outback N SA – S Qld brief report

Hi all, Just over a week ago I finished a 12-day trip through outback areas of northern SA and southern Qld. Conditions were very dry, especially in Qld, where the level of overgrazing was pretty shocking in some areas (eg around Birdsville), especially compared with similar areas just south of the state border in SA, where there was still plenty of vegetation (albeit dry) present. Different states, different approaches to “land management” it seems. Bird activity was still good though although some key species have (temporarily?) disappeared. For example, Chestnut-breasted Whiteface at Mt Lyndhurst station (access allowed on foot under the SA Pastoral Act) has not been seen for over 9 months now. Numbers of Thick-billed Grasswrens there, and in surrounding areas, have crashed so low as to become almost undetectable. The good news is that Short-tailed Grasswren numbers in the Flinders Ranges are on a slow rise again after almost completely disappearing, a wet spring there has no doubt helped, while we also found almost all other key bird species. Highlights of our recent trip included: Port Augusta area: One Black Falcon S of Pt Wakefield on the way up there and 2 Western Grasswrens near Whyalla. Crimson Chats, Black Honeyeaters & Chirruping Wedgebills at the Arid Lands Botanical Gardens. (Pied HE’s were present there a few weeks earlier). Flinders Ranges – Short-tailed Grasswrens, Grey-fronted Honeyeaters, Aus Pratincoles, Orange & Crimson Chats. Earlier in November we found an Oriental Plover on the Leigh Creek coalmine retention dam. Strzelecki track – 2 Letter-winged Kites (down from a max of 9), 4 Cinnamon Quail-thrush, only 1 flock of Budgies, several Rufous Fieldwrens, 4-6 Eyrean Grasswrens (in 45C!), 1 Gibberbird, Orange & Crimson Chats, 3 Inland Dotterels. A fortnight earlier, also 6 Banded Whitefaces. Birdsville track – 2 Grey Falcons, 1500+ Flock Bronzewings, 1 Eyrean Grasswren, 2 Grey Grasswrens, 6 Yellow Chats, 1 Red-browed Pardalote, 3 Brolgas – a station owner we spoke with said that renegades had shot 2 Brolgas a few weeks earlier! Quilpie – 70 Plum-headed Finches & 1 Red-browed Finch, 1 Dollarbird Bowra Station (in very good condition after recent rain) – numerous sightings of Hall’s Babbler, Spotted Bowerbird, 1 Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush, 1 Black-breasted Buzzard, 1 Black-eared Cuckoo, White-browed Treecreepers, plenty of Little Woodswallows, 1 Spotted Nightjar on nest Tibooburra area (hit hard by drought & feral goats) – 1 Australian Bustard, 4 Grey Grasswrens, 30 Freckled Duck Gluepot – Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos, Red-lored Whistler, Black-eared Miner, Striated Grasswren. I have just finished uploading a photo album of this trip and preceding trips to the same area this spring, see here: https://www.facebook.com/#/media/set/?set=a.541435865922122.1073741826.134270499971996&type=1 Enjoy & have a great Christmas, everyone! cheers Peter —- Peter Waanders Southern Birding Services 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: peter@sabirding.com Web: www.sabirding.com Birding Store: www.birdingstore.com.au Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Birding-Services/134270499971996