Sunday, 23 February 1997
Erect-crested Penguin?
This weekend while showing a non-birding visitor the sights of Victoria's Great Ocean Road we happened upon an unusual penguin on the beach immediately north of the 12 Apostles viewing platform. We tentatively identified it as an immature Erect-crested Penguin, mainly based on the pattern on the underside of the flipper, but none of my guide books show the immature plumage of an ECP. (Slater et al,Simpson & Day, and Harrison). There had been very strong winds from the SE the preceding day and night.
Saturday, 1 February 1997
Melaleuca Magic
With a population of less than 200, the Orange-bellied Parrot ranks alongside Whooping Crane and Takahe as one of the rarest birds in the world. Like these species, it is the focus of an intensive conservation plan, but unlike the majority of rare birds the Orange-bellied Parrot is also migratory. It winters on the coastal marshes of Victoria and South Australia but breeds in woodland and isolated trees on the edge of the button grass plains of south-west Tasmania, where it is concentrated in the Melaleuca area, south of Bathurst Harbour.
The Orange-bellied Parrot’s rarity, isolated breeding range and migratory habits confer on it an almost mythical status. It is one of those species that most bird-watchers would like to see but have to content themselves with reading accounts of efforts to conserve the species and gazing longingly at published photographs. So it was for me when I took up a one-year contract in Melbourne in March 1996. I wasted no time in contacting the RAOU and was soon taking part in several of their surveys, including the winter Orange-bellied Parrot survey on the coasts of Port Phillip Bay. Unfortunately, my arrival coincided with a period when the Orange-bellied Parrots have been forsaking their traditional winter haunts for as yet undiscovered sites. Despite visiting likely habitat, Swan Bay, Swan Island and Werribee Spit, at the right season I failed to make the acquaintance of a single Orange-bellied Parrot.
In October 1996 I received an Email requesting volunteer wardens for the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery programme. A family conference was unanimous that we should volunteer, Jenny, Andrew (aged 8) and Matthew (aged 7) being as eager as I was to see these enigmatic birds. Mark Holdsworth, the recovery programme coordinator, raised no objections to the boys accompanying us, in fact quite the reverse (which made a very refreshing change to the attitudes of some organisations when we had offered our services elsewhere in the past). So plans were made.
We flew down to Tasmania on 10 January 1997 and spent the weekend round and about Hobart. A dawn visit to Mount Wellington brought the first birds of the trip including the Tasmanian endemics, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Tasmanian Thornbill, Green Rosella and Tasmanian Scrubwren; search as I might I could not find a Scrubtit. The remainder of the morning was spent enjoying the sights and sounds of Hobart’s Salamanca market before we had brunch at a pavement cafe. The Port Arthur settlement was our destination that afternoon; we dutifully completed a Bird of Prey Watch sheet (recording a Brown Falcon and a Swamp Harrier) as we covered the 100 km from Hobart. The boys were more interested in the cricket pitch, where Shane Warne & Co had recently played a charity game, than the historic buildings, but these held some interest. Up to five pairs of Tree Martins were feeding young in nests above the windows. We returned via the tessellated pavement at Eaglehawk Neck which allowed us to add Strong-billed and Black-headed Honeyeaters to our list. The following day we headed south, seeing a Yellow Wattlebird in suburban Hobart, to take the ferry from Kettering across to Bruny Island. Roadside birds here included Dusky Robin and Tasmanian Native Hen but our main quarry was Forty-spotted Pardalote. We had seen this species on a previous visit to Bruny, seven years ago, and headed back to the same site. We took the first left off the ferry road and followed the coast north towards Barnes Bay. Forty-spotted Pardalotes are supposed to occur in the wooded valley of MacCrackens Creek but we had no luck this time. A little further on we came across a flock of birds moving through the roadside bushes. These proved to be predominantly Spotted and Striated Pardalotes. Jenny managed to pick out several Forty-spots with their paler faces but I struggled until I saw them flying away across open water when their uniform greenish back and rump was conspicuous. Later, we watched a very confiding individual from less than two metres. Nearby a flock of 13 Swift Parrots allowed a similar close approach as they fed in a flowering gum tree. We had a picnic lunch on the sand dunes of Bruny Neck, the narrow isthmus that links the north and south ‘islands’ and the boys even braved the cold waters of the southern ocean. I chose to remain dry. Our weekend ended with a delicious meal on the Hobart waterfront.
Monday morning was spent stocking up on provisions for our two-week stay in Melaleuca - it seemed we would need more than a cessna to transport our mountain of gear into the remote south-west. The weather was perfect for our flight with clear blue skies affording spectacular views over the rugged landscape of this corner of Tasmania. From Cambridge we headed south-west, crossing the Derwent just south of the Tasman Bridge and flying over Hobart city centre, leaving Mount Wellington to the north. At Huonville we left the populated south-east behind although the marks of man were still evident with large areas of clear-felled forest on the slopes above the Picton River. Our pilot pointed out Mount Bob to the south but passed closer to Federation Peak with its curious Hanging Lake. The rugged ridge of the Arthur Range was stark against the northern horizon as we dropped down to Bathurst Harbour before following Melaleuca Inlet up to the airstrip. We circled once, having views over Melaleuca Lagoon and the nearby walkers accommodation and ranger’s hut; the latter to be our home for the next fortnight. Before long we were on the ground, stretching our legs after an exhilarating flight.
As we trundled our pile of gear the 500 m from the airstrip to the huts we enjoyed the surrounding scenery; the button grass plain stretching to the south, Melaleuca Lagoon and its fringe of woodland with rugged Mount Rugby as a backdrop to the north, an
d lower more rounded, moorland covered hills to the east and west. It was much more open than both Jenny and I had expected with the woodland restricted to the waters edge and in some of the steeper valleys. As expected we could not load everything on a single flight, and while waiting for the remainder of our stores to arrive, we saw our first birds as some Tree Martins swooped over the trees alongside Moth Creek. We also paid a brief visit to the public bird hide, erected in memory of local tin-miner and naturalist Deny King, and there on the bird table were our first Orange-bellied Parrots. MAGIC.
The ranger’s hut at Melaleuca is situated in the forest, predominantly Woolly Teatree and Smithton Peppermint Gum, close to the southern shore of Melaleuca Lagoon. It proved to be a comfortable home-from-home being well provided with a cooker and oven running off bottled gas and electric light powered by solar panels. We occupied one of the bedrooms with boys taking the bunk beds. From the hut’s windows were views into the canopy of the surrounding forest where we saw Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black Currawong and Green Rosella. Olive Whistler and Tasmanian Scrubwren would take cheese from the kitchen windowsill, while a Grey Shrike Thrush would take food from your hand. Andrew and Matthew, after a chat with Albert the ranger, decided that perhaps these birds should have a more natural diet and collected all the dead flies from the ranger’s and walker’s huts. The birds seemed to appreciate these offerings as much as the cheese.
Our duties as volunteer Orange-bellied Parrot wardens were not too onerous. The very comfortable Deny King hide acts as a focal point for visiting tourists. When the weather was fine nearly 20 planes a day landed. We were responsible for keeping the hide neat and tidy and, if present, explaining the conservation programme. A bird-table/feeding station has been established in front of the hide. We had to put seed out for the parrots early in the morning (usually between 0630 and 0700) and evening (1630 - 1700) and then record which birds came to the table. A large proportion of the parrots are colour banded so individuals can be recognised. During our stay we saw 39 different banded birds and had a maximum of 14 unbanded birds in view at one time so recorded a minimum of 53 individuals. Our highest count at the bird table, at any one time, was 44 birds, probably over 30% of the breeding population, a staggering proportion that makes you realise this species’ vulnerability. Several other species also fed at the bird-table including Beautiful Firetails, the males, especially, living up to their name, Olive Whistler and Dusky Robin. Green Rosellas also fed on the supplied seed, apparently only a recently acquired habit. When there were more than three Green Rosellas at the table, and on occasions there were as many as seven, they intimidated the Orange-bellied Parrots and other smaller species with their bulk, keeping them away from the seed. Numerous nest-boxes have been put up to enable easier monitoring of the Orange-bellied Parrot’s breeding success. We kept watch at several in an attempt to identify the parent birds but more than half were unbanded. Orange-bellied Parrots were not the only species to utilise the nest boxes; Tree Martins especially found them to their liking occupying 7 of the 17 we observed while a pair of Starlings bred in another.
Our nearest resident neighbours were Peter and Barbara Willson who operate the tin mining lease south of the airstrip. They have been recording the Orange-bellied Parrots they see at their garden feeding station for many years, We paid them a visit on our first day and they were kind enough to tell us something of the area and its birds, including possible pitfalls when recording the coloured bands. When we returned a few days later, we were pleased to see that the colour combinations we had noted closely matched those Peter and Barbara had recorded in their garden. It gave us confidence in our observations. Towards the end of our stay in Melaleuca we were treated to a tour of their tin mine and shown how they extract the tin ore from the rock. We had never considered mining on such a small scale before and it seemed a hard way to make a living. Andrew and Matthew were especially thrilled to learn that very small amounts of gold are found with the tin and were already to stake their own claim there and then.
If we had expected Melaleuca to be a quiet haven we were surprised. Visitors to the ranger’s hut during our fortnight included Parks & Wildlife scientists, journalists writing a book for Australian Geographic, a BBC film crew getting footage for the latest David Attenborough wildlife spectacular and last, but by no means least, Albert the ranger. At times it felt like all these people were trespassing on our turf when really, of course, it was the other way round. All added, rather than detracted, from our stay in Melaleuca. We watched the film crew in action, helped locate small mammal traps in the button grass plain and watched Mark Holdsworth colour band nestling Orange-bellied Parrots. We were even fortunate enough to hold some of these priceless youngsters - and now fully expect these birds to visit our local patch in Altona!
Although we spent most of our time in the vicinity of Melaleuca airstrip, we did have a memorable ride aboard the Parks and Wildlife patrol boat, Maatsuyker. From the mooring on Melaleuca Creek we headed down Melaleuca Inlet to a very calm Bathurst Harbour, where Mount Rugby and the clouds were reflected in its still waters. Then it was through the narrows which separate Bathurst Harbour from Port Davey before circling the Breaksea Islands which as their name implies, lie across the mouth of the Narrows protecting them from the ocean beyond. A White-bellied Sea-Eagle soared on the updraughts from the islands’ cliffs while Swamp Harrier quartered the grassland. We made a brief landing at the idyllic Bramble Cove where temperate rain-forest comes down to the shore. While I bird-watched, seeing very little, the boys swam and fossicked in the rock-pools. Then it was back to Melaleuca ahead of the freshening sea-breeze.
