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dispersing in summer as food and water Further notes on mallee resources dwindle. of the far south- Black-eared Cuckoo Chrysococcyx chalcites west of An adult in mallee 9 km east of Border Village on 24 and 28 October. Carpenter and Matthew (1997) discussed the distribution of some mallee birds of the Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans southern edge of the in the Two 8.5 km ESE of Border Village on 27 October, far west of South Australia. The region is on and near the cliffs at the edge of the sand interesting because it lies on the western side patch. These were in the same area as reported of the Nullarbor Plain and is contiguous with by Carpenter and Matthew (1997). mallee habitats in south-western . Carpenter and Matthew found that Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Malurus pulcherrimus many mallee birds are more widely distributed Several pairs and small groups throughout, along the southern edge of the Nullarbor Plain including at the edge of the sand patch 10.5 km than previously realised. Rowley and Russell ESE of Border Village, in mallee (particularly (1998) subsequently provided evidence that Yalata Mallee Eucalyptus yalatensis) with denser supported the occurrence of Blue-breasted Dryland Tea-tree Melaleuca lanceolata overgrown Fairy-wrens Malurus pulcherrimus in the region. with Coarse Dodder-laurel Cassytha melantha. Most were in pairs with coloured males Between 22 and 30 October 2004 I assisted as displaying a purplish breast. An adult male ornithologist on a biological and ethnological was collected 10 km NE of Border Village on survey conducted by the South Australian 27 October (SAM B55194). Some females had Museum Waterhouse Club of the Merdayerrah darker red-brown eye-rings and lores suggestive Sandpatch region in the far west of South of the Variegated Fairy-wren M. lamberti, Australia. The study area is in the Nullarbor although further information is required to National Park and extended from the South determine whether M. lamberti also occurs in the Australia - east area. for about 15 km and inland about 9 km. The weather during the survey was generally fine Rowley and Russell (1998) reported pairs of M. but windy, and followed a year of average pulcherrimus 25 and 30 km E of Border Village on rainfall. 30 September 1997 but did not find them further west until reaching Eyre. The following are notes on some mallee birds recorded during the survey. Carpenter and Yellow-rumped Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus Matthew (1997) described vegetation in the area. xanthopyge (subspecies of the Spotted Pardalote). Pairs at a few mallee sites suggesting that the Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae species breeds locally, although no nest holes An adult with six half-grown young 7 km E of were located. Border Village on 29 October. Tracks and dung containing seeds of Bower Spinach Tetragonia Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata implexicoma were also seen on the Merdayerrah Two were feeding among taller flowering E. Sandpatch. yalatensis 10 km NE of Border Village on 24 October. This species has previously been These records suggest that small numbers recorded nearby at Eucla (Storr 1987). of Emus breed in the area during winter, 200 South Australian Ornithologist 35 (7)

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus Gawler Ranges in the South Australian Museum ornatus (Matheson 1981). Matheson (1981) correctly None located in the study area. However on 30 predicted the presence of Brown Honeyeaters October 2004 two were observed about 100 km along the Nullarbor coast in South Australia. to the east, in a patch of flowering Red Mallee E. oleosa 31 km W of Nullarbor Roadhouse (310 The New Holland Honeyeater is presumed 33’ 9”S, 1300 35’ 52”E). In Western Australia the to be the western subspecies Phylidonyris n. species occurs along the Hampton Scarp east to longirostris. To the east, the nearest reports of Eucla (Storr 1987). the species are near Streaky Bay (500 km ESE). Neither Brown nor New Holland Honeyeaters New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris have been reported east of Madura, Western novaehollandiae Australia, about 200 km to the west (Storr 1987, Up to 20 in flowering Coastal White Mallee Allen et al. 1984). However, the New Atlas of E. diversifolia and Yalata Mallee 8.5 km ESE of Australian Birds (Barrett et al. 2003) shows a Border Village (310 49’ 49”S, 1290 5’ 9”E) on 23 record of the New Holland Honeyeater in the October, declining to 3 on 29 October. one degree square that includes Eucla (centred at 310 30’S, 1280 30’E). Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta Up to 15 with the above on 23 October, declining Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca to 1 on 29 October. A pair with a nest in a planted Tuart Eucalyptus gomphocephala at Border Village. Carpenter and The Brown and New Holland Honeyeaters Matthew (1997) previously noted a pair with a were feeding together in thickets of flowering nest at the same location. Coastal White Mallee and adjacent patches of Yalata Mallee on the cliff faces overlooking Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor Merdayerrah Sandpatch. Attention was drawn Currawongs were heard and briefly seen in to the Brown Honeyeater by its frequently several areas, including two juveniles being fed uttered “plip – plip” and chirruping calls, by adults. The adults had greyish plumage and although it took several minutes to see one as white wing patches characteristic of the western it flitted amongst the dense eucalypt foliage. subspecies “plumbea”. Carpenter and Matthew Although up to 20 individuals of each were (1997) previously noted the species near Border present on 23 October, numbers declined during Village. the survey period as flowering of Coastal White Mallee ended. There was no evidence Silvereye Zosterops lateralis gouldi of breeding. Both species were also observed Widespread in mallee and tea-tree, including in a flowering bottlebrush (Callistemon sp.) in on the sandpatch, and an old nest in Coarse a garden at Eucla during the survey period Dodder-laurel 10 km NE of Border Village. One (M. and A. Chapple, pers. comm.). Brown was collected 10 km NE of Border Village on 28 Honeyeaters were also heard there in July 2005 October (SAM B55195). (C. Kemper, pers. comm.).

