We travelled about 8,000km from Julatten out to Western Queensland and into Northern South Australia to Lake Eyre. As usual we were birding along the way towing our Tvan camper trailer, which was a fantastic home for the duration. We had to put up with horrendous amounts of flies and had to wear fly veils for the first time ever. Endured temperatures down to -7ºC and met many interesting people. We tried to support the small towns we visited by buying supplies, eating out at local hotels and coffee shops, People out west are doing it tough due to the prolonged drought. The links are to interesting places as well as bird species links to our eBird surveys. Most of the bird images are taken using a Canon EOS 7D mkII or a 5D mkIII and a 100-400mm lens. Other images are taken with a Panasonic Lumix TZ-110 compact camera and some with a Samsung Tablet.
Prado and Tvan on the Birdsville Track |
Map Symbols
Green - Overnight stops
Orange - Rest areas and points of interest
Purple - Caravan parks
8th June
Black Butcherbird - juvenile |
Overnight rain was constant but we managed to pack up during a dry break in the weather and leave the van park (species) to go to Warrina Lakes in Innisfail for a Birdlife Australia North Queenslnd Group survey. Again it was raining but it eased off a bit so we could walk around the lakes and rainforest and see some birds. Highlight was a Great-billed Heron which flew past (species).
Great-billed Heron |
Caspian Tern |
11th June
Black-chinned Honeyeater |
Crested Pigeon |
Pied Currawong |
Diamond Dove |
Australian Hobby |
Singing Honeyeater |
Bladensburg Camp |
Budgerigar - juvenile |
June 13th
We started the day with a survey before breakfast and enjoyed watching the Budgerigar in the morning sun.
Budgerigar |
Black-faced Woodswallow |
Galah |
Red-winged Parrot |
Grey-headed Honeyeater |
Grevillea Whickhami |
Crested Bellbird |
Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo |
Little Friarbird |
Started to pack up before breakfast, finishing off afterwards and going for a walk. Went looking for a Spotted Quail-thrush Chris and Len had seen the day before but no luck (species). A NP ranger came to clean the toilet and to visit our campsite, had a chat. Then left for Opalton, just under 100km
along a good dirt road. Arrived in Opalton at 12.15pm and headed to the Bush Camp, where we set up before lunch, we were the only campers. Surveyed the camp ground (species) and had lunch before going out to find the elusive Rusty Grasswren, late afternoon. As usual we had no luck despite nearly 2 hours searching two sites, we recorded no species! On the way back to the camp there was a pair of Spinifex Pigeon displaying beside the road. Had a walk over to the Opalton Dam but very quiet there (species). Due to recent rains there was plenty of other watering hole for the birds. Had a cold shower in the evening before dinner. Heard a Spotted Nightjar and Bush Stone-Curlew in the evening.
Diamond Dove |
Grey-headed Honeyeater |
June 16th
Had a coffee and went off to the Jump-up near Sandy Creek to have another go for those pesky Rusty Grasswren – guess what? No sign of them. Checked out the creek on the other side of the road and found a few birds to photograph, Common Bronzewing, Spotted Bowerbird and Jacky Winter (species).
Common Bronzewing |
Spotted Bowerbird |
Jacky Winter |
Grey Teal |
Australian Reed-Warbler |
June 17th
Australasian Grebe |
Zebra Finch |
Slater's Ring-tailed Dragon |
Bourke's Parrot |
Budgerigar |
Red-backed Kingfisher |
Rufous Songlark |
Galah |
Packed up and continued south along a pretty good gravel road. Got to Noonbah Station about 12.30pm where we were greeted by Fergus Emmott (son of Angus owner of the station). Had a coffee before Fergus took us to the Vergemont Night Camp site alongside one of the channels of the creek. Found a flat camp site and set up before heading off for a bird survey. Great location for birds including White-browed and Masked Woodswallow (species). Quiet evening as the temperature started to plunge down so we rugged up and had an early night.