Weatherwise, we experienced the rough and the smooth. The fine, sunny weather of the first few days gave way to a grey, drizzly period. This was followed by a period of northerly winds, blowing out of central Australia and raising the temperature to a sweltering 38 oC - even I braved the waters of Melaleuca Creek that day. The good, as ever was followed by the bad and the BBC film crew had their departure delayed by 36 hours when the clouds and rain rolled in. Eventually, the clouds cleared and the weather slowly improved over our second week.
Throughout it all we were logging the activities of the Orange-bellied Parrots and other birds, recording 34 species of which eight were only seen on the boat trip. Among the highlights were the five Ground Parrots which Jenny and I flushed from the side of the tracks . Unfortunately, the boys always missed them and had to content themselves with hearing their bell-like calls coming from the button-grass plains at dusk on still evenings. By way of compensation, Andrew managed to see a Lewin’s Rail running across a trail south of the airstrip, a species which still eludes me. We all saw the Southern Emu-Wrens in the taller shrubs alongside the airstrip. A fair selection of animals were also seen including a couple of close (but not too close) encounters with Tiger Snakes. More pleasurable were the several sightings of Spotted-tailed Quoll; seen a few times on the boardwalk leading to the hut and several times around the bird-table, causing all the avian diners to scatter in panic.
It seemed as though our stay in Melaleuca would be brought to a triumphant climax when we saw our first Orange-bellied Parrot fledgling at the bird table on our last morning. We returned to the ranger’s hut in buoyant mood to complete our packing. By the time of our anticipated departure the clouds had once again rolled in, and like the BBC crew before us, we were weathered in for 36 hours. With plenty of food to see us through, it was not really a hardship to spend an extra couple of nights in Melaleuca. We continued with the observations at the bird table but did not see any more fledgling Orange-bellied Parrots. Too soon the weather cleared and we were whisked back to Hobart and thence to Melbourne. It had been a magic fortnight for us all.
There are several people we would like to thank for making this trip possible and enjoyable. Chief amongst these is Mark Holdsworth who gave us the chance to visit south-west Tasmania and become part of the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery programme. Peter and Barbara Willson were extremely friendly, and, dare we say it, a ‘mine’ of information concerning the local area. We are especially grateful to Albert Thompson, the ranger, who could not have been more helpful , organising our boat trip to Port Davey and the replenishing of our dwindling supplies. To all these people a big THANK YOU.
The Orange-bellied Parrot’s rarity, isolated breeding range and migratory habits confer on it an almost mythical status. It is one of those species that most bird-watchers would like to see but have to content themselves with reading accounts of efforts to conserve the species and gazing longingly at published photographs. So it was for me when I took up a one-year contract in Melbourne in March 1996. I wasted no time in contacting the RAOU and was soon taking part in several of their surveys, including the winter Orange-bellied Parrot survey on the coasts of Port Phillip Bay. Unfortunately, my arrival coincided with a period when the Orange-bellied Parrots have been forsaking their traditional winter haunts for as yet undiscovered sites. Despite visiting likely habitat, Swan Bay, Swan Island and Werribee Spit, at the right season I failed to make the acquaintance of a single Orange-bellied Parrot.
In October 1996 I received an Email requesting volunteer wardens for the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery programme. A family conference was unanimous that we should volunteer, Jenny, Andrew (aged 8) and Matthew (aged 7) being as eager as I was to see these enigmatic birds. Mark Holdsworth, the recovery programme coordinator, raised no objections to the boys accompanying us, in fact quite the reverse (which made a very refreshing change to the attitudes of some organisations when we had offered our services elsewhere in the past). So plans were made.
We flew down to Tasmania on 10 January 1997 and spent the weekend round and about Hobart. A dawn visit to Mount Wellington brought the first birds of the trip including the Tasmanian endemics, Yellow-throated Honeyeater, Tasmanian Thornbill, Green Rosella and Tasmanian Scrubwren; search as I might I could not find a Scrubtit. The remainder of the morning was spent enjoying the sights and sounds of Hobart’s Salamanca market before we had brunch at a pavement cafe. The Port Arthur settlement was our destination that afternoon; we dutifully completed a Bird of Prey Watch sheet (recording a Brown Falcon and a Swamp Harrier) as we covered the 100 km from Hobart. The boys were more interested in the cricket pitch, where Shane Warne & Co had recently played a charity game, than the historic buildings, but these held some interest. Up to five pairs of Tree Martins were feeding young in nests above the windows. We returned via the tessellated pavement at Eaglehawk Neck which allowed us to add Strong-billed and Black-headed Honeyeaters to our list. The following day we headed south, seeing a Yellow Wattlebird in suburban Hobart, to take the ferry from Kettering across to Bruny Island. Roadside birds here included Dusky Robin and Tasmanian Native Hen but our main quarry was Forty-spotted Pardalote. We had seen this species on a previous visit to Bruny, seven years ago, and headed back to the same site. We took the first left off the ferry road and followed the coast north towards Barnes Bay. Forty-spotted Pardalotes are supposed to occur in the wooded valley of MacCrackens Creek but we had no luck this time. A little further on we came across a flock of birds moving through the roadside bushes. These proved to be predominantly Spotted and Striated Pardalotes. Jenny managed to pick out several Forty-spots with their paler faces but I struggled until I saw them flying away across open water when their uniform greenish back and rump was conspicuous. Later, we watched a very confiding individual from less than two metres. Nearby a flock of 13 Swift Parrots allowed a similar close approach as they fed in a flowering gum tree. We had a picnic lunch on the sand dunes of Bruny Neck, the narrow isthmus that links the north and south ‘islands’ and the boys even braved the cold waters of the southern ocean. I chose to remain dry. Our weekend ended with a delicious meal on the Hobart waterfront.
Monday morning was spent stocking up on provisions for our two-week stay in Melaleuca - it seemed we would need more than a cessna to transport our mountain of gear into the remote south-west. The weather was perfect for our flight with clear blue skies affording spectacular views over the rugged landscape of this corner of Tasmania. From Cambridge we headed south-west, crossing the Derwent just south of the Tasman Bridge and flying over Hobart city centre, leaving Mount Wellington to the north. At Huonville we left the populated south-east behind although the marks of man were still evident with large areas of clear-felled forest on the slopes above the Picton River. Our pilot pointed out Mount Bob to the south but passed closer to Federation Peak with its curious Hanging Lake. The rugged ridge of the Arthur Range was stark against the northern horizon as we dropped down to Bathurst Harbour before following Melaleuca Inlet up to the airstrip. We circled once, having views over Melaleuca Lagoon and the nearby walkers accommodation and ranger’s hut; the latter to be our home for the next fortnight. Before long we were on the ground, stretching our legs after an exhilarating flight.
As we trundled our pile of gear the 500 m from the airstrip to the huts we enjoyed the surrounding scenery; the button grass plain stretching to the south, Melaleuca Lagoon and its fringe of woodland with rugged Mount Rugby as a backdrop to the north, an
d lower more rounded, moorland covered hills to the east and west. It was much more open than both Jenny and I had expected with the woodland restricted to the waters edge and in some of the steeper valleys. As expected we could not load everything on a single flight, and while waiting for the remainder of our stores to arrive, we saw our first birds as some Tree Martins swooped over the trees alongside Moth Creek. We also paid a brief visit to the public bird hide, erected in memory of local tin-miner and naturalist Deny King, and there on the bird table were our first Orange-bellied Parrots. MAGIC.The ranger’s hut at Melaleuca is situated in the forest, predominantly Woolly Teatree and Smithton Peppermint Gum, close to the southern shore of Melaleuca Lagoon. It proved to be a comfortable home-from-home being well provided with a cooker and oven running off bottled gas and electric light powered by solar panels. We occupied one of the bedrooms with boys taking the bunk beds. From the hut’s windows were views into the canopy of the surrounding forest where we saw Strong-billed Honeyeater, Black Currawong and Green Rosella. Olive Whistler and Tasmanian Scrubwren would take cheese from the kitchen windowsill, while a Grey Shrike Thrush would take food from your hand. Andrew and Matthew, after a chat with Albert the ranger, decided that perhaps these birds should have a more natural diet and collected all the dead flies from the ranger’s and walker’s huts. The birds seemed to appreciate these offerings as much as the cheese.
Our duties as volunteer Orange-bellied Parrot wardens were not too onerous. The very comfortable Deny King hide acts as a focal point for visiting tourists. When the weather was fine nearly 20 planes a day landed. We were responsible for keeping the hide neat and tidy and, if present, explaining the conservation programme. A bird-table/feeding station has been established in front of the hide. We had to put seed out for the parrots early in the morning (usually between 0630 and 0700) and evening (1630 - 1700) and then record which birds came to the table. A large proportion of the parrots are colour banded so individuals can be recognised. During our stay we saw 39 different banded birds and had a maximum of 14 unbanded birds in view at one time so recorded a minimum of 53 individuals. Our highest count at the bird table, at any one time, was 44 birds, probably over 30% of the breeding population, a staggering proportion that makes you realise this species’ vulnerability. Several other species also fed at the bird-table including Beautiful Firetails, the males, especially, living up to their name, Olive Whistler and Dusky Robin. Green Rosellas also fed on the supplied seed, apparently only a recently acquired habit. When there were more than three Green Rosellas at the table, and on occasions there were as many as seven, they intimidated the Orange-bellied Parrots and other smaller species with their bulk, keeping them away from the seed. Numerous nest-boxes have been put up to enable easier monitoring of the Orange-bellied Parrot’s breeding success. We kept watch at several in an attempt to identify the parent birds but more than half were unbanded. Orange-bellied Parrots were not the only species to utilise the nest boxes; Tree Martins especially found them to their liking occupying 7 of the 17 we observed while a pair of Starlings bred in another.
