Northern Kimberley Birds by H

Vol. 5 SEPTEMBER 15, 1974 No.6 Northern Kimberley Birds By H. R. OFFICER, Olinda, Victoria. Cut off from Derby by a triple barrier of ranges, and from Wyndham by equally difficult country with rough rivers to cross, the Northern Kimberleys were isolated and generally neglected until the beef-road construction was begun less than ten years ago. Previously the tracks were so rough and damaging to the cattl~ being driven to the Derby meatworks, that the "Air-beef" project was conceived and put into operation as an alternative at Glenroy Station. This proved quite efficient, though somewhat costly, until the beef-road was completed, and the availability of road-trains rendered it redundant. This "Air-beef" project is probably about all that most people know of the Kimberleys. When I made my first visit in 1967 the road had got only as far as Mount Barnett Station, and I overcame the difficulty by flying out from Wyndham to my friend's property "Doongan". On this visit I was fortunate to get the opportunity to visit the Denedictine Mission at Kalumburu, for the mission fathers definitely do not welcome visitors. My host had ordered Townsville Lucerne seed from them and had to collect it, so I got the chance of a legitimate visit. I should say that the fathers proved most hospitable. After G. F. Hill covered the north of the Kimberleys in 1909, collecting for Gregory Mathews, no interest was taken in the area until the British Museum/Harold Hall Expedition went there in 1968. What I saw during my stay at "Doongan", and during a second visit a month later, coming up by road as far as Mount House Station, whetted my appetite for more, and I was delighted when I received an invitation to join Mrs. Billie Gill and her son Keith, in June/July, 1973. In the course of an ornithological survey of the Kimberleys they were then heading for the northern parts. The beef-road was now through frorn Derby to Carsen Station as a well-graded road, fit for conventional vehicles, while from Gibb River a second road had just b~en completed running to Wyndham via Karungie. Once over the east-west barriers, when the road drops into the aptly named "Valley of Peace", from the Leopold Range, the environment changes quickly from the " pindan" which surrounds Derby to woodland savannah. The mountainous conditions lessen 191 Bird 192 OFFICER [ Watcher as the road goes north, though flanked by ranges, such as the Barnett. As the ranges fall back the country becomes progressively more open with some good Mitchell Grass, black soil areas. "Pindan" is the local collective name for scrubby savannah -country, with small trees sparsely distributed, including the grotesque Baobab tree. There are thousands of acres of "pindan", north, east and south of Derby. It is the number of fine rivers, Drysdale, Carson, King Edward and others, which make it a paradise for birds and explains their .abundance. In my opinion these rivers are among the best in Aus tralia. In 1973 weather conditions had obviously been ideal for birds and breeding had been most successful. Bird-life is remarkable, but not for the number of species peculiar to the area. Actually, the only species perculiar to the area is the Black Grass-Wren, Amytornis housei, first collected by Dr. House in 1901, and not seen again until collected by the British Museum Expedition in 1968. Three other species regarded as unusual elsewhere are, however, abundant. They are the White-quilled Rock-Pigeon, Petrophassa albipennis, Sandstone Thrush, Colluricincla woodwardi and Lavender-flanked Wren, Malurus dulcis. The few Emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, seen appeared to prefer the more open areas. Only the Brown Quail, Synoicus ypsilophora, was seen. The pigeon family was represented by the Torres Strait Pigeon, Ducula spilorrhoa, found feeding on the fruit of the palm trees, which grew thickly on the Mitchell Plateau; Peaceful Dove, Geopelia st:riata, Diamond Dove, G. cuneata; Bar-shouldered Do·ve, G. humeralis; Common Bronzewing, Phaps cha{coptera; White quilled Rock-Pigeon, Pet:rophassa albipennis, abundant in the sandstone gorges, such as Adcock's and Manning Creeks, and valleys; Plumed Pigeon, Lophophaps plumifera and the Crested Pigeon, Ocyphaps lophotes. The occasional Little Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanoleucos, was seen on the streams. On dropping down from the Mitchell Plateau to the shores of Admiralty Gulf the usual terns and the odd over-wintering waders were recorded. Inland the Oriental Dotterel, Charadrius veredus, was recorded twice, while the Black-fronted Dotterel, C. melanops, was not unusual. Occasionally Australian Pratincole, Stiltia isabella; Australian Bustard, Eupodotis aust:ralis; Southern Stone-Curlew, Burhinus magnirostris; Brolga, Grus rubicunda; Straw-necked Ibis, Threskiornis spinicollis, and Royal