Month: October 2021

18/10/21 201km
It took us until 10.00 to get ourselves ready to go, it was then 50mins of farewells first from the WIRIB caravan park where Bev worked and we stayed. Then the town council where I worked and finally the medical clinic where we both worked part time. And so it was that we departed Timber Creek and headed west. First stop was Kennedy Ck then Amanbidji Rd then truck park bay, all done in too much heat too late in the day. We got to Keep River NP at 15.00, dropped our caravan off and saw Diane the head ranger to tell her what we were doing then headed to Goorrandalng campsite on the rutted road. Not surprisingly there wasn’t much happening as far as birdlife around the camp so we cowered in the shade in the 41C temp until after 17.00 when we ventured out on the walking track and got more White-quilled Rock Pigeons than ever including a brood of three juveniles one being a half sized runt, but it was able to fly. Still one of my favourite short walks. Bev found a pair of Tawny Frogmouths hiding in the shade on a low rock ledge, it probably being much cooler than the surrounding trees. Not long before dark one started up its low huwoo call. Not long after dinner it was bed time.

19/10 32km
The body is awash with sweat, It’s dead still, I’m lying awake and staring at the roof, a rustle of the leaves brings hope, closer now I turn to face the screen as at last a breeze wafts into the camper and a momentary relief from the heat as it touches my sweat, then it’s gone and the stillness resumes, the sweat trickles run.
Added a few more birds around the camp then did the walk and got a Sandstone Shrike-thrush. Last night we’d noticed one of the campers had strewn rubbish all over the place and was playing techno music, when we got back from the walk we saw that the campsite was clean so he wasn’t such a bad egg after all. We headed up to Jenemoom walk and found no water in the swamp and none in the gully either, but still got a reasonable list. By now it was 37C and we were glad to get into the air-conditioned car and went back to Cockatoo Lagoon, notified Diane we’d returned and spent the rest of the day by the lagoon slowly adding birds. There’s still plenty of water here but there’s a lot of tension between the birds, I saw squabbling between the Plumed Whistling Ducks a few times. The Magpie Geese were also aggressive to each other a few times and a neck stretching episode between two Great Egrets may explain the elongated neck of the bird, they seemed to call a truce and fed near each other in the end. There were lots of finches, hundreds of Peaceful Doves and big numbers of many other species, this may be the only water for quite a long way at the moment. Come dark we had dinner and hit the sack. During the heat of the day the caravan fridge wouldn’t come on despite having enough power but as the heat of the day lessened when we returned from the lagoon we found it running. We’d transferred all the cold stuff to the car fridge which we found struggling, the freezer wouldn’t freeze so I turned that off and that seemed to help the fridge cool down. Fridges, they’re fantastic when they work, but juggling them in the heat is very frustrating.

20/10 65km
Ended up with a page full of birds for the site, packed up and headed into Kununurra. The border crossing took about 20mins and we were into Western Australia, what will become our home state. We were too early for the mechanics so we de-hitched the caravan and did our shopping then went back to Kununurra Toyota to get the car serviced. We walked down to my site at Lily Lagoon and spent the morning in the shade by the lake. We booked ourselves into the caravan park Kimberleyland Waterfront next to my site, at $48 for a powered site not good value, but we sat in the shade by the waterfront some more then went to Kimberleycrust bakery for lunch then sat in the waiting room for ages waiting for the car to be done. I had suspected that the batteries were getting low, but one had died so had to be replaced, so much easier with two batteries when one dies. We got back to the caravan park in time to see a phenomenon that most people wouldn’t notice. I spotted thousands of finches flying over the caravan, I suspected they were heading for the reeds so went to have a look, I didn’t see thousands as most were hidden but I did see lots of Chestnut-Breasted Mannikins with about 1 in 30 finches being a Yellow-rumped Mannikin, dinner and bed.

21/10 231km
Up with the sun which is very early here and went to check out the reeds, sure enough they were heaving with finches, I saw one flight take off that must have had a thousand finches in it. We left the caravan in the park and headed to Valentine Crossing which had a waterhole still with good numbers of birds using it. Middle Spring had a scungy looking pool and was pretty quiet. Black Rock Falls also had an old looking pool with not much birdlife. Filled up the tanks at Ord River Co-Op at 150.7cpl the cheapest by far in the area, picked up the caravan and headed west to Molly Spring where the falls were still operating, the birdlife wasn’t anything special but there’s great insect life here. I found a native bee nest for the first time and there were lots of butterflies, dragonflies and wasps. Lunch was taken at Wyndham Jetty which had Mangrove Gerygone and a lone Silver Gull. We unhitched the caravan needlessly to get into Three Mile Valley which was just hot and dry. We unhitched the caravan again to get into Marglu Lagoon in Parry Lagoons Nature Park, there was shallow water in the kilometre long lagoon and it had some fantastic birds in it, a lone Bar-tailed Godwit and Curlew Sandpiper, were curios, a Black-tailed Native Hen was nice, I went for a walk away from the good birdhide and got Zebra Finch and Star Finch, further away were some Australian Pratincoles and a Flock Pigeon, and then I found them, I thought the area looked prospective for them but I was so happy to find some Yellow Chats and one even posed for me. Even though the heat was wilting I persuaded Bev that it was worth her while to go see them and she found them too. On our way into the site I saw a lot of tracks heading towards the north of the billabong. It all of a sudden occurred to me that this is probably a known site for the Yellow Chat and lazy people were driving off road because they didn’t want to walk like we did. Indeed Bev said that she saw a vehicle doing just that. It seems to me incontrovertible that bird watchers should care for the environment rather than destroying it by driving over it. Sadly too many are little more than stamp collectors. Back to the caravan and to The Grotto to camp in the car park by the cliff edge and as the heat slowly seeped away we had dinner then bed.

22/10 309km
Up at dawn and walked down into the grotto, the pool was scungy with a small trickle coming down the side wall. There was the usual White-quilled Rock Pigeon and a few finches and other birds down the bottom. We left at 6.30 and went to Dunham rest area which had a pool in the river, but I never saw anything use it, there was however good birdlife in the area. A small area had been burnt which had finches feeding in it, but most was unburnt and I had an explosion of Brown Quails at one point. Further south on the Great Northern Hwy 120km south of Wyndham was dry and at 37C at 8.25 it was already too hot for much activity. Similarly Lissadell Rd park bay was hot and dry but I disturbed another covey of Brown Quails in the old unburnt Spear Grass. 220km south of Wyndham was also hot and dry. We dropped off the caravan in the rest area opposite the road into the Bungles and did the 53km track in. It’s a really nice drive winding through spinifex country, particularly once you get out of the station country. It’s not a road to be taken at speed, so as long as you’re not in a hurry the rough corrugated road isn’t all that bad, 4wd is needed to get through one deep crossing that even at the end of the dry was still deep. We booked into the Kurrajong camp it being the only one open and after paying $35 for the night including a $15 day fee we went to Echidna Chasm which was fantastic. I expected to see Petra at the end of it, instead there was a track closed sign due to a rock fall. An ominous breeze came chasing down the chasm and for a moment I was Indiana Jones. There was no vegetation for the last half of the walk and it was quite cool. On walking out I all of a sudden was struck by how fragrant the bush is. There must have been no smell in the depths of the chasm. We went back to the empty campground to camp, all too soon it was dark and after dinner it was bed.

23/10 329km
It got down to 17C overnight which was too cold for sleeping in just my sleeping sheet. Up early and over to Piccaninny and Cathedral Gorge and the beehive formations which were all wonderful. The end of Cathedral Gorge is as amazing. walked back out to the car then drove out of the park, picked up the caravan had lunch at Leycester’s rest and got the first Budgerigars, then Little Panton River which had a pool and was abuzz with birds including a Gouldian Finch. Picked up diesel at 184.0cpl at the BP down the side road and stopped at Rockhole Ck where all the birds were hiding under the bridge, every one of them, that I could find anyway. Over to Laura River where the trees have more shade so the bridge only had a few birds and I got a few more sheltering from the 42C heat in the trees probably trying to catch a bit of breeze, We stopped at Mary Pool which had pools and even though it was 17.00 and not far off dark I had a good list before dark and the usual dinner bed routine.

24/10 480km
Added a few more birds in the morning including a pair of Hobby Falcons that stole the food that a Brown Goshawk had just caught. As I took off I noticed a puff of dust from one of the caravan tyres and didn’t think much of it but 40km down the road we were getting near my first survey point listening to my Spotify music when I glanced in my mirror and saw a plume of smoke emanating from the caravan wheel, the tyre had destroyed itself, so we put the spare on and stopped just up the road at park bay and got the first Variegated Fairywrens. They were doing works at the Ngumban Cliffs so the usual hiding spot for birds in the shade of the toilet block was gone and only a Magpie Lark was hanging around ever hopeful of food from the dwindling tourists. Floodway east of Fitzroy Crossing only had a few birds. At the Fitzroy River crossing there were some 8-10 year old aboriginal kids in the riverbed amongst all the rubbish strewn everywhere. When they spotted us up on the bridge they started hurling abuse and threats at us. Unless there is some sort of intervention they will no doubt end up in jail as delinquents. If anyone wants a lesson in the poverty of spirit of a lot of our First Nations peoples then Fitzroy Crossing would be a good place to start. We spent 3 months working here in 2018 and were relieved to escape the place. There’s way too much alcohol being consumed here. Tarunda Caravan park only had a few active species and disappointingly so did Geikie Gorge where we had lunch, back through town and on to Leopold Downs Rd where I might have spooked an owl but I didn’t get a good enough look at it as it escaped through the trees, I did get the species that were harassing it though. Lakeside camp had good water in it with good birdlife in and around it. I had to work hard in the 42C heat to get 3 species at Erskine Range. Camballing Rd had the first Rufous Songlark twitchytweedling away in the woodland. From there we headed into Derby and the Kimberley Entrance caravan park for the night.

25/10 341km
It was a leisurely start this morning as the tyre place didn’t open until 7.00. Dropped the destroyed tyre off and went to Derby Sewerage and wetland which was good as usual with 4sp of wader and Yellow Wagtails, I had to get the scope out to ID two of the wader species. Over to Derby Jetty where I got a white phase Reef Egret, not as common as the dark phase. There was a Mangrove Golden Whistler calling nearby in the mangroves. As we were leaving I spotted an Eastern Curlew one of our fast disappearing waders due to over-development along its flyway down the Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese coast. The mudflats that it needs to restock as it migrates are being destroyed. We picked up the tyre that cost $375 for a Bridgestone Dueler. It doesn’t pay to need tyres in these remote towns. Fuel we got at the BP in the back streets at 189.9cpl. 3 cents cheaper than the main street one. Picked up some fruit and off along the Gibb River Road we went. First stop was May River which had a pool and had both White-bellied Sea Eagle and Wedge-tailed Eagle, I don’t think I’ve had them both on the same survey before. Kimberley Downs Rd had some Sitellas. Lunch was had at Lennard River which always has at least a pool of water, so we got 14sp here. At Boundary Ck I did something I don’t usually do, that is get out the recording of a bird and play it towards habitat, but I thought I heard a wren call coming from spinifex. When we played the recording of the Black Grasswren though all I got back was contact calls rather than a territorial song, so I’m not certain enough to put it in, and it’s a long way from known range. Lennard Gorge had a pool in the part that I survey and in the trees surrounding were lots of Silver-crowned Friarbirds. We’ve flushed quite a lot of Brown Quails over the last few days and there was another covey here. 240km east of Derby had a Bustard. It was sun down by the time we got to Galvan’s Gorge so Bev had to cook mostly in the dark. There was only a brief harassment by a mozzie so I braved that to enjoy the balmy evening breeze wafting through the trees with the odd flash of lightning in the distance.We had passed through a brief shower on the last leg, it had been so long since I used the windscreen wipers that I forgot where they were and turned on the indicators instead.

26/10 410km
To the north of where we were there had been some rain with the road still a bit wet as we headed north. The first survey at 15km north of Mt Barnett Roadhouse had some puddles in the road and the grass was still wet, there was a Brown Quail calling, they’re everywhere! Further North at Hann River there were also puddles in the road and we got the first Striated Pardalote. Kennedy Ck still had an old pool with an attendant Black Bittern, and the spring to the east of the road was running, with Freshwater Crocodiles and possibly a Northern Snapping Turtle. Kalumburu Rd 1 was just hot and dry with some Jacky Winters fighting. Floodway 1 Kalumburu Rd had a lot of flowering eucalypts and the grass was beginning to go green from prior rains, but there was no standing water, there were lots of Banded Honeyeaters here. Lowya Ck was 100% burnt earlier in the year and still devoid of ground cover, ironically there were some Red-backed Fairywrens here foraging in the trees. We had lunch at King Edward River that had a trickle running through the causeway with some Crimson Finches. Since the Mitchell River NP was already closed for the season we decided not to brave the unserviced road in for one survey and turned around and got back to Kalumburu Rd 1 and camped on the old road just north of the newer one. In the early morning and late afternoons the Frill-necked Lizards have been dotted along the road. I eventually picked one to photograph, of course as soon as I stopped it bolted up a roadside tree. We arrived at 16.30 to smoke filled air and thunderstorms rumbling around us, but only light rain falling on us as Bev cooked dinner and I started the survey with a lone Rufous Whistler calling.