Our nearest resident neighbours were Peter and Barbara Willson who operate the tin mining lease south of the airstrip. They have been recording the Orange-bellied Parrots they see at their garden feeding station for many years, We paid them a visit on our first day and they were kind enough to tell us something of the area and its birds, including possible pitfalls when recording the coloured bands. When we returned a few days later, we were pleased to see that the colour combinations we had noted closely matched those Peter and Barbara had recorded in their garden. It gave us confidence in our observations. Towards the end of our stay in Melaleuca we were treated to a tour of their tin mine and shown how they extract the tin ore from the rock. We had never considered mining on such a small scale before and it seemed a hard way to make a living. Andrew and Matthew were especially thrilled to learn that very small amounts of gold are found with the tin and were already to stake their own claim there and then.
If we had expected Melaleuca to be a quiet haven we were surprised. Visitors to the ranger’s hut during our fortnight included Parks & Wildlife scientists, journalists writing a book for Australian Geographic, a BBC film crew getting footage for the latest David Attenborough wildlife spectacular and last, but by no means least, Albert the ranger. At times it felt like all these people were trespassing on our turf when really, of course, it was the other way round. All added, rather than detracted, from our stay in Melaleuca. We watched the film crew in action, helped locate small mammal traps in the button grass plain and watched Mark Holdsworth colour band nestling Orange-bellied Parrots. We were even fortunate enough to hold some of these priceless youngsters - and now fully expect these birds to visit our local patch in Altona!
Although we spent most of our time in the vicinity of Melaleuca airstrip, we did have a memorable ride aboard the Parks and Wildlife patrol boat, Maatsuyker. From the mooring on Melaleuca Creek we headed down Melaleuca Inlet to a very calm Bathurst Harbour, where Mount Rugby and the clouds were reflected in its still waters. Then it was through the narrows which separate Bathurst Harbour from Port Davey before circling the Breaksea Islands which as their name implies, lie across the mouth of the Narrows protecting them from the ocean beyond. A White-bellied Sea-Eagle soared on the updraughts from the islands’ cliffs while Swamp Harrier quartered the grassland. We made a brief landing at the idyllic Bramble Cove where temperate rain-forest comes down to the shore. While I bird-watched, seeing very little, the boys swam and fossicked in the rock-pools. Then it was back to Melaleuca ahead of the freshening sea-breeze.
Weatherwise, we experienced the rough and the smooth. The fine, sunny weather of the first few days gave way to a grey, drizzly period. This was followed by a period of northerly winds, blowing out of central Australia and raising the temperature to a sweltering 38 oC - even I braved the waters of Melaleuca Creek that day. The good, as ever was followed by the bad and the BBC film crew had their departure delayed by 36 hours when the clouds and rain rolled in. Eventually, the clouds cleared and the weather slowly improved over our second week.
Throughout it all we were logging the activities of the Orange-bellied Parrots and other birds, recording 34 species of which eight were only seen on the boat trip. Among the highlights were the five Ground Parrots which Jenny and I flushed from the side of the tracks . Unfortunately, the boys always missed them and had to content themselves with hearing their bell-like calls coming from the button-grass plains at dusk on still evenings. By way of compensation, Andrew managed to see a Lewin’s Rail running across a trail south of the airstrip, a species which still eludes me. We all saw the Southern Emu-Wrens in the taller shrubs alongside the airstrip. A fair selection of animals were also seen including a couple of close (but not too close) encounters with Tiger Snakes. More pleasurable were the several sightings of Spotted-tailed Quoll; seen a few times on the boardwalk leading to the hut and several times around the bird-table, causing all the avian diners to scatter in panic.
It seemed as though our stay in Melaleuca would be brought to a triumphant climax when we saw our first Orange-bellied Parrot fledgling at the bird table on our last morning. We returned to the ranger’s hut in buoyant mood to complete our packing. By the time of our anticipated departure the clouds had once again rolled in, and like the BBC crew before us, we were weathered in for 36 hours. With plenty of food to see us through, it was not really a hardship to spend an extra couple of nights in Melaleuca. We continued with the observations at the bird table but did not see any more fledgling Orange-bellied Parrots. Too soon the weather cleared and we were whisked back to Hobart and thence to Melbourne. It had been a magic fortnight for us all.
There are several people we would like to thank for making this trip possible and enjoyable. Chief amongst these is Mark Holdsworth who gave us the chance to visit south-west Tasmania and become part of the Orange-bellied Parrot recovery programme. Peter and Barbara Willson were extremely friendly, and, dare we say it, a ‘mine’ of information concerning the local area. We are especially grateful to Albert Thompson, the ranger, who could not have been more helpful , organising our boat trip to Port Davey and the replenishing of our dwindling supplies. To all these people a big THANK YOU.
Thursday, 2 January 1997
NEW YEAR'S DAY BIRDWATCH 1997
Traditionally New Year's Day has been a bird-watching 'big-day' and 1 January 1997 was not going to be an exception. As in recent years the search for birds would be limited to an area within 10 km of home but there the similarity ends. Having only recently arrived in the southern hemisphere, last new year's day was spent in the depths of darkest Hertfordshire (southern England) where the temperature only barely exceeded zero and visibility was rarely greater than 50 m. Despite the prevailing conditions, 60 species were recorded of which the highlights were a Dipper (unusual in lowland England) and a pair of Common (River) Kingfishers. Along with the change of hemisphere came the change of seasons and associated length of daylight; at least in the northern hemisphere the first dawn of the new year was not much before 08:00 allowing at least some recuperative sleep after the celebrations!
Home for our first year in Australia has been the small suburb of Seaholme, sandwi
ched between Williamstown and Altona, to the west of Melbourne, Victoria. Taking Seaholme Station, only 100 m from home as the centre of our home range, then Melbourne's western suburbs occupy the north-eastern quadrant while much of the south-eastern quadrant is covered by the waters of Altona Bay. The coast and Marybyrnong River form the southern and eastern boundaries with Point Cook R.A.A.F. base the southernmost point. The western border was formed by theDerrimut/Hopkins Road (north of Werribee) while to the north we did not cross the Western Highway. This area can offer a range of habitats including suburban gardens, grassland, wetlands and coast but little in the way of woodland.
ched between Williamstown and Altona, to the west of Melbourne, Victoria. Taking Seaholme Station, only 100 m from home as the centre of our home range, then Melbourne's western suburbs occupy the north-eastern quadrant while much of the south-eastern quadrant is covered by the waters of Altona Bay. The coast and Marybyrnong River form the southern and eastern boundaries with Point Cook R.A.A.F. base the southernmost point. The western border was formed by theDerrimut/Hopkins Road (north of Werribee) while to the north we did not cross the Western Highway. This area can offer a range of habitats including suburban gardens, grassland, wetlands and coast but little in the way of woodland. It was still dark when the alarm sounded at 05:00 on the first morning of 1997, but the sky began to brighten while we sipped a refreshing cup of coffee. Like us some birds were active before it was fully light. First awake were Common Mynas closely followed by House Sparrows. The next few birds were all species we had seen regularly from our garden over the last 10-months; Red Wattlebirds breakfasted in a red-flowering eucalypt (we are still struggling to get to grips with the identification of Australian trees); a femaleBlackbird possibly one of the pair that nested under our porch, fed along the edge of a flower bed tossing wood chips to one side as she searched for grubs; Spotted Turtle Doves were also active feeding on the grass verge while flocks of Silver Gulls flew towards the coast and a male Greenfinch sang briefly from his perch on an overhead cable. Starlings were perched on the rooves of houses across the street and White-plumed Honeyeaters visited the tree frequented by the Wattlebirds earlier.
The plan was to walk round my local patch first, following the railway line east, crossing the Cherry Lake overflow before continuing along the shore to Kororoit Creek. Shortly after leaving home, two Common Terns,in winter plumage flying over the houses of Seaholme were a bit of a surprise. I had expected to see them later, but not over suburbia. Little Wattlebirds visited another flowering gum while two juvenile Goldfinches, lacking the red-faces of adults, twittered from a phoneline. As usual there were a couple of Australian Pelican incongruously perched on the lamp-posts by the boat ramp, surely not waiting for a free hand-out at this early hour. Little Raven, Australian Magpie and Magpie Lark foraged on the grassy expanses just behind the beach. Pacific Gulls landed on another lamp-post near the Pelicans. Welcome Swallows swooped low over the waters of Cherry Lake over-flow. They had nested under the railway and road bridge, but no longer seemed to be caring for young. A Song Thrush perched on a fence was the first I had seen in this area for several months and the twentieth species of the day. Of these 20 no fewer than eight species had been introduced to Australia. Once across the Cherry Lake overflow we made our way to the seashore. Two Royal Spoonbills headed east along the coast towards Kororoit Creek. As we crossed the rough ground masquerading as cricket pitch we disturbed a Willie Wagtail and seven Yellow-rumped Thornbills that had been feeding amongst the grasses. The high-pitched contact calls of Superb Fairy Wrens were heard from the nearby bushy perimeter of Altona workers club and two Masked Lapwings flew up from the middle of the cricket pitch where the outfield is continually dug up by the large population of rabbits. The calicivirus does not seem to have reached Altona yet. Skylark, another introduced species sang on high reminding us of summer (and not new year's day) back home. The tide was high and several Black Swans swam close in shore. No other birds were seen west of the rocky point but a single, pale Brown Falcon perched on top of a bush in the area of grassland and scrub known as Altona Coastal Wetland. Up to 300 Red-necked Stint were roosting on the exposed rocks and among them were a few Curlew Sandpipers. A careful check through the telescope revealed that none of the waders were wearing leg-flags. Six Australian Shelduck flew over, the first time I have seen them at this site. BlackSwan were more numerous in the bay between the rocky point and KororoitCreek with 149, all adults, being counted. Is this a flock of non-breeding birds or a moulting flock? A solitary Greenshank fed at the water's edge and two Little Pied Cormorants stood on a sandbank with their wings out to dry. Earlier in the season the song of Golden-headedCisticolas had been a common feature of the grassland, but now the breeding season is almost over only one male was seen performing his song-flight. As we continued along the shore an adult Crested Tern flew in the opposite direction while a flock of Feral Pigeons wheeled over the large storage tanks of the mobil refinery, which dominates the skyline to the north. A single White-faced Heron fed in the shallows accompanied by two Australian White Ibis. Six Chestnut Teal, four males and two females stood at the water's edge, waiting for the tide to recede so they could continue feeding. An adult White-headed Stilt disturbed from the head of a small creek, flew about making its yapping call. Similar agitated behaviour had been noted on a couple of recent visits and it was thought to be nesting nearby. This was confirmed on new year's day when a young stilt (about half adult-size) was seen running across a bare area ofg round. We left the area quickly, so the young stilt would not be left alone longer than necessary. A group of White-fronted Chats, one male and several female plumaged birds flew along the track in front of us. An obvious Grey Teal was feeding at the edge of a pool left behind after a high tide but the six Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were much more difficult to see. The drawn out whistle-call of a Little Grassbird was heard but the bird not seen. An adult Black-shouldered Kite hovered in a laboured fashion over the grassland, soon moving on when mobbed by several Little Ravens. At 07:40 we were bird-watching along the lower part of Kororoit Creek. Just down stream from the ford is a rocky area of the stream with a few small islands which normally attracts several ducks and other waterfowl. New birds here for 1997 included Little Black Cormorant, Pacific BlackDuck and Hoary-headed Grebe. Above the ford, which is only affected bythe highest of tides the only new species was a Dusky Moorhen. The small reed bed which up until Christmas had held a singing Australian Reed Warbler was ominously quiet.
