Grasswrens and fairy-wrens

By Birding-Aus, on May 11th, 2015

Hello Carl, Thank you so much for your feedback and kind remarks. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only grasswren fanatic. Planning and displaying my website has taken many thousands of hours work and is ongoing, but I am starting to slow down. There is much more to do and I wonder whether I’ll ever get it to the near-finished stage. There is so much original content (not just plagiarised from books) that is the result of my life-long association with birds, both at work (when I worked for CSIRO) and at play. I might just mention here some of the better sections of the site which I think few people are aware of. The last word on ravens and crows including the calls – I worked on them for nearly ten years and was instrumental in the “discovery” of the Little Raven and Forest Raven. Corellas compared – only possible because of my years in the west researching cockatoos. Egrets, thornbills, noddies, grasswrens, bristlebirds, cuckoos, Myiagra flycatchers and the list goes on. I do admit, seabirds are lacking – sorry but I don’t like boats. You would have to be the only person alive whose first grasswren was a White-throated. For most people, it’s exactly the opposite. Good luck with all the others. The one I’ve had the most difficulty with is the Central Australian form of the Striated, recently named Amytornis oweni, the Sandhill Grasswren. I’ve yet to discover somewhere short of inland W.A. where it can be reliably found. Maybe someone reading this can make a suggestion? Cheers Graeme Chapman

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rmacfarl

May 12, 2015 at 8:33 pm

Well I can only claim 2, but my first was the grey grasswren, so I reckon that takes some beating (Buloo Overflow in 1978, during the Tibooburra campout for the first RAOU Bird Atlas.) Took me until 2001 to find a striated grasswren. —–Original Message—– John Tongue Sent: Tuesday, 12 May 2015 6:24 PM Cc: carlbillingham@yahoo.com.au; Birding Aus; Graeme Chapman One we still need (even having done a fantastic ‘Grasswrens Tour’). 😉 On 11/05/2015, at 8:57 PM, Peter Waanders < waanders.peter@gmail.com> wrote: allowing photographs:

goodfellow

May 12, 2015 at 7:38 pm

I saw White-throated in late 1983. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71 Darwin River, NT, Australia 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. Founding Member: Ecotourism Australia Nominated by Earthfoot for Condé Nast’s International Ecotourism Award, 2004. With every introduction of a plant or animal that goes feral this continent becomes a little less unique, a little less Australian. On 12 May 2015, at 5:53 pm, John Tongue < jspk@iprimus.com.au> wrote:

jspk

May 12, 2015 at 6:23 pm

One we still need (even having done a fantastic ‘Grasswrens Tour’). 😉 On 11/05/2015, at 8:57 PM, Peter Waanders < waanders.peter@gmail.com> wrote:

mcachard

May 12, 2015 at 3:47 pm

Hey Peter, You lucky lucky lucky man !!!! martin cachard, trinity beach, cairns…

waanders.peter

May 11, 2015 at 8:57 pm

Hi Graeme & Carl, I’m afraid I beat Carl to it (being the only person alive whose first grasswren was a White-throated): On 5 Sept 1996, I casually wandered up the Gunlom escarpment in the mid-day heat, wearing shorts & thongs (flip-flops for our international readers) and found two birds unperturbed by my presence, allowing photographs: http://www.arkive.org/white-throated-grasswren/amytornis-woodwardi/ These were my first Grasswrens ever and I’ve been additcted to Grasswren ever since…. cheers Peter ——- Peter Waanders Bellbird Tours / Southern Birding Services / Australian Birding Store PO Box 2008, Berri SA 5343 Australia Phone: 1800-BIRDING (free from landlines within Australia) mob.: +61 (0)409 763172 sat.: +61 (0)424 212889 Email: birds@bellbirdtours.com Bellbird Tours: http://www.bellbirdtours.com Southern Birding Services: http://www.sabirding.com Birding Store: http://www.birdingstore.com.au Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Birding-Services/134270499971996

May 11, 2015 at 5:37 pm

hey there Graeme & Carl, firstly to Carl – a BIG thank you for your kind words posted on here about the inspirational Graeme Chapman. you would never have realised this Carl, but your note of appreciation to Graeme has reminded me that it is HE who is my original inspiration for becoming a birder in the first place – all those many years ago!!! & what’s more, I have never thanked Graeme for that!! so now to you, Graeme – THANK YOU!! my very first bird book was a copy of your ‘Common City Birds of Aust” (I think that was the title!!??). it was given to me by my grandmother when my grandfather passed away in the very early 70’s. that book had belonged to him. it didn’t take long for me to start checking the birds in the garden with Graeme’s wonderful photos in his book – I lived in the very ‘birdy’ suburb of Blackburn (eastern suburbs of Melbourne) & I quickly got hooked. now, some 40+ odd years later, I am still chasing a White-throated Grasswren!!! ….and a Sandhill Grasswren too!!! though, I have been fortunate enough to have caught up with all the other grasswrens. for me, I think waiting until 2008 to start looking for my first White-throated Grasswren is something that I may regret for many years… from late 2007, especially, the main escarpment areas near Gunlom & other formerly inhabited sites nearby, have been bashed & bashed by fires, severely degrading the available habitat. from late October 2008, I spent 4 solid weeks searching these areas, from Koolpin to Gunlom, plus the top of Twin Falls as well – all in vain!! I should have gone above Jim Jim Falls then too, but I didn’t… of course, some small populations still would persist in these areas, but very sadly, I don’t think anyone would say that these site are reliable for these gorgeous denizens anymore. Graeme, do u know if anyone has conducted a thorough search for them up on the main escarpment somewhere between Edith Falls & Katherine Gorge (via that long escarpment walking trail)?? I can’t think of the name of that track, but it would surely get you close to some good habitat I would have thought… re Sandhill Grasswren – I can’t say that I’ve ever really looked all that hard for them – but I will be in future… one day I’m going to hit that area within a triangle formed by Wiluna-Neale Junction-Kalgoorlie. I’ve never seen Princess Parrots either, so that trip will be an exciting challenge!!! great stuff Graeme, you are my hero. I am certain that you have inspired a great deal many more of us relative new-comers to birding. your lifetime’s work should be held in the highest regard. in my opinion, your many contributions to our current knowledge of Australian birds should have already seen you awarded the highest of honours. So thank you Graeme Chapman, dear Sir… all the very best to you, martin cachard, cairns. ps: I nearly forgot to ask you something else, Graeme. on 04/08/12, I found an eclipse male Splendid Fairy-wren on the eastern edge of Goyder’s Lagoon in Sth Aust – I tried to track down his mates too, but I didn’t do so for very long – a Grey Grasswren shot out nearby & distracted me!!. every reference I have checked, including my well worn-out HANZABs, says Splendid Fairy-wrens shouldn’t be there – may I please ask you what you think of that???

Birding-Aus

Grasswrens and fairy-wrens

6 comments to Grasswrens and fairy-wrens

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