sign in sign up
<<
Home , Apostlebird, Australasian swamphen, Banded honeyeater, Brown honeyeater, Dusky myzomela, Eastern spinebill

GRAND PART I: & THE NORTHERN OCTOBER 1–17, 2018

Spinifex Pigeon

LEADER: DION HOBCROFT LIST COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM We were back on the road for my 17 th Grand Australia lap of honor—a series of tours that has become exponentially popular as the years have flown by. This is a great credit to all involved as it means we must be doing something right! As ever, the Sunburnt Country bowled us a few “bouncers”: the first cab off the rank in as the dreaded “East Coast Low” produced a severe weather warning of flash flooding, gale force winds, and seas the Antarctic would be proud of.

A Powerful in Sydney.

With forewarning of the deteriorating weather, we pushed hard on our first afternoon, and we were off to a flying start with the first on the list a with a large, recently fledged fluffy chick followed soon after by a roosting “Eastern” Barn Owl. Two in ten minutes—all is good. Motoring across Sydney, we went straight to a nesting pair of Tawny Frogmouths I had staked out. These “muppets” are ever popular, and the nocturnal list was surging with no nocturnal activity at all. A pair of recently arrived Channel-billed was attracting the wrath of Pied . As the cuckoos ate figs, the currawongs attacked them with loud bill snaps clearly audible. We hoovered up a bunch of birds ranging from Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Red-necked Avocet to a pair of Pink-eared Ducks, fantastic Superb Fairy-, and a beautiful Black-shouldered Kite. The most unexpected record was of a small party of Swift Parrots heard well but seen only poorly in classic bullet-like flight. All up we observed 55 in the afternoon—a healthy start.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 We awoke to rain and gloom but were well positioned in the riverside of the at dawn. The conditions would only deteriorate as the day progressed, so again we went at it quite solidly and enjoyed good rewards. Three Superb Lyrebirds were sighted, the last—a male flourishing with powerful song as he strode up the sandstone escarpments—was memorable. Brown -Dove, Wonga Pigeon, and flocks of Topknot Pigeons showed well. Shining Bronze-Cuckoo, Crimson , and dozens of raucous Sulphur-crested Cockatoos added to the atmosphere while a steady procession of bushbirds included eternal favorites like Variegated Fairy-, Green Catbird, Satin Bowerbird, Eastern , Eastern Whipbird, Black-faced Monarch, Golden Whistler, and Eastern Yellow Robin. With the rain setting in and the wind picking up, we headed to an early lunch—more like brunch—with hot drinks and food tasty and well-received. Fortified, we were out again, this time in the more exposed heathlands overlooking sandstone cliffs, a wild oceanscape, and fantastic wildflowers. Humpback Whales were breaching spectacularly and frequently as Australasian Gannets and hundreds of Wedge- tailed Shearwaters soared by. Birding continued to deliver good sightings ranging from the amazing Australian King-Parrot to the delightful Spotted , and great looks at a bunch of including White-naped, Brown-headed, New Holland, and , while a White-bellied Sea-Eagle looked regal in the scope. Eventually the rain had the better of us, and we retired for a hot shower and fine dinner.

Diamond Firetail takes a bath in Glen Davis.

Today would see the worst of the storm, and it was quite a tempest—winds gusting over 50 miles per hour, ocean swells averaging six meters (18 feet), and more than 150 mm of rain! The pelagic trip was cancelled. Hasty plans were made, and we found ourselves in a hide at Pitt