By now Jenny and the boys had had enough bird-watching and headed home while I continued up Kororoit Creek to complete a circuit of Cherry Lake. Two Purple-crowned Lorikeets (a pair?) and several New Holland Honeyeaters (my fiftieth species at 08:10) were feeding in a floweringt ree beside Millers Road. Eurasian Coots were as numerous as ever on Cherry Lake; it seems strange that I so rarely record them on Kororoit Creek. From Millers Road I followed the embankment between Cherry Lake and the extensive reed beds that line Kororoit Creek. Red-browed Firetails flew from the track to nearby bushes where some of their old, bulky, grass nests were seen. The pool formed where the creek widens out amongst the reeds was a haven for birdlife with 14 species seen there including eight Red-necked Avocets and three Black-fronted Plovers. Other waders, apparently using this pool as a high-tide roost as none were actively feeding were eight White-headed Stilt, 13 Greenshank, six Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and five Curlew Sandpipers. A short burst of Australian Reed Warbler song greeted me as I reached the shore of Cherry Lake, thankfully they had not all given up singing. Purple Swamphens frequented the reed beds and a Great Cormorant stood amongst the birds on the point opposite the bird hide. A flock of 67 Australian Shelduck were spread around the western end of the lake. Several Tree Sparrows were in the bushes on the south shore from where a Pied Cormorant was seen to have replaced the Great Cormorant that was there earlier. By 09:45 I had returned home having seen 59 species and looking forward to a cooked breakfast.
After breakfast it was time to explore further afield. Matthew decided he had had enough bird-watching for one day, so Jenny stayed at home with him, while Andrew came with me. Skeleton Creek, was disappointingly devoid of waterbirds, as it had been for the twitchathons back in October and no new birds were seen here. We fared better at Point Cook disturbing a Richard's Pipit form the access road and seeing four Australasian Grebes, two adults plus two full-grown juveniles, on the small pond near the homestead. A single Pacific Golden Plover flew along the coast where Silvereyes and Singing Honeyeaters called from the bushes and a Whistling Kite flew over the car park before dropping into the grasses. The water level in Spectacle Lake was low so there were few waterfowl, but Black-tailed Native Hens fed on the lake's grassy banks and an adult Red-capped Plover stood at the water's edge. An Echidna, ambling across an open space between two bushes during the heat of the day, was our most surprising sighting. It was now 15:00 and difficult to think where new birds might be found. The resident Crested Pigeons could not be found near Point Cook R.A.A.F. base but a male Australian Kestrel was seen perched on a fence post. We headed out to the grasslands around Truganina, north-west of Laverton and explored the many tracks. Singing Bushlarks were reasonably common, frequently perching on fences and a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo seen in a patch of scrub took the species total to 70 but bird activity was at a minimum in the 30oC temperature and blustery, dry wind. Most unexpected bird of the day was Banded Lapwing, a flock of 13 was seen sharing afield with several horses from a nearby stables. And with that sighting we headed for home and tea.
I ventured out alone in the evening. Now that the temperature and wind had dropped somewhat, the birds were again active. The Point Cook Crested Pigeons had returned to their usual haunt. From a vantage point near Skeleton Creek a vixen and two cubs were watched trotting across the dried salt pans startling a hare, the fourth animal recorded. The final birds of the day were two Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrikes flying over the creek and a flock of 41 Marsh Sandpipers roosting in the shallows.
So ended my first New Year's Day birdwatch down-under. Few regularly recorded species were missed (e.g. Great Egret, Straw-necked Ibis and Striated Fieldwren) but given the available habitats within 10 km of Seaholme, the total of 74 species was not a bad haul, although I am suremore experienced Australian bird-watchers could have bettered it.
Thursday, 31 October 1996
Return From The Red Centre
Of course, in order to return from anywhere you first have to get there. The cost of flights and one-way car hire proved to be too costly for us, so we opted for a long train ride - car and all. We travelled on the overnight 'Overland' from Melbourne to Adelaide, where we had a few hours before joining the famous 'Ghan' for the long haul (18 hours and 1555 km) north to Alice Springs.
Alice Springs, when we arrived, was sunny and hot with temperatures in the mid-thirties; a bit of a shock after the air-conditioned cool of 'The Ghan'. After stocking up with provisions we headed west through the spectacular red scenery of the West MacDonnell Ranges, made even more spectacular by the strong, gusty winds raising storms of red dust. In these conditions birds were few and far between and little time was spent birding as we concentrated on keeping the car on the road.
Ormiston Gorge, in the heart of the West MacDonnell National Park and about 130 km west of Alice Springs was our first base. The campsite here lies in the shadow of the mountains with a view towards the gorge where Ormiston Creek has cut its way through the range. Beware, the rocky ground was extremely hard and we are now the proud owners of several interesting shaped tent pegs; we ended up guying the tent to large rocks, of which there were plenty. While pitching camp, we saw the first of the birds we had come this far to see. A Western Bowerbird foraged around the barbecue area and was later seen to take items from a hot barbecue plate as were Little Crows. Crested Pigeons were common around the camp and were soon joined by up to 20 Spinifex Pigeons; running around like 'little clockwork red indians' according to Andrew (aged 8). While the campsite was relatively deserted these engaging pigeons were always present but when busy, they made themselves scarce.
At the mouth of the gorge is a permanent water hole, created where rocks carried by the river when in flood have scoured out the ground to below the level of the water table. No real rains had fallen in this area for 18-months prior to our visit so the rivers were dry and water in the water hole low. Andrew and Matthew (aged 7) needed no second invitation to cool off in the surprisingly chilly water. Just as the water was irresistible to two boys so it was to various waterbirds with the following being present during our stay: Australasian Grebe, 10; Little Black Cormorant 4; Pacific Heron,1; White-faced Heron, 1; Pacific Black Duck 2; Grey Teal 4 and Black-fronted Plover, 1. Also seen at the waterhole were our first Diamond Doves plus thirsty Common Bronzewings.
The blustery conditions continued all day and put us off walking through the hills. Instead we opted for a drive to Glen Helen, at the western end of the sealed road. From here an unsealed road passes through aboriginal land and a permit is required. En route we crossed range land, where cattle had completely denuded the vegetation leaving tracts of bare red earth - the source of the dust. The waterhole here is much larger than that at Ormiston with extensive reed beds at its southern end from where a few Clamorous Reed Warblers could be heard singing. Further exploration was unfortunately thwarted by the challenging climb along the sides of the waterhole, so while Jenny and the boys went for a dip, I contented myself with a wander round the northern shores adding Little Woodswallow to our slowly expanding list.
Thankfully, the wind died down overnight and our second morning at Ormiston dawned bright and calm. We were up with the sun, (well almost), for a saunter along the Ghost Gum trail. It follows the gorge beyond the waterhole before climbing the cliffs and returning to the campsite via a solitary ghost gum perched on a crag high above the waterhole. Apparently, the roots of this tree reach down to the watertable some hundreds of feet below. This early in the morning we shared the gorge only with the previously invisible Black-footed Rock-Wallaby; amazingly agile as they bounded over the scree slopes. We counted 34 including at least one joey in the pouch, but suspect that others remained invisible. As the sun rose the ringing calls of the Pied Butcherbird echoed eerily from the ever-changing, but always vivid red, coloured walls of the gorge. As we followed the trail back along the cliff tops two small, dark birds were disturbed from the path, flying to a nearby bush where they perched in full view allowing us to identify them as Dusky Grasswrens. This was my first species in a family I had long wanted to see and we watched them for more than 5 minutes. The male was often in view as it sang from exposed perches, either a rock or bush top. The presumed female was more secretive. As we returned to camp a pair of Pink (Major Mitchell's) Cockatoos were perched in the top of a gum tree, breaking up small ants nests and apparently eating the contents. They were accompanied by a single Australian Ringneck which was apparently feeding from the nests that the cockatoos had already broken open.
After a cooked breakfast, shared with a Western Bowerbird and Little Crow, we broke camp and headed back towards Alice Springs. In stark contrast to our outward journey birds were plentiful by the roadside in the calm but hot conditions. Our first Red-backed Kingfisher was seen near the Ochre Pits. Zebra Finches flocked to drink at Ellery Creek Big Hole regardless of the swimmers nearby. A Crested Bellbird perched high in a bush when I expected to see it on the ground while Black-faced Woodswallows swooped overhead.
In Alice Springs we visited the School of the Air and Flying Doctor Service, Australian institutions about which we had heard much back in England. Both offered a fascinating insight into the problems of providing services to remote locations in the vast, sparsely populated interior. A picnic lunch was taken at the original springs, near the Telegraph Station, currently no more than a small muddy puddle in the bed of the dry Todd River. In bushes around the car park we identified Slaty-backed Thornbill and Red-browed Pardalote. Still celebrating these latest two additions to our list, we attempted to start the car, only to be greeted with an ominous whirring. Not what we wanted to hear with the best part of 2500 km to drive home. It bump-started O.K. and we reached a garage who diagnosed a poorly alternator. The good news was that they could probably fix it for the next morning. We would not lose too much time but my plans to go in search of Bourke's Parrot were scuppered.
Next day we were on the road before midday with nothing more than a hole in the budget for our problems. We were bowling along quite nicely, with one eye on the sky for raptors, when, less than 100 km south of Alice Springs the car lost all momentum. Not being mechanically inclined I did not have a clue what had gone wrong. Fortunately (?) we were less than 2 km from Stuart's Well, a small wayside halt with motel, bar and garage. Within 30 minutes we had been towed in.The problem this time turned out to be a broken timing chain which would take 4 hours or so to fix once the part was available. Unfortunately, that would not be until late the next day so we would be marooned in Stuart's Well for a couple of nights at least.