June 20th
White-browed Woodswallow |
Red-backed Kingfisher + Diamond Dove |
Woke up to a very cold morning with frost on the Tvan solar panel as well as the cars windscreen. Had a warming coffee to get going and went for a walk, nothing new but good looks at White-breasted Woodswallow foraging in trees alongside the creek. Also another Red-backed Kingfisher sharing a tree with a Diamond Dove. (species).
Little Black Cormorant |
Whistling Kite |
A flock of 66 Australasian Grebe were fishing in a group very successfully with several seen with fish, which looked much too large to get down but they managed it! A group of Grey-crowned Babbler we present with immature birds in tow and more Red-backed Kingfisher. We spent a few hours here watching the birds and eating our lunch (species).
Black-faced Cuckooshrike |
Back to camp for a lazy afternoon and another survey in the area. A Black-faced Cuckooshrike flew over with a big grasshopper in it's bill.
Black-faced and White-browed Woodswallow |
Both Masked and White -Browed Woodswallow were making the most of the last rays of the day. (species).
It did not cool down quite as much as the previous evening but was getting cold (12ºC) before we retired for the night.
June 21st
White-necked Heron, Galah, Little Corella |
White-necked Heron |
After our mid-morning coffee we headed of to Noonbah Station Homestead to see if anyone was around but all was quiet. Checked out the dam beside the homestead, where we were suprised to see some Common Myna but no suprise to see a Black-fronted Dotterel patrolling the edge of the dam. (species).
Black-fronted Dotterel |
Then tried to find our way to our camp site from our last visit. After a couple of false starts found the right track and ended up near our old camp. Next tried to find the track up the escarpment, which had disappeared over the two years since we had been here. Did some birding and found Splendid Fairy-Wren (ssp.emmottorum, named after Angus) and Hall’s Babbler (species).
Splendid Fairy-Wren - sub-adult male ssp.emmottorum |
Cockatiel |
Australian Bustard |
Black-shouldered Kite |
Windora Solar Farm |
Windora Solar Farm |
Brown Falcon |
Had a coffee and continued around the trail. Stopped a Cooper's Creek and had a few Horsfield’s Bushlark (species).
Then continued to Cooper's Creek at the end of the trail. Plenty of birds here, photographed a Masked Woodswallow eating a caterpillar and a White-browed Woodswallow (species).
Masked Woodswallow |
White-browed Woodswallow |
Crested Pigeon |
Zebra Finch (m) |
Stopped at a few rest areas along the way including Sculpture of the Dreamtime near Betoota.
Sculpture of the Dreamtime |
Purple-backed Fairy-wren |
Camel Sculpture |
WaddyTree Acacia peuce |
The Waddy Tree Acacia Peuce is only found in three locations in Queensland and one in the Northern Territory. It is one of Australia's rarest desert trees.
After lunch we had another look around, which proved to be a good move as we found three Cinnamon Quail-thrush, Crimson Chat and White-winged Fairy-wren (species).
26th June
Eyrean Grasswren Country on Big Red |
White-backed Swallow |
Headed onto the Birdsville Track seeing Australian Bustard and Spotted Harrier on the edge of town. The road south was in good condition with few corrugations and only one detour around a flooded wetland. We stopped on the detour road to have a coffee and climb up a sand dune. This gave us great views over the flooded area covering the usual road.
Detour Track |
Cattle on the Birdsville Track |
Zebra Finch (M) |
Lindsay took over the driving for the next 75km to the Cooper’s Creek camp ground, big area of mainly dry soil and bushes with a few trees. Set up camp and went for a bird walk. Best bird was a couple of Bluebonnet, others were Crested Pigeon, White-plumed Honeyeater and Zebra Finch (species).
Bluebonnet |
Packed up and left for Marree stopping at Clayton Wetland Campground for morning coffee. Only 6 Raven and a Willie Wagtail here. Arrived at Marree about 11.15am and checked out the town. Found a spot to park opposite the old Marree railway station in a barbecue area. Toilets and shelter here with tables and benches. Good spot for lunch (species).
