G’day all
I have had the pleasure of spending this past weekend at Bladensburg National Park, just south of Winton. With the continued wet weather in Cairns setting in even more last week, I took the opportunity to drive 10 hours SW to this fabulous area which I hadn’t visited for almost 10 years. The park is teeming with birds at the moment after much rain & to my surprise, I was the only visitor in the whole park from 2:30pm Friday ’til departing at 11am on Sunday.
There were many highlights, but the most exciting find was at least 40-odd Pictorella Mannikins with many juvenile birds amongst them. I saw this species at 4 locations in the park, so I am very sure that there were many more spread about in other parts of the immediate area. Anyone visiting western Qld south of where they normally are recorded (ie anywhere south of Georgetown, Richmond or Mt Isa) should keep their eyes & ears open – they seem to be far more nomadic than we previously thought & surely do visit areas well to the south of where we expect to see them. Last year some were recorded near Bladensburg by other observers at the Lark Quarry site approx 60km to the SW of Bladensburg. I know that Andrew Ley has had some quite a few years back at Diamantina NP further again to the SW. I was lucky enough to have 50-60 birds at Cuttaburra Crossing of Eyre Ck (midway between Bedourie & Birdsville in the very far SW of Qld) in June 2007. So it is pretty obvious that this spec ies ranges far & wide, quite possibly not just in very good seasons, as 2007 wasn’t anything special climate-wise. This bird is quite obvious in flight with it’s unique ‘pic-pic’ calls & high direct (but undulating) flight pattern. This call is very useful in the field when learnt as these birds don’t sound like anything else. Also, they are obviously bigger than the myriad Zebra Finches in these semi-arid & arid parts, so can be picked up fairly easily by an alert observer. Let’s hope that more records turn up of this species of such subtle beauty.
Other highlights at Bladensburg NP were Striated Grasswrens & Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens, many Ground Cuckoo-shrikes, plenty of Spinifexbirds, & a slightly lost Striped Honeyeater, not to mention the 1000’s of Spinifex Pigeons abundant in this gereat park. Plus so much more…
I have put a few sight records onto Eremaea’s Birdline Australia with a few further details. If anyone is interested in any further info or images from this trip, please just give me an email or phone call.
Cheers Martin Cachard Cairns 0428 782 808
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