Heading Out North West to MT Ive.
Australia, Day Fifty Six.
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Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) and Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae). |
We were up and about early, around the farm we saw
Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys),
Little (Anthochaera chrysoptera) and
Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata),
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen),
Little Raven (Corvus mellori),
Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla),
Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula),
Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa),
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae),
Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans),
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and
Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) before heading off through Adelaide for the North.
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Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris) and Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) and Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae). |
On the way we picked up
Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata),
Hardhead (Aythya australis),
Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra),
Australian (Threskiornis molucca) and
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis),
White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae),
Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos),
Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae),
Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) and during a short stop off in the city we picked up
Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala),
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia),
Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis),
Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) and
Western Grey Kangaroo (
Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus). |
Red Knot (Calidris canutus) and Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres). |
We continued on North towards Port Wakefield but made a stop in Dublin for a very good Bacon and egg roll and coffee, during this part of the trip we saw
Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca),
Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena),
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris),
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita),
Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes),
Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides),
Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus),
Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae),
Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris),
Black Kite (Milvus migrans),
Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) and
Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides).
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Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis). |
Just before we reached Port Wakefield we called in at Bald Hill Beach, on the drive in we saw
Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens) and on the nearest part of the beach there was a good concentration of
Little Pied,
Little Black and
Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius), over to our left we saw
Great Crested (Thalasseus bergii),
Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and
Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis),
Silver and
Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) and another Birder.
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Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca).
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We started to make our way over towards the other birder as he was in a good spot to check on the waders which were near to him, it turned out to be Paul Taylor who Deb already knew and regularly monitored the waders at the site, whilst we chatted with him we saw
Red Knot (Calidris canutus),
Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis),
Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) x3,
Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) and
Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus).
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Ground Cuckooshrikes (Coracina maxima). |
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Ground Cuckooshrikes (Coracina maxima). |
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Ground Cuckooshrike (Coracina maxima). |
We walked back to the cars and Paul took us to a spot nearby to see if there were any roosting waders on a shallow pool in the Samphire but it was empty, however we did find
Nankeen Kestrel,
Brown Falcon (Falco berigora),
Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis),
White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus),
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus),
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis),
Great White (Ardea alba) and
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta),
White-faced Heron,
Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans) and
Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae).
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Ground Cuckooshrikes (Coracina maxima). |
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Ground Cuckooshrike (Coracina maxima). |
We moved on and headed up around Port Augusta on to Eyre Highway and then onward along the Nonning Road to Mount Ive Station where we were going to be staying for a couple of nights, on the way we picked up
Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca),
Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus),
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae),
Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae),
Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus),
Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus),
Purple-backed (Malurus assimilis) and
White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus),
Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa),
Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis),
Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops),
Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster),
Jacky-winter (Microeca fascinans) and best of all a lifer in the shape of 3
Ground Cuckooshrikes (Coracina maxima).
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Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus). |
Also seen as we traveled were
Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa),
Euro / Common Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus), Western Grey (
Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus) and Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) and Small White (
Pieris rapae).
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Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens). |
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Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens). |
We arrived at Mt Ive and got sorted into our accommodation, later Deb, Ian and I went for a walk hoping to find the uncommon
Western Grasswren (Amytornis textilis) but unfortunatley we failed, however we did find
Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus),
Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula),
Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) and
Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata).
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Loosing the light.
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Ian had walked back earlier and by the time Deb and I returned had prepared us a very nice meal which we enjoyed along with a couple of beers before turning in.
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and the suns gone.
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