Galah |
Old Ghan Railway Diesel Locomotive |
E.G. Kruse - Mail Truck |
E.G. Kruse old mail truck is on display in Marree, as a tribute to his pioneering days of delivering the mail to remote areas especially along the Birdsville Track.
Two Cessna Aircraft |
Had lunch and saw another Tvan pull into town. Fueled up at the service station (175.9c) and headed out of town on the Odnadatta Track towards William Creek, stopping at the quirky sculptures of the Mutoid Waste Company's sculpture park with "Plane Henge", two Cessnas standing on their tails touching wingtip to wingtip. Many other quirky sculptures such are a steel tree of knowledge and a xylophone made of hub caps are scattered around and are added to each year. It's a bit of fun using scrap materials.
Continued on to our overnight stop at Coward Springs, 71km south of William Creek.
Spotless Crake |
Found a nice campsite and set up the Tvan.
Went for a walk around the camp and a small wetland near the hot spa. Here we found a Spotless Crake in the rushes at eye-level. Had good looks for a few minutes before it went down onto the ground and ran out of sight, unexpected species for the trip (species). Back for dinner and a quiet evening.
29th June
Grey Fantail |
Singing Honeyeater |
Cinnamon Quail-thrush |
30th June
Investigated a couple of dams, which were dry, on the way back to the Odnadatta Track. Then we saw some reeds rising out of another dam which was called Turks Bore. This one was overflowing into the surrounding country making a wetland in contrast to the surrounding dry country. Good birding here with Little Grassbird, Grey Teal, Red-capped Plover and a Masked Lapwing and chick (species). How the cattle were making a living out of this dusty, dry, stoney country is a mystery!
Red-capped Plover |
The Locals |
Little Grassbird |
Back onto the Odnadatta Track with a stop for lunch at the The Bubbler Mound Spring, where we only saw a few Welcome Swallow and Black-faced Woodswallow
1st July
Farina |
The big attraction here was a bakery! The underground Scotch oven had been restored with a pop-up shop next to it above ground.
This was full of people buying all sorts of bread, pies, cakes and savories. We bought a Sausage Roll, Pastie and a Custard Tart as well as a Sourdough loaf. All were excellent and a real treat. We went underground to see the restored oven and have a chat with the baker.
Farina Restoration |
Farina Dam |
Wow what night, temperatures kept dropping and it was -7ºC in the morning! Seriously cold so all the layers kept being piled on. Up to get a warming coffee before a walk around photographing some of the birds trying to keep warm, including Singing Honeyeater, Chiruping Wedgebill and Crested Pigeon who were still on the dam wall (species).
Singing Honeyeater |
Chiruping Wedgebill |
Monte Callina Bore Camp |
Masked Lapwing |
Little Corella |
Parked at a not very flat site so we moved to a better one after lunch and set up. Relaxed for the afternoon watching Little Corella along with flocks of Fairy and Tree Martin fly overhead before a late afternoon survey, which found our first Red-rumped Parrot for the trip (species).
Rufous Songlark |
Cockatiel |
Lots of Crimson Chat, Blue-winged Parrot, Greater Bluebonnet and a Black Honeyeater were the best birds (species).
Blue-winged Parrot |
Crimson Chat |
Major Mitchell Cockatoo |
Back to the Tvan for breakfast before heading back to Thargomindah for a few supplies and went off to Pelican Point to have a hot drink. Lindsay said the Tvan was making a few noises from underneath so I jacked it up and checked the bearings and shock absorber rubbers, all was OK. Drove out of town turning right onto the Hungerford Road, which had quite a lot of bitumen in between the gravel stretches. Reached the Kilcowera Station turn off on the left and drove the 15km to the station. Here we met Greg, who showed us to our camp site beside a shrinking Cardenyabba Lagoon, which still had some water in it. Greg explained the maps and facilities for the station and left us to set up. Lots of flies again! Set up and had lunch before finding the camp ground loo. Went for for a walk along the lagoon road after lunch, only a Pied Stilt and a White-necked Heron foraging in the lagoon and a few bush birds in the surrounding vegetation (species). Made it back to camp just in time to avoid a sprinkling of rain.