Common birds around the roadhouse included Galah, Yellow-throated Miner, White-plumed Honeyeater and Little Crow. A waterhole, by the carpark, attracted Zebra Finch, Tree Martin and Common Bronzewing. The rocky, scrub-covered hills to the north seemed particularly devoid of birds with only the antics of brightly coloured Rainbow Bee-eaters enlivening a long walk. A dry valley through the hills, where the water course was traced by a wriggling line of small trees was more productive with Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Crested Bellbird and White-backed Swallow (one of my favourite Australian birds) all being seen. Across the Stuart Highway ('look both ways before crossing!') is a lucerne farm, a vivid swathe of green, maintained by irrigation, in stark contrast to the surrounding reddish-brown countryside. Many birds came to feed where the crop had been harvested including Australian Bustard, Banded and Masked Lapwings among the Galahs and Little Crows. The locals reported both Cockatiel and Budgerigar occurred in the area but I did not have the fortune to find either. If you are interested in birding the area around Stuart's Well, I can supply a mud map. Please seek permission from the bar before wandering away from the immediate vicinity of the roadhouse.
Following a day's sojourn, which included a camel ride plus a dip in the motel pool as well as the birding, our car was ready to go the next morning. Now it was decision time. One of the main reasons for coming to this part of the world was to see Ayers Rock but we were running short of time. We decided that having got 'so close' we could not miss out. With some trepidation and an even bigger hole in the budget, we said farewell to the kind folks of Stuart's Well and continued south on the Stuart Highway. At Erldunda we filled up with petrol (only 97 cents per litre!) before heading west on the Lasseter Highway. A fortuitous lunch stop at a picnic site resulted in directions from a fellow traveller to a nearby saltpan where White-winged Fairy Wrens and Grey Falcon could be seen Disappointingly, Grey turned out to be Brown but the Fairy-Wrens, the male a vivid blue against the dull green of the vegetation, were present as were a couple of Banded Whitefaces, a flock of White-browed Babblers and a pair of Red-backed Kingfishers. Continuing towards Yulara every cutting through the sand dunes/hills seemed to hold a pair of White-backed Swallows.
Our arrival at Yulara campsite coincided with an unexpected rain shower which dropped the temperature by several degrees. Thankfully, the storm had passed before sunset and we were able to enjoy the rock changing through various hues of red with the additional treat of a rainbow over one end. Arriving at 16:00 one day and departing at midday the next did not give us nearly enough time to do the area justice. We could have lingered much longer in the cultural centre, an ideal place to visit during the heat of the day and would have enjoyed longer walks through the Olgas and round the base of Ayres Rock. Maybe next time.
We now only had 2.5 days to get back to Melbourne and a large portion of Australia to cover. Our stops were brief and highlights were few. A spectacular electrical storm raged overhead as we drove south towards Coober Pedy where we spent the night in a very nice cave. Continuing down the Stuart Highway, we disturbed 7 Wedge-tailed Eagles from a road-killed Kangaroo and saw our first House Sparrows and Starlings at Glendambo roadhouse. A party of Blue-Bonnets were seen just north of Port Augusta where we turned east, reaching Peterborough as the sun was setting. We were woken early by the noisy calls of an Apostlebird and thanks to this unusual alarm-clock were on the road before 07:00 with the promise of breakfast in Broken Hill. Twenty Wedge-tailed Eagles, mostly perched on telegraph poles beside the railway, were seen along this stretch.
Being Sunday, Broken Hill appeared closed and we missed out on breakfast so we turned south on the Silver City Highway. A close encounter of the bird kind (actually a Little Corella, now one of our least favourite Australian birds) left us with a starred windscreen, with most of the damage on the passenger's side. A very welcome break of a couple of hours was taken in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park where rest was more important than birding but Regent Parrot and White-winged Choughs came to us. After negotiating flooded sections of the Calder Highway, we eventually reached Melbourne and home at 23:00. We had made it back from the Red Centre!
In conclusion we could easily have spent our entire holiday at each of the places we visited, even Coober Pedy had a certain fascination. We saw some wonderful scenery, a few good birds (but left plenty to go back for) and drove a long, long way (3726 km) while completing more than 20 Bird of Prey Watch sheets.
Alice Springs, when we arrived, was sunny and hot with temperatures in the mid-thirties; a bit of a shock after the air-conditioned cool of 'The Ghan'. After stocking up with provisions we headed west through the spectacular red scenery of the West MacDonnell Ranges, made even more spectacular by the strong, gusty winds raising storms of red dust. In these conditions birds were few and far between and little time was spent birding as we concentrated on keeping the car on the road.
Ormiston Gorge, in the heart of the West MacDonnell National Park and about 130 km west of Alice Springs was our first base. The campsite here lies in the shadow of the mountains with a view towards the gorge where Ormiston Creek has cut its way through the range. Beware, the rocky ground was extremely hard and we are now the proud owners of several interesting shaped tent pegs; we ended up guying the tent to large rocks, of which there were plenty. While pitching camp, we saw the first of the birds we had come this far to see. A Western Bowerbird foraged around the barbecue area and was later seen to take items from a hot barbecue plate as were Little Crows. Crested Pigeons were common around the camp and were soon joined by up to 20 Spinifex Pigeons; running around like 'little clockwork red indians' according to Andrew (aged 8). While the campsite was relatively deserted these engaging pigeons were always present but when busy, they made themselves scarce.
At the mouth of the gorge is a permanent water hole, created where rocks carried by the river when in flood have scoured out the ground to below the level of the water table. No real rains had fallen in this area for 18-months prior to our visit so the rivers were dry and water in the water hole low. Andrew and Matthew (aged 7) needed no second invitation to cool off in the surprisingly chilly water. Just as the water was irresistible to two boys so it was to various waterbirds with the following being present during our stay: Australasian Grebe, 10; Little Black Cormorant 4; Pacific Heron,1; White-faced Heron, 1; Pacific Black Duck 2; Grey Teal 4 and Black-fronted Plover, 1. Also seen at the waterhole were our first Diamond Doves plus thirsty Common Bronzewings.
The blustery conditions continued all day and put us off walking through the hills. Instead we opted for a drive to Glen Helen, at the western end of the sealed road. From here an unsealed road passes through aboriginal land and a permit is required. En route we crossed range land, where cattle had completely denuded the vegetation leaving tracts of bare red earth - the source of the dust. The waterhole here is much larger than that at Ormiston with extensive reed beds at its southern end from where a few Clamorous Reed Warblers could be heard singing. Further exploration was unfortunately thwarted by the challenging climb along the sides of the waterhole, so while Jenny and the boys went for a dip, I contented myself with a wander round the northern shores adding Little Woodswallow to our slowly expanding list.
Thankfully, the wind died down overnight and our second morning at Ormiston dawned bright and calm. We were up with the sun, (well almost), for a saunter along the Ghost Gum trail. It follows the gorge beyond the waterhole before climbing the cliffs and returning to the campsite via a solitary ghost gum perched on a crag high above the waterhole. Apparently, the roots of this tree reach down to the watertable some hundreds of feet below. This early in the morning we shared the gorge only with the previously invisible Black-footed Rock-Wallaby; amazingly agile as they bounded over the scree slopes. We counted 34 including at least one joey in the pouch, but suspect that others remained invisible. As the sun rose the ringing calls of the Pied Butcherbird echoed eerily from the ever-changing, but always vivid red, coloured walls of the gorge. As we followed the trail back along the cliff tops two small, dark birds were disturbed from the path, flying to a nearby bush where they perched in full view allowing us to identify them as Dusky Grasswrens. This was my first species in a family I had long wanted to see and we watched them for more than 5 minutes. The male was often in view as it sang from exposed perches, either a rock or bush top. The presumed female was more secretive. As we returned to camp a pair of Pink (Major Mitchell's) Cockatoos were perched in the top of a gum tree, breaking up small ants nests and apparently eating the contents. They were accompanied by a single Australian Ringneck which was apparently feeding from the nests that the cockatoos had already broken open.
After a cooked breakfast, shared with a Western Bowerbird and Little Crow, we broke camp and headed back towards Alice Springs. In stark contrast to our outward journey birds were plentiful by the roadside in the calm but hot conditions. Our first Red-backed Kingfisher was seen near the Ochre Pits. Zebra Finches flocked to drink at Ellery Creek Big Hole regardless of the swimmers nearby. A Crested Bellbird perched high in a bush when I expected to see it on the ground while Black-faced Woodswallows swooped overhead.
In Alice Springs we visited the School of the Air and Flying Doctor Service, Australian institutions about which we had heard much back in England. Both offered a fascinating insight into the problems of providing services to remote locations in the vast, sparsely populated interior. A picnic lunch was taken at the original springs, near the Telegraph Station, currently no more than a small muddy puddle in the bed of the dry Todd River. In bushes around the car park we identified Slaty-backed Thornbill and Red-browed Pardalote. Still celebrating these latest two additions to our list, we attempted to start the car, only to be greeted with an ominous whirring. Not what we wanted to hear with the best part of 2500 km to drive home. It bump-started O.K. and we reached a garage who diagnosed a poorly alternator. The good news was that they could probably fix it for the next morning. We would not lose too much time but my plans to go in search of Bourke's Parrot were scuppered.
Next day we were on the road before midday with nothing more than a hole in the budget for our problems. We were bowling along quite nicely, with one eye on the sky for raptors, when, less than 100 km south of Alice Springs the car lost all momentum. Not being mechanically inclined I did not have a clue what had gone wrong. Fortunately (?) we were less than 2 km from Stuart's Well, a small wayside halt with motel, bar and garage. Within 30 minutes we had been towed in.The problem this time turned out to be a broken timing chain which would take 4 hours or so to fix once the part was available. Unfortunately, that would not be until late the next day so we would be marooned in Stuart's Well for a couple of nights at least.
