Mount Barker and Cox's Scrub, South Australia.

A drive to the hospital with Ian in Mount Barker and then a sit by a puddle at Cox's Scrub.

Australia, Day Fifty Five.

 

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella).

Deb had headed out early to do some Survey Work and I drove Ian into the Hospital in Mount Barker for a check up on his Leg, on the way there and back we saw Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera) and New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella).

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella).

Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella).

We returned to Eagle view and then a little later I went 15 minutes down the valley to Cox's Scrub Conservation Park, I parked and walked a short way into the reserve where I found a local birder sat by a fairly large Puddle in the track, I started to have a chat and after a few minutes decided to sit on the floor near the puddle as well. 

New Holland Honeyeater's (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

New Holland Honeyeater's (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

The other birder had a chair with him, so when he got up to go to the loo I whizzed back to the car and got the one Renate had lent me from the boot and returned, this was far more comfortable.

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops).

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops).

Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris).

Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus).

During the 3 or so hours I sat there we had good views of several species including the stunning Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella), which came in to drink and to have a bath.

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis).

White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis).

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis).

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis).

Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis).

The only new species for the trip was a very nice Tawny-crowned Honeyeater (Gliciphila melanops), the commonest species by far were the aggressive New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) which were there pretty much constantly and in gangs which saw quite a few of the other species off.

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa) male.

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa) male.

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa) male.

Other species included Yellow-faced (Caligavis chrysops), Brown-headed (Melithreptus brevirostris) and Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus), White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis), Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), male and female Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa), Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata), Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Galah's (Eolophus roseicapilla), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) and Little Raven (Corvus mellori).

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa) female.

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa) female.