Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Koonalda Homestead, Scott Bay and Mexican Hat, South Australia.

Sunday 5 November 2023

Koonalda Homestead, Scott Bay and Mexican Hat, South Australia.

Taking to the old Eyre Highway and other track and finishing on the coast.

Australia, Day Fifty Nine part two.

Naretha Blue Bonnets (Northiella narethae).

We packed our Swags away and then Deb and I went for a walk around the Homestead looking for the Naretha Blue Bonnets (Northiella narethae) and we were soon watching a small group of around 9 birds right next to the main Homestead building.

Naretha Blue Bonnets (Northiella narethae).

These birds appeared to be collecting moisture from the corrugated tin roofs of some old animal pens and were joined by a couple of Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius) and in the area Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) and Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus).

White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus).

We loaded the car and headed out to the Koonalda Cave where we had a look into the cave finding Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) and in the low scrub surrounding the area we got a new bird for me when Deb found a pair of Nullabor Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma alisteri), after getting views of these birds we moved on and did a loop on some tracks and made our way back to the Old Eyre Highway.

Koonalda Cave.

Slender-billed Thornbill (Acanthiza iredalei ssp iredalei).

Ground Cuckooshrike (Coracina maxima).

Nullabor Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma alisteri).

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As we drove we picked up Slender-billed Thornbill (Acanthiza iredalei ssp iredalei) which was a new SSP for me along with Nullabor Quail-thrush, Brown Falcon, Black-faced Woodswallow, Southern Whiteface and 2x Ground Cuckooshrike (Coracina maxima) which were equally as difficult to get good views of as our last two.

Cliffs along the Southern Coast.

Deb and Ian.

Deb and Myself.

We reached the New Eyre Highway and drove east until we reached the Nundroo Motel where we had some Lunch and then headed south to the coast at Scott Bay, here Deb and I checked the beach for birds and found some nice shell whilst Ian went and did a bit of fishing and caught 3 fish which we had as a very nice starter later.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus).

Bird wise we saw Pied (Haematopus longirostris) and Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus), Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), Silver (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Great Crested (Thalasseus bergii) and Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) and White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae).

Scott Bay.

Ian catching one of the fish for our evening meal.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia).

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis).

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

We drove a little way further west to Mexican Hat where we were very pleased to find a pair of Eastern Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) were using the very old nest there again and a strange looking Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra) which had two large white eye-brows.