27/10 455km
Had quite a few birds that weren’t in yesterday’s 20min survey like White-throated Gerygone and Pallid Cuckoo. Stopped at Kennedy Ck and added Long-tailed Finch to yesterday’s list. We did the short but nasty track into Adcock’s Gorge with no water coming over the falls but a trickle between the two ponds, not much excitement as far as birds go but it’s a nice spot with some colourful dragonflies including Rosy Percher. At Boundary Ck we had lunch and played the Black Grasswren call again in good habitat without success, we then drove in to Derby to stay at the caravan park again.

28/10 242km
The first stop was Yeeda Rd, the north side of the road is being overgrazed and the south of the road has a fence, so it wasn’t a good survey. Cockatoo Ck had a good pool and the usual good birdlife around it despite the cattle. The area around Nillibubbica camp had been burnt so there wasn’t much bird life in the gathering heat. Kilto Station Rd was all quiet despite good looking habitat, I waded my way through the old dead grass and found the hiding place of some birds sheltering from the heat. We got into Broome mid morning and booked into Tarangau caravan it being the cheapest caravan park. Unhitched and went to fill up the car at the United servo it being easily the cheapest in town then went and did some shopping and relaxed for the afternoon and evening.

29/10 74km
Bev stayed behind to do her own thing. I went up to Horsewater Soak which had the first Brahminy Kite, then back to Broome and Haynes Oval that includes a view of the airstrip from the shopping centre carpark. I used my scope to ID some Oriental Plovers. The tidal flat at Discovery caravan park had some waders and Cable Beach also had some waders and terns around the rocks. back for lunch and spent the day on the computer lodging all the surveys up to date.

30/10 455km
After breaky we headed up the Cape Leveque Rd. The first stop was No10 dam which had a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage, much easier to ID. On north to Country Downs Rd which had a lot of ordinary birds. Beagle Bay was closed to tourists, Bobby Ck had a few ordinary birds. Pender Bay Rd was back to busy, Rumbul Bay Rd was less busy but had a pair of Leaden Flycatchers. Cape Leveque Lighthouse had a human tolerant pair of Yellow White-eyes feeding in some mistletoe in the car park. We tried to get to the beach towards One Arm Point but again it was closed to tourists so headed back down the road and had lunch on the way. Once we got back the rest of the afternoon and evening was spent lodging more surveys with Birdlife Australia.

31/10 242km

Off early again and up the Manari Rd. First stop was Barred Ck where the tide was in so only a few waders but the mangroves produced Mangrove Golden Whistler, White-breasted Whistler, Mangrove Gerygone and Mangrove Grey Fantail. On north to Quandong Point one of my favourite campsites in Australia. Whilst I was chasing the few still active bush birds Bev saw what was probably a Dugong not far off shore. Further north to James Price Point which had a Lesser Frigatebird patrolling the coast. It was then into 4wd to get to Coulomb Point NR. As usual the beach is marred by beach drivers pursuing their environmentally destructive fun. There were a few waders using the blocked creek and a few on the beach including Sanderlings. It was then the jarring drive back along the unpleasant road to the caravan park.

1-2/11
These days were spent relaxing in the caravan park mainly working on the website.
3/11 68km
Today we went early to Broome Bird Observatory, the tide was coming in so the birds were moving roost sites and were going by just off shore in their thousands. I find flying waders hard to ID particularly when they’re in mixed flocks, so I’m sure my counting and probably my species count was below par. There were a number of waders still using the beach here so I got all of them. We left there at 8am before the office even opened. The rest of the day was spent on the computer.

4/11 543lm
We left the caravan park in good time and traveled around to Roebuck Plains rest stop and found on arrival that another caravan tyre was in the process of destroying itself so we took it off and put the spare on and hoped that was all the tyre issues we’d have until Port Hedland and continued west with stops at 210km NE of Sandfire, Goldwire camp, Shelamar station rd, creek 1 Great Northern Hwy, Culvert east of Sandfire, all with a few non exciting birds. Lunch was late at Walla Downs 80 Mile beach, there were a few waders and terns on the beach but they were outnumbered by the Silver Gulls. On then to Boreline Rd east of Purdue and 11km west of Purdue again with a few non exciting birds. We stopped at De Gray River where the access to the river is still fenced off to humans because of the Noogoora burr but the cattle that are the main spreaders of weeds were roaming through the area STOOPID!

5/11 362km
Overnight I heard a Boobook Owl call but the response was a Barking Owl, I don’t think I’ve ever had the two together so it may have been territorial. Got the first of probably many Black Swans and also White-plumed Honeyeaters. There were small flocks of Budgies flying around which added up to about 1000 of them. first stop was Strelley River which had a large pool and a Wood Sandpiper, there was also a brief appearance of a Grey Goshawk with a lizard prey. Floodway 40km west of Port Hedland was a no bird survey despite looking quite good habitat. We dropped the caravan off at Black Rock Caravan Park and went to get a new tyre from Bridgestone which cost $398 even more than Derby, bit of profiteering methinks, won’t be using them again. Filled up the tanks and jerrycans at the Puma using our 4c discount for RAC. Went to do the survey at Front beach where the tide was in. I thought I’d got a Collared Kingfisher in the mangroves so took a shot of it only to find it was a boring old Sacred, still a neat bird though. Had lunch at the caravan and headed off leaving it behind and had got 35km down the road when Bev realized that she hadn’t packed any pots or pans so we had to go back. We eventually got to Carlindie Ck in 41C heat with a hot wind to boot, needless to say there wasn’t much going on, but I got a few calls. Camped at Doolena Gorge which had a large pool of water spanning the gap with a lot of water birds loafing up the far end. I found where the honeyeaters were coming down to drink and took a few shots, then it was dinner, sundown and bed. The were a few aboriginals trying to fish in the pool, when they’d gone I noticed that they’d left some rubbish behind. They just don’t get it. How hard is it to take all your rubbish home with you, especially if it’s your own backyard.

6/11 387km
It was an uncomfortable night last night, there was a pleasant breeze getting into the camper but I didn’t sleep well, that meant I heard the Bush Stone Curlew and the Spotted Nightjar calling in my waking time. The dawn came soon enough and after a quick look around we headed off. First stop was ponds east of Marble Bar which had 4sp of duck and some waders, a pair of Bustards also graced the ponds. On east to floodway 1 Ripon Hills Rd then Yalgalong Ck both with quite a few birds. Telfer Rd T junction was poor looking spinifex and I only got a Grey-headed Honeyeater in the sparse trees. Park bay with tank Telfer Rd was abuzz with 2000 Zebra Finches festooning the larger trees and making forays to the water’s edge to drink. There were also 500 Diamond Doves at the other end of the tank, Bev spotted it first, a lone female Orange Chat foraging along the water’s edge, At first I thought it was a Yellow Chat but then saw it had a dark eye, still a nice bird to see. At 35km w of Telfer mine there is another tank nearby and the Diamond Doves were streaming by along the road side, I got 90 in the 20min survey. We had a quick transition through the Telfer Mine with our escort and we headed down the unpleasant road to the national park. I wonder if God was being deliberately cruel when he designed physics so that when we drive down dirt roads we create corrugations, endless corrugations. It was a slow drive to Christmas Pool which was dry and to Coolbro Ck which had a large black pool with nothing using it. last time we were here in 2019 there had been a hot fire through, and the bush is still recovering, there were many dead trees and the rest were still resprouting. I did get the first Red-backed Kingfisher. The clouds had been gathering all afternoon and it was now that they decided it was time to build to storm level. The track was wet but not too bad and I got to Hand Pump south of Telfer easily to camp, we sat one shower out playing I spy with my little eye something beginning with R, and Bev got dinner cooked in between the storms. There were 200 Cockatiels enjoying the taste of rain or flying around petrified of the storms I don’t know which.

7/11 405km
The storms disappeared into the distance looking like enormous Christmas flashing lights in the dark. The result was a cool night, down to 20C. In the morning I found a lone puddle that was being used by Budgerigars and Zebra Finches, but there’s not a lot of diversity in the habitat here so I didn’t get much else. It was a slow but pleasant drive down through the Karlaminyi NP to Karlaminyi tk 1 where I heard a Spinifexbird but never saw it. The Desert Queen Baths were an oasis of cool and water with Australian Grebes that had 4 chicks, there were some interesting insects too. After 2hrs it was time to turn back. I had just passed last night’s camp at hand pump south of Telfer when two Ground Cuckoo-shrikes took off in front of me, so I decided to resurvey the site and added Nankeen Kestrel and Little Button Quail that I found right next to where we’d camped, so I was wrong about the habitat, it has some good birds in it. We had lunch at Coolbro Ck where I found a Torresian Crow nesting that I’d missed yesterday and also some Spinifex Pigeons. A lot more Zebra Finches and Diamond Doves than yesterday. On north along the rough road and through the Telfer mine again. We stopped at Park bay with tank west of Telfer again, the Orange Chat was still there but there were only a few Zebra Finches and Diamond Doves. We headed south at the bitumen and camped at Brumby Ck Woodie Woodie and I got Whistling Kite nesting. They have a quite different call to warn the chick to keep its head down, but it couldn’t resist peeking over the rim of the nest at me. The storms these evening were brief and well off to the side, we barely got a rain drop out of it.

8/11 357km
We realized not long after arriving that this might not be the best place in the world to camp as the trucks from the mine run 24/7 about every 20min, so it was a very disturbed sleep. The area has cattle access so the vegetation is quite damaged but I got Star Finches. We soon set off along the Skull Springs Rd through rolling spinifex covered hills and mesas, a pleasant if sometimes rough road. The first stop at Terrella Ck had a mixed covey of Little Button Quail and Brown Quail. Floodway 1 Skull Springs Rd had a Spinifexbird in the field of large spinifex with several different species of spinifex. Five Mile Ck wasn’t all that good. We headed south to Wild Dog Ck which had a cattle damaged pond and surrounds, there were 50 Spinifex Pigeons loafing near the ponds. My last survey here had Star Finches, the water level is lower this time so what was an island in the middle of the pond last time was no longer, the tall reeds were all eaten. There was no habitat for the Star Finches, so no Star Finches. This is the problem with cattle, they are so destructive around waterholes and because they are the main source of income for farmers around here they have access to all the water points everywhere. If farmers could just reserve some habitat for our wildlife things could be so much better. Garden Pool Nullagine had three cattle damaged pools and an inquisitive Variegated Fairywren. Lunch was had here. North through Nullagine to 50Km north of Nullagine where I was chasing a rusty coloured grasshopper to try and get a photo when out popped the only bird in the site, a Black-faced Woodswallow. It made an attempt at the fleeing grasshopper but missed. I never caught up with the grasshopper. Ponds east of Marble Bar were similar to last time but less diversity. We stopped at Glen Herring Gorge which neither our old Camps book nor my Hema navigator show as a campsite, Wikicamps did. We were the only ones here, and I found the large waterhole in the uninspiring gorge and after dinner we went for a skinny dip in the light of Venus and a sickle moon. Whilst we were there a Spotted Nightjar flew low over the pool along with several micro bats. Just as it got dark we scrambled back up through the rocks back to the camper for dinner and bed.

9/11 300km
Went back to the wetland but didn’t add much, We were an hour later getting away this morning and headed down the Hillside Rd, a nice drive, and stopped at some nice looking habitat at Hillside Rd Floodway 1, but couldn’t find anything interesting. At the Great Northern Hwy we turned south to Coonarie Ck and got a Rofous Songlark. Then headed back north to Park bay, park bay 2 and 50km south of Port Hedland, two had been fire damaged and all were nearly devoid of birds as usual for these sites. We got into Port Hedland and checked in to the Black Rock Caravan park after stocking up with food. The car averaged 9.5L/100km which I’m happy with. Next to the caravan park is Hedland Trattoria, we decided to try it out and had an excellent pizza, I was full after half of it.

10/11 138km
Today didn’t work out as planned. We had a 9.30am booking at Beaurepairs to get the wheels balanced and a wheel alignment done, as the car doesn’t feel right on the road. Whilst they were doing it we went down to Front Beach where the tide was out and there was a good variety of waders on the shelf. They hadn’t called us after an hour so we walked back to find that they couldn’t do the wheel alignment because the tie rod and relay rod assemblies had seized so he couldn’t get them undone. He recommended that we go to Repco Ironport Mechanical so we paid $40 for the wheel balance and headed down there. Thankfully they were able to do the work. The mechanic came back and told us that they had rusted and we needed new ones. Thankfully being a Landcruiser there was stock in town and we sat in the waiting room until 15.15, when the bill came it was $1497.50 yeouch! We then had to fill up with fuel, a further $239. Not a cheap day. We went back to the caravan park hitched up the caravan, quickly packed up and headed off at 15.45 and got to Peawah rest stop for the night. The river was dry with the usual mass of Fairy Martins swirling around, and Yellow-throated Miners in the trees along the banks. It was then the usual ritual of dinner sundown bed.

11/11 353km
We had a Barn Owl overnight, and I’m pretty sure that it had a juvenile begging for food, lots of insistent calling. At Whim Creek we dropped the caravan and went up to the Balla Balla Rd camp where there were some Gull-billed Terns. At the end of Balla Balla Rd are the mangroves which had Mangrove Golden Whistler and Mangrove Fantail. Picked up the caravan and stopped at park bay east of Roeburne for a Spinifexbird. Then to Hearson Cove for lunch, unlike last time there were only a few people here and the tide was out so there were a few waders. Mairee Pool had a flock of 20 Painted Finches and some Star Finches. Went up to Gnoorea Point which is free this time of year and got Dusky Gerygone and Mangrove Grey Fantail. Only a few waders this time and they were feeding in the mangroves rather than loafing on the rocks at high tide.

