Roadtrip to Hattah CP, Warby Range & Chiltern National Parks Vic

 

 

This year I was lucky enough to find myself with 6 days off over the Easter weekend! To me this obviously means ROADTRIP!

So, packing the essentials  eg cameras, bino's, thermos, hiking gear, Icehouse & Midnight Oil CD's, coffee, camp chairs and laptop I was ready to hit the road.

After sleeping in the mallee near the SA Vic border I found myself at Hattah Kulkyne National Park by 7.45am.

 

 

 

 

 

A few hours of birding had resulted in no luck for my quest to get a photo of the elusive and endangered Mallee Emu-wren. I had seen these birds in 2010 at Billiatt Conservation Park. Sadly a fire has since gone through there and I don’t believe anyone has seen them there since.

I was keen to try and get a photo of them on this trip, but having searched for a few hours I'd almost given up. I was driving back towards the exit when I saw one last spot with habitat that looked pretty good so climbed back out of the car. I'd only walked for a few minutes when suddenly I heard a tiny peep, one of their contact calls coming out of the Triodia. I listened and looked more intensely and sure enough another answered. I was surrounded by these invisible featherballs!

Time and patience is everything in the mallee so I waited, trying to remind myself to breath. Finally I was rewarded when they started moving from clump to clump of their favourite home, Triodia irritans. Perfectly named if you ever get the grass seed stuck under your skin!!

Seeing these little bundles is a real privilege but trying to get a photo is some thing else all together! Talk about an extreme sport!  I am relieved to have something to show for the effort.

 

 Mallee Emu-wren

 

 

 

 

The usual view - Rear End of Mallee Emu-wren

 

 

The male Mallee Emu-wren has blue on his face and white throat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I continued on my journey feeling very happy and slept near Lake Tutchewop before continuing the next morning to Warby-Ovens National Park.

 

 

Lake Tutchewop

 

 

 

 

 

                                                        White-breasted Woodswallow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birding near Wenhams Camp was great, with the highlight being a lovely Turquoise Parrot who remarkably perched near me long enough for a photo. These little Neophema are notoriously difficult to find perched and flush very easily so I was happy with this little bird!

 

 

Turquoise Parrot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other birds seen here included Speckled Warbler, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australian Hobby, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Weebill, Noisy Friarbirds were in huge numbers,  Eastern Rosella, Crimson Rosella, Leaden Flycatcher, Grey Fantail,  Rufous Whistler, Scarlet and Red-capped Robin and White-throated Treecreeper. Painted Button-quail were active near the campground.

 

 

Crested Shrike-tit

 

 

 

Crested Shrike-tit with lunch - a Stick Insect

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

Speckled Warbler

 

 

 

Speckled Warbler are beautiful

 

 

I was sitting at a waterhole near here in the evening when a flock of 20 Gang-gang Cockatoo landed in front of me! One of the males got curious and climbed down to eye level to take a closer look as I sat there. He chatted away quite happily to me, making all sorts of little chatty noises posing as I snapped a few photos. Finally the group decided to move further into the trees to roost. A magic experience.

Male Gang-gang Cockatoo

 

 

 

 

I spent some time birding around Chiltern - Mt Pilot National Park. Especially at Bartley's Block, Klotz Track & Green Hill Dam which as usual was very enjoyable. With similar species seen as at the Warby's but with more Honeyeater species. Plenty of Yellow-tufted & Fuscous Honeyeaters, Black-chinned Honeyeaters, White-winged Chough and a pair of energetic Brown Falcon.

 

 

Six days actually was not long enough, I think 2 weeks would have been better to be able to spend more time at each location. Chiltern is a beautiful little historic town and the buildings are gorgeous. It is worth getting up early to look at the town before it gets busy with tourists during the day! It looks like a movie set!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weebill

 

Lace Monitor

The things you notice while birding! Looks like flights are travelling  further these days!

 

Rufous Whistler - female

 

 

I definitely think the Warby's and Chiltern are 2 of my most favourite birding areas in Victoria and would highly recommend a trip here!

Wedge-tailed Eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wetlands and Waders Tolderol GR and coastal birding SA

South Australia has finally had a few cooler days and even a few drops of rain recently making it more inviting to go out on my days off work to check out some birds.




Last weekend I spent a few days south of Adelaide at Tolderol Game Reserve to check on the waders.




Apart from Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints I saw a couple of Pectoral Sandpipers and a Long-toed Stint but no photos worth showing as the birds seem to favour the opposite side of the lake to where-ever I am standing!



Apart from waders the Golden-headed Cisticolas, Pipits and raptors were in good form with Black-shouldered Kites, Swamp Harrier and Australian Hobby hunting for prey.

Australasian Pipit

 

 

Australasian Pipit

Australian Hobby

 

Black-sholudered Kite

 

Elegant Parrot

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden-headed Cisticola

 

Singing Honeyeater

I also spent a weekend on Yorke Peninsula which resulted in good views of Eurasian Skylark in full courting displays along with plenty more Pipits and White-fronted Chats.

Grey Plovers are starting to colour up now into breeding plumage with a flock of 20  seen along with hundreds of Ruddy Turnstones. There are plenty of Ibis feeding in paddocks (along with 2 confused Royal Spoonbill) and plenty of Red-capped Plover and Red-necked Stints.

With Autumns arrival the waders will soon migrate north again. So get out and enjoy them while you still can!

Eurasian Skylark singing in flight

Eurasian Skylark

Grey Plover

 

Grey Plover showing its black armpit

 

Silver Gull enjoying a Ruby Saltbush berry feast!

Sooty Oystercatcher

 

 

 

 

 

Grey Plover

Grey Plover

Grey Plover

 

Red-bellied Black Snakes enjoy water areas and are easily seen sun baking and hunting on warm days. I found plenty of them over the past few weeks. Being an Elapid (front-fanged venomous) it is wise to keep your distance from them. They are placid and will try to get away from you if they know you are there.

Red-bellied Black Snake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

 

 

 

Tau Emerald