and copper and silver were found in the area. At its peak the town had a bakery, grain store, two breweries, two hotels, a general store, post office, Anglican church, five blacksmiths and a school. However the silver ran out, and years of drought ended the farmer's dreams. Today it is a picturesque ghost town, with resident kestrels, and bits and pieces of rusting farming and mining equipment. Sad to think of the shattered dreams lying in the dust - but this was a scenario that we would see repeated throughout the outback.

At the Pole Creek Floodway we passed through the Dog Fence, 9,600 of fenceline built to keep dingoes in the north and sheep safely in the south. From the first settlement dingoes were regarded as a serious predator of domestic stock, and early measures were focussed on their control, or even eradication. Recent research however, suggests that dingo predation of domestic stock is low, and that they may play an important role in controlling agricultural pests including kangaroos and wild pigs.

Pole Creek also marked the boundary of Finniss Springs Aboriginal land. The Lake Eyre Basin has supported a long history of Aboriginal settlement and use, and Finnis Springs is the traditional homeland of the Arabunna people. We stopped at Plane Henge fascinated by the planes buried in the ground like totem poles or post-modern crufixes. The other artworks were also wonderful - my favourite an old Ghan water-tank now transformed into a giant cattle dog, guarding the landscape.

We pulled over at the lookout over Lake Eyre South. The lake was dry, but the impression of vast empty space was powerful. The size of the area, and its remoteness, gave a physical presence to the mythology of Australianness.


The Curdimurka Siding was another interesting stop. Originally home to the fettlers who looked after the stretch of track between Marree and William Creek, the building has had some basic restoration and the rooms are available as a sheltered camp for travellers. To raise funds for the preservation of the various Ghan sidings the Ghan Railway Preservation Society holds a bi-annual ball at the Curdimurka siding. The first ball, in 1986 was attended by a few hundred people, mainly from Adelaide and from the stations and towns in the vicinity. In recent years the ball has become a popular 4WD event for clubs, individuals and tour groups and attracts over 3000 guests from all over Australia and even some from overseas. It's held in even numbered years in October. Swallows occupied every wire, and galahs queued to drink from the handleless frypan catching the drips from a tap in the yard.

Bird list:

Welcome Swallow (pictured above)
Australian Kestrel
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Black Kite
House Sparrow
Feral Pigeon
Galah

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Flinders National Park








There were many stand-out places that we visited on the trip, and the Flinders National Park was certainly one of them. I have promised myself a another visit, and a longer stay. The spectacular scenery, vibrant colours in the landscape, fascinating cultural heritage, and of course the flora and fauna, all demand a longer stay than we were able to have this trip.

Apostlebirds fussed around us as we set up our tents in the relative luxury of the Resort campgrounds - hot showers, flush toilets, powerpoints and internet access. A father emu wandered past with a large brood of stripey chicks. (BTW that's 'eem you' not 'ee moo'). We had arrived around mid-afternoon so had time for a walk before sunset.

Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre formed by two mountain ranges to the east and west joined by Rawnsley's Bluff in the south. The wall of mountains creates a gently-sloping bowl which is the Pound, with the only breaks being the gorge at Wilpena Gap and a high saddle in the south-western range over which the Heysen Trail passes.

During 1926 Hans Heysen visited the Flinders Ranges and was particularly impressed with its great variety of majestic gum trees. He said in a letter "The great Red Gums in the creek beds fill me with wonder; their feeling of strength of limb, of vigour and life, suggest the very spirit of endurance." His watercolour, Guardian of Brachina Gorge beautifully evokes the area.

Harold Cazneaux took a photograph one of these giant red gums, with the walls of Wilpena Pound as background, in May 1937. He regarded it as his most Australian picture and called it the Spirit of Endurance. He wrote: "This giant gum tree stands in solitary grandeur on a lonely plateau in the arid Flinders Ranges, South Australia, where it has grown up from a sapling through the years, and long before the shade from its giant limbs ever gave shelter from heat to white men. The passing of the years has left it scarred and marked by the elements - storm, fire, water, - unconquered, it speaks to us from a Spirit of Endurance. Although aged, its widespread limbs speak of a vitality that will carry on for many more years. One day, when the sun shone hot and strong, I stood before this giant in silent wonder and admiration. The hot wind stirred its leafy boughs, and some of the living elements of this tree passed to me in understanding and friendliness expressing The Spirit of Australia." The tree still stands and is simply known as 'the Cazneaux tree'.




The Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, is a 20 km self-guided trail that passes through 130 million years of earth history. Signs along the trail give detailed information on the formation of the ranges and the evolution of early forms of life. Briefly, it is believed that the the Flinders Ranges began to form when a great depression, known as the Adelaide Geosyncline, developed as the earth's crust stretched and thinned. The sea flooded in depositing rock debris in the depression. The rock layers were then squeezed and folded into a long mountain chain, which then eroded. Eight hundred million years later, we have the Flinders Ranges.

Bird list:

Emu (pictured above)
Apostlebird
Australian Raven
Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
Little Corella
Galah
Australian Wood Duck
Australian Magpie
Red-capped Robin
Black Kite
Square-tailed Kite
White-plumed Honeyeater
Australian Kestrel
Wedge-tailed Eagle

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Barrier Highway


We headed out on the Barrier Highway at dusk and spent the night at Cockburn on the New South Wales / South Australia border, then on to Yunta for a breakfast stop and Hawker for lunch. Plenty of raptors along the way - kites, kestrels, eagles - though getting good images of them was a challenge. The wedgies in particular would move off if we breached their personal space.
The Miners we almost dismissed as familiar noisy miners, however a closer look revealed that they were their western cousins. Other variations on familiar birds were the SA race of the ringneck, and the white-backed magpie.

We reached Hawker on the 20th August. Four days earlier they recorded their hottest August day on record, and it was still rather warm - especially as just two days before we had been wearing long johns, beanies and gloves in Nyngan. House Sparrows in their hundreds occupied every niche at the rest area.
Bird List:
Wedge-tailed Eagle (pictured above)
Australian Magpie
Black Kite
Major Mitchell Cockatoo
Galah
Little Corella
Willie Wagtail
Square-tailed Kite
Emu
Yellow-throated Miner
Australian Kestrel
White-winged Chough
South Australian Ringneck Parrot
White-backed Magpie
Black-faced Woodswallow
House Sparrow