12/11 505km
A lone Singing Honeyeater was the dawn wake up call and I was late getting out of bed. From our camper we can look across the top of the caravan, there had been a heavy dew overnight and there were puddles on the roof. The Zebra Finches and Singing Honeyeater were pitter pattering across the roof taking water from the pools. A Willie Wagtail joined them but didn’t drink. The rock shelf added some Great Knots and Lesser Sand Plovers. Back to the highway and down to the Fortesque River road, dropped off the caravan and drove to the site near the Fortesque River mouth, but it was jam your hat down tight windy so I only got a few species. Mast south of Fortesque Roadhouse had some nesting Zebra Finches. Peedamulla east Ck was dry with a few species. Onslow Rd junction park bay had Crested Bellbird, we had lunch here and left the caravan again. Park bay Onslow Rd had Rufous-crowned Emuwrens that Bev heard. 3 mile pool Ashburton River didn’t disappoint with lots of birds including the first Little Crows and some waders as well as the ducks. Back for the caravan again and on down the highway to Paraburdoo Rd junction for another Little Crow. Park bay south of Nanturra had some White-winged Fairywrens which have been strangely absent and we stopped at Barradale camp not long before dark

13/11 436km
We had three species of night bird overnight, but the place is ruled by day by 30 Yellow-throated Miners so the overall count was quite low given the river is dry. Not far down the highway Burkett Rd heads towards Exmouth, at the first of my park bay sites a mob of Black-faced Woodswallows dive-bombed two Little Crows enough to make it too uncomfortable for them and they flew off. At the second park bay there was a fly by of a lone Fairy Martin until late in the survey when a flock of Cockatiels flew over, that was it. Park Bay south of Exmouth had zero birds. We picked up food in Exmouth and went to have lunch at Bundegi NR where the tide was out and I got a handful of common waders and quite a few groups of White-winged Fairywrens in the dunes. We had tried to book in to a campsite in the national park but couldn’t, so we went to the visitor centre and found out why. The entire suite of campsites are booked out, bad timing arriving here on a Saturday. So we went down to The Oyster Stacks for a snorkel. I found that at least 95% of the coral is dead with only the occasional splash of colour. There were still quite a lot of fish but I was disappointed with what I saw. I did see some new corals grounded on the old dead ones, so there is a bit of hope, but there were still only a handful of different species of corals alive so that doesn’t bode well. I did a survey around the car park and got Rufous/Western Fieldwren. Up to Mangrove Bay where Bev got a Buff-banded Rail. Then we went back through Exmouth got fuel in town only to find it much cheaper at a Shell south of town, Bev hadn’t expanded the search on the fuel app far enough. We drove until just on sunset to arrive at Park bay 2 south of Exmouth, had dinner as it got dark and were soon in bed.

14/11 52km

It was a quiet night and a quiet dawn with not many birds around. There was a heavy dew again so the spinifex, Mulla Mulla flowers and the Golden Orb Weaver Spider’s web were all glistening a bit. It was a short drive into Coral Bay, where we were able to check into the Bay View Caravan park at $49 for the night off season. I went in for a snorkel and found the same problem as at the national park with a lot of dead coral and even less fish. I did find a Cleaner Wrasse cleaning post and watched a steady procession of fish come through to be nibbled at, and some of the larger still alive corals had up to 50 fish around them, but again disappointing. The rest of the day was spent on the computer catching up with things. In the late afternoon we went to Fin’s Cafe for an excellent icecream and went for a stroll. Later we went back for dinner of crispy fish and chips, very nice but very expensive at $30ea. On the way there I spotted a Buff-banded Rail on the grass that was being watered, in the gloomy evening it looked like a Spotless Crake.

15/11 260km

Last night we had a guy sleeping in a tent next to us that could only be described as a snorasaurus, at one stage he did stop snoring and then Bev started up, so I didn’t sleep well. I got the Buff-banded Rail again early in the morning but didn’t add anything new. We were off not long after 7am and first stop was Lyndon River camp, I’d seen quite a lot of birds as we approached the site, but it’s quite an open area and there wasn’t much more than a quite tame Pipit. As we headed on south the habitat changed with more low trees and shrubs, so at Manyarra Ck we added White-browed Scrubwren, Red-capped Robin and Chestnut-rumped Thornbill to the trip list. The next stop at Cooralya Rd junction didn’t look as promising but added Sitella, White-browed Babbler and Chiming Wedgebill to the list. We decided to take an early day and stopped at Quobba Point at midday and had 2200 terns roosting on the rocky islet across the small bay, I needed my scope to ID them. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing out of the blustery wind.

16/11 329km

The wind never let up last night buffeting the side of the camper all night, so it was another disturbed sleep. In the morning I found quite a few pairs of Western/Rufous Fieldwrens. First stop was Rotary park Gascoyne River which had a pool and I got 23 common species in the 20min survey. We stocked up with food at Woolworths and fuel at the Ampol next to the road train assembly park, it’s several cents cheaper than those in town. The fuel app has saved us quite a few dollars every time we fill up. New Beach had the tide out with a few waders and terns on the beach. I struggled to get a Fairy Tern into focus despite it being quite close. In the samphire was a huge flock of Yellow White-eyes which had a tag along Slender-billed Thornbill. Edaggee camp had some very confiding Chiming Wedgebills. Park bay s of Wooramel had the first Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. 20km north of Overland roadhouse had goat ravaged sparse acacia woodland which had Hooded Robin and Southern Whiteface. We stopped at Shark Bay Rd park bay where I got an Inland Thornbill

17/11 227km

In the morning I had to work hard to find birds in the thick shrubland but I got Splendid Wren and Redthroat as new for the trip. We de-hitched the caravan and headed up Shark Bay Rd to Claypan Sharkbay Rd where in the sand dune I got Southern Scrub Robin with lots of White-winged Fairywrens and a few Variegated Fairywrens. Fowler’s Bay camp had a just a handful of waders and terns. Little Lagoon I’d marked as a good place to find Western Grasswren, a split from the Broad-billed Grasswren, and sure enough I found a pair, a new bird for me, also added the feral Laughing Dove to the trip list. Peron Francois Peron NP had Collared Sparrowhawk, there were two adults and two juveniles, an adult came in with a fresh kill and one of the juveniles tried to take it, but the adult swerved away from the juvenile, later zipping into the tree where the second juvenile was waiting to be fed, a lot of calling going on. We didn’t need to let our tyres down but did need 4wd to get out to Big lagoon in the NP, there are also day fees here. We spent 3hrs here with a combination of short strolls and lazing in the shade trying to keep the sandflies at bay. The endemic to the area Shark Bay Daisies were out in flower. We then returned to Peron to have a soak in the 40C artesian hot tub, we lasted about 5mins before it got too hot. We tried to find a fish and chip shop in town as the one we used last time no longer serves them, but to no avail, so we drove back to the park bay where the caravan was for dinner and bed.

18/11 366km

In April this year there was a cyclone that impacted the coast, our first stop was the stromatalites at Hamelin Pool. The boardwalk was damaged during the storm and hasn’t been repaired yet, so the stromatalites are still there but you can’t get close to them. Birdwise there were 150 Tree Martins here, where did they spring from all of a sudden? I haven’t seen them on a survey for some while, they’re all here. Butcher’s Track junction was quiet, Nerren Nerren camp had the first Brown-headed Honeyeaters and Australian Raven. Rest stop NE Kalbarri NP had all the birds in the park and none in the wheat field as is expected. Last time I was here there was no rubbish bin and the place was littered with litter, now there’s a bin here, it’s good around the bin, but there’s still a lot of rubbish away from it, people are too frigging lazy to walk a few metres to put their rubbish in the bin. We didn’t do the walk to the bottom of Ross Graham Lookout so didn’t get much around the car park where we had lunch overlooking the gorge. Gravel pit Kalbarri NP had White-cheeked Honeyeater and White-fronted Honeyeater in the colourful heathland, and another bird that’s been missing the Masked Woodswallow. A drive through Kalbarri revealed the damage a cyclone can do to houses facing the brunt of the storm. It came through in April this year and there are still a lot of properties sporting damage, from missing roofs to collapsed walls, no doubt a lot of them uninsured. Natural Bridge had a pair of Kestrels as usual, it was quite windy as usual and they were flying low towards the cliff and then letting the updraft of the cliff push them vertically upwards 20-30m before flying around and repeating, they were having fun. We stopped at park bay Hutt lagoon and had a few birds before sundown.

19/11 300km
The wind and the mining trucks kept our sleep rather fitful again. I only ended with 11sp for the site. The road into Horrocks from the north is bitumenised now so we took that and got a raft of common sp in the pleasant seaside settlement. We then took the hilly inland route to Protheroe Rd Nabawa, where the farmer has cleared out the nice bit of remnant scrub he had on the corner, I still got a few sp in the thin line of green in between the vast farmland and the road. Bootenal Rd Bootenal had just common sp. At Tabletop Rd Allanooka Springs Rd they have just bulldozed half of the remnant habitat by the roadside, Lord knows why they found it necessary. There isn’t much habitat left for wildlife here, so when we take away more of it it means less food for them, and a lot of them die, I think in our selfish arrogance we forget that wildlife has a right to live also, it was an unhappy 20mins and I didn’t get much, especially compared with the last survey I did here. Depot Hill Reserve was back to busy with the first running stream I’ve seen for many a month. Burma Rd west of Morowa had a good sized flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos, we put some fuel in the car at Morowa and camped at Kalanooka Springs camp, there’s no water here but the fenced off scrub is pretty good and I got quite a large feeding party of small bush birds before dark.

20/11 338km

The wind pump squeaked and rattled in the wind all night last night. I checked it out in the morning, and although there’s water in the well the pump isn’t connected, so I lost sleep for nothing. The bush birds were co-operative and I got passable photos of Redthroat and Southern Whiteface. Ended with quite a good bird list and headed south along Fallon Rd to rejoin the main road at the forlorn wreck of Brigalon. Caron dam is a covered ex-railway dam that is still being used and was fairly jumping with birds. Coorow Rd Maya looked like good habitat but only had a few honeyeaters. Moller Rd south of Pithara had some Pipits on the edges of the wheatfields. We had lunch at Reynoldson Flora reserve where the feather flowers were in bloom making for a pungent walk amid the myriad of insects, this is what the whole area should look like, it would have been some sight to see endless rolling hills of colour rather than the monoculture of wheat. Lake Ninan reserve had lots of Banded Stilts in the shallow saline water. We stopped at Munyerring Spring Rd Julimar SF and had a good list of new birds for the trip before mozzies stopped play.

21/11 108km

There was silence overnight, not a breath of wind or a single bird call. It was a leisurely get away after my morning stroll through the woods. Chittering Lakes Bindoon had a vocal Western/Golden Whistler. We spent time at Whiteman Park around the Mussel Pool. I tried hard to shoot a Western Gerygone but it refused to co-operate and I just had to enjoy its vocalizations. We had lunch here then left for Emma and Jim’s where we’ll be staying a while.

This would be the last trip for our caravan home, we were a bit remorseful at leaving it at the place we sold it to. It’s been our home now for 5 years and is now too big and cumbersome for the anticipated next iteration of our lives. We are having an off road trailer built that will go anywhere… hopefully. Stay tuned!

Photos from Lake Herdsman

Photos from Lake Joondalup.

