The North West of South Australia.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Sixteen.

 

Just before we left the camp site.

Around the over night spot we picked up Torresian Crow (Corvus orru), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) and as we were leaving we found a single Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) on the road.

Red-browed Pardalote (Pardalotus rubricatus).

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Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis).

Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis).

Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis).

We dropped down to the Shit Ponds again where there were again Australasian (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) and Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), lots of Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and a single Painted Firetail (Emblema pictum).

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus).

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis).

Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis).

We returned to the road heading East and then after a few KMs headed North in search of some Mulga areas but unfortunately there had been a fire through the are a while ago and the Mulga had yet to recover, however we did see White-backed Swallow (Cheramoeca leucosterna), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus), Red-browed Pardalote (Pardalotus rubricatus), Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) and a smart male Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis).

Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis) Male.

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis).

Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca).

Grevillea juncifolia.

Upside-down Plant (Leptosema chambersii).

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We made a stop on an area for steep rocky dunes where we walked for a while seeing Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis), Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor) and another very well behaved Brown Falcon.

Desert Oaks.

An old Desert Oak.

Afternoon walk.

The track we walked looking for Falcon's.

Desert Oaks.

Late afternoon in the Camp.

We returned to the east /west track and continued on east for quite a way before dropping down south on another track into a very nice area of Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) where we found a nice camping area, once we had set camp we went out for a walk adding Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca) and White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor) to the day list and later after dark we heard a calling Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook).

Bed for the night.

The foods nearly ready.

The Camp.

Chilling after a days birding.

The last of the Sun.

The North West of South Australia.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Fifteen.

 

Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) Male.

Today we were again continuing on North and was mostly a travelling day but before we set off we started the days list with Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) and Camels (Camelus dromedarius).

Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis) Tracks.

Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus).

We started out adding Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis), Sandhill Grasswren (Amytornis striatus oweni) and Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis) before we left the dune areas and then in the Mulga scrub we stopped again and found Splendid Fairywrens (Malurus splendens), Inland (Acanthiza apicalis) and Slaty-backed Thornbill (Acanthiza robustirostris), Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) and Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius).

Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) Female.

Before we reached the better roads we stopped at a water point and added Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus), Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius), Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus) and Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) before we again continued on towards our stop for the night seeing Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis), Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus) and some tracks in the sand of the elusive Australian Bustard (Ardeotis australis) which was as close as were were going to get during this part of the trip.

Ptilotus exaltatus.

Large White Sunray (Rhodanthe floribunda).

As we passed one of the few occupied areas we saw we called in to the local Water treatment works (Shit Pits) were we scanned the pools adding Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Australasian (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) and Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus) and Torresian Crow (Corvus orru).

Ochrogaster lunifer.

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We finished at the pools and then made our way to our over night spot.

 

The North West of South Australia.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Fourteen.

 

Dawn from the Swag.

After our second night at the same spot we packed the kit up and went out for a longish walk before headed back some of the way north, around camp we picked up Southern Boobook (Ninox boobook) before light and Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) as dawn arrived.

Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus).

Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus).

Grey-fronted Honeyeater (Ptilotula plumula).

Grey-fronted Honeyeater (Ptilotula plumula).

Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula).

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During the walk we found Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius), Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis), Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis), Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis), Pallid Cuckoo (Cacomantis pallidus), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), Grey-fronted (Ptilotula plumula) and Pied Honeyeater (Certhionyx variegatus), Little Button Quail (Turnix velox), Sandhill Grasswren (Amytornis striatus oweni), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) and Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus).

Ptilotus helipteroides.

Sturt's Desert Rose (Gossypium Sturtianum var Sturtianum).

Bee-fly Species.

Marble Gum (Eucalyptus gongylocarpa) bark.

Large Fruited Mallee (Eucalyptus youngiana).

We returned to the camp and finished putting the kit away and making sure we left no trace of our visit and then headed back North but this direction was a lot easier as we had cleared the fallen trees and other obstacles on the way down.

White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons).

Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae).

Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae).

Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae).

Heading North.

As we drove we picked up Black Honeyeater (Sugomel nigrum), White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus), Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus) and Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus).

The view from the rocks, lots of nothing as far as the eye can see, stunning.

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata).

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata).

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata).

We turned off the main track and found a nice camp under some larger trees next to a really smart red rocky ridge before going for a walk, Deb and I headed off looking for some Dusky Grasswrens (Amytornis purnelli) she had seen distantly from the camping spot.

Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor).

Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor).

Once we were near the rocks we had amazing views of a small group of inquisitive Western Bowerbirds (Chlamydera guttata) and as we walked we added Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Little Woodswallow (Artamus minor), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus), Euro / Common Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus) and a Dingo (Canis dingo) which was checking the Rabbit burrows but discretely moved off as we approached.