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Town Lagoon where we could shelter from the worst of it near the coast. It was a pleasant scene as Red-kneed Dotterels fed in front of us whilst a cloud of Fairy Martins dipped and kept close to the surface of the lagoon. Our big prize eventuated when a Baillon’s Crake became increasingly emboldened and fed at close range in line of the scope. Moving to Mitchell Park a brief lull in the rain allowed a few birds to poke their heads up including a fine Crested Shrike- tit, a perched Musk Lorikeet, a soggy Common Bronzewing, male Rufous Whistler, a small party of Yellow Thornbills and an excellent Eastern Whipbird. Our first was a big hit. Moving east to the Chiltern Trail the weather deteriorated to the point it became a botany tour. As one participant’s friend commented upon receiving some photos taken in the Sydney district “the flowers of Australia look like they came from a bar scene in Star Wars!” Our big win here was a flock of massive Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos that wailed and munched on cones. Our final stop in Warriewood produced a Spotless Crake that was timid and good looks at . It was absolutely bucketing down and the wind was impressive.

This beautiful male Spotted Quail-thrush was a great sighting in Capertee Valley.

Leaving Sydney still stuck in pretty ordinary conditions, we climbed up to the Blue Mountains. Our first stop produced an excellent Chestnut-rumped Heathwren and our first White-eared Honeyeaters. It was chilly and gray. Rockwarbler continued to elude us, as it would for the tour.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Crossing the , it brightened a lot, and the birding picked up. At Lake Wallace we found amazing Musk Ducks, Great Crested and, best of all, a small party of the rare Freckled Duck. Moving towards the Capertee Valley, new birds came thick and fast, and our luck returned. First we had a beautiful pair of Diamond Firetails bathing in a puddle. Then a stunning male Turquoise Parrot lit on a small branch in glowing low angled light—truly a vision most splendid. We finished with a Plum-headed Finch perched in a dead tree. In between were plenty of other classic Australian birds like Little Lorikeet, Brown Treecreeper, , Hooded Robin, White-browed and Masked woodswallows, colorful Eastern , the stunning little Mistletoebird, and good-looking honeyeaters like the Yellow-tufted. A good Italian dinner with Mudgee Shiraz and cold Bitter rounded out a good day.

A recently fledged Barking Owl sports an astonished look in Darwin.

The bad news was that the Regent researchers knew of no Regent Honeyeaters. The prolonged drought had caused this critically endangered bird to all but evaporate. We found some excellent groves of flowering Yellow Box heaving with Noisy but no luck with Regents for us and the surveyors we bumped into. Despite this, it was, as always, excellent birding in the Capertee Valley. A surprise was to bump into a Common Wombat on the road early in the morning. This solid, muddle-headed marsupial is typically strictly nocturnal. Mammals were in good form with hundreds of Eastern Gray Kangaroos and more modest

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 numbers of Red-necked Wallabies and Euros. New birds again came at a good rate including Pallid, Brush, and Horsfield’s Bronze cuckoos, White-winged Triller, White-bellied Cuckoo- shrike, Sacred , Dollarbird, Little Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Double-barred and Zebra finches, and Gray-crowned and White-browed babblers to mention some. The big highlight was a male Spotted Quail-thrush that gave superb views with excellent repeat views of Plum- headed Finch and Crested Shrike-tit. A bizarre moment came when I spotted an Echidna in a hollow log covered in . It was partially buried in the leaf litter, and I thought it was feeding on the ants. It soon became apparent the ants were feeding on the Echidna. A stop at some nearby produced good looks at Australasian Shoveler and numbers of Pink-eared Ducks. As we re-crossed the Blue Mountains, back came the gloom and rain, and it was like that until we left Sydney!

We enjoyed a great view of a Rainbow Pitta near Darwin.

We arrived in Darwin to tropical heat and blue skies—a big change in weather and in birds. Our first outing took us straight to a delightful pair of Barking Owls that were very much awake and looking astonished with their huge yellow eyes. A Pacific Baza we found flew into the canopy of an and plucked out a large female Gilbert’s Dragon. It proceeded to consume the hapless lizard in a moment worthy of David Attenborough. Yet again we hit the new bird accelerator— Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Brahminy Kite, Bush Thick-knee, , several tropical honeyeaters like Rufous-banded and White-gaped plus both Little

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 and Helmeted friarbirds, and the colorful Red-collared Lorikeet. We finished examining a mixed flock of shorebirds that included Terek Sandpiper, Great Knot, both Greater and Lesser sand- plovers, a bonus Pied Oystercatcher, and a few loafing terns like Little and the carrot-billed Lesser Crested. There was much evidence of the damage done to the forest by the recent cyclone this year—it looked like a bomb had gone off in the botanic gardens.

