Recently went on a week long family trip to western NSW, with three nights at Kinchega NP, two at White Cliffs and 2 at Broken Hill. Travelling with three kids (and the in-laws) reduced some bird-watching time but did get some time alone, and ended up seeing some good birds. 114 species record and the highlight was obviously the pair of Grey Falcons, but Cinnamon Quail-thrush was a new subspecies tick and tracked down a few other good species including Rufous Fieldwren and Redthroat. Many spring migrants were back or possibly given the good season never went away. Below is a very quick summary of the itinerary (with locations visited) and then a species list with notes on significant (to me) sightings. Most are threatened or migratory species, but I have also included species recorded in Kinchega (K) and Paroo-Darling (PD) National Parks – at the latter most (but not all) were recorded in the time spent at Peery Lake. The date of the first sighting (between 4th and 11th of July) is also included and an asterisk indicates only seen at one location. Species missed included Chats (other than White-fronted), Mulga Parrot, Banded Lapwing, Yellow-rumped Thornbill and any quails.
One final point as a reminder to all travel in remote NSW – check the weather. We left White Cliffs with a few showers present, but nothing really to worry about. By the time we got to the Mutawintji NP turnoff this had turned into a heavy fall and we then had to bolt to Broken Hill – the Subaru spent a fair bit of the way sideways but we did get through (thankfully). Broken Hill did end up with 31mm all up, but I suspect only about 10 had fallen where we were. Luckily it was only Mitchell Grass Plains (rather than black soil) so we weren’t completely stuck.
4/7 – Mildura-Wentworth-Popiltah Lake-Broken Hill-Kinchega NP (Woolshed area)
5/7 – Kinchega NP (Woolshed & Old Homestead area)
6/7 – Kinchega NP (Woolshed area and Cawndilla Regulator)
7/7 – Kinchega NP-Menindee-Wilcannia-White Cliffs (Underground Motel)
8/7 – White Cliffs-Paroo-Darling NP (Peery Lake)-White Cliffs
9/7 – White Cliffs-Mutawintji NP (aborted)-Broken Hill
10/7 – Broken Hill (Silverton Road, Living Desert)
11/7 – Broken Hill-Popiltah Lake-Mildura
Let me know if you would like a copy as a word document or want any further details on any sightings.Cheers,Peter
