RFI – the south-west

Craig Doolan asked about the south west, Cheyne Beach and a few other things : You should find Noisy Scrubbird, Western Bristlebird, Western Whipbird (nigrogularis), Western Spinebill, Western Wattlebird, White-breasted Robin and Red-eared Firetail at Cheyne Beach. You can ask in the office for recent information. NSB – From the caravan park, walk down to the main road, turn right and walk to the track leading down to the beach. Stand at the top of this track (or sit on the bank opposite) and wait for a NSB to sprint across the road. Don’t blink or be distracted by the other species! One will usually cross within an hour. You should hear the male calling, but even if he sounds distant, there should be a female and a juvenile that can cross the track. Please don’t play the call. The NSB has a regular route it follows. If you play the call, then it can go anywhere and you no longer know where to look. Just be patient and at least one will cross that track. Occasionally they cross the main road between the track and the road up to the caravan park. There is also a NSB near the WW below, but probably too far off the track to have a chance of seeing it. But again if it calls, there is a chance that it is sitting up in a bush. Remember if your ears are not hurting, then the bird is more than 10 metres away! It is very loud. WB – From the caravan park, turn right and walk up the sand track to a Y junction. You can go either left or right (right is more straight ahead than right). You have a good chance on either track, but you will need patience. Early morning or late afternoon is the best, but you still have a chance most of the day. When they call, they are most likely to be in a bush, and may even be on top of a bush. Last trip in September, I saw a couple along the right track and heard them on the left track. WW – You need to hear this bird call, and then track it down. Either track is again good, but I had two giving my best ever views on the left track. Where the left track splits into two, take the right and continue to an area with lots of dead burnt sticks. If they don’t call, then you will have trouble. If it hasn’t called in 30 minutes, then give it a quick burst for 10 to 15 seconds (but it must be the nigrogularis call). Again, when they call they are almost certainly up in a bush and quite likely to be on top. Western Wattlebird – Look in the flowering banksias. White-breasted Robin – Usually on the NSB track, but not too hard to track down around the caravan park. REF – Look for them first thing in the morning on the power lines, or feeding on the lawns around the cabins or the office. Also from the caravan park, walk down to the main road, turn left and look for the area of lawn on the left. They are often there. Red-winged Fairywren – They can be on the NSB road and around the caravan park, but I have had trouble with them there this year. So drive in to Waychinicup. They are at the creek crossing, and in the camp ground. You usually need more than a little time at the Stirling Range. I usually bird along the road up to Mt Trio, and Salt River Road (near the Camel Lake NR). I am looking for Western Fieldwren and Western Whipbird (oberon). Neither were easy this year. At the car park on the Mt Trio, listen for the whipbird. It is often near the rock behind the car park. Otherwise make your way down the road until you get to the first lowest part of the heath. We had brief views of WF here. Again when they call they are often high in a bush, and sometimes on the top. I don’t believe that Southern Scrubrobin still occurs at the Stirling Range (at least at the areas I mention). They might still be in the mallee on the way to the dam behind the rangers house. I go to the mallee between Boxwood Hill, Ongerup, Jerramungup for this species. Dryandra – My preferred areas are the north end of Marri Road, Koomal Road (turn left at the north of Marri, and then left onto Koomal), and the Ochre Trail. My targets are Rufous Treecreeper (easy), Western Thornbill (look in the areas with most wattles), Blue-breasted Fairywren (can be difficult in the middle of the day), Crested Shriketit (hardly ever calls so difficult to find), Painted Buttonquail and robins (Jacky WInter, Hooded, Scarlet, Red-capped and occasionally Western Yellow at the end of Marri). Gilbert’s Honeyeater (aka Swan River aka White-naped) can often be found at the bird baths of the wardens (John & Lisa). White-eared Honeyeater is another potential split but can take time to track down. I have seen it at the bird bath. Elegant Parrot – You would have good chances along the side of the road, and also at Dryandra. Western Rosella, Red-capped Parrot, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo, Baudin’s Black Cockatoo are usually found along the road. If you miss Baudin’s then the road to Tree in The Rock at Porongurup is an excellent chance. Rocky Gully is another very good chance. Western Corella – This is at Rocky Gully but very hard to build all these sites into one day. I have done Cheyne Beach, Porongurup, Rocky Gully, Frankland, Kojonup, Williams and then gone back into Dryandra just north of there and then left late to head back to Perth. A long day!! But that misses Stirling Range. Rottnest – Rock Parrots are very scarce now on Rottnest but can still be found with some luck. The areas I look are the grass to the right of the bakery (before the tennis court), opposite the tennis courts near the Bathurst Point lighthouse (and the surrounding area) and along the beach on Thomsons Bay. Roseate Tern is possible. Your best chance would be looking from the Bathurst Point lighthouse, but you would need luck. The other area is the ‘Natural Jetty’ near Kingston barracks, but this is out of the way and takes some time to get there. _________________________________________________________________ Frank O’Connor Birding WA http://birdingwa.iinet.net.au Phone : (08) 9386 5694 Email : foconnor@iinet.net.au