EASTERN CAPE RANGE PENINSULA Birdwatching on Cape Range Peninsular

Two roads run from the Minilya-Exmouth Road into Cape Range Peninsula includes World Heritage listed the range. This is the area to look for Red-browed Ningaloo Marine Park, Cape Range National Park and Pardalote, Grey-headed Honeyeater, Crested Bellbird, Muiron Islands. It also provides spectacular scenery Birdwatching Little Woodswallow and Spinifexbird. Rufous Emu- with rugged gorges, coastal plains, sand ridges, wren requires a search among spinifex on ridges of limestone uplands and creek beds. around Exmouth gullies. The predominant plant life is spinifex with scattered eucalypts and acacias. Along the coast are sandy and Cape Range 1. Shothole Canyon Road, 14 km south of Exmouth, beaches, mudflats and mangroves. provides easy access into one of the gorges. This is a Over 180 bird species have been recorded in the 15 km unsealed drive along the bottom of the gorge. area, more than 60 of them annual visitors. In There is a picnic area and a short walk trail at the wetter years further species may be seen and other end. 4WD, high clearance only. Check with interesting species often occur, such as a Gallinago Exmouth Visitor Centre/DPaW as road often closed Snipe species, recorded recently. after heavy rains. Park entry fees apply to Cape Range National Park. 2. Charles Knife Canyon Road, 21 km south of Acknowledgements Exmouth, offers spectacular views of the gorge from Local information: Grant Griffin (DPaW, Exmouth); the top of the ridge. The marked Badjirrajirra Loop Scott & Neil McGregor; Les George, Kim Onton. Walk Trail begins from Thomas Carter Lookout. Dept Illustrations / photographs by Georgina Steytler, of Parks & Wildlife can provide more information. Plaxy Barrett and Scott McGregor. 3. Exmouth Town Contacts Little Corella, White-plumed Honeyeater and Yellow- Exmouth Visitor Centre: Murat Rd, Exmouth throated Miner are common around town. Ph (08) 9949 1176 The golf course at the end of Willersdorf Road Milyering Visitor Centre: (08) 9949 2808 Yardie behind Talanjee Oval is worth a look. Please respect Creek Rd, Cape Range National Park, 9 – 3.45 daily golfers. Look for Emu, Banded Lapwing, Spinifex Dept of Parks & Wildlife (DPaW): 30 Nimitz St, Pigeon, Australasian Pipit, Zebra Finch and raptors Exmouth (08) 9947 8000 such as Spotted Harrier and Nankeen Kestrel. For local road conditions: Exmouth Visitor Centre: The sewage ponds are close to the golf course. Ph (08) 9949 1176 or Main Roads website.

There is no access inside the surrounding fence, McGregor Scott by Osprey but you can see a good range of species. The best Guide No 36AB viewing is from the north side. Look for waterfowl, All content is subject to copyright ©. shorebirds, terns, Star Finch, raptors, Brown Quail Queries to BirdLife Western Australia. BirdLife Western and Diamond Dove. Something Australia members are offered a variety of activities and unusual is possible in summer. services including conservation and research .projects, The boat harbour is just south of excursions, campouts, surveys and social activities. There town along Horwood Quays. Look is also a library and books for sale at the office. To view the for Osprey, Silver Gull, terns and full range of bird guides visit the website. shorebirds. Australia’s voice for birds since 1901 Fairy Tern BirdLife Australia is dedicated to achieving outstanding 4. THE ISLANDS conservation results for our native birds and their Day tours to Muiron habitats. With our specialised knowledge and the Islands are available from Exmouth. commitment of an Australia-wide network of volunteers Primarily a dive snorkelling location and supporters, we are creating a bright future for Australia’s birds. 15 km north of Exmouth, the trip also offers a chance to see seabirds such as Wilson’s Storm-Petrel and birdlife.org.au Wedge-tailed Shearwater. The latter breeds on the islands. Fairy Tern has also been known to breed BirdLife Western Australia 167 Perry Lakes Drive, Floreat WA 6014 here; more recently it has bred at North West Cape. T 08 9383 7749  | [email protected] birds are in our nature Beach Stone-curlew is also present. facebook.com/BirdLifeAustralia | @BirdlifeOz Western Australia ABN 75 149 124 774 WESTERN CAPE RANGE PENINSULA THE MANGROVES MANGROVES continued : Via Bullara Station: Email: (See also Mangroves sections). The west coast Mangrove species tend to form distinct zones Southern section stay@ or phone 08 9942 5938. via