Spoonbill, Platalea regia, were recorded. Jabiru, Xenorhynchus asiaticus, was recorded on the streams. At Admiralty Gulf and the inlet leading to Napier Broome Bay, Plumed Egret, Egretta intermedia; White Egret, E. alba; Reef Heron, E. sacra, and the Nankeen Night Heron, Nycticorax caledonicus, were seen, while the White-faced Heron, Ardea novaehollandiae, and Black Bittern, Dupetor flavicollis, were found on the streams. September ] 1974 Northern Kimberley B-irds 193- The Masked Plover, V anellus miles, was comparatively uncommon. Birds of Prey were strongly represented with the Spotted Harrier, Circus assimilis; Australian Goshawk, Accipiter fasciatus; Collared Sparrowhawk, A. cirrocephalus; Wedge-tailed Eagle. Aquila audax; Australian Little Eagle, Hieraaetus monphnoides; White-breasted Sea-Eagle, Haliaeetus leucogaster; Red-backed Sea Eagle, Haliastur indus; Whistling Eagle, H. sphenurus; Black Kite,. Milvus migrans; Square-tailed Kite, Lophoictinia isura; Black breasted Buzzard, Hamirostra melanosterna; Australian Black shouldered Kite, Elanus notatus; Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos; Peregrine Falcon, F. peregrinus; Brown Hawk, F. berigora, and Nankeen Kestrel, F. cenchroides. Owls tended to be more often heard than seen, but included the Boobook Owl, Ninox novaehollandiae; Winking Owl, N. connivens, and Barn Owl, Tyto alba. The only Grass Owl, T. longimembris, recorded (1959) was on Ellendale Station which is outside the area under consideration. The parrots listed were Red-collared Lorikeet, Trichoglossus rubritorquis; Varied Lorikeet, Psitteuteles versicolor; Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii; White Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita; Little Corella, C. sanguinea; Cockatiel, Nymphicus hol landicus; Red-winged Parrot, Aprosmictus erythropterus; Northern Rosella, Platycercus venustus, and Budgerygah, Melopsittacus undulatus. Unlike the rest of the Kimberley Division where they are seen, and heard, in hundreds, the Little Corellas were not at all common, nor did they appear to be a&cvociferous. Tawny Frogmouth, Podargus strigoides; Owlet-Nightjar, Aego theles crista/us, and Dollarbird, Eurystomus orientalis, were recorded; the latter appears to arrive about August, it not being a resident bird. Five species of kingfisher are resident: Azure Kingfisher, Alcyone azurea; Blue-winged Kookaburra, Dacelo leachii; Red-backed Kingfisher, Halcyon pyrrhopygia, and Sacred Kingfisher, H. sancta, while the Rainbowbird, Merops ornatus, is also resident. Three species of cuckoos were recorded : Pallid Cuckoo, Cuculus pallidus; Brush Cuckoo, Cacomantis variolosus, and Pheasant Coucal, Centropus phasianinus. Both the Australian Tree-Martin, Petrochelidon nigricans, and Fairy Martin, P. ariel, were noted, with the latter being more abundant. The nine representatives of the Flycatcher family were: Grey Fantail, Rhipidura fuliginosa; Northern Fantail, R. rufiventris; Willie Wagtail, R. leucophrys; Leaden Flycatcher, Myiagra rubecula; Broad-billed Flycatcher, M. ruficollis; Restless Flycatcher, Seisura inquieta; Jacky Winter, Microeca leucophaea; Hooded Robin, Petroica cucullata, and Mangrove-Robin, Peneoenanthe pulverulenta. The Mangrove-Robin and the Broad-billed Flycatcher were recorded in the coastal mangroves. It was observed that the male Rufous Whistler, Pachycephala 194 OFFICER, Bird Northern Kimberley Birds [ Watcher rufiventris, was noticeably richly coloured, which is rather unusual for these birds in tropical areas. The Grey Shrike-Thrush, Colluricincla harmonica, was much less .seen than the Sandstone Thrush, C. woodwardi, which was always recorded in the sandstone gorges and escarpments. They attracted attention by their rich, strong whistle. Magpie-Larks, Grallina ,cyanoleuca, were not uncommon. Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Coracina novaehollandiae; Ground Cuckoo-Shrike, Pteropodocys maxima, and White-breasted Cuckoo Shrike, Coracina hypoleuca, were all recorded, while the White winged Triller, Lalage sueurii, was particularly numerous, though the males had not yet assumed their nuptial plumage. The Yellow Figbird, Sphecotheres flaviventris, was recorded in two locations, but I, personally, was not present on either occasion. Red-breasted Babblers, Pomatostomus rubeculus, were abundant. The White-throated Warbler, Gerygone olivacea, was the only Gerygone recorded. Yellow Weebills, Smicrornis flavescens, were listed, also the Rufous Songlark, Cinclorhampus mathewsi. The Black Grass-Wren, Amytornis housei, was naturally the glamour bird of the whole trip. His black and rufous colouring matched his environment, the sandstone escarpments, perfectly. In size he surpasses the other representatives of the genus and all in all he is a magnificent bird. Both the Australian Reed-Warbler,

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