There are few reports of the Brown Honeyeater Discussion in South Australia. Most are of single birds or Three new mallee birds are reported for the small flocks from the far north-west (Matheson far south-west of South Australia, namely 1981, McNamara 1986, Carpenter et al. 2003). Red Wattlebird, Brown Honeyeater and New There is also a clutch of eggs collected in August Holland Honeyeater. 1932 from Carriewerloo Station in the eastern November 2009 201

The Brown and New Holland Honeyeaters Yellow Robin, a species that commonly occurs were feeding among flowering Eucalyptus in areas with thickets of tea-tree (Melaleuca spp.) diversifolia. This mainly winter-flowering (e.g. on western Eyre Peninsula – pers. obs.). mallee has a limited distribution in the region, scattered on the edge of the cliffs between In addition to the above records, Rosemary Border Village and Merdayerrah Sandpatch, Taplin (pers. comm.) made notes birds seen and in Western Australia on the Wylie and on the Hampton Scarp about 5 km west of Hampton Scarps (Parsons 1970, Nicolle 1997). It Eucla in Western Australia (about 7 km west is more commonly associated with wetter areas, of the border) on 22 May 2005. She reported becoming prominent on Eyre Peninsula south- several flocks of 20 to 50 Purple-crowned east of Streaky Bay (pers. obs.). Lorikeets Glossopsitta porphyrocephala flying east, suggesting that the species disperses between The presence of the Blue-breasted Fairy-wren South and Western Australia along the southern and the western subspecies of both Silvereye edge of the Nullarbor Plain, as well as via the Zosterops lateralis gouldi and Grey Currawong eucalypt habitats of the Great Victoria Desert Strepera versicolor plumbea along the southern (Ford 1971). Taplin also noted a flock of about edge of the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia fifty “yellow-winged” honeyeaters feeding in are confirmed. Evidence of breeding and profusely flowering Coastal White Mallee on the their occurrence during both autumn and Hampton Scarp. She identified them as White- spring suggests that they are resident in the cheeked Honeyeaters Phylidonyris niger based on region. Conversely, the absence of Golden the white cheek patches and calls different to the Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis, Fan-tailed similar New Holland Honeyeater. This report is Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis and Dusky about 250 km west of records in coastal Western Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus, found by Australia (e.g. only rarely reported at Eyre Carpenter and Matthew (1997) in May 1996, Observatory – Congreve 1982, Storr 1987). In suggests that these may be non-breeding the south-west of Western Australia the species autumn-winter visitors. is generally associated with sand-plain heaths dominated by dryandras and banksias (Higgins As with the report (Carpenter and Matthew et al. 2001). 1997), the October 2004 survey failed to detect several mallee species that occur adjacent to the Also of interest is the fragmented distribution survey area near Eucla, Western Australia (Storr of the Yellow-plumed Honeyeater in the 1987). These include Grey Fantail Rhipidura region. The mallee vegetation where two were fuliginosa, Microeca fascinans, observed 30 km west of Nullarbor Roadhouse griseogularis, is floristically more similar (dominated by White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis Red Mallee E. oleosa) to that near Yalata east of and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater. The Grey the Nullarbor barrier (where Yellow-plumed Fantail is likely to be a non-breeding winter Honeyeaters are relatively common) than that visitor, dispersing from nesting areas on Eyre in the study area (pers. obs.). The distribution Peninsula and south-western Western Australia of mallee plants and birds in this area require (Ford 1971). The Jacky Winter, White-eared further study. Honeyeater and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater may associate more with taller mallee habitats Other mallee birds that could be expected that occur along the Hampton Scarp, a habitat to occur in the study area are Purple-gaped that does not extend into the adjacent part of Honeyeater Lichenostomus cratitius, Tawny- South Australia (Parsons 1970, Storr 1987). crowned Honeyeater Glyciphila melanops, More surprising was the absence of the Western Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta, Shy 202 South Australian Ornithologist 35 (7)

