Goyder Lagoon to Innamincka, Birdsville Track, South Australia.

An early birding start looking for Grasswren 5 again and then a long drive later.

Australia, Day Twenty Four.

 

Plumed Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni).

Deb and I were again out early looking through the areas of Lignum bushes along the Warburton River, as hard as we searched we couldn't find the Grasswren but we did have views of the Plumed Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni) again along with Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus), Hardhead (Aythya australis), Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides), Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Diamond Dove (Geopelia cuneata), Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos) and Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Whistling (Haliastur sphenurus) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus), Fairy Martin (Petrochelidon ariel), Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus), Barn Owl (Tyto alba), White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Australian Pratincole (Stiltia isabella) and Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis).

Plumed Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna eytoni).

Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus).

We returned to the Camp ground and found that Ian was packed up and ready to go, so we retraced our way back towards the Birdsville Track but made another stop just before we left the Lignum scrub and Deb and I again went for a walk in a large circle adding Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), Great (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius), Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau) but again as hard as we searched we saw and heard no signs of the Grasswrens so we turned back towards the car defeated but just before we got back we both heard a bush in our path squeak at us, I turned to Deb and said it's going to be another Purple Backed isn't it and she said probably but just then it flew out of the back of the bush and it was obvious that it was at last our target bird the Grey Grasswren (Amytornis barbatus).

Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Over the next twenty minutes we had several views of two birds, each time it was just fleeting but for me the best view was when one of the birds flew straight at me and passed within a meter or so but at no point did either of us get our camera's on them but we were still extremely happy when we returned to Ian.

Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis).

Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau).

Tau Emerald (Hemicordulia tau).

We set off from the site and started the long drive around to Innamincka which sits at  the end of the Strzelecki track, after visiting sites in the area around Innamincka we planned to return south on the Track.

Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons).

Orange Chat (Epthianura aurifrons).

On the way there we saw Australian Pratincole, Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Budgies, Australian Raven, Australasian Pipit, Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) and Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys). 

Dingo (Canis dingo).

Dingo (Canis dingo).

After a long hard drive (thanks Ian and Deb) we arrived at Innamincka and checked out the camp site and river where we found Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), Red-kneed (Erythrogonys cinctus) and Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola) my first in Australia, Great White Egret, White-necked (Ardea pacifica) and White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis), Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla), Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis), Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck and Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa).

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus).

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) and Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola).

We went into the Hotel and had a good meal before going back to the far side of the river on a quieter patch of the camp site where we had a good nights sleep in the Swags but before we left we booked in to a room for tomorrow night as the Temp was meant to be higher with high winds.

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola).

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola).