Heading South, Coonalpyn, Bordertown, Bangham Conservation Park, Mullinger Swamp and Fox Lake Bird Hide Near Robe, South Australia.

Final Mini Adventure down in the South East hoping for my 400th Lifer of the trip.

Australia, Day Eighty Three.

Ebird List for Bangham Conservation Park. 

Ebird List for Fox Lake Bird Hide.

 

Outside screen wall to the Public Toilets in Coonalpyn.

Deb and I did the feeding at Eagle View and then we both went over to her Mom's before heading off, as we did the feeding I saw White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Red-browed Firetail (Neochmia temporalis), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) and Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula).

After feeding we headed off, as we drove south towards our breakfast stop in Coonalpyn we picked up Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Galah's (Eolophus roseicapilla), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Australian Magpie, Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Crimson Rosella, Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), New Holland Honeyeater, Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Crested Pigeon, Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) and Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus).

Crested Pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes).

We pulled into Coonalpyn where we were going to stop at the Waffles & Jaffles cafe but unfortunately  it was closed, quite a blow but we found another place and had some breakfast and picked up Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), Little Corella, a flyby Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius).

Bush Thick-knee (Burhinus grallarius).

We again continued on towards Bordertown where we stopped off to see if we could find a pair of Bush Thick-knee's (Burhinus grallarius) and we were pleased to see they were still at the spot we had seen them a few weeks earlier but surprised to just find the two adult birds as we were expecting some youngsters.

Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

We watched these special birds for a while but then carried on to Bangham CP where we were hoping to find target number one the Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis), as we drove into the site we made a few stops finding a really nice Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) sat on the track and in the scrub whilst we searched we found Jacky-winter (Microeca fascinans), Yellow-rumped (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa) and Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides), Superb Fairywren, White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris), Willie-wagtail, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) and another Orchid species which I think is Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major).

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) I think.

Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica).

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) looking rather sharp before it's visit to the pool.

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) and after.

Further into the area Deb suddenly called me over as she had heard the call of the Black-chinned Honeyeater  and within a few seconds I was watching my 399th new species in Australia when two birds came in on their way to a small pool just over a roadside fence where lots of birds were coming to drink and bath.

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis).

Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis).

We watched these birds for ages as they were just brilliant and were very well behaved moving around us with other Honeyeater species along with Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), Noisy Miner, White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis), Scarlet Robin (Petroica boodang) and Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus).

We moved on and made a couple more stops adding a pair of very nice Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus) which were visiting a nest hole in a dirt bank with new nest material, White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Parvipsitta porphyrocephala) and Red Wattlebird.

Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major) ?

Wax-lip Orchid (Glossodia major) ?

As we drove out of the far end of the site heading for the coast at Robe we picked up Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) and Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus).

?????????????

As we were heading for Robe we saw a sign for Mullinger Swamp so we thought we would check it out, but we failed to add much new finding Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Welcome Swallow, Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Grey Shrikethrush, Whistling Kite, Brown Treecreeper and breeding Silver Gulls.

Long-billed Corella's (Cacatua tenuirostris).

Long-billed Corella's (Cacatua tenuirostris).

We continued on adding Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) and Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) before we arrived at the Fox Lake Bird Hide.

Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides).

We parked and went into the hide and straight away we found a good number of Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) giving me my 400th Lifer for the trip and a total of 424.

Fox Lake Bird Hide.

On the pool we also found Chestnut Teal, Masked Lapwing, Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), Red-browed Firetails, Superb Fairywren and a flyby Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis) which whizzed through on dusk upsetting everything.

Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii).

Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii).

We found a great place for the night at Lake view Motel & Apartments where we got a cracking two bedroom Apartment for a good price, a good end to a great day.