1. Emu – 4 K PD
2. Black Swan – 7
3. Australian Shelduck – 5 K*
4. Pink-eared Duck – 8 PD*
5. Australian Wood Duck – 4
6. Pacific Black Duck – 6 K* Amazingly one bird only on the Cawndilla Outlet Channel
7. Grey Teal – 4 PD
8. Hardhead – 4 PD
9. Australasian Grebe – 4* Popiltah Lake
10. Hoary-headed Grebe – 8 PD*
11. Australian White Ibis – 4
12. Straw-necked Ibis – 6 K
13. Yellow-billed Spoonbill – 5 K PD
14. White-necked Heron – 4 K PD
15. Great Egret – 4 K PD
16. White-faced Heron – 4 K PD
17. Australian Pelican – 4 K PD
18. Little Black Cormorant – 4 K PD
19. Pied Cormorant – 5 K
20. Great Cormorant – 4 K PD
21. Darter – 4 K PD
22. Nankeen Kestrel – 4 K PD
23. Australian Hobby – 4* Broken Hill-Menindee Road
24. Brown Falcon – 4 PD
25. Grey Falcon – 9* Good views of a pair harassing a Cockatiel to the north of Mutawintji NP.
26. Black-shouldered Kite – 4 K PD
27. Black Kite – 7 K
28. Whistling Kite – 4 K PD
29. Swamp Harrier – 9* A single well-marked male seen in atypical habitat west of White Cliffs (passing through?)
30. Spotted Harrier – 4 PD The first raptor seen (near Merbein) and two more seen east of White Cliffs (1 in Paroo-Darling NP)
31. Brown Goshawk – 5 K* A single female behind the kitchen at Kinchega NP
32. Wedge-tailed Eagle – 4
33. Eurasian Coot – 4 PD
34. Black-tailed Native-hen – 7* A large flock on a roadside swamp south of Wilcannia
35. Masked Lapwing – 8 PD
36. Black-fronted Dotterel – 6 K PD
37. Silver Gull – 4 PD
38. Caspian Tern – 8 PD* 2 birds at Peery Lake
39. Rock Dove – 4
40. Common Bronzewing – 4
41. Crested Pigeon – 4 K PD
42. Diamond Dove – 9* 4 seen on the roadside in White Cliffs township
43. Peaceful Dove – 4 K Heard once at Kinchega and again in Wilcannia township
44. Red-tailed Black-cockatoo – 5 K A flock near the Old Homestead in Kinchega and another on the Menindee-Wilcannia Road. Heard (but not seen) in both Menindee and Wilcannia townships
45. Galah – 4 K PD
46. Little Corella – 4 K PD
47. Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo 8 PD* A pair flying over at Peery Lake were the only one’s recorded
48. Cockatiel – 7
49. Australian Ringneck – 4 K PD
50. Crimson (Yellow) Rosella – 4 Only near the Murray River
51. Blue Bonnet – 4 K PD
52. Red-rumped Parrot – 4 K
53. Budgerigar – 7 PD
54. Pallid Cuckoo – 7 Single birds seen on the Menindee-Wilcannia Road and south of Broken Hill
55. Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo – 8 One heard at Peery Lake, and possible sightings from the car at White Cliffs and south of Broken Hill
56. Australian Owlet-nightjar – 4 K* One seen on the road at night near Emu Lake at Kinchega NP
57. Laughing Kookaburra – 4 Heard on the Darling at Wilcannia
58. Sacred Kingfisher – 6 K PD One bird near the Woolshed t Kinchega and two at Peery Lake
59. Brown Treecreeper – 5 K
60. Variegated Fairy-wren – 6 K PD
61. White-winged Fairy-wren – 4 K PD
62. Striated Pardalote – 4 K
63. Rufous Fieldwren – 10* A single bird (eventually) seen near the Daydream Mine turnoff between Broken Hill and Silverton (more were probably calling but weather was windy and foggy)
64. Redthroat – 10* A pair of birds in a creekline about 15km west of Broken Hill on the Silverton Road
65. Weebill – 6 K
66. Chestnut-rumped Thornbill – 5 K PD
67. Southern Whiteface – 6 K PD
68. Singing Honeyeater – 4 K PD
69. White-plumed Honeyeater – 4 K PD
70. Noisy Miner – 4
71. Yellow-throated Miner 4 K PD
72. Little Friarbird – 4 K* Only seen at Kinchega where common
73. Striped Honeyeater – 4 K
74. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater – 4 K PD
75. Red Wattlebird – 11* Only seen near Merbein in Victoria
76. White-fronted Honeyeater – 6 K Surprisingly common at Kinchega NP and another heard at a roadside stop south of Wilcannia
77. Black Honeyeater – 8 PD* Three males seen at Peery Lake (probably feeding on flowering Budda Eremophila duttonii)
78. White-fronted Chat – 6 K* About four birds feeding behind the woolshed at Kinchega
79. Red-capped Robin – 6 K PD
80. Chestnut-crowned Babbler – 6 K PD
81. Chirruping Wedgebill – 6 K PD
82. Cinnamon Quail-thrush – 9* A single bird flushed from the road between White Cliffs and Broken Hill (west of the Tibooburra turnoff) – a new subspecies for my list
83. Rufous Whistler – 6 K* A single female seen near the woolshed at Kinchega
84. Grey Shrike-thruah – 5 K PD
85. Crested Bellbird – 6 K
86. Grey Fantail – 4 K* Common in Kinchega
87. Willie Wagtail – 4 K PD
88. Magpie-lark – 4 K PD
89. Restless Flycatcher – 7 PD
90. Grey Butcherbird – 4 K PD
91. Pied Butcherbird – 4 K PD
92. Australian Magpie – 4 K PD
93. White-breasted Woodswallow – 8 One heard in White Cliffs and one seen in Broken Hill (may not be migratory here?)
94. White-browed Woodswallow – 7 One seen south of Wilcannia and another at Peery Lake (a high flock may have contained Masked but the sun was in the wrong spot)
95. Black-faced Woodswallow – 4 PD
96. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike – 7
97. White-winged Triller – 7 a single male at a roadside stop about 50km south of Wilcannia
98. Little Crow – 4 PD
99. Australian Raven – 4 K PD
100. White-winged Chough – 7 A single flock on the Menindee-Wilcannia Road
101. Apostlebird – 4
102. Eurasian Blackbird – 4
103. Common Starling – 4
104. White-backed Swallow – 7 K
105. Welcome Swallow – 4 K PD
106. Tree Martin – 4 K PD
107. Fairy Martin – 7 A flock present in Wilcannia
108. Little Grassbird – 8 PD* A single bird at Peery Lake
109. Rufous Songlark – 8 PD 2 calling at Peery Lake and many in roadside Mulga near the Mutawintji NP turnoff the following day
110. Brown Songlark – 11 A single bird south of Broken Hill
111. Mistletoebird – 4 K PD
112. House Sparrow – 4 Present in White Cliffs!
113. Australian Pipit – 7 PD
114. Zebra Finch – 7 PD
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