Yardie Creek Road provides a range of coastal depending upon soil and water conditions. They bullara-station.com.au Camping & accommodation also offered. habitats and birds. Watch for Spotted Harrier hunting range from tall or dense forests with thick stems low over spinifex, Emu, Australian Bustard and to woodland and stunted thickets. This diversity is www.bullarastation.com.au Or via Giralia Station: Dept of Parks & WiIdlife tenure. Wedge-tailed Eagle. important to birds that need special conditions. The Phone 99425937. Camping & In thickets there may be Crested Pigeon, Variegated following, however, are usually found in all mangrove [email protected] accommodation available at homestead. and White-winged Fairy-wren, Hooded Robin, or areas of the cape: Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Chiming Wedgebill. Spinifex areas are home to Dusky Gerygone, White-breasted Whistler, White- www.giraliastation.com.au Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, White-winged Triller breasted Woodswallow and Yellow White-eye. (winter) and Spinifexbird. Western Bowerbird 11. Bay of Rest is the only area with thick-trunked inhabits Rock Figs on limestone ridges; Rufous Avicennia sp which are needed by the nesting Fieldwren is usually nearer the coast. Collared Kingfisher. Mangrove Golden Whistler, White-breasted Woodswallow and Mangrove Grey 5. Milyering Visitor Centre, 52 km from Exmouth, Fantail are also recorded here. Access is , has displays, an audio-visual facility and library with 4WD only from nearly opposite the southern boundary fence of a wealth of information on the marine and national White-breasted Whistler the RAAF Base. parks. 6. Turquoise Bay is popular for snorkelling over coral and fish life but less appealing as a birding site. However Rufous Fieldwren is regularly seen. (a) West Coast Mangroves: White-breasted Woodswallow 7. Mandu Mandu Gorge, 15 km south of the Visitor 8. Yardie Creek has a small area of mangroves. It is Centre, has a 3 km walk trail along the northern the southern limit for Red Mangrove (Rhizophora sp). scarp and a return walk along the stony creek bed. This is a good area for raptors, Spinifex Pigeon, Grey- 9. Mangrove Bay has channels that connect the sea 12. Wapet Creek is east of Learmonth Airport. headed and Brown Honeyeaters and Spinifexbird. with several open water lagoons. One of these has Mangroves grow along two small creeks that run Pied Butcherbird frequents the gorge and you should a bird hide that is best visited at high tide to watch onto coastal mudflats. Learmonth Jetty lies further see Little Corella, Rainbow Bee-eater and Western birds feeding in the lagoon or loafing on the rocks. to the north. There is a formed (but un-named) Bowerbird. Early morning is the best time to visit. This is a good area for Bar-shouldered Dove, Dusky gravel track from the Exmouth - Minilya Rd, suitable Gerygone and shorebirds in season. for 2 wheel drive vehicles. There is a maze of tracks around the creek. Be wary: 4WD only and some are (b) East Coast Mangroves treacherous . In season there is a good range of shorebirds. Check 10. Gales Bay at the base of Exmouth Gulf has the mangroves and dunes for Bar-shouldered Dove, White-plumed Honeyeater a mangrove forest and is the southern limit for Australian Bustard, raptors including Brahminy Kite, Mangrove Golden Whistler and Mangrove Robin. Mangrove Fantail, Yellow White-eye, Dusky Gerygone Access is via Bullara, Exmouth Gulf or Giralia and White-breasted Whistler. Stations. Please seek permission for all of these – 8. Yardie Creek is a popular picnic area with a see below. 13. Giralia Bay, although not on the Peninsula is very sandbar to hold water in the creek. A boat trip important for its seaward zone of thick-trunked tall upstream, with a live commentary on the history and For access to: trees changing to low forest then stunted thickets. fauna of the area, can be booked at Exmouth Visitor Northern section (near Roberts Island): Via Collared Kingfisher has been recorded here and it Centre. In season many birds nest in the rock cavities Exmouth Gulf Station. Email contact is as for includes a 2020 Shorebird Survey Site. Access via along the creek. You may see Eastern Reef Egret or Ningaloo Station: [email protected] or Giralia Station – see contact under Gales Bay. Striated Heron, Little Woodswallow, Osprey, Zebra phone 08 9942 5936 (Exmouth Gulf Stn). A $7:50 Finch, and at times Painted Finch and Sea Eagle. pp access fee applies.

