Birds South East Number 92 November 2020 Australian Hobby Eyre Peninsula trip Contents JEFF CAMPBELL 1. Eyre Peninsula trip 5. Glen Roy CP. 22 August 2020 PHOTOS SARAH CAMPBELL 7. Apostlebirds in the South East 8.Banded Kelp Gull found at 8 Mile Creek Given the current uncertainty surrounding travel 9.Red-tail Nesting Activity restrictions to other States within Australia, Sarah 10.Shorebird Notes and I recently decided that we should postpone our planned trip to Norfolk Island, and instead stayed 11.Contacts/Quiz/Program within South Australia, with a two week camping 12. Recent Sightings SectionTitleE trip to the Eyre Peninsula region. We had also sometimes narrow and spectacular gorge. Although decided that we would spend a day in Adelaide with we only stayed for two nights here we saw 44 our son Michael. species. We would certainly recommend a stay on the property if visiting the area. The only sound we On day one we travelled up to the Coorong, heard here at night was the call of a nearby camping in the Avocet campground at Parnka Point. Southern Boobook. It was delightful to have the campground to ourselves. Birds here were quite plentiful, with the While camping at Spear Creek we took a day trip to highlight being a species which seemed to follow us Port Augusta to visit the Australian Arid Lands to many of our later destinations. That bird was a Botanic Gardens. Unfortunately, the gardens do not single White-winged Triller. We were also visited by open until 9.00 am, by which time on the day of our visit it was already very warm, making walking and a male Mistletoebird and had the pleasure of birdwatching uncomfortable. We did see a pair of listening to the harmonious calls of Peaceful Doves. Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters with young and a group After arriving in Adelaide the next day we visited of White-browed Babblers and Red Wattlebirds Oaklands Wetland and Reserve near Marion vigorously chasing off a quite large Eastern Brown (featured in a note by Bryan Haywood, in the May Snake. After visiting the gardens we drove up to the 2020 issue of this Newsletter) where we saw Purple Yorkeys Crossing Road to see if we could find any of Swamphens with chicks and Rainbow Lorikeets the feral Ostriches which inhabit the area, with no using a nest box. At the Warriparinga Wetlands luck. We did however happen to meet up with beside the Marion Holiday Park we saw Australian Graham Moore and two of his friends. Graham is the Wood Ducks with ducklings and a pair of Laughing Adelaide Hills resident who made the trip down to Kookaburras entering and leaving a hollow in a the south east to take part in our July outing to Pick large eucalypt. Swamp. After a mostly sleepless night due to traffic noise, After leaving Spear Creek we headed down to Port we left Adelaide fairly early in a mainly fruitless Lincoln National Park. Our campsite looked out over attempt to beat the worst of the traffic. We were Spalding Cove and towards Cape Donington. We headed for Spear Creek Caravan Park, on a working were separated from the beach only by a narrow sheep station, 25 kilometres south-east of Port fenced revegetation area. It was interesting that Augusta. The property is located on base of the during every high tide, when much of the beach was spectacular western slopes of the Flinders Ranges. covered, a pair of Australian Pied Oystercatchers We chose to camp in one of the several ‘bush would come into the area to forage, digging their camping’ spots (complete with flushing toilet!) bills into the dark sandy soil. On the second day at beside a dry creek bed lined with majestic old this campsite we observed a massive number of eucalypts. One of these trees, on the edge of our Black-faced and Pied Cormorants flying low up the camp, was frequented by a pair of Australian cove. We estimated that around two to three Hobbies which regularly brought in mostly small thousand cormorants flew past. Australian Ringneck birds to consume and were seen copulating on more Parrots were nesting near the beach in a hollow.The than one occasion. The amount of breeding activity other highlight in the Port Lincoln area was the local among many species was a feature of the entire prawns! Absolutely delicious. trip. At Spear Creek a pair of Nankeen Kestrels were also seen copulating and entering a hollow, Black- faced Cuckoo-shrikes were sitting on a nest, Tree Martins were entering and leaving hollows and Yellow-rumped Thornbills nest building. The incessant withcher-weedle calls of male Rufous Songlarks were a feature of the plains at the entrance to the property. Small flocks of Budgerigars and Cockatiels were often seen, along with Redthroats and