Hi All,
I moved to Adelaide about 7-8 months ago and have done some birding around Adelaide, though not as much as I would have liked and naturally there’s still lots for me to see. There’s lots of good info about many of the species I’d like to catch up with on sites like eremaea, birdpedia or birding-aus archives, and in Peter Waanders helpful guide (a friend in UK purchased the eBook for me as a leaving gift), but for some of my potential targets I can find few records or very recent gen. Hence, I am writing to ask if people have up-to-date info about a couple of species that range maps and other info suggest used to be found near Adelaide.
Spotted Quail-Thrush: is the isolated population on the Fleurieu Peninsula and Mt Lofty Range now extinct?
Chestnut-rumped Heathwren: Peter’s guide suggests a few sites in the Adelaide Hills and I recall finding a birding-aus post from a few years back suggesting a reliable site in Morialta Park, but the only recent records I know of are from further south at Cox Scrub. I presume they are also still gettable at Deep Creek. Does anyone have more precise suggestions (either at these two sites, or preferably in the Hills)? Have there been any sightings close to Adelaide in recent years?
Fuscous Honeyeater: again one that I have not seen any recent records of. Much more common elsewhere, but always nicer to see stuff close to home. Do they still occur?
Plains Wanderer: ok, I know not near Adelaide, but I’m interested to know if there are *any* SA records in recent times.
Cheers, Ian
Hi Ian,
saw your post and thought I could help with some of your enquiries. Spotted Quailthrush is definitely extinct in SA and probably has been since around the turn of the century. The last record I know of was in 1999. The closest population to Adelaide if you want to see them is just across the Victorian border in Glenelg River National Park, particularly the Kentbruck Heath section. There is an isolated population there but can be hard to find.
Chestnut-rumped Heathwrens are still very much apart of the hills face environment. You can find them around Stoneyfell and up Black Hill Conservation Park. Now is not a good time of year though as they are rarely calling. You could try around the nursery area in Black Hill.
Fuscous Honeyeaters are a rare (probably) winter visitor and despite the erratic nature of historical records the bias is more towards winter. Most of these historical records especially about the Adelaide Hills and points north are more than likely misidentified immature Grey-fronted or Yellow-plumed Honeyeaters as they show a yellow “gape mark” Certainly those that I’ve followed up on have proven to be so. The only place I have seen them in SA has been at Bordertown in winter and most other reliable records are from the upper south-east in autumn winter.
Plains Wanderers are certainly still found in SA and there are records most years. Boolcoomatta Station on the Broken Hill Rd is the best spot but there is no access to the public. Other than that spotlighting up and down the Birdsville track in the far north is your best bet but you might as well look for a needle in a haystack. If you really want to see them just do what almost everyone else has done and make the pilgrimage to Deniliquin. Hope that helps you?
Cheers David Harper