Morning all,
Heading up to Mt. Isa on the 9th of July looking for Grasswrens and other goodies. Our route will be: Maitland – Mitchell Mitchell – Winton 3 nights in Winton Winton – Mt. Isa 5 nights in Mt. isa Mt. Isa – Longreach Longreach – Thargamindah Thargamindah – Tibooburra 2 nights in Tibooburra Tibooburra – Broken Hill Broken Hill – Maitland
We pretty much have all the tips we need for the Winton area thanks to Roy Sonnenberg and Mick Roderick but if anyone else has recent information for this area, particularly spots for Striated Grasswren and Inland Dotterel that would be great. We also have the known spots for Kalkadoon and Carpentarian Grasswren around Mt. Isa but once again if anyone has some recent info that would be great as well.
What we would really like is information for the Western Qld/NW NSW part of our trip. We are very interested in seeing the following: Letter-winged Kite Red-chested Button-quail Inland Dotterel Grey Grasswren (difficult on the Copper? Chances? Rufous Fieldwren Gibberbird Chirruping Wedgebill Cinnamon Quail-thrush
Lastly, are there any Yellow Chats in the Mt. Isa area? Long shot but worth asking.
Many thanks, Grant Broise Rutherford 0412748189
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G’day all
The other day I posted a note with some suggested trip notes for Grant Brosie heading out to western Qld in the next couple of weeks.
I noted that my record of numbers of wintering Blue-winged Parrots in June 2008 at Cooper’s Crossing between Thargomindah-Innamincka was probably the most northern record in Qld for this species.
I have heard from a couple of people since my post, with records even further north in Qld than my own – David Stewart has had them around the Windorah district, & Andrew Ley has highlighted to me some other records of his own (& from others) that are even much further north again… into the Diamantina NP !!
What an amazing forum this website is – there is so much out there that we are continually learning about & it is fantastic to have such a great network of observers able to easily communicate such great information…
Let’s keep sharing our observations & building on our knowledge…
Cheers for now
Martin Cachard Cairns 0428 782 808
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Hi Grant
Hope you are well.
I agree with Laurie in wondering why you are heading back south via Longreach from Mt Isa?? Don’t do it – you will be seeing similar country to what you’ve seen on the way up between Mitchell & Winton…
You will have far greater opportunities for LWKites, Inland Dotterel, Flock Bronzeings, Gibberchat, Cinnamon Quail-thrush, & Grey Grasswren if you go take the following route south of Mt Isa & into the great heart of the Qld channel country.
From Mt Isa head south to Boulia, then south to Bedourie. Take a short side-trip further south of here toward Birdsville to Cuttaburra Crossing of Eyre Ck (only about 70kms south of Bedourie). The lignum areas at this crossing have been very good to me over the years for Grey Grasswren. I had a flock of 50 Pictorella Mannikins here a few years ago too – it’s one of those not so often birded spots that usually has a surprise or 2. Perhaps even a Yellow Chat could be around here for you…You should have a great chance for all above species from Mt Isa to this point. You should try some of the sand dunes of the northern Simpson between here & Bedourie near Glengyle Stn – there are a couple near the road not far from this stn (but on the east side of rd). Walk along the tops of some if they are supporting good 1mtr high sandhill cane-grass & you should find Eyrean Grasswrens – I’ve had them once before here in these dunes here, so it’s worth a look…
When almost back to Bedourie head east to Windorah, then se to Quilpie & the Thargo from there. A longer but much more rewarding way to get to Thargo from Mt Isa – that’s for sure !! This route takes you through some of the best of the SWQ channel country & maximises your chances to see LWKItes & others listed above. Do some driving at night too for the kites & Inland Dotterels, plus you have a great shot at Bilbies as well. Anywhere at night near riverlines between Boulia & Thargo are worth keeping a look out for the kites & dotterels especially.
If I were you, spend one less night at Winton & at least one less night at Mt Isa so you have time for my suggested route. If time permits drive through Diamantina NP in daylight & at night – exceptional prospects there I would think at the moment, as it has never disappointed me in 4 trips there after good seasons… maybe even spend just 2 nights at Mt Isa so you can be sure of seeing this great spot !!
You will start to see Chirruping Wedgebills once you are south of Windorah. Rufous Fieldwrens are out of range in SW Qld, so keep that one for west NSW.
Yellow Chats are a very remote chance – in the many many trips in the channel country I’ve never seen one in w Qld. My closest success with this sp to here was at a bore drain on the Ranken Rd on the Barkly T’lands in NT (a good 5-6hrs drive west of Mt Isa !!). Incidently, at this same site near Connell’s Lagoon in Dec 2008 I had Red-chested BQuail in almost plague proportions!! I would imagine that you will come across Red-chesteds in your travels, depending on how much off-track walking you will be doing… & the chats could be anywhere too out there at the moment, but a good tip is to check our every bore you pass to check if it has living typha (or similar) as the chats love this stuff… anywhere west of Winton is possible for Yellow Chats, but esp the Barklt Tlands & around Boulia-Bedourie-Diamantina-Windorah areas.
I have 2 further sites for Grey Grasswren that have been great for me. Certainly, first try the lignum at Noccundra opposite the store/pub/shed near the camp area & along the lignum stands in this area – they should be there. If not, head further west to Cooper Crossing on the Thargo-Innamincka Rd. Here there are myriad lignum-lined channels covering a huge area – the crossing itself is over 10kms wide from memory, so lots & lots of good habitat for these guys. Here in 2008 I had good numbers of wintering Blue-winged Parrots, which I’m pretty sure is the most northern record (in Qld at least) for this species…
If you need any specific details, just email me directly.
If you’ve got onto Mick Roderick already about Winton/Lark Quarry/Bladensburg, then you will have my updated info that I gave him for these spots… eg Striated Grasswren.
Cheers
Martin Cachard Cairns 0428 782 808
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G’day Grant,
You might get the two Mt Isa grasswrens on the same day, so perhaps you can spend 2 nights at Lawn Hill chasing PCFWs etc.
Grey GWs are a chance in flooded lignum areas. The one I say was at a wetland beside the Birdsville track about 70 km south of the border. Letterwings should be findable on the road between Boulia and Bedourie [why are you going via Longreach?].
Regards, Laurie.
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