Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Umuwa to Coober Pedy, South Australia.

Wednesday 27 September 2023

Umuwa to Coober Pedy, South Australia.

Heading back further East but along the NT Border.

Australia, Day Twenty.

Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta).

We started the day by refueling and sorting the Tire pressures out on the Toyota's but whilst we were doing the Graham heard a calling Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) which was an SA lifer for me so Deb and I were off and soon had it in our sights but typically as we had both rushed off to look for it we hadn't taken our camera's and it showed brilliantly.

Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta).

Banded Whiteface (Aphelocephala nigricincta).

Just down the road we made another stop in an area of Mulga where we picked up Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), Spiny-cheeked (Acanthagenys rufogularis), White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and another Brown Honeyeater but this one one was not as showy unfortunately.

Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus).

We started to make our way up towards the NT Border but made several stops in areas of Mulga and Spinifex adding Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus), Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis), Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Chiming Wedgebill (Psophodes occidentalis), Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor) and at least 3x very smart Banded Whiteface (Aphelocephala nigricincta).

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus).

We stopped in a nice looking spot in a creek where Deb got the Kettle on and I managed to get some nice shots of a Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus) and we also saw Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula) before we moved on to a stunning area of Red Rocks which was great as we had the best views of the trip of a pair of Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli), one of my favorite species in the area.

Large Rock Marbles balanced on the slopes.

In this area we also saw Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor) and Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica) before we again moved on and crossed over into NT, along this road before we reached the Stuart Highway we saw Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis), Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis), Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis) and as we headed south towards Marla and the Coober Pedy we found White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus).

Dusky Grasswren (Amytornis purnelli).

As we headed South we stopped at two flooded Borrow Pits adding Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius) and a hunting Black Falcon (Falco subniger).

Calandrinia balonesis.

We arrived at Coober Pedy quite late so sorted the kit out and then headed to the Outback Bar And Grill for some food and a beer after being a totally dry area for a couple of week.