Common birds around the roadhouse included Galah, Yellow-throated Miner, White-plumed Honeyeater and Little Crow. A waterhole, by the carpark, attracted Zebra Finch, Tree Martin and Common Bronzewing. The rocky, scrub-covered hills to the north seemed particularly devoid of birds with only the antics of brightly coloured Rainbow Bee-eaters enlivening a long walk. A dry valley through the hills, where the water course was traced by a wriggling line of small trees was more productive with Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Crested Bellbird and White-backed Swallow (one of my favourite Australian birds) all being seen. Across the Stuart Highway ('look both ways before crossing!') is a lucerne farm, a vivid swathe of green, maintained by irrigation, in stark contrast to the surrounding reddish-brown countryside. Many birds came to feed where the crop had been harvested including Australian Bustard, Banded and Masked Lapwings among the Galahs and Little Crows. The locals reported both Cockatiel and Budgerigar occurred in the area but I did not have the fortune to find either. If you are interested in birding the area around Stuart's Well, I can supply a mud map. Please seek permission from the bar before wandering away from the immediate vicinity of the roadhouse.
Following a day's sojourn, which included a camel ride plus a dip in the motel pool as well as the birding, our car was ready to go the next morning. Now it was decision time. One of the main reasons for coming to this part of the world was to see Ayers Rock but we were running short of time. We decided that having got 'so close' we could not miss out. With some trepidation and an even bigger hole in the budget, we said farewell to the kind folks of Stuart's Well and continued south on the Stuart Highway. At Erldunda we filled up with petrol (only 97 cents per litre!) before heading west on the Lasseter Highway. A fortuitous lunch stop at a picnic site resulted in directions from a fellow traveller to a nearby saltpan where White-winged Fairy Wrens and Grey Falcon could be seen Disappointingly, Grey turned out to be Brown but the Fairy-Wrens, the male a vivid blue against the dull green of the vegetation, were present as were a couple of Banded Whitefaces, a flock of White-browed Babblers and a pair of Red-backed Kingfishers. Continuing towards Yulara every cutting through the sand dunes/hills seemed to hold a pair of White-backed Swallows.
Our arrival at Yulara campsite coincided with an unexpected rain shower which dropped the temperature by several degrees. Thankfully, the storm had passed before sunset and we were able to enjoy the rock changing through various hues of red with the additional treat of a rainbow over one end. Arriving at 16:00 one day and departing at midday the next did not give us nearly enough time to do the area justice. We could have lingered much longer in the cultural centre, an ideal place to visit during the heat of the day and would have enjoyed longer walks through the Olgas and round the base of Ayres Rock. Maybe next time.
We now only had 2.5 days to get back to Melbourne and a large portion of Australia to cover. Our stops were brief and highlights were few. A spectacular electrical storm raged overhead as we drove south towards Coober Pedy where we spent the night in a very nice cave. Continuing down the Stuart Highway, we disturbed 7 Wedge-tailed Eagles from a road-killed Kangaroo and saw our first House Sparrows and Starlings at Glendambo roadhouse. A party of Blue-Bonnets were seen just north of Port Augusta where we turned east, reaching Peterborough as the sun was setting. We were woken early by the noisy calls of an Apostlebird and thanks to this unusual alarm-clock were on the road before 07:00 with the promise of breakfast in Broken Hill. Twenty Wedge-tailed Eagles, mostly perched on telegraph poles beside the railway, were seen along this stretch.
Being Sunday, Broken Hill appeared closed and we missed out on breakfast so we turned south on the Silver City Highway. A close encounter of the bird kind (actually a Little Corella, now one of our least favourite Australian birds) left us with a starred windscreen, with most of the damage on the passenger's side. A very welcome break of a couple of hours was taken in Hattah-Kulkyne National Park where rest was more important than birding but Regent Parrot and White-winged Choughs came to us. After negotiating flooded sections of the Calder Highway, we eventually reached Melbourne and home at 23:00. We had made it back from the Red Centre!
In conclusion we could easily have spent our entire holiday at each of the places we visited, even Coober Pedy had a certain fascination. We saw some wonderful scenery, a few good birds (but left plenty to go back for) and drove a long, long way (3726 km) while completing more than 20 Bird of Prey Watch sheets.
Return from the Red Centre: Species List
Emu
Australasian Grebe M
Little Black Cormorant M
Little Pied Cormorant
Australian Darter M
Great Egret M
White-faced Heron M
Pacific Heron M
Sacred Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Black Swan
Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck M
Australian Grey Teal M
Chestnut Teal
Collared Sparrowhawk S
Brown Goshawk
Black Kite A
Whistling Kite A
Wedge-tailed Eagle M
Black-shouldered Kite
Brown Falcon MSU
Australian Kestrel MS
Australian Hobby S
Australian Bustard S
Eurasian Coot M
Black-tailed Native Hen A
Masked Lapwing AS
Banded Lapwing S
Black-fronted Plover M
Silver Gull
Spinifex Pigeon* M
Crested Pigeon MASU
Common Bronzewing MS
Diamond Dove* M
Peaceful Dove A
Pink Cockatoo M
Galah M
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo M
Little Corella*
Long-billed Corella
Rainbow Lorikeet
Ringneck Parrot M
Regent Parrot H
Mulga Parrot S
Blue Bonnet
Pallid Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo S
Southern Boobook M
Laughing Kookaburra
Red-backed Kingfisher* MS
Rainbow Bee-eater S
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin M
Tree Martin S
White-backed Swallow S
Richard's Pipit S
Singing Bushlark
Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike MASU
White-winged Triller A
Hooded Robin MS
Rufous Whistler S
Grey Shrike-Thrush MS
Crested Bellbird* MS
Willie Wagtail MASU
White-browed Babbler
Grey-crowned Babbler M
Clamorous Reed Warbler M
Superb Fairy-Wren
Splendid Fairy-Wren
White-winged Wren*
Variegated Fairy-Wren
Dusky Grasswren* M
Western Gerygone M
Southern Whiteface AS
Banded Whiteface*
Weebill A
Yellow-rumped Thornbill A
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill S
Slate-backed Thornbill A
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater ASU
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner MASU
Noisy Miner H
Singing Honeyeater
Grey-headed Honeyeater* MASU
White-plumed Honeyeater MASU
Mistletoebird MA
Red-browed Pardalote* AS
Zebra Finch MASU
House Sparrow
Common Starling
Common Myna
Magpie Lark MASU
White-winged Chough H
Apostlebird
Little Wood-Swallow* M
Black-faced Wood-Swallow MSU
Masked Wood-Swallow*
Pied Butcherbird MASU
Australian Magpie SU
Western Bowerbird* M
Little Crow* MAS
Australian Raven H
Little Raven
105 Species recorded 13 lifers
Abbreviations :- *=lifer; Northern Territory Sites: A=Alice Springs; M=MacDonnell N.P.;S=Stuart's Well; U=Uluru; Victorian Sites: H=Hattah-Kulkyne N.P.
Australasian Grebe M
Little Black Cormorant M
Little Pied Cormorant
Australian Darter M
Great Egret M
White-faced Heron M
Pacific Heron M
Sacred Ibis
Straw-necked Ibis
Black Swan
Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck M
Australian Grey Teal M
Chestnut Teal
Collared Sparrowhawk S
Brown Goshawk
Black Kite A
Whistling Kite A
Wedge-tailed Eagle M
Black-shouldered Kite
Brown Falcon MSU
Australian Kestrel MS
Australian Hobby S
Australian Bustard S
Eurasian Coot M
Black-tailed Native Hen A
Masked Lapwing AS
Banded Lapwing S
Black-fronted Plover M
Silver Gull
Spinifex Pigeon* M
Crested Pigeon MASU
Common Bronzewing MS
Diamond Dove* M
Peaceful Dove A
Pink Cockatoo M
Galah M
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo M
Little Corella*
Long-billed Corella
Rainbow Lorikeet
Ringneck Parrot M
Regent Parrot H
Mulga Parrot S
Blue Bonnet
Pallid Cuckoo
Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo S
Southern Boobook M
Laughing Kookaburra
Red-backed Kingfisher* MS
Rainbow Bee-eater S
Welcome Swallow
Fairy Martin M
Tree Martin S
White-backed Swallow S
Richard's Pipit S
Singing Bushlark
Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike MASU
White-winged Triller A
Hooded Robin MS
Rufous Whistler S
Grey Shrike-Thrush MS
Crested Bellbird* MS
Willie Wagtail MASU
White-browed Babbler
Grey-crowned Babbler M
Clamorous Reed Warbler M
Superb Fairy-Wren
Splendid Fairy-Wren
White-winged Wren*
Variegated Fairy-Wren
Dusky Grasswren* M
Western Gerygone M
Southern Whiteface AS
Banded Whiteface*
Weebill A
Yellow-rumped Thornbill A
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill S
Slate-backed Thornbill A
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater ASU
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Yellow-throated Miner MASU
Noisy Miner H
Singing Honeyeater
Grey-headed Honeyeater* MASU
White-plumed Honeyeater MASU
Mistletoebird MA
Red-browed Pardalote* AS
Zebra Finch MASU
House Sparrow
Common Starling
Common Myna
Magpie Lark MASU
White-winged Chough H
Apostlebird
Little Wood-Swallow* M
Black-faced Wood-Swallow MSU
Masked Wood-Swallow*
Pied Butcherbird MASU
Australian Magpie SU
Western Bowerbird* M
Little Crow* MAS
Australian Raven H
Little Raven
105 Species recorded 13 lifers
Abbreviations :- *=lifer; Northern Territory Sites: A=Alice Springs; M=MacDonnell N.P.;S=Stuart's Well; U=Uluru; Victorian Sites: H=Hattah-Kulkyne N.P.