And so it goes


Too many people teaching intolerance
Since the first club was formed
Not enough people thinking right
Not enough people thinking at all
Like bleating sheep
They follow the party line
Chanting party slogans
Perpetuating poison
And so it goes
And so it goes
Are you thinking logically
Are you living humanely
It could be a beautiful world
So much cruelty, pain and suffering
Are you rationalizing your part in this destruction
Empathy is a universal necessity
I want and I don't care about the consequences
This human race is concluding
Are you proud of the world you're helping to create
What?
The truth has been occluded
You have been duped
You are being used
Pacification by consumerism
A most unsatisfying religion
The strong get what they want
When personal gain is the only aim
Planetary bullies
There is no place left for wildlife
There's more plastic in the ocean than fish
Endless development covering the world
Endless monocultures destroy the habitats
Our greedy mouths are suffocating the globe
There's no room to breathe
Amusing ourselves to oblivion
Our quality of life is not sustainable
Functional unfairness
Instead of coming together
Will we ever learn
Business as usual
Are we improving?
No
Is the plight of our wildlife improving?
no
Are we reducing population pressure?
No
Are we improving fairness? 
No
Tribalism must end
We are all of us...us
Expect respect
There's no excuse for abuse
Does any government care more for its people than itself?
No
Today an ardent protestor
Tomorrow anther fat cat
Are we saving our forests?
No
Is the world fair for all?
No
Is there enough care out there?
Is the world less fractured?
No and no
And covid, like some onerous corvid
Is gnawing at the back of my brain
Why are there still wet markets selling misery
When the dangers are well known
Another pandemic is inevitable
Mother Earth is the keeper of life
Not a resource
This fractious combative species
Is slowly being torn to pieces
Ignorance
Ambitious opportunist
Marching to the discordant beat of the wrong drum
Xenophobia
Evil externalized
Wild eyed and lost in the maze
Another dead end craze
Entrenched distrust
Rabid consumers
Unsustainable users
Planet wide abusers
The world is suffering for the privileged few
Business as usual cannot go on
Let me assure you
Greed is not good
Be the difference
Emergency!
Emergency!
Emergency!
We're caught in a feedback loop
Lethal coop
Crisis? 
This crisis!
Earthwide alarm
Hello?
Is anyone listening?
Temperature loops
Temperature cliff
Storm loops
How big a disaster is it going to take?
Wake up world
This is serious
It's time to get unsettled
It's time to get serious
Regreenificitation
We're living in platitudes
This is the wrong attitude
This is urgent
This is dire
Our world is on fire
This is no good
Here a devastating flood
There a catastrophic drought
There can be no doubt
What it's all about
A world full of unhappiness
Entrenched foolishness
Like irresponsible children
Lusting after what we shouldn't have
A rampant perversion of values
Hateful ideology is a waste of life
Life is a series of unfair events
A world full of insecurities
Fears
Fripperies
Abstracts on the TV
Cloistered from the horrors
The cracks are opening wider
There will be no place to hide
As the mouth of hell is opened wide
Are there less guns in the world?
No
Is there more equality in the world?
no
Have we gone a step too far?
Yes
You can justify any way you like
That doesn't make it right
That doesn't make it good
Money is power
Power is money
Money is inanity
Power is insanity
These golden cows we still pursue
Devolving
Degenerating
Destroying
No self restraint
No self respect
Nasty politics
Godless criminals
Soulless corporates
Incontrovertible decline
Do you hear the death knell yet?
So many bad decisions
Spiritless men act in the name of God
As the world gets more ugly
Another abominable human takes power
A system is only as good as its administrators
I am not fooled
I see the facile fiasco
Discordant aria
Take a look around you
Superficial fixes
Kicking cans down a dead end street
Justifying anything in the name of money
Are you thinking of the greater good?
I see the shallowness of our empty hearts
Whilst we fill our wallets with someone elses death
Inner peace is unattainable
Too much noise
Annoying asides
Noisome crowds
Just don't get it
Worry face
Extinction pace
Isn't devastation already here?
It's only going to get worse
It's only going to get worse
It's only going to get worse
You can't buy beauty
That's all you need
Extinction is forever
How many white rhinos are there?
Pangolin exploitation
A hundred thousand trawlers
Over consumption
Unsustainable production
A life of insecurity
Disenchantment rife
What was once a beautiful world
Is no longer
This was a perfect planet
Society is sickening
It's every man for himself
Pathetic politics
Alcohol uncivilises
Meth is death
igoramuses all
So many things are wrong
So much damage
Not enough people care
We're fiddling around
Whilst the world is burning
Wasteful overusers
Absolute planet abusers
And yes it's getting worse
And so it goes
And so it goes
Until it's gone
Extinction is forever
Do you understand?
Extinction
Is
For
Ever

Photos from North lake Perth

12/3/2022 222km

We’ve had a long hiatus in Perth, staying with friends, family and lately as a house sitter in Atwell. The owners came back yesterday so after taking the dog for a walk this morning and packing up most of our stuff and squeezing it into the car we set off at about 9.30. Picked up food at the local IGA , then tried to get the gas bottle swapped at the local Bunnings, it’s an out of date Companion, yesterday they said they’d do it, today they changed their minds, so we headed off south. First stop was at Len Howard reserve on the lake side where we got a Little Eagle and Osprey. We picked up fuel at the nearby Mobil Conveniece X at 205.9cpl, that’s $400 to fill up the fuel tanks, all thanks to Putin and his cronies attacking Ukraine, what a thoroughly tragic situation, with consequences felt right around the world, I can’t believe that the rest of the world is letting him do this. We got the gas bottle swapped here too and headed over to Trotter Rd Yarloop where on one side of the road was good woodland and the other, a sandy wasteland, good farm management bad farm management. Then into the forest we went to have lunch at Hoffman’s Mill where I got White-breasted Robin. then south on dirt roads through the forest to Harris Catchment Ck for not much, there was a bush fire not far to the west of us, so a lot of smoke. We stopped at Stockton Lake at 15.40 and re-organized the car to give us a bit more room, in the area I got some Red-winged Fairywrens and a good sized flock of Western White-naped Honeyeaters along with New Holland Honeyeaters. Being a Saturday it’s very busy here with all the usual awfulness of a lot of people camping, too many noisome people in this world.

13/3/2022 307km
After quite a good night’s sleep, interrupted by some camp noise, some traffic, a train and two Boobook Owls we rose not long after dawn to a dull cloudy morning. I got very frustrated with the camera again trying to get shots of some Scarlet Robins, first it was too dark, then when I got one almost full frame it wouldn’t focus on it but chose the gravel in the background, so I missed getting a shot. Eventually we set off east to Bennalaking and some nice looking forest, getting Rufous Treecreeper and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, the honeyeater was at the top of a tree, it was such bad light that I couldn’t see any colours, I had to get out the scope to zoom in on it. Thankfully it sat out there in the open in the flat light, probably trying to warm up in the non-existant sun. Then to Lake Towerrinning for a Western Thornbill. Moodiarrup south creek also had Western Thornbill. Then we tracked west to Newlgalup where there were some Purple-crowned Lorikeets. We tried to get to Woop Woop a locality near Wilga that was an old logging camp, but we got thwarted by private property so did a survey at rail near Woop Woop which was as close as we could get. I think going through Wilga into the woodland to the west should get one closer, maybe next time. Back the way we came and took a short cut along Greenfield Rd with brown fields on both sides. As usual with my short cuts the road deteriorated into a bush track, before getting better again. At one point on the road we saw that a farmer had cleared all the trees from the land, they were in huge piles dotted around the desolate paddock, so disappointing to see that this is still happening, we should know better by now. Bridgetown IGA had a huge flock of Baudin’s Black Cockatoos. McAtee Ck Jalbarragup was dry with not much happening. About 7km before our intended camp for the night I saw out of the corner of my eye a flash of a macropod as it dashed in front of the car, how I missed it I don’t know, I didn’t even have time to get my foot onto the brake. The only thing that saved it was the fact that I travel slowly these days, and was doing no more than 50kph along the dirt road. We stopped at Blackwood River Rosa Brook and had enough time to put the canoe into the water after pumping it up for the first time since the Tasmanian trip, we had a pleasant paddle up and down stream a few hundred metres each way and had nice views of quite a few birds along the banks, we found a large leech trying to latch onto us when we beached the canoe. The paddle did mean that dinner was cooked and eaten in the dark with a few mozzies to contend with. Bed not long after.

14/3 219km
Up with the sun again after a good night’s sleep, the only interruptions were natural, being an Owlet Nightjar and Masked Owl, just before dawn there was a Fan-tailed Cuckoo calling, otherwise the dawn calls were rather mute. There had been some dew overnight so we had to pack the canoe up wet and we headed off at about 8am. First stop was Upper Chapman Brook, the first bird I saw was a Red-eared Finch, it hopped up on to a branch in the sun and posed for me, from there we headed down to Cape Leeuwin which didn’t have much in the way of bird life. The lighthouse is being renovated so with the scaffolding around it, it looks like a block of flats from a distance. As we headed east next stop was Pagett NR, which added Brush Bronzewing. I saw what looked like a short cut along the South Coast Rd which started out well but turned out to be a 4wd track along the powerline with a lot of close vegetation along the track so a lot of scraping. So although it was undoubtedly shorter it took longer and probably used more fuel, a nice drive through the forest though. Coronation Rd Barlee SF had some Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and a small passerine feeding group by the dusty road. We had lunch here then through the Karri Forest to Old Vasse Hwy Warren NP which had a large flock of Silvereyes. We camped at 14.50 at Dombakup by a water point and watched the birds come in to drink and bathe. Mostly White-naped Honeyeaters which chased other birds away like Western Spinebill and Red-eared Finch, but didn’t mind the thornbills fantails or New Holland Honeyeaters. A Western Rosella came down for a drink but never got the nerve to get to the water, at one stage it got briefly out into the open but just as I was about to take the shot there was a warning call from a honeyeater and it flew off, I never got the shot. Thankfully later one came down for a drink whilst it was still light enough for me to shoot it. We layed the canoe out in the sun to dry, and cooked and ate dinner before dark this time. For a lot of the afternoon we had traveled through smoky forests, one of my sites was blocked off by the firies dealing with the fire further south.

15/3 233km
Yesterday afternoon we had got past the smoke, but the morning found us surrounded by the eerie light passing through the smoke. My first sighting on my morning stroll was either a Bardick or Tiger Snake, either way thankfully it slid off into the bush and didn’t bother me, though I was extra careful on the way back. I also got a Fox, only cats do more damage to our fauna than Foxes, awful little anumals. Just as we were leaving it started to rain, and we got intermitent showers throughout most of the morning. Went down to Windy Harbour and got Red-eared Finch and Southern Emu-wren on the walk. We decided to take the long way round to get to Chesapeake Rd Camford because last time we did the track in the rain it was very muddy, we had to come back up the road some to get to the site and found that there hadn’t been enough rain to make the road muddy. All that effort didn’t get the reward in anything special at the site. Next as we kept on heading east was Delaney Lookout Walpole that only had a Kelp Gull, but I heard a frog calling. Recently I downloaded an app called Frog ID, so I recorded it on my phone which isn’t the best recording equipment, but I later recieved an email telling me that I’d recorded a Forest Froglet, and like the atlassing that I do for Birdlife Australia the information collected can be used by scientists to research frogs, many of which are not doing well these days and need all the help we can give them. We stopped early at Parry Inlet so I could get some modules done on the internet for my new job that I start soon.

16/11 217km
Ended the survey with 32sp adding Cattle Egret and Yellow-billed Spoonbill to the list. Headed around to Morley Beach Wilson Inlet where most of the waterbirds were Grey Teal then to Cosy Corner East camp, we found to our disappointment that the track up to the pentouse camp spot has been blocked off so now it’s just a boringly pleasant camp by the beautiful bay. Torbay Inlet netted a Great Cormorant, the first I’ve seen in a long while. In Albany we filled up the car at 215.9cpl the cheapest in town at the card only United servo. Whilst Bev did the shopping I did another few modules of training, we had lunch at Lake Seppings which had a good range of ducks including Blue-billed. Gull Rock NP only had a single Western Spinebill active. We went in to Little Beach Two Peoples Bay which now has day fees of $15, $8 for those of us with a concession. In the late afternoon I didn’t expect to find any of the specialities for the site, and neither did I. We camped at Norman Beach camp in the small campground that was already full so we propped in the day use area that already had others camped in it, it’s a short walk down to the beach with a lot of steps down the big dune on to the beach.

17/3

It was a very pleasant stroll along the deserted beach early in the morning, my only companions being gulls and terns and a pair of Sooty Oystercatchers. We made our way around to Betty’s Beach which is closed to campers from 15th Feb to 30th April for the salmon fishers. Got our first Western Wattlebirds for the trip here. Over to Manypeaks camp which has a fascinating tidal surge ascociated with wave action at the head of the inlet. I got some King’s Skinks here but failed to shoot one, them slinking into the dense bush just as I spotted them. Around to Cheynes Beach where I managed to snaffle a shot of a King’s Skink, and chatted with a fellow photographer for a while. We then went back through Manypeaks settlement and took a shortcut to Porongurup NP where we had lunch. I’d have liked to stay in the Stirling Ranges camp but it was closed as they haven’t fixed it since the bushfire in 2019. So we did our sites at Talyuberlup carpark, White Gum Flats and Red Gum Springs in the late afternoon which is less than ideal. We found an old gravel pit on Formby Rd to camp in on the edge of the national park and got on the internet to do more work related stuff.

18/3 264km
Just to the west of where we were camped was a nice bit of woodland, which had some Regent Parrots, there was also a small dam on private land that some birds like Galahs were making use of. On the way back to the camper I spotted 2 Foxes. At Stirling Ranges Knoll Rd a huge gum was in flower with most of the birds including some Purple-crowned Lorikeets found in it. Away from the tree was a lone Regent Parrot wizzing through the survey area and some Elegant Parrots by the road. North to Louis Lookout Borden, which was awfuly windy with some Yellow-throated Miners for the first time in a while, a Striated Pardalote tried to roost in the trees but the miners kept on mobbing it, it could easily outmanoevre them in flight, but they wouldn’t let it settle. Further north was a sign proudly stating that this was the North Ongarup Mallee Fowl Corridor, it was in fact no wider than the usual 10m wide strip of vegetation by the road on each side. It wouldn’t have taken much research to realize that this was not suitable habitat for a Mallee Fowl, nowhere near enough, any bird would be found dead in here, or more likely on the road. I mean really, the conservation efforts that some places put in are too often laughable, and the results tragic for the wildlife. Lunch was at Lake Altham rest area but it was hot and windy so any birds that were here were sitting too quietly for me to detect them, a no bird survey. Heathland NR wasn’t much better with only 3 sp. We camped at Boundary Rd and Tarin Rock Rd by the quarry that’s being used as a dump, I shoveled some of the embankment out so I could drive up into some shade. The phone reception here was very weak, so I walked about 1km up the hill along the road to get some reliable signal. Later in the afternoon the hot northerly changed to a cool southerly and as the sun went down the wind died down to a very pleasant evening once the flies had settled.

19/3 242km
The most common bird here and at least visibly as we drive aong is the Australian Ringneck, they really thrive in the wheatbelt. We headed over to Toolibin Lake Reserve where the channel was nearly dry, but the main lake was lightly flooded with a few waterbirds in it. We added Red-capped Robin here. Kerr Rd Wikepin was cold and windy with not much activity, I tried not to flush the Wood Ducks on the dam but as soon as I showed my head they took off and I had to count them in the air, which isn’t as easy. Narrogin Coles had some Feral Pigeons and more Ringnecks in the park. Lunch was had at Congeling dam camp Dryandra where I found an Echidna, but not much bird life. Yornaning Reserve had a few birds on the lake, but not much in the surrounding woodland. We camped early again at Eagle Tk Tutanning NR and the first bird sighted was a Sitella, a few more small bush birds turned up during the cold blustery afternoon. I visited the nearby dam and saw a Mulga/King Brown Snake, it was about 4ft long. As it got dark we got some Bush Stone Curlews calling, marvelous.

20/3 228km

Headed off at our usual time of 8am and headed west to Thornbill Tk Boyagin NR, it’s a prospective site for Numbats, but we haven’t seen any here yet, there does seem to be suitable looking scratchings around the fallen logs, the bird life in this dry spot was also disappointing. Dam Falcon Tk Boyagin NR had more birds probably due to the water in the dam. We spent an hour at Collins Rd Westdale, which is a prospective site for Shrike Tits, indeed I met with another birder who had just found one, but try as I might I couldn’t find it, I did get some White-browed Babblers that the other guy had missed and some very late Rainbow Bee-eaters (they should have migrated north by now), not exactly an even swap. From there we went to Optus Stadium in Perth to get a rapid antigen test kit so that we can go and stay at Emma and Jim’s place. We weren’t allowed in to the carpark because the footy is on, so had to walk from the casino carpark. We both tested negative, so went via my friend Smathi’s place to see if we could find the charger for my camera which has been waylayed somewhere, but couldn’t find it, so he very graciously lended me his Nikon Coolpix, which is a bit better camera than mine, see if you can spot the difference. We then went to Emma and Jim’s for the night.

21/3 10km

Rest day at Emma and Jim’s. I took the car into the local Tryepower store to get the wheels aligned and the front ones balanced, both were out of whack. Hopefully the thing will feel better on the road.

22/3 279km

It was 7.40 when we hit the road and went to Midland and found a Betta Choice servo selling deisel at 208.9cpl, not exactly a bargain, but the best we can expect for the time being. Out along the Great Eastern Hwy to Retard basins Sawyers Valley, not a great spot today with a lot of traffic and only a handful of birds. Down to Wariin Brook Flynn Rd and got Western Yellow Robin, I pointed the camera at it and got a shot. On to Wandoo NP west of Quinkitchmunging where there were a heap of Weebils. At Beverley I dropped Bev off at the shops and went to do my survey at the Beverley Cemetery, I pointed the camera at a Singing Honeyeater and it took the shot. We went in to the Beverley Bakehouse, I chose a lemon coconut slice, Bev got a blueberry apple pie, we went to St Jacks Rd Balkuling for lunch, and enjoyed our treats, they were very reasonably priced too. We recommend the bakery, let’s not talk about the birds, because there wasn’t much to talk about. About 8km west of Yoting there was a small salt lake with encrustations around an old fence line that deserved a shot. On to Yoting for a Nankeen Kestrel, we see them occasionally but don’t often get one on a survey. We took a detour up to Kokerbin Hill, Australia’s third largest monolith. There is no camping here, so after a bit of a wander around we went the 10km south to Kwolyin camp, a huge camping area with good services at the site of the old settlement. There I thinned out the rather large fly population just a little bit until they settled.

23/3 329km

The place isn’t a bad place to camp but there’s not much in the way of interesting birds here as the bush is slowly regenerating from the disappeared settlement. It got down to 10C last night, but warmed up to a pleasant if windy day. We headed eastward at 7.40 and had a look at Buller Rd Bruce Rock, then swung north to Goldfield Rd Merridin, then north into new territory for us. First stop was Talgomine Rock camp where we got the first Brown Falcon for ages. Here there was a very recent prescribed burn, the burn looks like it did what it should with a small patch of scrub around the camping area burnt, what I didn’t like is that they saw fit to drive a bulldozer through the middle of the scrub creating a very ugly scar for no really good reason that I could see. Not far on is Eaglestone Rock camp it’s next to Brown Lake that is a salt flat, we had lunch here, then swung back west to Wundowlin NR. Onwards to Gobbard Rd east of Koorda amid the wheatfields, though one quarter has been replanted, it was still immature scrub and I only got a pair of Pipits. The dams west of Koorda were dry but there were a few birds using the area still. We stopped at Reynoldson Flora Reserve for the night. The colour has all gone from the verticordias since our visit in November just a few months ago, they’re all desicated brown now until the rains come.

24/3 400km

The night started out quite smoky thanks to the wheat farmers burning off their stubble, creating I don’t know how much carbon dioxide in the process. The wind came up during the night and the smoke was gone by the morning ready for a new wave of burn-offs, this time of year when campers aren’t allowed to have campfires, not that I agree with campers ever having campfires, they deplete the environment for insects and lizards. So why should we care about insects and lizards, they’re not that important are they? Think again. I didn’t add much to the list on my morning stroll and we headed south to Lake Ninan rest area which is now just a salt pan but I did get a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. We wound our way west to dam Indarrie Rd and Summer Rd that had 400 noisy Little Corellas. Not far away Gabalong Rd had some Black-faced Woodswallows, that needed the scope to properly ID them. Over to Moore River Regan Ford for lunch where the river was flowing but there were more dragonflies than birds. We got in to 9mile Swamp Rd Moore River reserve, I’ve been along the track before and had to put it in 4wd, but this time I couldn’t get through, despite putting the diff locks in, so we let the tyres down and tried again and failed to move far, so a second deflation was in order and that was enough to get me floating on the sand rather than pushing through it. There were a few eucalypts in flower with an apiary nearby, but just a few honeyeaters were active. The last disappointing survey was done at Gin Gin Brook Neargabby before we headed south to pick up fuel at Alkimos at the X Convenience Puma where with our RACV discount we got fuel at 187.9cpl, a pretty good price considering how much Putinflation there is on fuel at the moment. Then on into Perth to stay at the Queens Gove caravan park on Welshpool, $30 for an unpowered site with jets going overhead every few minuites. This isn’t going to be my best night’s sleep.

Photos from Atwell park

Pictures from Lake Walyungup Baldivis

Photos from Victoria Reservoir Perth hills

17/6 75km
We’ve been doing some house sitting for pets for a while now, today was our last day. It was midday when we left the house at Aveley and went to have lunch at Mussel Pool Whiteman Park, then went to my friend’s place where we’ve usurped his storeroom, we dropped some stuff off and picked some stuff up. I did a survey of Herdsman lake and got some Yellow-rumped Thornbills feeding young on nest and some swans with tiny cygnets. Then to Emma and Jim’s for the night.

18/6 318km
Left at 9.30 and picked up fuel and food then up to Gin Gin Brook Neargabby and on to Seabird where the wind was howling in from the ocean bringing brief but drenching squalls. We had lunch in between squalls then Wanagarren NP, Kangaroo Point Nambung NP, Drovers NP, Dynamite Bay Green Head where the wind was so strong that it blew my hat off when I went to take a photo. All these surveys had only a few birds because of the weather with strong winds and constant heavy showers they just weren’t very active. We headed inland to Lake Indoon to camp where there was less wind, so although there were still incessant showers every half an hour or so the birds were more active. After it got dark we went for a stroll as I could hear Western Banjo Frogs calling from over the ridge. We found some Crawling Froglets on the road, these little guys are only a few centimetres long and well camouflaged on the road so if you’re driving down the road at night you wouldn’t even know that you were running over them. I try not to drive at night as I really hate running over wildlife. We shooed quite a few of them off the road, they didn’t move until you touched them so they wouldn’t get out of the road of a car zooming along.

19/6 296km
The showers persisted through the night and I had a few more whilst I did my morning round. There were a hundred Shovelers on the lake which is a lot more than I usually see in a flock, and about 400 Tree Martins scattered around the lake. It’s wet mornings like this that we will miss not having the caravan as we take shelter from the rain. Back to the coast where the weather wasn’t as windy as yesterday but the showers persisted through most of the day slowly petering out by the late afternoon, so the birds were a bit more active at Coolimba and Cliff Head South camp. At Crampton rest area where we had lunch there wasn’t much happening, but at Cape Burney Greenough River the waves were washing over the plug in the river where 400 Silver Gulls were feeding, 92 Crested Terns were roosting and a lone juvenile Fairy Tern was the stand out bird for the day. We picked up food in Geraldton but our fuel app let us down with the servo we chose on the north side of town being derelict, we drove on to Northampton where the fuel was a lot dearer than what the app had listed, so although we’ve had some good wins with the fuel app it isn’t perfect. We stopped at Galena camp at the Murchison river and I got Horsefield Bronze and Fan-tailed Cuckoos, it was also nice to see Zebra Finches and Peaceful Doves for the first time in a while. After dark I targeted a pool that I’d noted earlier and got Humming Frog, then we walked down to the river at the low bridge, from there I heard a Shoemaker Frog tapping away a bit further away from the river and found it at a small pool, recording it for the Australian Museum on FrogID. It was then back to the camp for bed.

20/6 381km

We hit the road at about 9am and headed on north to rest area NE Kalbarri NP where I was still figuring out where to head first when a Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo landed in a tree right by me and started to call. I slowly got my camera out as it continued to ignore me and so I got its portrait. The rest of the survey was pretty pedestrian, towards the end of the survey a tow truck turned up and reversed up to the car looking as is he was going to tow it away, so I beat a path to the car to let him know that he couldn’t have our car, we saw him at the vehicle he was supposed to be at a short way up the highway. Nerren Nerren rest area that had another Horsefield’s Bronze Cuckoo. Butcher’s Tk north of Billabong had quite a few Chiming Wedgebills in the harem of a very vocal male. We had lunch at Shark bay Rd park bay where I added Pallid Cuckoo. We then drove out to Monkey Mia where we hoped to get some work as a volunteer as I had recieved an email saying thet one could apply in person, not so, because it’s so popular there was nothing for us to do, they suggested that we see Gavan in Denham HQ, but he was in a meeting so we booked a place at Fowler’s Bay camp which is still $15 for still no facilities and drove down there where there was a spectacular sunset despite no clouds to enhance the colours.

21/6 210km
Up early to go meet Gavan at the NP HQ but as I expected he had nothing for us to do, We’ve booked in to do some camp hosting next year, and we sat and chatted for a while, then Bev went to have a cold shower at the toilet block in town whilst I went to Little Lagoon where the only interesting bird was a Reef Heron feeding with a flock of Silver Gulls and cormorants in the shallows, they are usually strictly coastal hunting on rock shelves. Picked up Bev in town and we headed south. Shark Bay Rd claypan had 5 Southern Scrub Robins, the most I’ve seen and with a bit of patience I managed to get a shot of one. I missed the best shot when it sat up on the fence wire, but I was in manual focus and it took me too long to frame it, so this usually skulking ground bird went back to where it felt most comfortable, it hung around me and I managed the shot just after it found some food. We had lunch at Shark Bay Rd rest stop as we did yesterday and got some Redthroats. Try as I might I still can’t get close enough to a White-fronted Honeyeater to get a decent shot, they spook very easily. Hamelin Pool‘s boardwalk is still not accessible. We stopped at Butcher’s Tk north of Billabong which was very quiet with long periods in between seeing birds in the lightly grazed woodland. A walk along the road produced a few more. I’d taken a double shot of a Red-capped Robin male and stupidly binned both of them because I thought I’d taken three… rats!

22/6 109km
The road was predictably busy with traffic most of the night. I didn’t add much on my morning round and we headed off east along Butchers Track which was a hard sandy flat surface, all the water was gone from the road with the odd pool still on the side. It was a mononotous Acacia/Mulga woodland that we drove through with no landmarks, so we stopped at an arbitrary spot 50km east of West Coast hwy for a few woodland birds. About 20km further on at Butcher’s Tk 1, on the side of the road was what I first thought was a Bustard but as we got closer we found that it was in fact a Malllee Fowl, so we stopped and did a survey to see what else was around, the answer was not much. Further on we came to low rolling hills and at South Junction Bore we crested one to find a large pool of water at the base, there was a track heading north so we went a short way up it to make camp. We did a rearrange of the trailer, put the solar panels out, had lunch then I went to stake out the pool, there were only a few birds coming and going including a Black-eared Cuckoo that landed in the tree I was sheltering under, then flew off into the sun, so I never got a chance at a shot at it. Bev sat in the shade of the camper and added Hooded Robin and Crimson Chat. Later as the sun started to go down I went for a stroll around the area and added Hobby Falcon, so a few nice birds to be found here if you have all afternoon. After dinner and darkness I went for a listen at some prospective sites for frogs but heard nothing.

