Eagle View, Billiatt CP, Loxton and Camping park near Renmark, South Australia.

A couple of days out east in the Mallee and River Lands hoping for the 8th Grasswren.

Australia, Day Seventy Five.

Ebird List for Billiatt.

Ebird List for Loxton.

Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) male.

Deb and I were headed off out east hoping to pick up a couple of SA lifers for me and some year ticks for Deb, before we left we saw Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and several Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus). 

White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis).

On the way down to Talem Bend we added Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Black-shouldered (Elanus axillaris) and Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca).

Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa).

We stopped at Talem Bend for Breakfast and then headed onward to Billiatt seeing Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) and White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos).

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We arrived at Billiatt and drove into the site, we parked and went for a walk out into the Mallee / Scrub and on the way out we had brief views of the 8th of 8 Grasswren species for South Australia the Striated Grasswren (Amytornis striatus) but that was the best we did with this difficult species.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

As we walked we added White-eared (Nesoptilotis leucotis), Brown-headed (Melithreptus brevirostris) and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta), Southern Scrub-Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia), Purple-backed (Malurus assimilis) and Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens), Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Western (Pachycephala fuliginosa) and Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris), Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis), Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), White-browed (Artamus superciliosus) and Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus) and Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus). 

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) adult.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) immature.

Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis) immature.

By the time we returned to the car it was getting rather warm so we left and headed off to Loxton along the River Murry where we had a walk and found a single Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis) and several Blue-faced Honeyeaters (Entomyzon cyanotis) as well as Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Australian Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae) and Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala).

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae).

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae).

Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae).

Whilst we were there Deb rang an ecologist friend who lives near Renmark which was a little further up the river and asked her for some info and also arranged to meet her tomorrow morning.

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

We headed off up to Renmark and found some accommodation at one of the campsites beside the river, before turning in we sat on the side of the river and had views of Whistling Kite, Silver Gull, Pied (Phalacrocorax varius), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos) and Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Australian Ibis, Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner and what I first thought was a small log in the river but it developed ears as it got closer and turned into a Australian Water Rat (Hydromys chrysogaster).

Australian Water Rat (Hydromys chrysogaster).