Monday, 28 October 1996
Report of 'THE MURUKS' 1996 Twitchathon
'THE MURUKS', also known as the Hicks Family, (Roger , Jenny, Andrew (aged 8.5) and Matthew (aged 7)), being relative newcomers to the Melbourne area (having only arrived in March this year) were taking part in their first RAOU twitchathon. Our preparation time had been limited (by among other things holidays and a seventh birthday party) so we decided to stick to areas we knew, reckoning we should notch up between 120 and 150 species. We did not expect to challenge the big guns but hoped for a good 24 hours birding and a reasonable score. We also decided that as Andrew and Matthew were not too hot on bird calls, and mum and dad were no better, that to count a species at least three of us, in line with Twitchathon rules, would have to SEE it.Access to Laverton Salt Works was arranged. We met the ranger, Bernie McCarrick, at 14:00 and he treated us to a guided tour. This proved invaluable for locating birds once the race had begun. Half of the old saltworks have been sold for a residential development including an exclusive golf course, designed by Greg Norman, and an extensive freshwater lake. The remainder, the salt pans closest to the sea, will be maintained as a nature reserve. Many of the pans are currently drier than normal as vandals had wrecked the pump, a replacement is due next week. This was possibly to our advantage as it concentrated the birds on the few ponds where some water remained.Shortly after 15:00 we were back at our car and ready to begin the Twitchathon. First bird was a Welcome Swallow soon followed by a Willie Wagtail. No surprises there. New birds came rapidly as we drove into the salt works; Common Starling, Australian Magpie, Little Raven etc. As on the junior twitchathon the previous weekend, Skeleton Creek was disappointingly devoid of wildfowl, the only duck were a pair of Pacific Blacks, presumably indicative of the wet conditions inland. By way of compensation a Swamp Harrier drifted low over a reed bed while 3 Whiskered Terns patrolled along the edge of the reeds. Our visit coincided with high tide in Port Phillip Bay and we estimated 5000 waders were roosting on the salt pans. By far the most numerous were Red-necked Stints; at least 3 were wearing orange leg flags, followed by Curlew Sandpipers and then fewer Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red Knot, including one of the latter still retaining the vestiges of its breeding plumage - made it much easier for the boys to pick up through the 'scope. A pair of Masked Lapwing were seen with a full grown young while the behaviour of a Red-capped Plover suggested it might be breeding nearby. Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper were seen where the water levels were higher while on the ponds closest to the sea, where the water was deepest, were Red-necked Avocet and White-headed Stilt plus numerous Black Swan and Australian Shelduck. An Australian Kestrel seen as we left the salt works was particularly pleasing as we had contrived to miss this species entirely on the junior twitchathon. We felt we had done quite well to reach 43 species although we had probably spent half-an-hour longer than intended. Many thanks to Bernie for allowing us into the saltworks - it got our twitchathon off to a good start.It was a short drive down the road to Point Cook Metropolitan Park. Unfortunately, the track leading to the homestead was closed off so we had to double back to the picnic area adding common species such as Greenfinch, New Holland Honeyeater, Blackbird and Spotted Turtle Dove. SingingHoneyeater became our 50th species at 17:00. Spectacle Lakes provided the highlight of the twitchathon, not for waterbirds, although we saw Black-tailed Native Hen and Chestnut Teal but for a small party of Blue-wing Parrots, probably 3 pairs, feeding on the small white flowers of the common bushes near the hide (sorry, I do not know what they are). This was a LIFER and it was extremely difficult to tick and move on besides Matthew was trying his hardest to turn them into OBPs. We couldn't be that lucky!!>From Point Cook we drove to the You Yangs picking up Crested Pigeon and four species of parrot en route. The Tawny Frogmouth was sat on its nest near the park gate and Purple-crowned Lorikeets were zitting through the tree tops. Fan-tailed Cuckoos were calling incessantly and we eventually managed to locate one perched so we could all see it. A gang of White-winged Choughs were feeding by the track side and were feeding young in their mud bowl nest. We could have done with being at You Yangs half-an-hour earlier (the time we had lost at the salt works) as dusk came all too quickly. We failed to locate any night birds on a cross-country route back to Altona and so finished the first day on 71 species.The next morning we were on the road by 05:45 (remember daylight saving came into effect overnight) heading for the Brisbane Ranges. It was already too light for any chance of an owl but we had a wait before finding our first new bird, a Eurasian Coot seen at a roadside dam where therewas also a Grey Teal. Other roadside sightings included Long-billed Corella, Singing Bushlark and Laughing Kookaburra. By 07:00 we were at Stony Creek picnic ground enjoying a cup of coffee and the Brown Treecreepers which foraged around the picnic tables like sparrows in suburbia. A pair of Crested Shrike-Tits were nesting in the top of a small tree by the car park while another White-winged Chough nest was located near the road. Twenty species were added before 09:30 with a Red-browed Firetail being number 100. Scarlet Robin, Buff-rumped Thornbill and Yellow Thornbill were seen on the drive up to the main road.I now made a tactical blunder deciding to chase down to Lake Gherang for birds I hoped might be there rather than going to sites we knew. In the last seven hours of the race we only added a further 17 species seeing relatively few new birds while travelling. This decision probably cost us 10-15 species and I am still kicking myself. We did see both Yellow-billed and Royal Spoonbill at Lake Gherang while on the Lake to the east were our only Pelicans of the race plus a pair of Caspian Terns. An Australasian Gannet was eventually seen by the required majority from Point Addisbut it was tricky. We were late setting out for Melbourne, not even leaving ourselves enough time to visit our local patch in Altona so we were a little bit down as we approached the zoological gardens. Tree Sparrow and Rainbow Lorikeet were our last birds, taking our total to 120 species.Before I finish here are some suggestions for twitchathon novices (so you do not fall into the same traps as us):- 1) Have a game plan including route, sites and latest departure times AND stick to it; 2) Go where you know there are birds NOT where you hope they might be; 3) For night birds especially, but diurnal species too, known sites where you can tick and run are invaluable; 4) Some knowledge of bird calls is similarly invaluable, even if like us you intend seeing every species, knowing what you are looking for helps. I just hope we can follow our own advice.Finally, it was great to unwind at the post-race barbecue, and to listen to the other racers stories. Andrew and Matthew really liked the idea of spot-lighting for waterfowl but I am not sure Jenny or I have the stamina. It was even better to realise we had not disgraced ourselves and were not even last. And last but by no means least a very big THANK YOU to all those who sponsored 'The Muruks'Now, we are off to plan 'The Muruks' assault on the 1997 twitchathon......
'THE MURUKS' 1996 Twitchathon List
SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER 1996
Laverton Salt Works - 15:00-16:45
001. Welcome Swallow n
002. Willie Wagtail
003. *Common Starling
004. Australian Magpie n
005. Little Raven
006. *Common Myna
007. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
008. White-fronted Chat
009. Magpie Lark
010. Swamp Harrier
011. Whiskered Tern
012. Hoary-headed Grebe
013. Great Egret
014. Pacific Black Duck
015. Purple Swamphen
016. White-faced Heron
017. Silver Gull
018. *House Sparrow n
019. *Skylark
020. Curlew Sandpiper
021. Red-necked Stint
022. Red Knot
023. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
024. Red-capped Plover
025. Masked Lapwing y
026. Greenshank
027. Australian Shelduck y
028. Marsh Sandpiper
029. Sacred Ibis
030. White-headed Stilt
031. Black Swan ny
032. Red-necked Avocet
033. Pacific Gull
034. Little Grassbird
035. Golden-headed Cisticola
036. Dusky Moorhen y
037. Little Black Cormorant
038. Little Pied Cormorant
039. Black-shouldered Kite
040. European Goldfinch
041. Silvereye
042. Superb Fairy-Wren
043. Australian Kestrel
Point Cook Metropolitan Park 16:50-17:30
044. *Greenfinch
045. New Holland Honeyeater
046. Pied Cormorant
047. White-plumed Honeyeater
048. Red Wattlebird
049. Crested Tern
050. Singing Honeyeater
051. *Blackbird
052. *Spotted Turtle Dove
053. Blue-winged Parrot *** LIFER ***
054. Black-tailed Native-Hen
055. Chestnut Teal
056. Pallid Cuckoo
057. Crested Pigeon
Point Cook - You Yangs 17:30-18:00
058. Galah
059. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
060. Straw-necked Ibis
061. Red-rumped Parrot
062. Eastern Rosella
You Yangs 18:00-19:00
063. Tawny Frogmouth n
064. Purple-crowned Lorikeet
065. Noisy Miner
066. Tree Martin
067. Eastern Yellow Robin
068. Dusky Woodswallow
069. White-winged Chough
070. Little Wattlebird
071. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER 1996
Altona - Brisbane Ranges 04:45-06:00
072. Eurasian Coot ny
073. Grey Teal
074. Singing Bushlark
075. Long-billed Corella
076. Australasian Grebe n
077. Crimson Rosella
078. Grey Shrike-Thrush
079. Grey Currawong
080. Mistletoebird
081. Australian Shoveler
082. Laughing Kookaburra
083. Maned Duck y
Stony Creek Picnic area, Brisbane Ranges06:00-08:30
084. Brown Treecreeper
085. Rufous Whistler
086. Grey Fantail
087. Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
088. White-browed Scrub-Wren
089. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
090. Musk Lorikeet
091. Crested Shrike Tit n
092. Striated Pardalote
093. Olive-backed Oriole
094. White-throated Treecreeper
095. White-naped Honeyeater
096. Striated Thornbill
097. Brown Thornbill
098. Satin Flycatcher
099. Sacred Kingfisher
100. Red-browed Firetail
101. Scarlet Robin
102. Buff-rumped Thornbill
103. Yellow Thornbill
Brisbane Ranges - Lake Gherang
104. Brown Falcon
105. Whistling Kite
106. *Feral Pigeon
Lake Gherang
107. Royal Spoonbill
108. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
109. Richard's Pipit
Lake Modewarre
110. Australian Pelican
111. Cattle Egret
112. Caspian Tern
113. Brown Goshawk
Point Addis & Ironbark Basin
114. Australasian Gannet
115. Brown-headed Honeyeater
Torquay - Melbourne 15:00-16:10
116. Little Egret
117. Great Cormorant
118. Black Kite
119. *Tree Sparrow
120. Rainbow Lorikeet
Key: * = Introduced Species; n = nesting noted; y = noted with young
'THE MURUKS' 1996 Twitchathon List
SATURDAY 26th OCTOBER 1996
Laverton Salt Works - 15:00-16:45
001. Welcome Swallow n
002. Willie Wagtail
003. *Common Starling
004. Australian Magpie n
005. Little Raven
006. *Common Myna
007. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
