Coongie Lakes back to Innamincka, South Australia.

Back out along the Southern Shore line then back to Innamincka Camp Ground.

Australia, Day Twenty Eight.

Dawn from my Swag.

We were up at dawn or there about and after having Coffee, Breakfast and packing the kit away, we had started the list over night with Barn Owl (Tyto alba) and Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) but continued birding around the Camping Ground seeing Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides), White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus), Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) and Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea).

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata).

Just along from the over night spot we checked the Cooper Creek and added Pied (Phalacrocorax varius) and Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Tree (Petrochelidon nigricans) and Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius) ssp barnardi, Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus), Great White Egret (Ardea alba) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans).

Brolga (Antigone rubicunda).

Brolga's (Antigone rubicunda).

Brolga (Antigone rubicunda).

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus).

Next we made our way back along the Southern Shore of the lake making several stops to scan through the Duck and to look for Waders, as we went along we saw Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus), Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), a nce pair of  Brolga's (Antigone rubicunda) which were unfortunately always into the sun, Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus), Hardhead (Aythya australis), Red-kneed (Erythrogonys cinctus) and Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) and Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida).

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Female.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Female.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Male.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Male Above.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Male below.

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) Male.

At the far end of the track we reached the pool on the right again but today we parked and went for a walk all the way around, at the start we saw big numbers of Black-tailed Nativehens (Tribonyx ventralis) x30+, Gull-billed (Gelochelidon nilotica) x3 and Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae) and Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles). 

Black-tailed Nativehens (Tribonyx ventralis).

Black-tailed Nativehens (Tribonyx ventralis).

Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae).

Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae).

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica).

We started the walk by going up into a dune which ran along the Northern side where we had views of several Eyrean Grasswrens (Amytornis goyderi) and down along the North Shore Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella), Crimson (Epthianura tricolor) and Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons), White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), lots more Rainbow Bee-eaters, Magpie-lark, Whistling Kite and more Glossy Ibis.

The smaller shallow lake.

Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella).

Eyrean Grasswren (Amytornis goyderi).

Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor).

White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) Male.

White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) Female.

White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) Female.

We returned to the car and started to make our way back towards the main track but took another track off to the right we had noticed yesterday, this took us around to some more bays of the lake where we had good flocks of Waterfowl and other birds which included at least 30 Freckled Ducks (Stictonetta naevosa), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Pink-eared Duck x20+, Hardhead (Aythya australis) x170+, Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), Black Swan, a couple more Brolga (Antigone rubicunda), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Glossy Ibis, Great White Egret, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) and a Dingo (Canis dingo).

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

The Sand Dunes.

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia).

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles).

At the furthest point we had a walk out onto a small marshy spit into the lake finding many more Red-kneed and Black-fronted Dotterel, Pied Stilt, Masked Lapwing, Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus).

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) Immature.

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) Adult.

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) Adult.

On the way out of the area we calling in at Kudriemitchie Camp Ground where we checked the river and found a calling Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) and just along the track we again stopped at Kudriemitchie Out Station, had some lunch and found White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor).

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides).

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides).

Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides).

On the dive back to Innamincka we had the first Little Eagle (Hieraaetus morphnoides) of the trip, Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) and White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna).

At the crossing of the Cooper at Innamincka we saw White-necked Heron, Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) and Willie-wagtail.

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) Nests.

Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta).

Our first and only spot around town before dark was the Shit Ponds where we had a quick look but we only picked up Australian Raven, Black Kite, Galah, Little Corella and Orange Chat.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

Black Kite (Milvus migrans) Immature.

By the time we had been to the hotel and had some food and driven to the Queerbidy Camping Ground it was almost dark so we only recorded Barn Owl and Australian Owlet-nightjar again.