Sacred Kingfishers, plus another White-winged Triller. There are two walking tracks on the property, one of approximately five Australian Ringneck kilometres follows the usually dry Spear Creek up a 2 Birds South East SectionTitleO We then made the short journey to Coffin Bay National Park, staying at Yangie Bay camping area. The highlights here, other than the excellent Coffin Bay oysters, were Common Sandpiper, Western Whipbird, and Rock Parrot and a pair of White- bellied Sea-Eagles circling and calling over the camp area. Also of interest was a loose group of 23 Australian Pied Oystercatchers on Long Beach near the township and a Grey Butcherbird posing for a photo on the roadside. Inland Thornbill The next day saw us travel to Mount Remarkable National Park, staying at Baroota Ruins campground. This was a delightful camp area, set Grey Butcherbird apart from the other sites, and surrounded by large eucalypts and Callitris pines. A walk from the camp area led to a delightful area of branching creeks, one of which had small open pools of shallow flowing water, each joined up by water flowing After Coffin Bay we travelled to Coodlie Park Farm under the rocky creek base. Birds were plentiful Retreat near Venus Bay. En route to Coodlie we saw here, my list from our short stay totalled 41 species. a pair of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike with a nest Of these large groups of both Apostlebirds feeding containing three large young birds, seemingly young and dust-bathing White-browed Babblers in hanging on for dear-life in their skimpy nest. At the camp area were favourites. Also of note for us Coodlie we saw Striated Pardalote entering a hollow, was an Eastern Barn Owl which flew over camp lots of Inland Thornbills and heard Owlet Nightjar calling on both nights, when we also heard calling. This is an interesting place to stay, although Australian Owlet-nightjar and Tawny Frogmouth it must be said looking a little unloved and unkempt calling. A pair of Red-rumped Parrots and a single when we were there. To use the bucket showers, Rock Parrot drinking from a small pool in the creek one fills from a bucket in the camp kitchen; this is were absolutely wonderful in the late afternoon then poured into a metal bucket in the showers. sunlight and small flocks of Budgerigars were memorable. The ‘usual’ White-winged Triller was This bucket is then hoisted up on a pulley system, also present. the shower rose in the bottom of the bucket is turned on, and voila, a hot shower! November 2020 3 SectionTitleE Apostlebirds. Adult with immature Apostlebirds. Adult with immature From Mount Remarkable we moved on towards home to Red Banks Conservation Park near Burra Also present were small numbers of breeding (thanks to Graham Moore for the information). The Cockatiels and Redthroats, plus quite a few colourful birds around the camping area were interesting, Rainbow Bee-eaters. Also observed breeding were Australian Ringneck, White-plumed Honeyeater and including Redthroat and hundreds of Dusky and Brown Treecreeper. White-breasted Woodswallows overhead, but the sight at the nearby Day Visitor area with the creek In all we saw 127 species for the trip and enjoyed containing pools of water, was fantastic. Hundreds the experience. We will return to the area at some of Budgerigars, many breeding, dominated the time and spend longer in at least some of the areas scene. visited. Budgerigars 4 Birds South East SectionTitleO GLEN ROY CP The clouds kept threatening to dump a big load of rain on us throughout the early part of the day, and finally did just as we returned to the cars, strangely 22 AUGUST 2020 by the time we drove around to the northern boundary the sun had come out again, we were very lucky. From there we drove up to the north boundary Thirteen people attended our return to Glen Roy CP, parking near the small quarry, had a quick morning usually a pretty reasonable birding spot during tea break and then headed off for a loop through Spring. the top end, a recent storm had brought down lots It was great to have two new people along, Josh of branches and trees so we had to pick our way and Bec who thoroughly enjoyed the day, and saw a through, shortly after talking about the possibility of few new birds. seeing Varied Sittellas a group flew into a tree We started the day meeting at the NW corner of the above our heads calling loudly which grabbed our park and then commenced our birding through the attention, great views were had while they foraged SW corner getting good looks at a few birds while along the branches hanging themselves in all kinds others clung to the tops of the trees, White-throated of awkward looking positions.