Mount Ive to Koonalda Homestead, South Australia.

A long drive to the West.

Australia, Day Fifty Eight.

Mt Ive's own Sand Sub.

We packed the car and were on our way for the long drive to the western edge of the state, around the camp we saw Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens) and Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena).

The Sand Sub.

Crested Pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes).

We left the Station accommodation but on the way out we called in at a spot we had seen yesterday which looked better for the Western Grasswren (Amytornis textilis) but again we failed to find it but we did see Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), Mistletoebird (Dicaeum hirundinaceum), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus), 2x Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) and Euro / Common Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus).

Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) burrow.

We left the area calling to have a look at the Mt Ive Sand Sub on the way out, we stayed on the tracks out to Ceduna, on the way we saw Jacky-winter (Microeca fascinans), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster), Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius ssp zonarius) Port Lincoln, Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Western Grey (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), Hairy Nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) burrows and Sand Goanna (Varanus gouldii).

Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila).

Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila).

We had a stop in Ceduna where we had some food and then checked out the beach there seeing Silver (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and just along the coast at Murat Bay where I picked up another lifer in the shape of a Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) and Greenshank (Tringa nebularia).

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis).

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis).

We continued on to a spot near Penong, on the way we picked up Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) and at the spot my second lifer of the day, 4x Oriental Plovers (Charadrius veredus) which we saw well through the scope but the heat haze prevented us getting any decent photo's.

Salt on Point Sinclair Pink Lake.

Salt on Point Sinclair Pink Lake.

Salt on Point Sinclair Pink Lake.

From this spot we went along the road from Penong to Point Sinclair Pink Lake, Point Sinclair Jetty and then Cactus Beach, along the track in we checked the lakes finding good numbers of waders and other species including Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus), Greenshank, Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), Sharp-tailed (Calidris acuminata) and Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), Silver and Pacific Gull.

Point Sinclair Pink Lake.

We returned to the main A1 and continued on, along the motorway I saw a couple of Australian Bustards (Ardeotis australis) which flew up from the right hand side of the highway as we went passed, unfortunately only I saw them properly and as hard as we searched we could not relocate them.

We turned off the Highway and took the track to the abandoned Koonalda Station where we planned to stay the night.

One of the pools on the way to the beach.

Part of the Dune system.

As we drove in we picked up Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), White-browed Babbler, Mulga Parrot, Nankeen Kestrel, Wedge-tailed Eagle and my third lifer of the day the very local Naretha Blue Bonnet (Northiella narethae).

Point Sinclair Jetty.

Cactus Beach.

We got the swags out and stayed on the verandah of one of the out buildings.