Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.

Monday, 6 November 2023

Mexican Hat, Fowler's Bay, Penong area, Point Sinclair Pink Lake, Yumbarra Conservation Park and Googs Lake Campground, South Australia*.

A morning on the coast and an afternoon in the Mallee.

Australia, Day Sixty.

Ebird List for Penong.

Ebird List for Yumbarra Conservation Park.

Sunrise over towards Scott Point.

We were up and around early as we wanted to move the swags into the sun to try and dry them off as quickly as possible, Ian went and tried a bit of early morning fishing whilst Deb and I checked out the scrub finding Spotted Scrubwren (Sericornis maculatus), White-fronted (Purnella albifrons) and Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), a good-sized flock of Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Parvipsitta porphyrocephala) and out in the bay Silver (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris) and along the cliffs several Welcome Swallows (Hirundo neoxena).

Scott Point off in the distance.

Spotted Scrubwren (Sericornis maculatus).

The swags dried out, we packed away the kit and then moved on back along Scott's bay and then around the back of the Dunes to Fowler's Bay where we had a coffee and a cake, on the way we picked up a single Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri) and Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) and in Fowler's Bay Silver and Pacific Gull, Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii) and Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).

Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri).

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Fowler's Bay Jetty.

We finished our Coffee and headed across country to a spot near Penong adding Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Yellow-throated Miner (Manorina flavigula) and a Dugite Snake (Pseudonaja affinis) which quickly disappeared unto the vegetation.

Oriental Plovers (Charadrius veredus) through the heat haze.

Oriental Plovers (Charadrius veredus).

We arrived at the spot where we again looked for the Oriental Plovers (Charadrius veredus) and we were pleased to find 34 birds this time, again the heat haze made photo's difficult.

Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus).

Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Greenshank (Tringa nebularia).

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea).

We again moved on and returned to the Point Sinclair Pink Lakes and other pools where we picked up Banded Stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus), Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), Sharp-tailed (Calidris acuminata) and Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea), Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Silver and Pacific Gull.

Point Bell Beach.

Sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Deb photographing the Sanderlings (Calidris alba).

Out on the nearby Point Bell Beach Deb and I got some Photos of the large number of Sanderling's (Calidris alba) which were doing what they do best and chasing and dodging the waves whilst Ian went and checked a couple of spots further on.

OK, It might be the last Shop for a 1000km however there are a couple of Roadhouses at least.

At the beach we also saw Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Pied Oystercatcher, Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius) and in the dunes Small White (Pieris rapae) and White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons).

The Mallee in Yumbarra Conservation Park.

Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius) ♂.

Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius) ♀.

We headed back inland to Penong where we had a good lunch at the General Store before heading along the Highway passed the Pantry and then into Yumbarra Conservation Park, on the way we saw Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius ssp zonarius) Port Lincoln type and along the tracks in the park we added Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Dusky (Artamus cyanopterus) and Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus), Copperback Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma clarum), Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Sandhill Grasswren (Amytornis striatus oweni), Shy Heathwren (Hylacola cauta), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps), Crested Dragon (Ctenophorus cristatus), Sand Goanna (Varanus gouldii), Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis) and Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus).

Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps).

Crested Dragon (Ctenophorus cristatus).

Central Military Dragon (Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis).

After a bit of a drive we arrived at the Googs Lake Camp Ground where we put out the Swags and pretty much crashed after having some food and only added Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor) and Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) before bed.

Googs Lake, the view from my Swag.

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.

Ebird List for Koonalda Homestead.

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).

Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis).

As we drove we picked up Central Netted Dragon (Ctenophorus nuchalis), 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 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.

Scott Point I think.

Cape Beach Daisy (Arctotheca populifolia).

Eastern Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) Mexican Hat.

Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra).

Mexican Hat.

We found a nice spot in the area and set up the swags, had some food and then turned in for a slightly damp windy sleep.

Sunset at the camp site.

Koonalda Homestead, South Australia*.

A walk around the Car Graveyard.

Australia, Day Fifty Nine part One.

After the early morning birding for the Naretha Blue Bonnet (Northiella narethae) which will come up next, Ian and I had a look around the Car Graveyard at the Station, up until the 70s when the new Eyre Highway was built, the trip from Adelaide out to Western Australia was a very big adventure and lots of vehicles didn't make it and ended up at the Koonalda Homestead.