The North West of South Australia*wf.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Seventeen.

 

The Sun Rising through the Desert Oaks.

Today we were again travelling, switching between South Australia and Northern Territories at times, around the camp site we saw Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), Singing (Gavicalis virescens) and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus), Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus) and Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata).

Early morning Sun on the Desert Oaks.

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Halgania erecta.

On the drive along the border we picked up Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis), Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis), Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus), White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor), Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula), White-plumed (Ptilotula penicillata) and Pied Honeyeater (Certhionyx variegatus) and Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla).

Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis).

Inland Thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis).

We returned to the Main road East and made a drinks stop at a shelter / Rest Area along the way and whilst we sat there we recorded Black, Spiny Cheeked, Singing and White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella albifrons), Crimson Chat (Epthianura tricolor) and Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis).

Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus).

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We continued on and a short way further along the Road Deb picked up a single Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) which was a nice surprise, mostly because it is unusual to see this species alone.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos).

Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax).

We reached a town and checked out the Shit Pools which gave me an Australian Lifer in the shape of a Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis) x97, Hardhead (Aythya australis) x3, Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Australasian (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae) and Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Torresian Crow (Corvus orru), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) and Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius).

Northern Territories to the Left and South Australia to the Right.

A few spots of rain in the afternoon.

From here we headed North towards the border again and then over into NT for a while before dropping back into South Australia to a spot where we camped for the night, on the way round we picked up Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus), Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera) and at the camp site a fast flying Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus).

Ian getting some Coffee ready after we set up Camp.

The North West of South Australia*r.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Sixteen.

Ebird List for Umuwa APY Lands (Restricted access). 

 

Just before we left the camp site.

Around the overnight 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 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, then after a few KMs headed North in search of some Mulga areas but unfortunately there had been a fire through the area 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 ♂ Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis).

Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis) ♂.

Australian Hobby (Falco longipennis).

Western Gerygone (Gerygone fusca).

Grevillea juncifolia.

Upside-down Plant (Leptosema chambersii).

Bitter Bush Blue (Theclinesthes albocincta).

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 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).

My Bed for the night, better than any hotel.

The foods nearly ready, these sausages were brilliant.

The Camp.

Chilling after yet another days brilliant birding.

The last of the Sun.

The North West of South Australia*m.

The Outback.

Australia, Day Fifteen.

Splendid Fairywren (Malurus splendens) ♂.

Today we were again continuing on North, it 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) ♀.

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 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).

Bag-shelter Moth (Ochrogaster lunifer).

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