Neville Cayley’s “What Bird Is That” has for the White-throated Grasswren – “Description: Runs fast, hides under rocks”
Nothing has changed.
I have heard of people bashing Spinifex to scare the little fellas out. I have also watched my mate run around dunes for hours thinking he could see one at break-neck speed.
I am a great believer in the tried and proven “Niven McCrie Grasswren Viewing Method” as outlined in his excellent book “Finding Birds in Darwin, Kakadu and the Top End”
He says, under the Gunlom section, to find a suitable habitat and “simply wait and listen for the call” then it’s quite easy to track them down.
My addition to this would be to utilise a suitable deck chair and take an esky full of beer!
Steve Potter
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Comments
10 responses to “Grasswren viewing procedure”
I’ve been up there twice and saw the grasswren the first time. No seat, no beer. Next time I’ll get a helicopter to take up the chair and the beer while I climb up the scarp. Nah, no way, I’ll go in the chopper too now I think of it. It can take up my bins too. Reckon I’ll walk down though and save the return fare.
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Didn’t some American birder once famously refer to them as ‘LBJs’? John McVictor HarborSA
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Jawoyn traditional owners would not be happy with that plan.
I learned how to watch birds (and other fauna) as a small child, going on long walks with an adult Aboriginal friend. We’d listen and watch and wait. And I employ similar tactics whether hunting with my Bininj relatives, carrying out biological surveys or guiding birders in the Top End (which I’ve done since 1983). I mention these techniques in “Birds of Australia’s Top End” (2000, 2005).
Last year, a woman in her late sixties, told me how she gone looking for White-throated Grasswren, with her husband and son at a particular place I use ( not Gunlom). I described the sort of habitat to look for, and while the men went off searching for the bird, she sat quietly on a rock in the shade. And it was the old lady (to use a Bininj term of respect) who saw the wrens, three of them. They paid absolutely no attention to her, and she had a great view.
One December, Michael and I had a similar experience, but this time a male stood not three metres from us, calling his little heart out.
I too dipped on the Grasswrens at Gunlom.
My method of finding Carpentarian Grasswren is to ask my lovely wife to sit beside a huge Ptilotus to give scale to the picture. “What are those little grey and brown birds?” she annoying asked as I tried to get the depth of field and exposure just right! Sometimes the support team is worth its weight in gold! Alan
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Not to mention rock pigeons and fruit doves.
Laurie.
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I dipped on the grasswren on both occasions when I visited Gunlom (September 2007 and May 2010), but it is a nice pleasant hike at 39 degrees up there (not as freezing cold as in Sydney) and there are other cool things to see: Black Wallaroo, Rockhole Frog…
Cheers,
Nikolas
If you’re lucky enough to go to Gunlom, and fit enough to climb up to the top, enjoy the scenery, and a swim under the waterfall, seeing the Grasswren is just a bonus.
Paul Osborn
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But what is the secret to getting a deck chair and an esky up Gunlom – do you have to use porters or have them dropped in by helicopter?
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How often have we heard the story about the person who stayed in camp for a cuppa, read a book, smoke, etc. who had the elusive bird stroll past them, while the others were bush-bashing to find it??
Regards Shirley
While I agree with Steve’s sentiment, I think he is missing one key element for Gunlom…find (or pay) somebody that is willing to carry said chair and esky up the cliff for you (unless the path up from the campground has improved in the 20 years since I was there) Cheers Tom Wilson