30 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST A JOURNEY TO COOPER CREEI( By BRIAN GLOVER. During the period September 24 to Octo­ area was said to have been in its best condi­ ber 2, 1955, my wife and myself travelled tion for many years. Recent rain had by car from Adelaide to Cooper Creek, visit­ turned much of the track into a quagmire, ing Upper Eyre Peninsula on the return but the sun and wind was drying it rapidly. journey. Apart from the first night spent The Cooper floodwaters were encountered with relatives at Peterborough, we camped about two miles past Etadunna. The flooded alongside the track, selecting as wide a variety area was clothed with scattered coolabahs, of habitats as possible for our various camps. and the surrounding country with a low Our route lay through Burra to Peter­ shrubby growth (saltbush, etc.). borough, making a detour to a large lagoon, The return journey was along the same lined with box gums and lignum, near Oodla­ route as far as Parachilna, then west of the wirra. This unfortunately was dry. Several ranges to Quom, this area being generally hours were spent in scattered mallee in the very bare, then via Pichi-Richi Pass to Port hills about Peterborough. The road, to Augusta and on to Whyalla, this latter road Hawker is through almost completely bare, being through country partly open saltbush flat to undulating country, with big red gums and, partly mallee and myall (Acacia sow­ (E. camaldulensis) lining the larger creeks, denii). From WIwa~la west to Iron Knob is and an occasional small patch of native pine through myall scrub. The last day was (Callitris) on some of .the smaller creeks. spent between Iron Knob, Port Augusta and Some of the low hills were covered with salt- Port Pirie, the whole of the afternoon being bush. " spent "in an unsuccessful search of every From Hawker to Wilpena, the country is patch of roadside scrub between Port Augusta again bare, with occasional patches of mallee, and Port Germein for the Turquoise Wren. and red gum-lined creeks. A few miles south A nocturnal drive from Port Pirie to Port of Wilpena is an extensive area of native Adelaide completed the trip. pine. The Wilpena Creek (flowing strongly) Throughout the journey frequent short and Wilpena Pound are well clad with large stops were made along the route to make trees, and most of one day was spent in this a brief survey of birds present. A large area. The ranges north of Wilpena are number of birds were noticed whilst driving, very bare, except for the gum-lined creeks.v especially in the flat saltbush type of country with small patches of mallee about Blinman, where birds were continually being flushed. and a extensive area of mallee not far west Driving slowly, most of these birds could be of Blinman on the road to Parachilna. identified with a reasonable degree of cer­ For much of its length this road follows, and tainty. crosses many times, a large creek, flowing In this and the following brief description quite strongly at the time of our visit. of vegetation, the words "saltbush" and West of the ranges the country is flat to "bluebush" are used rather loosely and are undulating saltbush, with scattered. bushes of not intended to refer definitely to Atriplex various sizes, andithis type of country, with spp. and·Kocl~ia.;spp. respectively. occasional low hills, gum-lined creeks and The most intensive bird observing was done small patches of \;scrub, extends to Leigh .at each ,9,f,our camps, where I arose at or Creek, where there is a change to flat salt­ before da~ii' arid spent two to three hours Hush, with practically no vegetation more before breakfast' in as thorough a survey than a foot or two high, except for very . possible of the country' within about a mile occasional clumps 'of large bushes, for exam­ '. of ·camp. -Because of this a brief description ple at Wirrawilla, south of Marree. of each of our camp-sites will be given; N.E. of Marree, along the Birdsville Track, also as an indication of the variety of birds is very flat saltbush country, broken by an in different ;;tre~l?". thy, number .of species occasional sandy creek-bed, lined with large recorded on 'my" pre-breakfast rambles is bushes, or, as with the Clayton, coolabahs giveJ.! {·i:'tc\i~~~er similar conditions at the (Eucalyptus coolabah). One large sandhill same period of each day). was tli~.v.~rJ.'ed. Although very desolate to Camp", l:-;--I~e~e,~b?~oug? .' '. ",,', ~ , the ,eye~~ o,.h.,9?~ not accustomed to it, this Camp' ~'" (26 species) .-A:f~w miles south of .. ~ ....