008. White-fronted Chat
009. Magpie Lark
010. Swamp Harrier
011. Whiskered Tern
012. Hoary-headed Grebe
013. Great Egret
014. Pacific Black Duck
015. Purple Swamphen
016. White-faced Heron
017. Silver Gull
018. *House Sparrow n
019. *Skylark
020. Curlew Sandpiper
021. Red-necked Stint
022. Red Knot
023. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
024. Red-capped Plover
025. Masked Lapwing y
026. Greenshank
027. Australian Shelduck y
028. Marsh Sandpiper
029. Sacred Ibis
030. White-headed Stilt
031. Black Swan ny
032. Red-necked Avocet
033. Pacific Gull
034. Little Grassbird
035. Golden-headed Cisticola
036. Dusky Moorhen y
037. Little Black Cormorant
038. Little Pied Cormorant
039. Black-shouldered Kite
040. European Goldfinch
041. Silvereye
042. Superb Fairy-Wren
043. Australian Kestrel
Point Cook Metropolitan Park 16:50-17:30
044. *Greenfinch
045. New Holland Honeyeater
046. Pied Cormorant
047. White-plumed Honeyeater
048. Red Wattlebird
049. Crested Tern
050. Singing Honeyeater
051. *Blackbird
052. *Spotted Turtle Dove
053. Blue-winged Parrot *** LIFER ***
054. Black-tailed Native-Hen
055. Chestnut Teal
056. Pallid Cuckoo
057. Crested Pigeon
Point Cook - You Yangs 17:30-18:00
058. Galah
059. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
060. Straw-necked Ibis
061. Red-rumped Parrot
062. Eastern Rosella
You Yangs 18:00-19:00
063. Tawny Frogmouth n
064. Purple-crowned Lorikeet
065. Noisy Miner
066. Tree Martin
067. Eastern Yellow Robin
068. Dusky Woodswallow
069. White-winged Chough
070. Little Wattlebird
071. Fan-tailed Cuckoo
SUNDAY 27TH OCTOBER 1996
Altona - Brisbane Ranges 04:45-06:00
072. Eurasian Coot ny
073. Grey Teal
074. Singing Bushlark
075. Long-billed Corella
076. Australasian Grebe n
077. Crimson Rosella
078. Grey Shrike-Thrush
079. Grey Currawong
080. Mistletoebird
081. Australian Shoveler
082. Laughing Kookaburra
083. Maned Duck y
Stony Creek Picnic area, Brisbane Ranges06:00-08:30
084. Brown Treecreeper
085. Rufous Whistler
086. Grey Fantail
087. Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike
088. White-browed Scrub-Wren
089. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
090. Musk Lorikeet
091. Crested Shrike Tit n
092. Striated Pardalote
093. Olive-backed Oriole
094. White-throated Treecreeper
095. White-naped Honeyeater
096. Striated Thornbill
097. Brown Thornbill
098. Satin Flycatcher
099. Sacred Kingfisher
100. Red-browed Firetail
101. Scarlet Robin
102. Buff-rumped Thornbill
103. Yellow Thornbill
Brisbane Ranges - Lake Gherang
104. Brown Falcon
105. Whistling Kite
106. *Feral Pigeon
Lake Gherang
107. Royal Spoonbill
108. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
109. Richard's Pipit
Lake Modewarre
110. Australian Pelican
111. Cattle Egret
112. Caspian Tern
113. Brown Goshawk
Point Addis & Ironbark Basin
114. Australasian Gannet
115. Brown-headed Honeyeater
Torquay - Melbourne 15:00-16:10
116. Little Egret
117. Great Cormorant
118. Black Kite
119. *Tree Sparrow
120. Rainbow Lorikeet
Key: * = Introduced Species; n = nesting noted; y = noted with young
Sunday, 30 June 1996
Purple-crowned Lorikeets roosting and possibly nesting in metal pipes
Purple-crowned Lorikeets Glossopsitta porphyrocephala have been resident in Seaholme (Long. 144o50'E Lat 37o52'S), between Williamstown and Altona (to the west of Melbourne), Victoria since I arrived in the area in April 1996. Between April and June 1996 flocks of up to 20 birds were regularly recorded feeding in the flowering gum trees that line the railway track. At this time other flocks were noted on the shores of Cherry Lake, near Altona civic hall, in Altona town centre, in fact wherever there were winter flowering eucalypts. Subsequently only pairs or small parties of up to six birds have been seen.
At dusk on 26 June 1996, two Purple-crowned Lorikeets were seen circling over Seaholme station, just above tree height, prior to roosting. Their chosen roost was one of the metal pipes from which the railway's overhead electric cables are supported. The pipes have a square cross-section with sides of c. 5 cm. They are c. 2.5 m long of which 1 m is horizontal while the portion closest to the supporting stanchion slopes down at a 45o angle. Along a 2 km section of the Altona branch line of the railway, between the Millers Road level-crossing and east to the Kororoit Creek bridge are 36 stanchions from which the overhead electric cables are suspended. Since the first observation in June 1996 and until the end of the year Purple-crowned Lorikeets had been observed flying to roost, either singly or in pairs (but never more than two birds to a pipe), in 11 of the pipes. Other pipes may have been used during this period but unless the birds were seen entering, leaving or were heard calling from inside the pipe they would easily have escaped detection. Each observed roosting site was within 200 m of a flowering gum tree.
Purple-crowned Lorikeets were able to fly directly into the pipes. If a pair approached a pipe together the second bird would almost hover at the mouth of the pipe before it too darted inside. They were also seen to climb into and out of the pipe from a perching position on top.
There are no previous references to Purple-crowned Lorikeets roosting in hollows, whether natural or man-made although this would seem natural for a hole-nesting species. Forshaw & Cooper (1981) note they roost in the 'dense foliage of tall trees'.
Evidence of the Purple-crowned Lorikeets using these metal pipes for nesting is circumstantial and inconclusive i.e.,
1) Birds were regularly recorded (i.e. on more than 5 occasions with observation dates covering more than one week) at four pipes;
2) Purple-crowned Lorikeet activity at the same four pipes was noted at times other than dawn and dusk suggesting the pipes were not solely being used for roosting. However, regular and frequent trips suggesting the adults were feeding young were not recorded;
3) At four pipes (including three from above) single Purple-crowned Lorikeets were recorded flying to the pipes which they either entered or perched on top of and shortly after left accompanied by a second bird that had been in the pipe. Such behaviour has been noted in captive breeding birds when the male escorts the brooding female when she leaves the nest to feed (Forshaw & Cooper 1981);
4) Calls, sounding like those made by young birds but possibly only the calls of adult birds muffled by the pipe, have been heard coming from six pipes (including three from above). At Seaholme station soft calls were heard coming from a pipe two hours after sunset. However, all my sightings have been of adult Purple-crowned Lorikeets with extensive purple foreheads and well marked orange cheeks. I have no records of juvenile Purple-crowned Lorikeets.
Various parrot species make use of nest boxes e.g. Orange-bellied Parrots Neophema chrysogaster in Tasmania (pers. obs.) and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus banksii in western Victoria (M. Fendley pers. comm.) and nest in other man-made structures e.g. , Eastern Rosellas Platycerus eximus under rooves and Crimson Rosellas P. elegans in a steel girder (Carter 1996) but, if confirmed, this could be the first record for Purple-crowned Lorikeets nesting in a man-made structure.
Carter, M. 1996. Nesting Rosellas Playcerus spp.: Innovative site selection and notes on repeat breeding and other behaviour. Aust. Bird Watcher 16(8): 344-348.
Forshaw, J.M. & W.T.Cooper. 1981. Australian Parrots. Lansdowne Editions.
At dusk on 26 June 1996, two Purple-crowned Lorikeets were seen circling over Seaholme station, just above tree height, prior to roosting. Their chosen roost was one of the metal pipes from which the railway's overhead electric cables are supported. The pipes have a square cross-section with sides of c. 5 cm. They are c. 2.5 m long of which 1 m is horizontal while the portion closest to the supporting stanchion slopes down at a 45o angle. Along a 2 km section of the Altona branch line of the railway, between the Millers Road level-crossing and east to the Kororoit Creek bridge are 36 stanchions from which the overhead electric cables are suspended. Since the first observation in June 1996 and until the end of the year Purple-crowned Lorikeets had been observed flying to roost, either singly or in pairs (but never more than two birds to a pipe), in 11 of the pipes. Other pipes may have been used during this period but unless the birds were seen entering, leaving or were heard calling from inside the pipe they would easily have escaped detection. Each observed roosting site was within 200 m of a flowering gum tree.
Purple-crowned Lorikeets were able to fly directly into the pipes. If a pair approached a pipe together the second bird would almost hover at the mouth of the pipe before it too darted inside. They were also seen to climb into and out of the pipe from a perching position on top.
There are no previous references to Purple-crowned Lorikeets roosting in hollows, whether natural or man-made although this would seem natural for a hole-nesting species. Forshaw & Cooper (1981) note they roost in the 'dense foliage of tall trees'.
Evidence of the Purple-crowned Lorikeets using these metal pipes for nesting is circumstantial and inconclusive i.e.,
1) Birds were regularly recorded (i.e. on more than 5 occasions with observation dates covering more than one week) at four pipes;
2) Purple-crowned Lorikeet activity at the same four pipes was noted at times other than dawn and dusk suggesting the pipes were not solely being used for roosting. However, regular and frequent trips suggesting the adults were feeding young were not recorded;
3) At four pipes (including three from above) single Purple-crowned Lorikeets were recorded flying to the pipes which they either entered or perched on top of and shortly after left accompanied by a second bird that had been in the pipe. Such behaviour has been noted in captive breeding birds when the male escorts the brooding female when she leaves the nest to feed (Forshaw & Cooper 1981);
4) Calls, sounding like those made by young birds but possibly only the calls of adult birds muffled by the pipe, have been heard coming from six pipes (including three from above). At Seaholme station soft calls were heard coming from a pipe two hours after sunset. However, all my sightings have been of adult Purple-crowned Lorikeets with extensive purple foreheads and well marked orange cheeks. I have no records of juvenile Purple-crowned Lorikeets.
Various parrot species make use of nest boxes e.g. Orange-bellied Parrots Neophema chrysogaster in Tasmania (pers. obs.) and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos Calyptorhynchus banksii in western Victoria (M. Fendley pers. comm.) and nest in other man-made structures e.g. , Eastern Rosellas Platycerus eximus under rooves and Crimson Rosellas P. elegans in a steel girder (Carter 1996) but, if confirmed, this could be the first record for Purple-crowned Lorikeets nesting in a man-made structure.
Carter, M. 1996. Nesting Rosellas Playcerus spp.: Innovative site selection and notes on repeat breeding and other behaviour. Aust. Bird Watcher 16(8): 344-348.
Forshaw, J.M. & W.T.Cooper. 1981. Australian Parrots. Lansdowne Editions.
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