Red-headed is a frequenting species.

Our first morning in the was a cracker! We found ourselves at Howard Springs—only recently re-opened after the cyclone destruction which was again impressive. First cab off the rank was a fine male Rainbow Pitta teed up in a tree calling away. With this vital bird under our belts, we just enjoyed what came past, and this included prospecting Crimson Finches, a stunning male Red-winged Parrot, colorful Rose-crowned -Doves that took a while to settle, and a good look at a Pacific Emerald-Dove. Impressive was a large Mertens’ Water Monitor, rarely encountered in the Cane Toad era. Moving along to Knuckey Lagoon, we could see our first tropical scenes of a family trio of Brolga, a Black-necked Stork, and dozens of mixed , egrets, sandpipers, Australian Pratincoles, and the peculiar Comb-crested Jacana. Red-tailed Black Cockatoos fed at our feet while a flowering tree produced Silver- crowned Friarbirds amongst other species. With the heat building, we retired to the comfort of air-conditioning. In the afternoon, a monster 7.3-meter tide pushed thousands of shorebirds close to us at Buffalo Creek, dominated by Great Knots. Yellow White-eye and Red-headed

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Myzomela both showed well, and we picked up more tropical woodland birds like Green- backed , Gray Whistler, Little Shrike-thrush, and Little Bronze-Cuckoo.

We were lucky to find the rare Rufous Owl at night in .

We left Darwin in the morning and headed out on the Kakadu Highway, making a first stop at Fogg Dam. A hepatic Oriental Cuckoo was a bonus, although it kept to the distance. River was excellent, getting a first-rate look at a Mangrove Golden Whistler, a family of Broad- billed Flycatchers feeding a fledgling, and the delightful but hyperactive Arafura . Mamukala was extraordinary—at the end of the dry season the birdlife concentrated here is a site to behold. Amongst thousands of waterbirds we also picked up the beautiful Masked and Long-tailed finches. We made good time to Cooinda where, after a tasty dinner, some went for a night walk where the highlight was a Northern Brushtail Possum. The leader carried on and

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 8 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 struck mammalian gold with a good look at a spectacular Black-footed Tree Rat, a species that had been on his radar quest for decades.

We had superb views of the Wilkin’s Rock-Wallaby in Kakadu.

The lodge disappointed us with a booking mix-up the next morning on our boat trip, despite all of the assurances given the previous evening. We did sort it out for the following day, and that worked well. With plans changing suddenly, we had a successful twitch for Partridge Pigeon that showed superbly and had a lovely pair of Black-tailed Treecreepers, often scarce. We explored the spectacular rock art galleries of Nourlangie and enjoyed the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. In the afternoon we traveled out to Ubirr Rock for more rock art galleries, finding a superb Wilkin’s Rock-Wallaby. At the last minute, “Big Ronnie” put us onto a pair of Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeons that fed quietly in front of us. Great work! Some folks went for

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 9 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 another night walk, and we picked up a stunning Rufous Owl. Some Savanna Gliders—a still undescribed species of marsupial—fed close to us in a flowering Eucalypt.

Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon is endemic to Arnhem Land where it is scarce and likes steep terrain. We were lucky to find this pair in a flat area.

The much-anticipated cruise on the Yellow Water did not let us down. With Greg at the helm, we picked up some great sightings including two excellent Little , a great look at a Buff-sided Robin, five Barking Owls, and two Yellow-billed Spoonbills. We observed numerous Saltwater Crocodiles and several wild, if feral, Asian Water Buffalo. Finally we found a cooperative Blue-winged ! A road closure following a terrible multiple fatality car accident within the park caused us to cool our heels while the police did their investigation. It was a dangerous week in the Top End during our stay, as the media reported a ranger was taken by a crocodile, a hunter gored by a buffalo, and a fisherman fatally bitten by a sea-snake!