Singing Honeyeater |
Woke up to a completely foggy morning, could not even see the water in the lagoon.
Kilcowera Station Camp in the Fog |
Lagoon in the Fog |
White-necked Heron |
White-necked Heron - underside |
White-necked Heron - upperside |
It looked like rain but nothing came of it. Had a muesli breakfast, managed a survey (species) through the fog before packing up the car to set off for Lake Wyara. The station road was sandy, gravel and lots of rocky areas. We passed the bottom tank, which had three Crested Pigeon, two Australian Magpie and two Magpie Lark foraging around the overflowing water. Nearby was a Euro.
Euro |
Splendid Fairy-Wren - (M) |
Red-capped Robin |
Black-fronted Dotterel |
Duckling |
Wandering Percher |
Aurora Bluetail (m) |
Blue Skimmer |
Pied Butcherbird |
Grey Teal |
White-browed Woodswallow |
10th July
White-headed Stilt |
Red-kneed Dotterel - immature |
Brown Treecreeper |
Brown Treecreeper |
Went to the end of the road but the mulga had died in last years drought and lots of weeds had come up, nothing in flower so birds were scarce, Pallid Cuckoo calling was about the best (species). Called into Ians’ Place on the way back to camp again not much happening (species). In the afternoon we went to Gumholes North, Had Maned (Wood) Duck, Budgies and Australian Ringneck (species).
Maned (Wood) Duck - (F) |
Red-capped Robin - male |
Australasian Grebe |
13th July
Crimson Chat (F) |
Crimson Chat (M) |
After breakfast we headed off to the western Paddock area. Hundreds of Masked Woodswallow foraging on the ground, Banded Lapwing – 2 adults and 4 chicks (species).
Banded Lapwing |
Dusky Woodswallow |
From here we drove back along the House Track and took the Tableland Track, which was rocky and plenty of wash outs but no problem for the Prado. Reached the top and the end of the track then took a 20 minute walk, very quiet. We did hear a Grey Butcherbird , which was another trip tick, and saw a Pallid Cuckoo (species).
Had lunch in the car to avoid the flies before we went for another walk but found nothing and headed back down the track. Stopped at the junction and went for a walk finding a juvenile Red-capped Robin plus Splendid Fairy-Wren, male, female and a juvenile being fed (species).
Splendid Fairy-Wren (M) |
Red-capped Robin - juvenile |
14th July
Mulga Parrot |
White-fronted Chat |
Brown Falcon |
Dusky and Masked Woodswallow |
Blue-faced Honeyeater |
Crimson Chat |
Jackie Winter |
Emu |
Major Mitchell Cockatoo |
Crimson Chat - recently fledged |
Fan-tailed Cuckoo |
Chestnut-rumped Thornbill |
Hooded Robin |
Then walked along the bore drain road, it was warm this morning – 2ºC! Stopped of at the wetland and had two Spotted Bowerbird attending a bower. Continued along the road before cutting across to the Eastern Track Road and back to camp by 9.00am (species). Had breakfast then went off to the Western Paddock and up the 1.8km side track to the boundary fence. Met up with a few more people we knew who were looking at White-fronted Honeyeater. They were feeding on Eremophola. At the end of the road was three Australian Pipit and a group of Galah feeding on the ground (species).
White-fronted Chat |
Had a coffee break here before continuing on to to Top Dam. Walked along a pipeline from the dam and found Hall’s Babbler but only heard the Pied Honeyeater we were looking for (species), Drove back to Bottom Dam and had four White-fronted Chat and two Major Mitchell Cockatoo.
Then went to North Gumholes for lunch, had a White-bellied Cuckooshrike and a Collared Sparrowhawk as the best birds here (species).
Collared Sparrowhawk |
In the afternoon we went to Cunnamulla for supplies and actually saw the elusive White-winged Fairy-wren near the entrance gate; at last, seen on the way out and back. We have missed them on a previous visit, when everyone else has seen them. At Cunnamulla we had a feeding flock of 256 Straw-necked Ibis on the ground and in the air.
Straw-necked Ibis |
Fairy Martin |
Pallid Cuckoo |
Camp beside the Bowra Station Lagoon with full moon |
19th July
Galah |
20th July
Yellow-faced Honeyeater |
Set up camp with nobody else around, had the sound of Noisy Miner and several corvid species, plus Pied Currawong. Had lunch and a survey (species) before going along the 300m walking track to the lake, which was nearly dry. We could see a small patch of water way out and started to walk towards it but it was too far. Had White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Wedge-tailed Eagle, a pair of Nankeen Kestrel and a flock of over 80 Apostlebird along the walk (species).
Apostlebird |
Back for dinner and a quiet evening on our own. Heard two Owlet Nightjar and a Barn Owl calling in the early evening, also spotlighted a black and white form of the Common Brushtail Possum.
Weebill |
Pied Currawong |
Spotted Quail-thrush (F) |
Isla Gorge, Spotted Quail-thrush Country |
Here we had our morning coffee before Lindsay took over some driving but found it difficult with the sore wrist. We continued on to Rollistone, where we stopped for lunch and a coffee from the mobile stand at Beazley Park (species). Continued on to Emerald and refueled before stopping just outside town at the truck stop for a coffee (species). We had decided to go to Clermont for the night and get a cabin so Lindsay rang and booked one. Arrived at the caravan park at 5.00pm after 488km. Settled in and had dinner and welcome shower. Then the luxury of a real bed!
Peaceful Dove |
25th July
Barking Owl |
Grey Teal Anas gracilis
Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops
Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea
Little Buttonquail Turnix velox
Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae
Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus
White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana
Great Egret Ardea alba
Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Nankeen Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus
Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis
Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia
Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes
Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris
Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon
Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata
Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides
Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax
Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis
Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus
Black Kite Milvus migrans
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
Barn Owl Tyto alba
Barking Owl Ninox connivens
Southern Boobook Ninox novaeseelandiae
Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae
Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii
Red-backed Kingfisher Todiramphus pyrrhopygius
Forest Kingfisher Todiramphus macleayii
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus
Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
Australian Hobby Falco longipennis
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo Lophochroa leadbeateri
Galah Eolophus roseicapilla
Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita
Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus
Australian King-Parrot Alisterus scapularis
Red-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus
Bourke's Parrot Neophema bourkii
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma
Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius
Pale-headed Rosella Platycercus adscitus
Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus
Thick-billed Grasswren Amytornis modestus
Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi
Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus
White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus
Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus
Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus
Little Woodswallow Artamus minor
Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus
Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis
Black Butcherbird Cracticus quoyi
Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen
Pied Currawong Strepera graculina
Black-faced Cuckooshrike Coracina novaehollandiae
White-bellied Cuckooshrike Coracina papuensis
White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor
Varied Triller Lalage leucomela
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
Grey Shrikethrush Colluricincla harmonica
Little Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris
Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis
Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus
Yellow Oriole Oriolus flavocinctus
Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti
Spangled Drongo Dicrurus bracteatus
Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys
Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa
Spectacled Monarch Symposiachrus trivirgatus
Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca
Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula
Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Little Crow Corvus bennetti
Australian Raven Corvus coronoides
White-winged Chough Corcorax melanorhamphos
Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea
Victoria's Riflebird Ptiloris victoriae
Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans
Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii
Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata
Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena
Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel
Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans
Fairy/Tree Martin Petrochelidon ariel/nigricans
White-backed Swallow Cheramoeca leucosterna
Australian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus australis
Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus
Brown Songlark Megalurus cruralis
Rufous Songlark Megalurus mathewsi
Silvereye Zosterops lateralis
Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum
Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis
Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
House Sparrow Passer domesticus
Plum-headed Finch Neochmia modesta
Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata
223 Species
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