Six Grasswren Tour report 12-18 October 2014 Bellbird Tours Pty Ltd PO Box 2008 BERRI SA 5343 AUSTRALIA Ph. 1800-BIRDING Ph. +61409 763172 www.bellbirdtours.com birds@bellbirdtours.com ABN 40 159 352 002
Summary and checklist of October 2014 Six Grasswren Tour
Dates of tour: 12 October – 18 October. Leaders: Peter Waanders & Helga Kieskamp next tour: September 2015 go to our tour program page tour brochure
Cinnamon Quail-thrush, 16 Oct 2014, Strzelecki track © P Waanders Tour overview
The 2014 Six Grasswren tour commenced in Adelaide (SA) and visited Birdlife Australia’s Gluepot reserve, Wentworth, Tibooburra and through Sturt National Park to the ‘Corner Country’ where SA, NSW and Qld meet. From there, the Strzelecki track was followed south, and after a detour via Whyalla we travelled through the Flinders Ranges and back to Adelaide. The weather was very good with abundant sunshine but no heat. In total Six Grasswren Tour report 12-18 October 2014
164 bird species were seen. Apart from the Grasswrens, highlights included Freckled Duck (small number on an inland desert lake), Black-breasted Buzzard (a pair at Witchelina Station), Australian Bustard (3 on the Qld-NSW border), Inland Dotterel (one on the Qld-NSW border), Scarlet-chested Parrot (a pair with young in nest hollow at Gluepot), Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo (a pair with young in nest hollow at Gluepot, and more along the SA-NSW border), Budgerigar (various small flocks in the outback), Banded Whiteface (6 along the Strzelecki track), Cinnamon Quail-thrush (2 pairs along the Strzelecki track) and Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (small colony in the Flinders Ranges). The full bird list follows at the end of this document. (A full list of bird species seen on all our Grasswren tours since 2006 can be found at http://www.sabirding.com/grasswren.xls )
Itinerary
12 October: Adelaide – Waikerie. 13 October: Waikerie – Gluepot – Wentworth. 14 October: Wentworth – Hattah – Tibooburra. 15 October: Tibooburra – Sturt NP – Cameron Corner. 16 October: Cameron Corner – Strzelecki track – Lyndhurst. 17 October: Lyndhurst - Hawker. 18 October: Hawker – Whyalla – Adelaide.
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next 6 Grasswren tour: 27 Sept 2015
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Six Grasswren Tour report 12-18 October 2014
Striated, Grey, Eyrean, Western Grasswren; Freckled Duck, Strzelecki track, Cockatiel, Chirruping Wedge-bill, Short-tailed Grasswren © P Waanders Six Grasswren Tour report 12-18 October 2014
Scarlet-chested Parrot (female), Black-breasted Buzzard, Inland Thornbill, Inland Dotterel, Gibberbird © P Waanders Six Grasswren Tour list of birds seen 12-18 October 2013
31 Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis 1 Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae 32 Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax 2 Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa 33 Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides 3 Black Swan Cygnus atratus 34 Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis 4 Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata 35 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 5 Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus 36 Australian Spotted Crake Porzana fluminea 6 Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis 37 Black-tailed Native-hen Tribonyx ventralis 7 Grey Teal Anas gracilis 38 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 8 Northern MallardI Anas platyrhynchos 39 Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae 9 Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa 40 Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus 10 Hardhead Aythya australis 41 Inland Dotterel Charadrius australis 11 Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis 42 Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops 12 Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae 43 Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus 13 Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus 44 Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles 14 Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca 45 Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis 15 Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis 46 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata 16 Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia 47 Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella 17 Eastern Great Egret Ardea modesta 48 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia 18 White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica 49 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 19 White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae 50 Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae 20 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 51 Rock DoveI Columba livia 21 Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus 52 Spotted DoveI Streptopelia chinensis 22 Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos 53 Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera 23 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 54 Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes 24 Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae 55 Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata 25 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris 56 Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata 26 Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus 57 Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites basalis 27 Black Kite Milvus migrans 58 Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus 28 Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon 59 Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae 29 Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus 60 Red-backed Kingfisher Todiramphus pyrrhopygius 30 Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus 61 Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus Six Grasswren Tour list of birds seen 12-18 October 2013
62 Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides 93 White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus 63 Brown Falcon Falco berigora 94 White-fronted Honeyeater Purnella albifrons 64 Galah Eolophus roseicapillus 95 Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis 65 Major Mitchell's Cockatoo Cacatua leadbeateri 96 Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala 66 Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea 97 Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula 67 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita 98 Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis 68 Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus 99 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis 69 Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus 100 Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata 70 Crimson (Adelaide) Rosella Platycercus (elegans) adelaidea 101 Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata 71 Australian (Pt Lincoln) Ringneck Barnardius (zonarius) zonarius 102 Crimson Chat Epthianura tricolor 72 Australian (Mallee) Ringneck Barnardius (zonarius) barnardi 103 Orange Chat Epthianura aurifrons 73 Blue Bonnet (yellow-vented) Northiella h. haematogaster 104 White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons 74 Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus 105 Gibberbird Ashbyia lovensis 75 Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius 106 Black Honeyeater Sugomel niger 76 Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus 107 Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris 77 Scarlet-chested Parrot Neophema splendida 108 Red-browed Pardalote Pardalotus rubricatus 78 White-browed Treecreeper Climacteris affinis 109 Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus 79 Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus 110 White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis 80 Splendid Fairy-wren Malurus splendens 111 Shy Heathwren Calamanthus cautus 81 White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus leucopterus 112 Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris 82 Variegated Fairy-wren Malurus lamberti 113 Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus 83 Striated Grasswren Amytornis striatus 114 Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris 84 Short-tailed Grasswren Amytornis merrotsyi 115 Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis 85 Western Grasswren Amytornis textilis myall 116 Slender-billed Thornbill Acanthiza iredalei 86 Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi 117 Inland Thornbill Acanthiza apicalis 87 Grey Grasswren Amytornis barbatsu 118 Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis 88 Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus 119 Banded Whiteface Aphelocephala nigricincta 89 Singing Honeyeater Lichenostomus virescens 120 White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus 90 White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis 121 Chestnut-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus ruficeps 91 Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus ornatus 122 Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum 92 Grey-fronted Honeyeater Lichenostomus plumulus 123 Chestnut Quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotum Six Grasswren Tour list of birds seen 12-18 October 2013
124 Chirruping Wedgebill Psophodes cristatus 155 Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel 125 Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus 156 Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans 126 Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis 157 Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi 127 Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen 158 Brown Songlark Cincloramphus cruralis 128 Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor 159 Silvereye Zosterops lateralis 129 White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus 160 Common StarlingI Sturnus vulgaris 130 Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus 161 Common BlackbirdI Turdus merula 131 White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus 162 House SparrowI Passer domesticus 132 Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus 163 Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata 133 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae 164 Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae 134 White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii
135 Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera A full list of bird species seen on all Grasswren tours since 136 Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata 2006 can be found here: 137 Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
138 Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica http://www.sabirding.com/grasswren.xls
139 Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis
140 Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
141 Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
142 Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
143 Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
144 Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
145 Little Raven Corvus mellori
146 Little Crow Corvus bennetti www.bellbirdtours.com 147 White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos
148 Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea 1800-BIRDING
149 Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
150 Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii next 6 Grasswren tour: 27 Sept 2015
151 Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata go to our tour program page 152 Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia
153 White-backed Swallow Cheramoeca leucosterna tour brochure
154 Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena