Update on Birding in Central Australia

Hi All, I’ve just come to the end of a month of back-to-back bird tours here in Central Australia and thought people might like to hear about some of the goings on out here in the desert. Around Alice Springs patchy rains in June have left the landscape in varied condition with some sites dry as a bone while others are in full bloom. Birds are distributing themselves in the landscape accordingly. Some ‘traditional’ sites such as the Kunnoth area are very quiet indeed but there are other locations not too far away which are in in rude health. Some species which are usually easy have become tricky everywhere (ie. Painted Finch and Little Buttonquail) but on the flip side others like Banded Whiteface, Orange Chat and Cinnamon Quail-thrush are popping up in funny places. Numbers of Budgies and Cockateil remain strong, as do the raptors which are settling in to breed. We again have a Black-breasted Buzzard nest being established near the town and Black Falcon are acting like they own the next territory over (but I haven’t found their intended nest site yet). Its not just raptors- I found nests yesterday of both Slaty-backed Thornbill and Red-browed Pardalote so it seems spring is on its way. The sewage ponds in Alice are terrific as ever- Spotted Crakes are around, about a dozen Orange Chat seem to be resident there again and a trickle of migrant waders are starting to arrive. Despite my finding a few Grey Honeyeater recently my advice for those who want to see this bird is still to try for it in the warmer months- its not an easy bird in winter: its very rare, it vocalises little and ranges widely. From October onward (assuming suitable conditions) they become more tied to their breeding habitat and vocalise more making them easier to locate so your chances of success improve significantly. If you are here before that then by all means try your luck, just don’t bet on it! The Simpson Desert around the Andado/MtDare area is another story again. Its generally dry so birds like Gibberbird are thin on the ground but the resident species out there don’t seem to care and are preparing to breed- Eyrean Grasswren, Cinnamon Quailthrush, Chiming Wedgebills and Banded Whiteface were all singing territorial tunes at their normal locations (and a few abnormal ones too!). The situation in the Great Victoria Desert is yet another story- reasonable rain in June has left the place looking good and the local hot birds like Sandhill Grasswrens will be gearing up to breed soon. Anyone in the region next week should check out the program for the annual Red Centre Bird Festival. There are lots of birding events going on as well as some terrific speakers lined up. The full program can be downloaded here: Red Centre Bird Festival flyer Sadly I’ll be missing the fun this year as I’m off to present at the UK Birdfair in England on birding in Central Australia. To finish I’d say anyone heading out birding this way in spring is going to have a very good time. One last thing that is front of mind for me right now is that if you are travelling here be sure to let accommodation providers and others know that you are here for birds. When it comes to bird conservation money talks, and with overall tourism in the outback in a slow decline the steady rise of birder tourism will be noticed. It makes caring for birding country much easier when the community can see for themselves that it results in real benefits through jobs and income, so be proud of our passion. You might be surprised how many everyday people are interested in birding. Regards Mark Carter Birding and Wildlife.com T ++61 (0) 447358045 mark@desertlife.com.au http://www.birdingandwildlife.com ABN 31234450010