23/6 159km
My morning stroll took me to the dam to the south where I found 300 Grey Teal and some sitellas. After breaky and a wash we continued east along Butchers Tk and stopped near the end at old tank Butchers Tk and added White-winged Triller and Southern Whiteface to the trip. We headed south and passed through Murchison and took the Wooleen Rd also known as the Wool Wagon Pathway east, thankfully we didn’t have to walk it. We stopped at a swampy area at Woolwagon Pathway Meebeerie where I found quite a few birds south of the track, to the north of the track we found a huge pond which is part of the Murchison River, there were Yellow-throated Miners here. Next stop was Roderick River Woolwagon pathway which had a large pool to the south of the track with some Budgerigars, here the waterway was patrolled by White-plumed Honeyeaters. When I got back to the car I found I didn’t have my keys with me any more, this is no good I thought. Thankfully they had fallen out of my pocket out in the open not far away, so I got away with that one. We made camp by the floodway of Roderick River Boolady Rd. The river is only a small channel here but still had a few pools in the amongst the woodland, there was a bit of pre-breeding here with Zebra Finches copulating and a male Rufous Whistler trying to woo a female with lots of bobbing of the head as he chased her through the foliage. There was a good sized pool in the river to the south of the floodway, but a visit down there after dark didn’t net any frogs.

24/6 154km
Didn’t add much on my morning round and we headed off a bit earlier this morning. Not far down the road we came across some Banded Lapwings on the road, but I didn’t stop to survey them, instead our first stop was at Mudgianna Ck Kalli Rd where I got Bourke’s Parrot, I had managed a shot of one and was trying to get a better one when I flushed its mate out its nest, they both flew off, and I vacated the area so they could return to the nest at the earliest. Milliwarne Well Killi road was some nice open Mulga/Acacia woodland and I found a good sized feeding group that included Crimson Chats and Grey-crowned babblers. We then took the Afghan Rock Rd south to Big Bell ghost town, there’s not a lot left to see, the old pub is still standing… just and the two churches, everything else was down to the concrete pad, with a lot of rubbish. There’s some regeneration going with scattered trees, the only highlight as far a s birds go was a large flock of Crimson Chats, until just after dark when a couple of Banded Lapwings started calling.

25/6 148km

We kind of knew that it wasn’t going to be a quiet night, and so it turned out to be. Although the town is a ghost town the mine has been reopened so we had mining trucks coming and going all night, the only advantage of that was that I was awake when an Owlet Nightjar briefly called. I managed to track down the Banded Lawpings for a few shots before I decided I was disturbing them too much and let them be. We headed east to Cue and filled up everything at the card only Puma servo for $2 a litre. the Ampol in the main street was 246cpl, so we saved a heap. Onto the Great Northern Hwy and north to lakes 21km north of Cue which were the fullest I’ve seen them, but there were only a few waterbirds using them. Floodway Nannine north of Cue had the first Yellow-rumped Thornbills for a while, they’ve had rain here too so everything is lush but most of the water has gone from the creekbed. In Meekatharra we decided to take a break and booked into the local caravan park with trepidation as it’s got some bad revues. They are justified, we got a non-powered site for $20 but it was within smelling distance of an overflowing sewage system. The mens showers were hot if a little pokey (I’m being generous here) Bev said the ladies shower didn’t work properly.

26/6 107km
A campground next to a highway is never a good idea, it was quite noisy with dogs barking people yelling and regular trucks, despite that I got a reasonable night’s sleep, in spite the reasonable night’s sleep I wouldn’t rate the caravan park well at all. We did a bit more work on the computer in regards to our cruise next year, filled up the water tanks and headed off down the Goldfields Hwy, the dirt sections are regularly graded as this is a mining road, so it’s an easy drive through the mulga/acacia woodland. At No28 Well Goldfields Hwy we stopped for a survey and added Western Bowerbird. There are quite a few ex stations that are now unalocated crown land Mooloogool is one of them, we headed up Diamond Well Rd about 2km so that the trucks wouldn’t wake us and camped. There’s nothing exiting here just more mulga/Acacia woodland, but I found another Bourke’s parrot pair, no nest this time.

27/6 93km
I was happy to find a White-browed Treecreeper on my morning round, and I even managed a shot of it unlike the White-browed Babblers which really didn’t like me at all. back to the main road and east to Floodway 1 Goldfields Hwy, which had tall eucalypts to the north where all the birds were and the usual acacia/mulga woodlands to the south of the road. There was no water left here but the area was still quite active. Further east at Cockarrow Ck Wiluna where the creek had a good sized pool of water but there were hardly any birds at all. In Wiluna we made contact with the ranger for Conti campground in Cape Leeuwin Naturaliste Np where we arranged to do some camp hosting from mid July. I checked at the local shire admin office to see if I could do the loop that I wanted without a permit, which I can, and we went to CSR (Canning Stock Route) Well 1 which rquires one to travel about 10m along the Canning Stock Route before turning off and heading into the well, the birding was disappointing again despite the area having have lush green grass and half dry Mulga/Acacia woodland, there were a few interesting insects around which will be loaded up on inaturalist at some stage.

28/6 323km
There weren’t a whole heap of birds braving the 2C temperature in the morning, but we had put on extra blankets so were warm enough over night. We drove back into Wiluna to order our uniforms for our up-coming stay in Cape Leeuwin NP and we drove east along the Gunbarrel Hwy and I accidentaly turned up the Jundee Rd, it was a long way up before I realized my mistake so we thought we’d try and get through to Millrose but we couldn’t get through the mine so we had to backtrack. We did a survey at Jundee Rd 1 where there were two Little Crows harrassing two Wedge-tailed Eagles. Back on the Gunbarrel Hwy we turned east again and did a survey at 21 Mile Well Wongabool Rd where I got some Slaty-backed Thornbills, I tried to get a shot of one but it was out of focus in amongst the twigs, not much further on this time headed up the right road through Lake Violet to Boas Bore Millrose Station which only had Singing Honeyeater in habitat that looked okay except for a lot of dead spinifex, which may mean it’s poorer than it looks. At Camel Well Lorna creek cp I got a few ordinary species and was waiting for Bev in the car. When she arrived she had the camera out to show me a photo of a Hooded Robin that she’d found and I heard a funny beeping sound, I asked her if it was the camera she said no it was a bird, well I was out of the car like a shot to track down this bird that I didn’t know the call of. It turned out to be a Pied Honeyeater, it was madly flying from tree to tree displaying and calling, it eventually flew off. Up the road we stopped at Earaheedy Cp 1 and low and behold there were more Pied Honeyeaters, this time one sat still long enough for me to get a shot of it. We camped at Sydney Heads picnic area, yes that’s right we’ve transported across the continent, but there are no ships here just more Pied Honeyeaters.

29/6 182km
After another cold clear night I added a few more birds like Western Bowerbird and we headed off NE into a stiffening wind. We found some Bustards at Sydney Heads Rd 1, and I found another Pied Honeyeater in the sandune, along with some White-fronted Honeyeaters. We turned SW at Glenayle Station 1 where we found a Black-breasted Buzzard. Further down the Carnegie Rd we had a look at Kaljahr Pinnacle which is the highest point around. After a bit of a scramble to the top I disturbed a Peregrine Falcon. As the wind howled around me I took a 360 degree video then scrambled back down. We finished the road and had lunch at Earanbiddie Pool. There was a small pool at the base of my site but there should have been a larger pool a few hundred metres to the NE, but I couldn’t find it. There were lots of honeyeaters here. We then headed west down the Gunbarrel Hwy to camp at Mingol Camp where there was a large pool with attendant White-plumed Honeyeaters and Galahs, here we wiled the afternoon away by the banks of the pool. Late in the afternoon I went for a stroll and found a Black-brested Buzzard perch on top of a tree, with a bit of careful manoevering I managed to get a few shots, but despite trying not to get too close to it, it eventually got jack of me and flew off. Afeter it got dark I walked the bank of the pool for about 1km but heard no frogs.

30/6 324km
The morning walk didn’t reap anytting interesting and we were soon heading west to Wannabooline Ck which had different ducks to our campsite but otherwise was the same birds in the same habitat. So next stop was at Gordons Tk where out in the open the cold easterly and 12C kept Bev in the car whilst I did my search that netted a pair of Singing Honeyeaters. Onwards to Wongawol Rd west of Yemla that had different habitat but only had a few honeyeaters. We had lunch at 14 Mile Well where I got Hooded Robins in the cattle damaged shrublands. I had just made my sandwich when there was a rumble down the road. It was the only vehicle we’d seen for days and it was a road train cattle truck billowing dust, you can see what happened next can’t you. My sangas had a bit extra roughage in them. Of course he didn’t slow down at all. We then completed the loop arriving back at 21 Mile Well that we’d done a few days ago and got another Pied Honeyeater that wasn’t here then. The roads we’ve been travelling on these last few days have had little in the way of surprises in them with it generally being an easy drive at 65-75kph, this allows me to pick the best line with ease and has resulted in no damage to the tyres. We did a bit of internet work in Wiluna then headed south along Goldfields Hwy and camped at Scotty Well Lake Way Rd

1/7 295km
There was a good patch of habitat to the south that I spent the time soon after dawn at, but the birds were too active to get a shot of. We had a visit from the farmer who when they found that we were birdos were okay with us being here, what they’re having problems with are the prospectors, so many people out there doing the wrong thing on land that isn’t theirs, it ruins it for those who leave only a few footprints and tyre tracks. The birding gods were not kind to me today. Yeelirrie Rd Mt Ryan had three species, Lake Miranda powerline only had a pair of White-winged Fairywrens, Goldfields Hwy south of Leinster only had crows. Goldfields Hwy Teutonic was better with Chestnut-rumped Thornbills building a nest, but I couldn’t get a good shot in. Track at park bay 30km north of Leonora had no birds in what looked like reasonable habibat along a small creek, but we did se some cattle so perhaps it not as good as it looks. We camped at Malcolm Dam, we were last here in 2014 when there was a lot of water and lots of people, now there’s not much water and no people. I’ve seen a few camp birds in my travels, they’re tame because people are feeding them. Here there is the Magpie-lark which isn’t unusual, what is unusual is to have a Brown Falcon as camp bird. he let me get so close that I could nearly touch him, and when we started to get food out he was on the ground almost at our feet. The Magpie-larks didn’t like him and eventually he got chased away, without being fed of course. Please don’t feed our wildlife it causes all sorts of problems.

2/7 79km
Another close to freezing night with a bright sunny morning, it’s been the same for days now. I added Banded Lapwing on my morning walk and we headed off at 8.30, and east to the Kookynie Rd and stopped at Raeside Lake for not much, the lake had a few pools near the road. The creek at Britannia well was dry, I found a group of Mulga Parrots I had aleady just missed a shot by moments as they moved trees and had skillfuly edged my way around them in the second tree to get a shot, I had to switch the camera to manual once I got the best angle and was about to take the shot when a truck roared along the road and the birds took off, and that was that. Kookynie cemetery was better than the last time I surveyed here but not by much. Cemeteries are such depressing places to vistit with their endless ways to die written in stone along with the palpable loss of their loved ones. We were soon at Niagara dam which was looking much better than last time though much less water, we set up camp had lunch and went for strolls along the short walks and sat in the sunny lee of the car sheltering from the still cold wind. On one of my walks I came across a tame group of Mulga Parrots so I got my shot in the end.The Crested Pigeons wandered around my feet and the Pied Butcherbird sat expectantly on the trailer, they all left disappointed.

3/7 145km
I added no species on my morning round and we left later than usual at 9.25 and headed back to the Goldfields Hwy and south to Granny Mine Rd Menzies for only a few species. Lake Goongarrie was dry as usual and the surrounding dunes were almost devoid of birds as usual. We camped at Siberia south near the dam, where after lunch I spent most of my time with only Zebra Finches actually coming in to drink. There has been a change in the species found here as we enter the great western woodlands. Birds like Australian Raven and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater are now on the list.

4/7 94km
It turns out that Siberia is not a misnomer for this place as it was -5C this morning as the sun rose with frost on the car and in my toes. I thought that the Mulga Parrot might have been out of range here but I found some feeding out in the open so reeled off a few shots. We then headed to Harry Seaton bridge Ora Blanca Rd Broad Arrow for mainly honeyeaters in the trees. It was then into Kalgoorlie where we filled up the car at the Deisel only card only Puma in the back streets, saving 10cpl from the main street. We then relaxed the day away at the Goldminer caravan park.

5/7 207km
We had a very lazy start this morning, so it was 9.30 before we had packed up and headed back into town to do the shopping for the next week or so, we then headed east to Lake Douglas which was quite low and looking over used, there were a few ducks in the water and a few bush birds in the the surrounds, then down to my old site at The Gorge Coolgardie which was dry so not much activity, we got some Grey Currawongs but they wouldn’t let me near them. Onwards east to an old old site at dry lake 47km west of Coolgardie where in good looking country we struggled to find much, I eventually found some Weebils, but they refused to sit for me, I still hadn’t got a photo of anything interesting. At Boondi Rock camp I got a few birds around the dam, but again no shots. My last chance was at our overnight stop at Karalee Rocks camp, which again had a dam, it was in the dying light that a Magpie sat up in a tree with some interesting light on it, beggars can’t be choosers so they say.