Also of interest are the Black-footed Rock Wallabies. You could also try: www.exmouthgulfstation.com.au There is a 1.5 km walk along the northern scarp. or www.ningaloostation.com.au Bird List PIGEON, DOVE RAPTOR cont. Muiron Islands 4 Rock Dove R * Brahminy Kite M

Sunday Laughing Dove R * Black Kite R Island Common Bronzewing R Brown Goshawk M present all year, locally nomadic North West Cape Crested Pigeon C Collared Sparrowhawk R present all year, locally nomadic Spinifex Pigeon U South limit; more likely inland Spotted Harrier M Diamond Dove U Swamp Harrier U Peaceful Dove M Wedge-tailed Eagle C 3 Exmouth Bar-shouldered Dove U South limit of range Little Eagle U Mangrove Bay 9 FROGMOUTH Nankeen Kestrel C Tawny Frogmouth M Brown Falcon M Milyering Visitor 5 1 Shothole Canyon Centre Road NIGHTJAR Australian Hobby U Spotted Nightjar M Peregrine Falcon R Turquoise Bay 6 Exmouth Gulf Australian Owlet-nightjar R CRANE 2 Charles Knife Mandu Mandu 7 Canyon Road SEABIRD Brolga R N Bullara, Giralia; close to south end of range Gorge Wilson’s Storm-Petrel M IA CRAKE, RAIL, ALLIES Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross R T Wi Buff-banded Rail U N 12 WAPET Creek Wedge-tailed Shearwater M IA Breed Murion Is Eurasian Coot R 11 Bay of Rest Hutton’s Shearwater U T Mi offshore BUSTARD Yardie Creek 8 Yardie Creek Lesser Frigatebird R IA Australian Bustard M N Exmouth Australasian Gannet R North limit of range SHOREBIRD 10 CORMORANT Bush Stone-curlew R close to south end of range Gales few but present all year Bay Giralia Australasian Darter U Beach Stone-curlew R Bay Little Pied Cormorant U Australian Pied Oystercatcher C

Ningaloo Manilya Exmouth Road 13 Great Cormorant R Sooty Oystercatcher M Marine Park Little Black Cormorant M Black-winged Stilt M N Pied Cormorant C Pacific Golden Plover U IA Mi Su Burkett Road STORK Grey Plover U IA Mi Su Ningaloo Giralia Black-necked Stork R Bay of Rest 2016 Red-capped Plover C Bullara HERON, IBIS Lesser Sand Plover U T IA Mi Su M in season Bird List Australian Pelican M N Greater Sand Plover M T IA Mi C in season Cape Range National Park EMU White-necked Heron R Oriental Plover U Mi Emu Ningaloo Marine Park M N Great Egret M IA Black-fronted Dotterel R QUAILMuiron Islands Marine Management Area Striated Heron M Red-kneed Dotterel R White-faced Heron M N Banded Lapwing U StubbleHomestead Quail R Little Egret M Black-tailed Godwit R IA Mi Brown4 WDQuail Tracks U WATERFOWL Eastern Reef Egret C IA Bar-tailed Godwit C T IA Mi Su Plumed Whistling Duck R Nankeen Night-Heron R Little Curlew R IA Mi Wandering Whistling Duck R Glossy Ibis R IA Whimbrel C IA Mi Black Swan R Australian White Ibis R Eastern Curlew M T IA Mi Australian Shelduck R Straw-necked Ibis R N Terek Sandpiper R Mi Grey Teal U Royal Spoonbill R Common Sandpiper M IA Mi Pacific Black Duck R RAPTOR Grey-tailed Tattler M O IA Mi Su C in season Hardhead R Osprey C Common Greenshank M IA Mi Su C in season TROPICBIRD Black-shouldered Kite M Marsh Sandpiper R IA Mi White-tailed Tropicbird R IA Square-tailed Kite U Wood Sandpiper R IA Mi GREBE Black-breasted Buzzard R Ruddy Turnstone M IA Mi Su C in season Australasian Grebe R White-bellied Sea-Eagle M IA Great Knot M T IA Mi Bay of Rest & Gulf Hoary-headed Grebe R Whistling Kite C Red Knot R T IA Mi

