Kangaroo Island Oct 2010 Dave Torr Oct 14-20 2010 Dave Torr With 3 friends, I spent a few days on Kangaroo Island and in SE South Australia. Our targets were the KI race of Western Whipbird, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Rock Parrot and (dare I say it) Barbary Dove. The weather was not good – a strong southerly brought squally showers on the 15th with only slightly better conditions later. This made bush birding very hard, but it did not bring in any seabirds. By the time we got back to the mainland the weather was slightly better. In summary, we had 93 species in our 3 days on KI, including our two main targets of Western Whipbird and Glossy Black Cockatoo – no Rock Parrots though. We added a further 30 on the mainland, including the Barbary Dove but still no Rock Parrots. Many people suggested Chris Baxter's book on the birds of KI but it proved impossible to get – Flinders Chase Visitor Centre had a copy but not for sale and none available elsewhere. Sometimes trips are notable for what was not seen – no native finches and, despite looking at many dams and wetlands, only one (Australasian) Grebe the entire trip. Thursday 14th A full day's drive to Port Jervis with no birding on the way, so our list was limited to the usual car birds - highlights probably a White-necked Heron just after we crossed into SA and a flock of Cape Barren Geese between Wellington and Langholme Creek. Very smooth ferry crossing - a few Short-tailed Shearwaters but bad weather was obviously coming. We stayed in Kingscote for our 4 nights on the island. Friday 15th A very wet and windy night and not much better when we got up on Friday. Started by driving to American River where some people had had Glossies - no joy but we picked up a Nankeen Night-Heron and got excited by 12 black cockies flying over - but they were Yellow- tailed – still a great sight though. On then to Baudin Conservation Park following a recent tip – we walked down the track from the car park and a fair way along the main track to Ironstone Hill with no joy - turned round and at "Threshing Floor" close to the car park 5 Glossies flew out of the trees. On to Cape Willoughby hoping that in the strong wind we would get some sea birds, but all we saw was more shearwaters. Then to D'estrees Bay looking for Whipbird - no joy but we added Red-necked Stint and Crescent, Purple-gaped and Brown-headed Honeyeaters to our trip list. On the way back to Kingscote we called in at Murray Lagoon but discovered it was a LONG walk to the water from the main car park and we had no time left. Saturday 16th Another windy day. Drove to Kelly Hill looking for Whipbird - no joy but we added Crimson Rosella, Eastern Spinebill and Rainbow Lorikeet to our list. Our first KI Cape Barren Geese were seen soon after at the Koala Park just before Flinders Chase and then we were greeted by a large flock at the entrance to Flinders Chase, along with our first Scarlet Robin. Remarkable Rocks yielded our first Tawny-crowned Honeyeater and a Yellow-nosed Albatross. At Cape du Couedic we did the walk to Weirs Cove, and on the road back, between the junction and the lighthouse, had fantastic views of a Western Whipbird singing for several minutes at the top of a few bushes! On then to Cape Borda where we had good numbers of Little Wattlebirds feeding in Xanthorrhoea. We also had our first Wedge-tailed Eagles , and on the way back we saw 3 widely separated Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes and a small flock of Little Corellas. Sunday 17th Sunday was a much calmer day but still cool and showery. We started by heading up towards Emu Bay and a solitary Red-capped Plover. Roadsides and dams added Pipit and Skylark, and our first Little Pied Cormorant. Cygnet River had a small flock of Turkey - maybe wild, but we did not count them? Duck Lagoon was excellent - a displaying male Musk, our first Kookaburras and our only White-naped Honeyeater of the trip. We had a walk into Lathami Conservation Park from the car park on the Coast Rd, which was disappointing. On to Stokes Bay where we added a pair of Hooded Plovers and our first Sooty Oystercatcher, White-fronted Chats and Spotted Doves. We then went to the walk into Lathami from Stokes Bay Rd, where we met a tour guide who said he had not seen any Glossies there for 3 months. Bales Beach for lunch and on the way out a female Painted Button-quail with 3 chicks crossed the road. Rustic Blue Cafe has been mentioned by others but it was fairly quiet – a combination of the weather, time of day and a tree across their walking track. But there were lots of Striated Pardalotes and another Scarlet Robin. The Bald Hill walk at Murray Lagoon added a few water birds to our list - also a pair of Cape Barren Geese. A final stop at American River where there had been reports of Glossies – not seen but there were a Curlew and a Greenshank, and the final drive to Kingscote added our first Swamp Harriers and Wood Ducks and a small flock of Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos. Monday 18th 0830 ferry home (another smooth trip) – 4 Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos over our cabins as we left Kingscote and 4 (the same?) over the ferry at Penneshaw. Newland Head added Singing Honeyeater (very common – why don't they make it to KI?) and Kelp Gull – plus another Brush Bronzewing and Brown Goshawk. Then to The Bluff at Victor Harbour and the Murray Mouth on Hindmarsh – lots of terns at the latter, adding Fairy to our list and also a flock of Godwits that were a little far away for positive ID – but no Rock Parrots in either place. On to the southern suburbs of Adelaide for the night, where a Boobook was heard around the caravan park. Tuesday 19th We easily got the Barbary Dove in Marino (Emma Street) but no joy with Rock Parrot at Mutton Cove, Pelican Point (access no longer possible) or St Kilda, although we added a few birds (Little and Great Egrets, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater) to our trip list. Spent the night in Naracoorte. Wednesday 20th A couple of hours at Bool Lagoon on the way home – some water there but clearly – from the position of some of the hides – nowhere near full. A good selection of birds – Cattle, Great and Intermediate Egret, Magpie Goose and a number of Australian Bitterns were heard booming. Kangaroo Island Birds Musk Duck - 1 at Duck Lagoon Cape Barren Goose - common at Flinders Chase and at Koala Park before entrance. 2 at Murray Lagoon Black Swan - common with lots of cygnets - mostly at east end of island Australian Shelduck - several at eastern end with ducklings Australian Wood Duck - 3 on a dam north of American River Grey Teal - few at Murray Lagoon and Duck Lagoon Chestnut Teal - 2 at Murray Lagoon Pacific Black Duck - a few on dams - this trip was when many ducks were inland breeding, and for example very few ducks at Werribee. Mainly east end Hardhead - 8+ at Murray Lagoon Australasian Grebe - one on a dam at east end of island Rock Dove - in Kingscote Spotted Dove – a few at at Stokes Bay and Vivonne Bay and Penneshaw Common Bronzewing - common on roadsides in N and E of island. Brush Bronzewing - one near Kingscote Yellow-nosed Albatross - one off Remarkable Rocks. Disappointing that the strong southerly did not bring more in. There was a possible Shy as well. Short-tailed Shearwater - off most headlands in low numbers Australasian Gannet - a few at American River and D'estrees Bay and Remarkable Rocks Little Pied Cormorant - one on a dam near Emu Bay, 3 at Duck Lagoon Great Cormorant - immature on road near Cape Willoughby, one at Remarkable Rocks Little Black Cormorant - common at American River Pied Cormorant - common on coast Black-faced Cormorant - Penneshaw Harbour Australian Pelican - common at American River, one at Stokes Bay White-faced Heron - on coast and wetlands - fairly common Nankeen Night-Heron - one at American River Australian White Ibis - common at east end Eastern Osprey - one at D'estrees bay, one at Vivonne Bay on a pole eating fish Black-shouldered Kite - small numbers throughout Swamp Harrier - 2 north of American River Wedge-tailed Eagle - fairly common Nankeen Kestrel - fairly common Eurasian Coot - one at Murray Lagoon Australian Pied Oystercatcher - 10-20 in a paddock near American River, a few on coast there and some in Penneshaw when we arrived Sooty Oystercatcher - single birds at Stokes bay, American River and Vivonne Bay Red-capped Plover - one on dam near Emu Bay Hooded Plover - 2 on rocks at Stokes Bay Masked Lapwing - common in paddocks Eastern Curlew - 1 at American River Common Greenshank - 1 at American River Red-necked stint - a few at D'estrees Painted Button-quail - female with 3 chicks crossing road at Bates Bay Caspian Tern - 1 at American River, 1 at Vivonne Bay Crested Tern - fairly common Pacific Gull - fairly common Silver Gull - very common Glossy Black- Cockatoo - 5 at Baudin CP Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo - flock of 12 near American River, 5 flying over at Kingscote. 4 on last day over cabin at Kingscote and then (same birds?) over Penneshaw. Galah – common Little Corella - small flock near Kingscote and Duck Lagoon Rainbow Lorikeet - two seen on way from D'estrees to Murray Lagoon and a pair at Kellys Hill and at Duck Lagoon Purple-crowned Lorikeet – common around Kingscote and at Kelly's Hill Crimson Rosella - fairly common Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo - one heard at RR and 1 heard at coffee place Fan-tailed Cuckoo - heard at D'estrees and also American River Laughing Kookaburra - two at Duck lagoon and a few on road from there to Lathami CP.