6/7 220km
My morning walk took me onto Karalee Rock which although not high is wide with lots of little micro-habitats. The walk took a fair amount of time so we were late leaving. We headed on west to powerline Emu Fence Rd Ghooli which had a Redthroat. This was our turning south leg. Next stop was dam Grace Rd Tamarin which had nice forest with Elegant Parrot in it to the south and a farm dam in the cleared land with lots of Wood Ducks. We then did some resurveys of old sites at Mt Hampton NR which was full of Galahs and Ringnecks again because of the farmland to the north of the woodland. Holleton 1 was disappointing in good woodland, but it looks like a storm has knocked down all the old dead trees. At Holleton 2 I got lucky. The site is based around a bog hole where I originally found Elegant Parrot drinking, there is an escape track that I hadn’t seen as we ploughed through the bog successfully. I walked back along the escape track and dislodged a Mallee Fowl which if we’d driven down I might have missed or it might have flushed further, but instead it slowly wandered off into the bush, still too fast for me to get my camera out…rats! I slowly made my way down a track near where the bird had headed and spotted it stationary in the scrub within shooting distance, thankfully the camera is easy to get into manual focus as my old camera wouldn’t have focused on the bird amid the twigs. It’s not the prettiest shot of a Mallee Fowl you’ll ever see but it’s the only one I’ve got so far. We wound down along the dirt roads to Woolocutty Soak NR to camp in a small pull-over by the road. I tried to find a track into the scrub but there isn’t one. There are a few shrubs in flower, not a great splash of colour everywhere but pretty nontheless.

7/7 198km
The birds were extremely shy this morning, I hardly saw a thing. It was 9.50 when we set off south through Hyden and down to Buckleys Breakaway which was brimming with birds where we were, finding Sitellas, as well as Tawny-crowned, White-fronted, Brown-headed and lots of Brown Honeyeaters. Further south we stopped at Burngup North lake which I spotted some stilts at, but when I stopped I couldn’t find them. What I did find was Elegant Parrot, this time they allowed me to approach close enough to get a reasonable shot. Heathland NR Pelham Rd was lunch with not much activity as usual. We camped at Lake Altham rest area where all the lakes had water with thousands of Grey Teal and a few Australian Shelducks. There weren’t a lot of bush birds though. We sat in the cool cloudy conditions throughout the afternoon, not adding much at all. After dark I did the rounds of the lakes listening for frogs but heard nothing.

8/7 187km

I found a feeding group of small passerines this morning which bolstered the count of bush birds. We had seen a few groups of Regent Parrots on the road as we headed south so at Rabbit Proof fence Rd we stopped and only found one. Louis Lookout Borden was cold and windy versus the last time we were here when it was hot and windy. In the field there was a covey of Stubble Quail calling. We had lunch at Stirling Range Knoll Rd , then to Formby Rd Stirling Ranges which had Tawny-crowned Honeyeater in the heathlands. Red Gum Springs had 3 Fan-tailed Cuckoos and we stopped just outside the south end of the park at Red Gum Rd Stirling Ranges, I managed to get a few shots of birds in the cool cloudy conditions as they fed in small groups. As it got dark I went down to the dam a short distance away but again I found no frogs.

9/7 160km

There was a lot of wind overnight with a few spots of rain. Late in the night I woke up and heard a sound I didn’t recognize. My phone had died so I couldn’t get a recording of it but Bev did. In the morning we checked it and it turned out to be a Turtle Frog, so I recorded it off Bev’s phone and sent it to FrogID. We drove in to Mount Barker and got some fuel at 235.9cpl the cheapest in the area. It was then over to Blue Lake Mt Roe NP. The track in wasn’t too rough and I didn’t need 4wd. There was shallow water in the lake with a few frogs calling, but the birdlife in the cold blustery conditions wasn’t all that good. It was then north to Lake Nunijup for lunch by the lake. There was a good population of Blue-billed Ducks here. Not far west is Poorrarecup Lagoon where we camped, unfortunately not long after we arrived the rain arrived so we spent the afternoon huddled in the car. Just before it got dark the clouds cleared so I went for a walk and got lots of Turtle Frogs calling in the well vegetated dune behind the lake, there were also a few shots taken of rain soaked plants.

10/7 114km

As the night wore on the Turtle Frogs continued their hoarse groawp call, out in the lake some Musk Ducks started an unlikely duet with their high wheep call, accompanying them was a gentle breeze whispering through the trees, and then, and then, and then wait for it, dramatic drum roll, Bev started snoring and ruined the atmosphere… grumph. After an uneventful morning walk we headed west along the bitumen to Lake Unicup where I got more frogs than birds. We took the road down the west side of Lake Muir and did a survey at Thomson Rd Lake Muir in the middle of a bit of rain which the birds were active through. I tried to head west along Fork Rd but was thwarted by track restrictions ostensibly for disease reasons, but they are logging here so it seems to be a furphy to me. We found Bevan Rd which looked promising and headed west again, camping at Bevan Rd creek with deserted bush tracks in the deep forest, lovely place. There were a few ponds that had a few frogs calling so they got recorded.

11/7 75km

The Quacking frogs that I recorded last night were all quacked out by the morning and the ponds were silent. Bev had found a few orchids in flower so she showed them to me to get some photos. We found our way to Deeside Coast Rd on the big trees loop and stopped at Snake Gully Lookout and not far south at Big Tree Grove, the trees are indeed spectacular, but if you looked down the ground cover was equaly fascinating. We retraced our steps to the Middleton Rd and continued west stopping at Daubney Rd Jane NP. A brief foray to just north of Northcliffe to pick up a good phone signal to get my finances in order, then north to Moon Crossing Warren River, where I made a mistake which might have been costly. I had thought that the campsite was down by the river at the ford, some people had camped on the rocks but Bev didn’t want to, the rocks were the only way to get the trailer turned around so I drove onto them to get enough room to manoever, but what looked like a small pool was actually deep and the rear end hit the rock with an almighty bang which panicked Bev, she exited the car. I couldn’t go back so got the trailer through the rock hole but now I had little room to get the trailer into a position where I could reverse through a shallow part of the pool. with about a 20point turn I managed it and got back onto the track with only damage to the tow ball thread where it had hit the rock. We camped in the small campsite designed for tents, which the car just fitted on to and we relaxed the afternoon away by the marvelous stream. The birding is very slow in these dense forests of Karri and Jarrah, but it’s nice being in such magnificent forests.

12/7 110km

In the morning we drove in to Manjimup and topped up one tank at 229.5cpl did more internet stuff then west along Graphite Rd to Greens Island camp which is a pleasant spot but at $11 per person to camp rather expensive. We had lunch here and moved on along Donnelly Rd to Donelly River township a quaint old logging community that has tame Emus walking down the road, north to Stallard Rd and into Willow Springs camp which is in old pines with several horse and walking tracks converging here. Again the birding was ordinary and the frogging more interesting where I found three sites that warranted a visit after dark. The old firefighting dam was chockers full of Ticking Frogs.

13/7 167km

We continued west along Gold Gully Rd after another cold night, through Nannup and along the Vasse Hwy to Cambray Sheep Cheese farm where we bought some expensive but tasty cheese, and just around the corner did a survey at Dellerton beside the pine forest. The trees had been harvested and new ones planted, a mass of smaller plants were taking advantage of new light and some birds like Inland Thornbills were moving through the low cover feeding. From there we drove into Busselton and deposited the trailer in the RAC camp, had lunch and drove out to Cape Naturaliste. I chose Bunker Bay as my site and got Southern Emuwren and some Purple Rock Crabs along with a King’s Skink, the first reptile for weeks. We noted on a map a locality called the Other Side of the Moon, we couldn’t resist it and found our way along the dirt road to a site by the coast with crashing waves and heathland with more Southern Emuwrens and a White-cheeked Honeyeater amongst the New Holland Honeyeaters. We bought some fish and chips at Leeuwin Way Fish and Chips, we had the fishermans basket for two which filled us up with good fish and chips as we watched the sun go down at the Abbey Rd boatramp car park, then back to the camp.

14/7

A rest day, at the RAC camp

15/7 73km

We were breakfasted showered and packed up by 9.30 and heading south through Margaret River to my spot at the Margaret River estuary where we redid an old survey site in between bands of showers, then had lunch and continued down to Conto’s Field Campground where we will be camp hosts until August 18th.

Photos from Conto’s Field campground

Photos from Hamelin Bay

18/8 177km

First job ater breakfast was to get the car packed which took until 10am, I then went and checked all the toilets and kitchens in Conto campground where we’ve been hosts for 5 weeks, it took me an hour whilst Bev did the last of the cleaning of the house that we moved into about half way through our stay to escape from 4 days of 100+kph winds and we were were then allowed to stay for the duration. It was about 11.30 when we dropped off the rubbish in the rubbish skips and headed into Margaret River. Bev did the shopping then I went and got my fourth COVID jab to become fully immunised, which we have to be for our upcoming stay at Mount Gibson. We did the washing in the laundrette at the top of the hill, much cheaper than the other one, so it was 14.00 when we left town and headed north to Bussellton to pick up fuel. Unleaded has dropped in price to be 20cpl cheaper than deisel, but we topped the tank up and went to Leuser Reserve Wonnerup where there were 2 early Common Sandpipers. We then made what I thought was a bad decision and headed to Wellington NP. The camp that I wanted to stay in, Honeymoon Pool didn’t allow trailers so we booked into Potters Gorge and headed to the park. It was only when we got to the corner of Wellington Rd and Ferguson Rd that there was notification that the bridge across the dam was closed. It was a long way round to get to our camp off the Coalfields Rd so I made a rash decision to drive the 3.5km down the one way road the wrong way, my thinking was that it was nearly dark, so the chances of someone coming up the narrow road the wrong way were minimal. It was a relief to get to the end of the one way section without seeing anyone, so we made it to Potters Gorge in time to find some Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and a row of 8 Laughing Kookaburras lined up like woodswallows against the cold on a branch.

19/8 101km

There was mist on the dam and drizzle in the air when we got up, they both soon cleared up to a pleasant day as far as the weather goes, but this was to be no ordinary day. We headed north to the Coalfields Rd and into Collie and got a bit lost in the back streets but eventually found the road down to Miningup Pool on the Collie River, for a handful of ordinary birds, still an ordinary day. Next was east to Stockton Lake where I got a Red-eared Finch which refused to have its photo taken, still nothing unusual. Next was further east to Bennelaking where the small creek was flowing and there were some Bleating Frogs calling, there were a few flowers out, but not much, again a handful of birds, it was then that our fortunes changed. There is a small track that leads south from the road and we thought it would be nice to camp here, Bev walked it and said it was okay, I checked it out also and thought it looked okay. I was wrong. I got about 50m down the track and turned off it to camp and immediately sank into sandy mud. I put it in 4wd but to no avail. So it was out with the winch for the first time on this car, thankfully it worked, but all it did was drag the car through the mud. I then made another mistake in not taking the trailer off which Bev had suggested. We inched the car forwards dragging it through the mire and building up walls of mud under the car. We struggled on for 3 hours until I thought we ain’t getting out this way, so we de-hitched the trailer and the car soon was free, I then dragged the trailer around in the mire and got it free with a few yanks of a snatchum strap, turned the car around and hitched the trailer back up, and got stuck again on the way out, but after three more easy winchings we were on hard track, it had taken us 4hrs to get out. It’s by far the worst I’ve ever got stuck, we were exhausted having not stopped for lunch or even for a drink of water. We took off and stopped at Varis Rd Bowelling by a small stream with lots of Bleating Frogs and also Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. Bev cooked a quick dinner and it wasn’t long before I went to bed.

20/8 156km

Not long after I went to bed the Western Banjo Frog started calling so Bev went down to record them but they went silent on her. We also had Tawny Frogmouth and either a duet or a duel of two Boobook Owls. I didn’t sleep well after 2am with some dreams of wheels falling off the trailer and reversing down a driveway and hitting another car. One of my waking moments was at 4am when the cacophony of Bleating Frogs had quieted down enough to hear some Banjo frogs further away that I was able to record from the camper. We spent about 2hrs cleaning the mud from the wheels using the water from the small stream before we took off. We wound our way through the forest to the Williams Collie Rd and up to Williams River Boraning where there was a good population of small passerines along the well vegetated stream that runs along Culbin Rd. It was then into Narrogin for some human tolerant species and we camped at Congelin dam camp in Dryandra NP for a late lunch, then I went for a wander up to the dam and surrounds, finding a few orchids and other flowers along with a Shingleback. Bev had also found a few orchids and Shinglebacks on her walk, as the sun went down we had dinner then I went up to the dam to see if there were any frogs to record, and bed. It was a relief to have no disasters today, so my dreams weren’t prophetic, just subconscious fears.

21/8 140km

Added quite a few birds on my morning walk to end with 37sp, and headed off at 9.25 to trawl the Tomingly road for Numbats. We stopped for Bev to get a shot of a flower that had caught her eye, and she disturbed what may have been a Numbat, but wasn’t sure, and we couldn’t find it again. We had given up dejectedly and were heading out when we came upon someone who was staking out a Numbat, they didn’t want us near, so Bev stayed at the car and I did a bird survey at Tomingley Rd Dryndra, there wasn’t much around, I saw a few scratchings and poke holes from Echidnas, but no Numbats. I eventually found an Echidna, and then I saw the car of the other people move off so I went back to our car, within a short while the Numbat appeared at the entrance to its hole and I inched forward to within a few metres of it slowly getting better photos until I was happy with what I’d got, I thanked mister Numbat and off we went, two happy little campers. We stopped at Boddington Cemetery where Dilian’s grave is nearby, he was an Aboriginal tracker of some repute in colonial days. It was then in to Hoffman’s Mill to camp, there was a noisy flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos roosting. After dark I recorded Ticking, Rattling and Quacking frogs by the stream, it was then bed.