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 10 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 While waiting for the road to re-open, we birded the woodlands and found Weebill, White- throated Gerygone, and a . We were made late arriving into Katherine, having to dodge buffalo and wild pigs on the road at night.

The gem-like Little Kingfisher is always a lucky break in the Top End.

There was no mercy for us, as we needed to be in Victoria River early, and once arriving at the site somewhat dismayed to find my best Purple-crowned Fairy-wren site still smouldering from a fire, the essential cane grass all but obliterated. Luckily though, a pair responded, and the male perched up several times giving good views, much to the relief of a somewhat deeply concerned leader. This proved to be a turning point, as our good luck returned with superb looks at Australian Bustard, perched Varied Lorikeets, great looks at both Rufous-throated and Banded honeyeaters, perched Spotted Harrier, and juvenile Peregrine Falcon. The rarest sighting though, was of a small flock of recently arrived juvenile Oriental Plovers, a difficult bird to see just about anywhere in its global range. While watching the plovers, a stroppy buffalo, maybe upset by the fires, advanced on us a few times, luckily kept at bay by a fence! We stopped to admire flocks of hundreds of Cockatiels, our first Apostlebirds, and Diamond Doves.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 11 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 An afternoon stakeout at a small waterhole did not deliver the hoped-for birds—it would be a case of try again.

We could only find one pair of Purple-crowned Fairywrens where late dry season fires had destroyed a lot of their special of cane grass.

And so it was, we were back at 7am, and this time success. One hundred Gouldian Finches arrived, many birds staging in trees before dropping down to drink allowing us to study red and black-headed males, females, and the rather bland juveniles that dominate the population. These brilliantly colored finches remain one of the holy grails of Top End birding. Adding to the color and our last new bird for our Top End adventure were several Hooded Parrots. The turquoise males with their crisp black hoods, golden shoulders, and scarlet undertail are amongst the most luminous of Australian parrots, quite unusual for nesting in termite mounds. Later we studied more Hooded Parrots near Creek. We drove back to Darwin and flew to Alice Springs.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 12 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Arriving into the Red Centre, it was hot and windy. The air was full of dust, and it did not look promising for good birding, the year having been exceedingly dry. A male Crimson Chat gave some hope of better things to come and, in fact, it proved a good portent when by the following morning the wind relented and the temperatures dropped. It became one of the best days of the entire tour as we located and observed well a good bunch of scarce birds. A female Australian Hobby was located plucking a small bird from a dead tree as we drove into Simpson’s Gap. In quick succession we enjoyed Splendid Fairy-wren (male with whiskers out), Red-capped Robin, Inland and Chestnut-rumped thornbills, Western Gerygone, the scarce “White-tailed” of Gray Fantail, and both Singing and Spiny-cheeked honeyeaters. Our next stop revealed a nest prospecting pair of Collared Sparrowhawks, a pair of Red-backed Kingfishers complete with red back, and a very cooperative White-fronted Honeyeater. A smile was broadening my face. At the next stop, Spinifex Pigeons fed at our feet, a surprise trio of “Golden-backed” Black-chinned Honeyeaters popped up, and a Western Bowerbird meant we could not go wrong. By the time a Red-browed Pardalote was whistled up, a Little Woodswallow buzzed around us, and a Black-headed Monitor was seen well, I was positively beaming. We made our appointment into the Alice Springs Water Treatment Plant with more good things coming our way. A pair of Peregrines put on a dazzling hunting performance, we flushed a presumed Swinhoe’s Snipe, admired our first Black-tailed Native-hens and Purple- backed Fairywrens, found a single Red-necked Stint and, as a last hurrah, found a male . We recorded 80 species on this day.

This stroppy young bull wild Swamp Buffalo was not happy to encounter us, stamping up the ash from the recent fires that had probably pushed it out. Luckily a fence separated us from him.

We started our day studying a bower of the Western Bowerbird with all of its decorations—an amazing structure. The owner hissed at us. From there we moved to a site where the rare Gray Honeyeater had been seen the previous morning, but unfortunately it had fled the scene. A

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 13 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Gray-headed Honeyeater showed well, and that was new. Moving east we picked up a major bonus with a pair of the scarce and shy Ground Cuckoo-shrikes showing well beside the road and, shortly after, the dapper White-backed Swallow came zipping around us. The wind picked up, and we made our move to drive to Uluru arriving in the afternoon, enjoying a stunning Gould’s Sand Goanna en route. As the sun set on “The Rock,” we enjoyed champagne and canapés before a fine feast for our farewell dinner.

Spinifex Pigeons are not always present in accessible locations near Alice Springs so it is always pleasing when they are.

Dry conditions kept bird diversity down the next morning as we explored Kata Tjuta and Uluru. We kicked one last final goal for the tour with a great view of the scarce Black-breasted Buzzard, a denizen of remote Australia where it is known to use a rock to break open and bustard . The stole the show in the end when we spotted an amazing Thorny Devil and, at our last stop, a basking Black-headed Monitor well spotted by Ron. It was time to move along and out. It had been a terrific tour with a fabulous group. Janene brought great skills to our group in NSW and the Top End; her efforts made our tour an even better trip. Harry helped out enormously as well in Central Australia with his excellent botanic skills and knowledge of the region. Thanks so much!

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 14 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

The Black-breasted Buzzard is found only in remote locations and always a great species to encounter.

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 15 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

Our luck continued when we located the most unusual Thorny Devil in Uluru-one of the most bizarre lizards in the world.

BIRDS

Magpie Goose (Anseranas semipalmatus)

Plumed Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna eytoni)

Wandering Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata)

Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa)

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus)

Radjah Shelduck (Tadorna radjah)

Green Pygmy-goose (Nettapus pulchellus)

Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 16 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Australasian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis)

Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)

Australian Grey Teal (Anas gibberifrons)

Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea)

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus)

White-eyed Duck (Aythya australis)

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata)

Orange-footed Scrubfowl (Megapodius reinwardt)

Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophora)

Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)

Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus)

Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica)

Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator)

Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos)

Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris)

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 17 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius)

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae)

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus)

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis)

White-necked (Ardea pacifica)

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)

White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae)

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Pied Heron (Egretta picata)

Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus [ibis] coromandus)

Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis moluccus)

Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis)

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)

Black-breasted Buzzard (Hamirostra melanosternon)

Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 18 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides)

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)

Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis)

Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus)

Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrhocephalus)

Grey Goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae)

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus)

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

White-bellied Sea-Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis)

Buff-banded (Gallirallus philippensis) Heard only

Lewin’s Rail (Lewinia pectoralis) Heard only

White-browed Crake (Porzana cinerea) Heard only

Baillon’s Crake (Porzana pusilla)

Spotless Crake (Porzana tabuensis)

Australasian (Porphyrio melanotus)

Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

Black-tailed Native-Hen (Tribonyx ventralis)

Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

Brolga (Grus rubicunda)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 19 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius)

Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus)

Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae)

Black-bellied (Grey) Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva)

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles)

Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus)

Oriental Plover (Charadrius veredus)

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus)

Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops)

Comb-crested Jacana (Irediparra gallinacea)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis)

Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica)

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa)

Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres)

Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris)

Red Knot (Calidris canutus)

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 20 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis)

Swinhoe’s Snipe (Gallinago megala)

Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Grey-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes)

Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia)

Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis)

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella)

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae)

Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)

[Australian] Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica macrotarsa)

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Lesser Crested Tern (Thalasseus benghalensis)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) Introduced

Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) Introduced

Brown Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia phasianella)

Pacific Emerald Dove (Chalcophaps longirostris)

Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 21 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Partridge Pigeon (Geophaps smithii)

Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera)

Chestnut-quilled Rock-Pigeon (Petrophassa rufipennis)

Wonga Pigeon (Leucosarcia melanoleucos)

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata)

Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida)

Bar-shouldered Dove (Geopelia humeralis)

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus regina)

Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spillorhoa)

Topknot Pigeon (Lopholaimus antarcticus)

Pheasant Coucal (Centropus phasianinus)

Pacific (Eudynamys orientalis)

Channel-billed Cuckoo (Scythrops novaehollandiae)

Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo ( basalis)

Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus)

Little Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx minutillus)

Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus)

Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus)

Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis)

Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus optatus)

[Eastern] Barn Owl (Tyto alba javanica)

Powerful Owl ( strenua)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 22 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Rufous Owl (Ninox rufa)

Barking Owl (Ninox connivens)

Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides)

Azure Kingfisher (Ceyx azureus)

Little Kingfisher (Ceyx pusillus)

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae)

Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii)

Forest Kingfisher ( macleayii)

Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius)

Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)

Rainbow -eater (Merops ornatus)

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)

Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides)

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis)

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii)

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 23 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Australian King-parrot (Alisterus scapularis)

Red-winged Parrot (Aprosmictus erythropterus)

Turquoise Parrot (Neophema pulchella)

Australian Ringneck [Port Lincoln] Parrot (Barnardius zonarius)

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans)

Northern Rosella (Platycercus venustus)

Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius)

Swift Parrot (Lathamus discolor)

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)

Hooded Parrot (Psephotus dissimilis)

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna)

Little Lorikeet (Glossopsitta pusilla)

Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)

Red-collared Lorikeet (Trichoglossus [haematodus] rubritorquis)

Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris)

Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)

Green Catbird (Ailuroedus crassirostris)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 24 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Satin Bowerbird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus)

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata)

Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)

White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea)

Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)

Black-tailed Treecreeper (Climacteris melanurus)

White-winged Fairywren ( leucopterus)

Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus)

Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens)

Variegated Fairywren (Malurus lamberti)

Purple-backed Fairy-wren (Malurus [lamberti] assimilis)

Purple-crowned Fairywren (Malurus coronatus)

Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris)

Pied Honeyeater (Certhionyx variegatus)

Lewin’s Honeyeater ( lewini)

White-lined Honeyeater (Meliphaga albilineata) Heard only

White-gaped Honeyeater (Stomiopera unicolor)

White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons)

Yellow-faced Honeyeater ( chrysops)

Yellow-tufted Honeyeater ( melanops)

Bell Miner ( melanophrys)

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 25 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula)

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis)

Little Wattlebird ( chrysoptera)

Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata)

Singing Honeyeater ( virescens)

White-plumed Honeyeater ( penicillatus)

Fuscous Honeyeater (Ptilotula fuscus)

Grey-headed Honeyeater (Ptilotula keartlandi)

Bar-breasted Honeyeater (Ramsayornis fasciatus)

Rufous- (Conopophila albogularis)

Rufous-throated Honeyeater (Conopophila rufogularis)

Crimson Chat ( tricolor)

Dusky Myzomela (Myzomela obscura)

Red-headed Myzomela (Myzomela erythrocephala)

Scarlet Myzomela (Myzomela sanguinolenta)

Banded Honeyeater (Cissomela pectoralis)

Brown Honeyeater ( indistincta)

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis)

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis)

White-throated Honeyeater ( albogularis)

White-naped Honeyeater (Melithreptus lunatus)

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis)

Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata)

Little (Philemon citreogularis)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 26 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides)

Silver-crowned Friarbird (Philemon argenticeps)

Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus)

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus)

Red-browed Pardalote (Pardalotus rubricatus)

Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis)

Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Sericornis citreogularis)

Chestnut-rumped Heathwren (Hylacola pyrrhopygia)

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla)

Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis)

Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa)

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis)

Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana)

Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata)

Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)

Green-backed Gerygone (Gerygone chloronota)

White-throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)

Brown Gerygone (Gerygone mouki)

Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca)

Grey-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus temporalis)

White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 27 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

Eastern Whipbird (Psophodes olivaceus)

Spotted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma punctatum)

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus)

Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus)

White-browed Woodswallow (Artamus superciliosus)

Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)

Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor)

Grey (Cracticus torquatus)

Silver-backed Butcherbird (Cracticus argenteus)

Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis)

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)

Pied (Strepera graculina)

Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor) Heard only

Ground Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina maxima)

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae)

White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis)

White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor)

Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela)

Cicadabird (Edolisoma tenuirostre)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 28 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

Crested Shrike-tit (Falcunculus frontatus)

Little Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla megarhyncha)

Sandstone Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla woodwardi) Heard only

Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica)

Golden Whistler ( pectoralis)

Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura)

Grey Whistler (Pachycephala simplex)

Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris)

Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) Heard only

Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus)

Green (Yellow) Oriole (Oriolus flavocinctus)

Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres vieilloti)

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris)

Willie- (Rhipidura leucophrys)

Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa)

Arafura Fantail (Rhipidura dryas)

Black-faced Monarch (Monarcha melanopsis)

Magpie-lark ( cyanoleuca)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 29 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula)

Broad-billed Flycatcher (Myiagra ruficollis)

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)

Paperbark Flycatcher (Myiagra nana)

Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto)

Torresian Crow (Corvus orru)

Little Crow (Corvus bennetti)

Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides)

Little Raven (Corvus mellori)

White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)

Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)

Jacky-winter (Microceca fascinans)

Lemon-bellied Flycatcher ( flavigaster)

Red-capped Robin ( goodenovii)

Hooded Robin ( cucullata)

Eastern Yellow Robin ( australis)

Buff-sided Robin ( cerviniventris)

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel)

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans)

White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 30 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

Australian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)

Little Grassbird (Megalurus gramineus)

Brown Songlark (Megalurus cruralis)

Rufous Songlark (Megalurus mathewsi)

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis)

Australian Yellow White-eye (Zosterops luteus)

Silver-eye (Zosterops lateralis)

Bassian Thrush (Zoothera lunulata) Heard only

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) Introduced

European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) Introduced

Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirndinaceum)

Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Introduced

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)

Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 31 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton)

Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)

Masked Finch (Poephila personata)

Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

MAMMALS

Northern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus)

Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

Northern Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus arnhemensis)

Sugar [Savanna] Glider (Petaurus breviceps)

Euro (Macropus robustus)

Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus)

Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)

Agile Wallaby (Macropus agilis)

Antilopine Kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 32 Grand Australia Part I, 2018 Wilkin’s Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale wilkinsi): Recent split from Short-eared Rock-Wallaby (P. brachyotis)

Black-flanked Rock-Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis)

Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto)

Black-footed Tree Rat (Mesembriomys gouldii)

Grassland Melomys (Melomys burtoni)

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

European Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) Introduced

Brown Hare (Lepus capensis) Introduced

Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) Introduced

Asian Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Introduced

Pig (Sus scrofa) Introduced

REPTILES

Macquarie Turtle (Emydura macquarii)

Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 33 Grand Australia Part I, 2018

Gilbert’s Dragon (Lophognathus gilberti)

Long-nosed Dragon (Lophognathus longirostris)

Coastal Bearded Dragon (Pogona barbatus)

Two-lined Dragon (Diporiphora albilabris)

Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus)

Mertens’ Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi)

Black-headed Monitor (Varanus tristis)

Gould’s Sand Monitor (Varanus gouldii)

(Cryptoblepharus cygnatus/metallicus) Small in tree at Buffalo Creek!

Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 34 Grand Australia Part I, 2018