Whitchelina to Mungeranie, South Australia.

Heading North along the Birdsville Track.

Australia, Day Twenty Two.

 

Even the dust is savage and out to get you in Australia 😀😀😀😀

We were up nice and early after a good night in a really good, empty camp site and started the drive up to the Mungeranie Pub where we were treating ourselves to a room and a shower, around the camp site we started the day list with the all important Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) which is the only species I have seen in Australia every day I have been there.

Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa).

Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus).

Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus).

Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp raglessi).

Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp raglessi).

Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp raglessi).

Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus).

Other species in that area and at the pool on the way out included Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Baillon's Crake's (Zapornia pusilla).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

We then started to make our way back towards Farina making several stops on the way looking for and finding several Thick-billed Grasswren's (Amytornis modestus ssp raglessi) in amongst the low scrub along with White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor), Cinnamon Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma cinnamomeum), Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus),  Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) and Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus). 

Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata).

Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) male and kids.

Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons).

Just before we reached the main Outback Highway we checked Farina Dam and we were very pleased when Ian found the first of two Baillon's Crake's (Zapornia pusilla) which was a new species for my SA list along with Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Pacific Black Duck and Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae).

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus).

Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea).

Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides).

Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius).

Just a short way up the highway we made another stop at a couple more small Dams, the first was dry but the second had some water in it ad had Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Australian Wood Duck, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Australasian Grebe, Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Diamond Dove, Chirruping Wedgebill, Australian Raven, Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor).

We passed through Marree and started our journey up the Birdsville track, a drive I had enjoyed during the last Visit and as we headed NE we picked up Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Red Kangaroo and Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea).

Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea).

We stopped off at Claton Wetlands / Camp Site and had a walk, at first we thought it was dry but furthe along the creek we did find a small flow of water and Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Australian Raven one of which perched well in the camp ground, Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea) x2, White-faced (Egretta novaehollandiae) and White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Rufous Songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi), Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Willie-wagtail, Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops) and Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius). 

Dulkaninna Station wetlands.

Dulkaninna Station wetlands.

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus).

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus).

At a cattle watering point Deb spotted a Banded Lapwing (Vanellus tricolor), as there were no cattle in the area we walked over to have a closer look and it turned out to be a group of 5 birds which showed nicely but were difficult to get good views of due to the strong heat haze.

Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus).

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus).

Pink-eared Ducks (Malacorhynchus membranaceus).

We continued on and found another area of water and reeds a few hundred meters from another watering hole, as there were no live stock in the area again we checked it out and found an amazing number of Crakes including 5 more Baillon's, several Australian and a couple of Spotless (Zapornia tabuensis), along with Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Black-tailed Nativehen, Brolga (Antigone rubicunda) x2, Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella), White-faced Heron, Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus) and Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis).

Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella).

Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella).

Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp cowarie).

Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp cowarie).

Further along the track we spent some time checking the wetland at Dulkaninna Station which held a few nice species like Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus), Hardhead (Aythya australis), Grey Teal, Australasian (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) and Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Australian Crake, Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus), Masked Lapwing, Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), Little Pied Cormorant, Little Grassbird, Australian Reed Warbler, Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) and Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea).

The Tower.

Grey Falcons (Falco hypoleucos) x2.

Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos).

A big moon as we drove back from seeing the Falcons.

A Raven on his way to the roost.

We continued on towards Mungeranie, on the way we added Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Black Kite, Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis), a flock of 100+ Australian Pratincole and as we were getting closer to Mungeranie Ian and I both called a Grasswren as it flew across the track in front of us, so we checked it out and were pleased to see a pair of the very local ssp of Thick-billed Grasswren (Amytornis modestus ssp cowarie).

They do state the obvious sometimes.

The Sun sets on a cracker of a days birding.

Once we were at Mungeranie we checked in, had a drink and the headed out on the Cowarie Station track to look for Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos) at a very well known site on a very tall transmission tower, we arrived and just before dusk the two birds flew in and landed on the tower.

This was good food, just needed a lump of crusty bread to mop up the gravy.

It was good to see the birds but compared to the last trip where we discovered our own birds it felt a bit plastic but still, we returned to the Pub and had a few beers and a very very nice plate of Beef Cheeks, mash spuds and gravy, YUM.