SHOREBIRD cont. FAIRY-WREN FANTAIL Sanderling M IA Mi Su C in season White-winged Fairy-wren C Grey Fantail R Mi Wi-Sp Red-necked Stint M O IA Mi Su Variegated Fairy-wren M Mangrove Grey Fantail M Mangroves Long-toed Stint R Mi Rufous-crowned Emu-wren U Close to S limit of range Willie Wagtail M Mi Au-Sp Sharp-tailed Sandpiper R IA Mi Su SCRUBWREN, ALLIES CROW, RAVEN Curlew Sandpiper U T IA Mi Su Rufous Fieldwren M North limit of range Little Crow U N BUTTON-QUAIL Redthroat R North limit of range Torresian Crow M C in Cape Range NP Little Button-quail U N Wet years Weebill R FLYCATCHER, MONARCH PRATINCOLE Western Gerygone R Resident locally nomadic Magpie-lark M Au-Wi Oriental Pratincole U IA M in wet years Dusky Gerygone U Mangroves ROBIN, SCRUB-ROBIN NODDY, TERN, GULL Red-browed Pardalote M Red-capped Robin R North limit of range Common Noddy R IA Striated Pardalote R Hooded Robin R North limit of range Bridled Tern U IA M seasonally, off-shore HONEYEATER, CHAT Mangrove Robin R Gales Bay, Sth limit of range Sooty Tern R Pied Honeyeater U N LARK Little Tern U Singing Honeyeater C Horsfield’s Bushlark U Fairy Tern M T bred NW Cape recent years Grey-headed Honeyeater M N S limit of range OLD WORLD WARBLER Gull-billed Tern U Gales Bay White-plumed Honeyeater C Rufous Songlark M Caspian Tern M IA bred on islands 2016 White-fronted Honeyeater R N Brown Songlark U Whiskered Tern R N Yellow-throated Miner C Spinifexbird U Heard rather than seen White-winged Black Tern U IA M south of C. Range Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater U N WHITE-EYE Roseate Tern R IA Crimson Chat U N irruptive after rain Yellow White-eye M Mangroves Common Tern M IA South of C. Range Orange Chat R N Silvereye R Lesser Crested Tern M IA White-fronted Chat R irruptive after rain SWALLOW, MARTIN Crested Tern C Black Honeyeater R N White-backed Swallow R Au-Wi-Sp Pacific Gull R Brown Honeyeater M N Welcome Swallow C Silver Gull C BABBLER Fairy Martin R COCKATOO, PARROT Grey-crowned Babbler R Tree Martin M Galah C QUAIL-THRUSH, ALLIES FLOWERPECKER Little Corella C Chiming Wedgebill M Cape Rge NP; often only heard Mistletoebird M N Cockatiel R N CUCKOO-SHRIKE, TRILLER FINCH, SPARROW Australian Ringneck M Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike M Zebra Finch C Budgerigar U N Seasonally C White-winged Triller U Star Finch U CUCKOO WHISTLER, SHRIKE-THRUSH Painted Finch U N Abundant in some areas Pheasant Coucal R Mangrove Golden Whistler R Gales Bay PIPIT, WAGTAIL Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo M Mi Au-Wi Rufous Whistler R Australasian Pipit C Black-eared Cuckoo U Mi Au-Wi White-breasted Whistler U Mangroves Pallid Cuckoo M Mi Au-Wi Seasonal Grey Shrike-thrush R BIRD LIST CODES Crested Bellbird M OWL Abundance Season Barn Owl R N WOODSWALLOW KINGFISHER White-breasted Woodswallow U C common Su Summer Blue-winged Kookaburra R Masked Woodswallow U N M in good seasons M mod. common Au Autumn Red-backed Kingfisher MShothole & Black-faced Woodswallow M U uncommon Wi Winter Charles Knife Canyons Little Woodswallow U Shothole, Yardie Ck R rare Sp Spring Sacred Kingfisher U Mi late Su-Au-Wi BUTCHERBIRD, CURRAWONG Status IA Protected by Collared Kingfisher R Bay of Rest, Giralia mangroves Grey Butcherbird R International BEE-EATER, ROLLER Pied Butcherbird C Mi migratory T threatened Agreement Rainbow Bee-eater C IA More so in summer Australian Magpie R O Of conservation BOWERBIRD Grey Currawong R N nomadic WA endemics are in concern Western Bowerbird M Isolated population - Cape * Introduced Range NP bold