Heathwren Hylacola cauta and Common Debus, S.J.S. 1991. The Square-tailed Kite Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera. Various other Lophoictinia isura in South Australia. South raptors could also be expected. For example the Australian Ornithologist 31: 57-71. Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura has been Ford, J. 1971. Distribution and of recorded on or adjacent the Nullarbor Plain in southern birds in the Great Victoria Desert. Emu spring (McGilp 1932, Ashton and Ashton 1983, 71: 27-36. Debus 1991, pers. obs.). Higgins, P.J., Peter, J.M. and Steele, W.K. 2001. Acknowledgements Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic The South Australian Museum Waterhouse Club birds. Volume 5. Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats. is thanked for providing the opportunity to Oxford University Press, Melbourne. assist on its survey. Members of the Waterhouse Matheson, W.E. 1981. The Brown Honeyeater in Club contributed to the field survey, particularly South Australia. South Australian Ornithologist I. Penna, M. and A. Chapple, and C. Lawrie who 28: 180-184. located several nests. R. Taplin kindly provided information on birds observed near the South McGilp, J.N. 1932. Birds of the Nullarbor Plain Australian border in May 2005, and C. Kemper and far west coast of South Australia. South at Eucla in July 2005. Australian Ornithologist 11: 146-150.

McNamara, J.A. 1986. Brown Honeyeater near REFERENCES Coober Pedy. South Australian Ornithologist 30: 26. Allen, J., Burbidge, A., Casperson, K., Chapman, A., Fuller, P. and Hayes, S. 1984. Birds. In: A Nicolle, D. 1997. Eucalypts of South Australia. biological survey of the Nullarbor Region, South and Published by the author, . Western Australia in April 1984. N.L. McKenzie Parsons, R.F. 1970. Mallee vegetation of the and A.C. Robinson, editors. National Parks and southern Nullarbor and Roe Plains, Australia. Wildlife Service, Adelaide. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia Ashton, C.B. and Ashton, E.M. 1983. A sighting 94: 227-242. of Square-tailed Kites at Nullarbor, South Rowley, I. and Russell, E. 1998. Distribution of Australia. South Australian Ornithologist 29: 54. the Blue-breasted Fairy-wren near the South Barrett, G., Silcocks, A., Barry, S., Cunningham, Australian - Western Australian border. South R. and Poulter, R. 2003. The new atlas of Australian Ornithologist 33: 16. Australian Birds. Birds Australia, Melbourne. Storr, G.M. 1987. Birds of the Eucla Division Carpenter, G., Black, A., Harper, D. and Horton, of Western Australia. Records of the Western P. 2003. Bird Report, 1982-1999. South Australian Australian Museum Supplement No. 27: 7-81. Ornithologist 34: 93-151.

Carpenter, G.A. and Matthew, J.S. 1997. Notes G.A. Carpenter, 24 Dryden Rd, Black Forest, on some mallee birds of the far south-west of S.A. 5035 South Australia. South Australian Ornithologist 32: 134-140.

Congreve, P. 1982. Eyre Bird Observatory Report 1979 - 1981. Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union Report No. 3.