- . March, 1957 THE S.A. ORNITHOLOGIST 31 Wilpena, on the bank of a red gum lined Quondongs), close to edge of a large dry creek, at the edge of an extensive area of bluebush. area of dense Callitris scrub (in places Regarding the weather, conditions were the pines so close together as to be al­ generally fine and pleasant, the only rain most impenetrable); about a mile from being a shower at Camp 3, and the only the ranges, here fairly thickly clothed really unpleasant day being October 1 (Camp with shrubby growth, and with some 7 to Camp 8), when gale force north winds patches of mallee at the foot. blew from a few hours after dawn until well Camp 3 (15 species).-A few miles north into the night. of Wilpena, on a small but flowing red In all 135 species of birds were recorded, gum lined creek in the ranges. Apart but apart from a few more important records from an odd mallee and some patches of only observations made north of Terowie are Triodia the surrounding hills were quite included here. 'bare. Little Quail (Turnix velox).-Several seen Camp 4 (18 species) .-18.5 miles north of at Camp 4, Wirrawilla and Cooper Creek. Leigh Creek, in slightly undulating, al­ On flushing called a squeaky "Chip-chip­ most shrubless saltbush country, with a chip, chip chip." A white patch on small (-! to 1 acre) area of shallow water flanks conspicuous in flight. remaining after regent rains. At this camp I had the unique experience of Rock Dove (Columba livia).-About farms identifying (by their calls) two species and townships from Adelaide to Terowie. of birds new' to me, before dawn, whilst Recorded just north of Parachilna. One still in bed. These were the Cinnamon dead bird on road south of Lincoln Gap. Quail-Thrush and Rusty Field-Wren. Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata).-Small Confirmation by sight record of both flocks at Wirrawilla, the Clayton, and these birds was however a much more Scott's River (Camp 6). Call a repeated difficult task, as both, although appar­ "Coo-coo," sometimes varied to "Coo-co ently quite numerous, were extremely coo coo," distinct from call of G. pla­ shy. cida. Cam,p 5 (45 species) .-Cooper Creek Flood­ Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera).-One at waters. Camped on edge of floodwaters, Camp 3; one between Port Augusta and which here covered the track, among Port Germein. chenopodaceous shrubs up to 3 ft. high, Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes).-Re­ with within a quarter mile the coolabahs corded at all camps except Scott's River, in and along a more extensive area of and on nearly all stages of the journey floodwaters. At this camp flies were except between Camp 4 and the Cooper, particularly troublesome, being in un­ although recorded at both these places. believably large numbers. Native Hen (Tribonyx ventralis).-A flock of Camp 6 (29 species).-Scott's River, south 20+ at the Cooper. of Copley. A large creek, lined with red Little Grebe {Podiceps ruficollis).-One seen gums; dry but with a few stagnantpools; on Cooper floodwaters. low hills on one side. Country bare Hoary-headed Grebe (P. poliocephalus).-At but for a few small patches of malIee least 20 seen on Cooper floodwaters. and a Casuarina-like small tree. Little Pied Cormorant {Phalacrocorax mela­ Camp 7 (34 species) .-Gordon, 22 miles noleucus).-One at Cooper Creek; seve­ north of Quorn, on a large, flowing, red , ral at Port Augusta. gum lined creek in otherwise rather bare Cormorants (unidentified) .-One black at country. Some large bushes growing Gordon, several large black and white along erosion gullies. R.. Schodde and at Whyalla. myself spent two nights here in Septem­ Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica).­ ber, 1953, the more important observa­ Three north of Leigh Creek, hawking tions being reported in vol. XXI, pp. 15­ over waterless saltbush flats; several at 17, of this journa!. Camp 4, Etadunna and Cooper Creek. Camp 8 (35 species) .-About half-way be­ Most had forehead and crown black, but tween Whyalla and Iron Knob in myall at least one (at Cooper Creek) had a scrub, containing other small trees (e.g. black patch through.the.eye only. .CalI, 32 THE S.A.· ORNITHOLOGIST March, 1957 a chattering, broken "a-a-a-a," and a Black Duck (Anas superciliosa).-20+ at short "uk-uk." Cooper Creek; 2 at Gordon. Silver Gull (Larus novae-hollandiae}.-Port Grey Teal (A. gibberifrons}.-Many hun­ Augusta. dreds at Cooper Creek. One brood of Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus), very young ducklings, and a nest with -Several at Cooper Creek. at least 9 eggs down the hollow trunk Spur-winged Plover (Lobiby» novae-hollon­ of a coolabah. Several at Gordon, in­ diae) .-One, possibly 2 pairs at Cooper cluding 4 almost full grown but flight­ Creek. less juveniles. Banded Plover '(Zonifer tricolor) .-A pair Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membra­ with young at Etadunna, and two seen, naceus}_-Hundreds at Cooper Creek, others 'heard calling at night at Camp 8.