22/8 312km

Up early and completed the survey, then headed west to the Western Hwy then north to Coolup which was busy with a black-shouldered Kite, which we don’t often see so I was happy to record one on a survey. We then went to the Peel Caravan park to have a shower and do the washing, I got a new pair of boots at K Mart for $60. If they’re half as good as my Red-back boots that are old and worn out after several years of wearing every day, I’ll be happy. We then went to meet one of the house sitting people in Mandunrah and spent some time with them. We had lunch at my site at Len Howard Reserve. From there it was up to Baldivis, I dropped Bev off to do the shopping and I went to the nearby Tamworth Hill Swamp Reserve which was teeming with Rattling Frogs calling in the middle of the day, the birds were pretty ordinary. I went to my doctor to get some new anti cholesterol drugs as I had a mild reaction to the original ones, had a blood test taken then picked up Bev. We drove to Thornlie where we had Burger King for dinner, something we rarely do, we had the vegan burger meal which was not too bad for $12.20ea. We then met with another prospective house sit lady and spent some time with her. We then drove up through Bindoon to Munyerring Spring Rd Julimar SF to arive at 22.00. The creek was flooded above the causway with a few Squelching Frogs calling, we were soon asleep.

23/8 264km

The flowers were more exciting than the birds with both of us finding orchids in flower. We left at 9.10 and went back to the Great Northern Hwy stopping at Udumung Nature Reserve where there was some nice flowering happening, but it was cold and windy so few birds were evident, a lone Quacking Frog wasn’t calling often enough to be recorded. It was then east along the Calingiri Rd to Lake Ninan which was full of water but only a pair of Silver Gulls and a few Grey Teal using it, with a few honeyeaters in the woodland. Lunch was taken at Reynoldson Flora reserve, the verticordia were not flowering but there were some other flowers out, the Prickly Grevilea with its toothbrush-like flower was in bloom. Further west we surveyed dam west of Koorda where I think a pair of Nankeen Kestrels were nesting but the bird in the nest was so hunkered down against the wind that I couldn’t see it. It was then north to Lake De Courcy, I had intended to camp on the south side, but I nearly got bogged, so we went along a small track on the east side and camped in the trees. We finally managed to get the last of the washing from yesterday dry in the stiff breeze, and I found a lone Ground Cuckoo-shrike scooting north and south. There were several species of paper daisies in bloom, but the light was poor so the shots not that spectacular. It was soon dinner and bed time.

24/8 156km

We had a family of Barn Owls calling for much of the night with the young ones begging for food, we went around the top of the lake to take a look at Struggle St Xantippe, it was then up the rabbit Proof Fence Rd to Jibberding Rocks for a bunch of ordinary birds, then along the highway to Mt Gibson Rd 1 for lunch and then into Mt Gibson Reserve where we’ll be for a week helping to take down old fences inside the reserve.

Photos from Mt Gibson reserve

Surveys done on the reserve during our time here are at Mushroom Rocks, Mt Gibson Rd small lakes, Mt Gibson office and dam, Mt Gibson enclosure dam, Quartz Ridge

2/9 191km

We’ve spent the last week or so at AWC’s Mt Gibson property tearing down old Emu pen fencing from when it was an Emu farm. We joined Mark , Caro and Graeme to de-fence about 7km of fencing making it much safer in case of bushfires. We headed off at 9.30 and surveyed Mt Gibson Rd small lakes, exited the sanctuary and did Mt Gibson Rd 1, then a short dogleg north to get onto the Perenjori Rd and east to have lunch at Perenjori Rd park bay where our peace and quiet was shattered by a gang of very noisy bikers roaring through, some stopped in the park bay to continue their obscenities. We wound through the dirt roads to Caron dam, Bev didn’t want to camp here so we headed on south stopping at Coorow Rd Maya, adding several species to the site list, and on to Buntine Rocks to camp. All through this area there were bountiful flowers, including on the rock where we both found Donkey and Cowslip Orchids along with other flowers.

3/9 307km

The forecast rain arrived during the night, and it was still raining when we got up, had a hurried breakfast, packed up and headed south. There is no point surveying in the rain so we didn’t stop until Bindoon where we had morning tea at the Bakehaus of half a cream doughnut and vanilla slice each. They were very nice but twice the price they should be just because it has a good name, I really don’t like profiteering, so we won’t be going back there. We got to my friend’s place in Perth where we’ll spend a week then we have a series of house sits stretching into next year.

More photos from Herdsman Lake

Photos from Tom Bateman Wetland

Photos from Ridges camp Gnangara-Moore River SF

photos of Damselflies from around Baldivis

Photos from Baldivis Ponds

Photos from Tathra NP

photos from Two Rocks beach

Bird list for the trip. % is of the 418 surveys done. B is for breeding.

• Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae 2 (0.48%)
• Magpie Goose Anseranas semipalmata 4 (0.96%)
• Plumed Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna eytoni 7 (1.67%)
• Wandering Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna arcuata 5 (1.20%)
• Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis 2 (0.48%)
• Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus 3 (0.72%)
• Black Swan Cygnus atratus 14 (3.35%) (B)
• Radjah Shelduck Radjah radjah 1 (0.24%)
• Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides 16 (3.83%)
• Hardhead Aythya australis 6 (1.44%)
• Australasian Shoveler Spatula rhynchotis 3 (0.72%)
• Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa 35 (8.37%)
• Northern Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 1 (0.24%)
• Grey Teal Anas gracilis 32 (7.66%)
• Chestnut Teal Anas castanea 1 (0.24%)
• Musk Duck Biziura lobata 14 (3.35%)
• Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata 21 (5.02%)
• Green Pygmy-goose Nettapus pulchellus 1 (0.24%)
• Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata 2 (0.48%)
• Stubble Quail Coturnix pectoralis 3 (0.72%)
• Brown Quail Synoicus ypsilophora 12 (2.87%)
• Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae 16 (3.83%) (B)
• Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus 6 (1.44%)
• Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus 3 (0.72%) (B)
• Rock Dove Columba livia 4 (0.96%)
• Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis 4 (0.96%)
• Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis 12 (2.87%)
• White-quilled Rock-Pigeon Petrophassa albipennis 5 (1.20%) (B)
• Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera 13 (3.11%)
• Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera 23 (5.50%)
• Brush Bronzewing Phaps elegans 4 (0.96%)
• Flock Bronzewing Phaps histrionica 1 (0.24%)
• Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes 71 (16.99%)
• Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata 28 (6.70%)
• Peaceful Dove Geopelia placida 54 (12.92%)
• Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis 14 (3.35%)
• Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus 10 (2.39%)
• Eastern Koel Eudynamys orientalis 1 (0.24%)
• Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae 4 (0.96%)
• Horsfield’s Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites basalis 13 (3.11%)
• Black-eared Cuckoo Chalcites osculans 2 (0.48%)
• Shining Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites lucidus 3 (0.72%)
• Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis 14 (3.35%)
• Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus 2 (0.48%)
• Pallid Cuckoo Heteroscenes pallidus 9 (2.15%)
• Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis 9 (2.15%)
• Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides 8 (1.91%) (B)
• Spotted Nightjar Eurostopodus argus 5 (1.20%)
• Australian Owlet-nightjar Aegotheles cristatus 19 (4.55%)
• Buff-banded Rail Hypotaenidia philippensis 2 (0.48%)
• White-browed Crake Amaurornis cinerea 1 (0.24%)
• Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 12 (2.87%) (B)
• Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa 2 (0.48%) (B)
• Black-tailed Native-hen Tribonyx ventralis 2 (0.48%)
• Eurasian Coot Fulica atra 11 (2.63%)
• Brolga Antigone rubicunda 4 (0.96%)
• Bush Stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius 5 (1.20%)
• Beach Stone-curlew Esacus magnirostris 1 (0.24%)
• Australian Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris 12 (2.87%) (B)
• Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus 7 (1.67%)
• Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus 2 (0.48%)
• Black-winged Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus 13 (3.11%)
• Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 1 (0.24%)
• Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva 2 (0.48%)
• Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus 11 (2.63%) (B)
• Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus 10 (2.39%)
• Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 3 (0.72%)
• Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus 1 (0.24%)
• Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops 21 (5.02%)
• Banded Lapwing Vanellus tricolor 3 (0.72%)
• Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles 5 (1.20%)
• Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus 4 (0.96%)
• Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea 2 (0.48%)
• Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 9 (2.15%)
• Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis 2 (0.48%)
• Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 6 (1.44%)
• Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa 1 (0.24%)
• Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 3 (0.72%)
• Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 3 (0.72%)
• Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata 5 (1.20%)
• Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 1 (0.24%)
• Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis 4 (0.96%)
• Sanderling Calidris alba 2 (0.48%)
• Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 3 (0.72%)
• Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 9 (2.15%)
• Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes 13 (3.11%)
• Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 5 (1.20%)
• Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola 5 (1.20%)
• Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 1 (0.24%)
• Painted Button-quail Turnix varius 1 (0.24%)
• Little Button-quail Turnix velox 5 (1.20%)
• Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella 2 (0.48%)
• Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae 51 (12.20%)
• Pacific Gull Larus pacificus 7 (1.67%)
• Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus 1 (0.24%)
• Little Tern Sternula albifrons 4 (0.96%)
• Fairy Tern Sternula nereis 4 (0.96%) (B)
• Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica 1 (0.24%)
• Australian Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon macrotarsa 6 (1.44%)
• Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia 12 (2.87%) (B)
• Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 9 (2.15%)
• White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus 2 (0.48%)
• Common Tern Sterna hirundo 3 (0.72%)
• Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis 4 (0.96%)
• Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii 18 (4.31%)
• Short-tailed Shearwater Ardenna tenuirostris 1 (0.24%)
• Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus 2 (0.48%)
• Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus 15 (3.59%)
• Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis 1 (0.24%)
• Nankeen Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus 8 (1.91%)
• Striated Heron Butorides striata 6 (1.44%)
• Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 2 (0.48%)
• White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica 5 (1.20%)
• Great Egret Ardea alba 21 (5.02%)
• Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia 4 (0.96%)
• Pied Heron Egretta picata 1 (0.24%)
• White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae 29 (6.94%)
• Little Egret Egretta garzetta 6 (1.44%)
• Eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra 13 (3.11%)
• Australian White Ibis Threskiornis moluccus 22 (5.26%)
• Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis 17 (4.07%)
• Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes 6 (1.44%)
• Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia 4 (0.96%)
• Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 5 (1.20%)
• Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel 1 (0.24%)
• Australasian Gannet Morus serrator 4 (0.96%)
• Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos 29 (6.94%)
• Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo 5 (1.20%)
• Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris 17 (4.07%)
• Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius 7 (1.67%)
• Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae 21 (5.02%)
• Osprey Pandion haliaetus 10 (2.39%)
• Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris 2 (0.48%)
• Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon 2 (0.48%)
• Square-tailed Kite Lophoictinia isura 1 (0.24%)
• Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax 11 (2.63%)
• Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides 3 (0.72%)
• Swamp Harrier Circus approximans 6 (1.44%) (B)
• Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis 3 (0.72%)
• Grey Goshawk Accipiter novaehollandiae 2 (0.48%)
• Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus 11 (2.63%) (B)
• Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus 9 (2.15%) (B)
• White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster 5 (1.20%) (B)
• Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus 43 (10.29%) (B)
• Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus 7 (1.67%)
• Black Kite Milvus migrans 12 (2.87%)
• Masked Owl Tyto novaehollandiae 1 (0.24%)
• Barn Owl Tyto alba 5 (1.20%) (B)
• Barking Owl Ninox connivens 3 (0.72%)
• Southern Boobook Ninox boobook 13 (3.11%)
• Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus 51 (12.20%) (B)
• Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis 17 (4.07%)
• Azure Kingfisher Ceyx azureus 1 (0.24%)
• Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus 44 (10.53%)
• Red-backed Kingfisher Todiramphus pyrrhopygius 5 (1.20%)
• Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae 34 (8.13%)
• Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachii 23 (5.50%)
• Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides 30 (7.18%)
• Australian Hobby Falco longipennis 10 (2.39%)
• Brown Falcon Falco berigora 13 (3.11%)
• Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus 1 (0.24%)
• Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus 13 (3.11%)
• Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus banksii 27 (6.46%)
• Baudin’s Black-Cockatoo Zanda baudinii 3 (0.72%) (B)
• Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo Zanda latirostris 7 (1.67%)
• Galah Eolophus roseicapilla 63 (15.07%) (B)
• Long-billed Corella Cacatua tenuirostris 3 (0.72%)
• Western Corella Cacatua pastinator 1 (0.24%)
• Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea 45 (10.77%)
• Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita 2 (0.48%)
• Regent Parrot Polytelis anthopeplus 11 (2.63%)
• Red-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus 8 (1.91%)
• Mulga Parrot Psephotellus varius 8 (1.91%)
• Red-capped Parrot Purpureicephalus spurius 9 (2.15%)
• Western Rosella Platycercus icterotis 18 (4.31%)
• Australian Ringneck Barnardius zonarius 113 (27.03%)
• Bourke’s Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii 2 (0.48%) (B)
• Elegant Parrot Neophema elegans 9 (2.15%)
• Purple-crowned Lorikeet Glossopsitta porphyrocephala 9 (2.15%) (B)
• Varied Lorikeet Psitteuteles versicolor 1 (0.24%)
• Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus moluccanus 14 (3.35%)
• Red-collared Lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis 17 (4.07%)
• Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus 15 (3.59%)
• Western Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus guttatus 3 (0.72%)
• Great Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus nuchalis 27 (6.46%)
• White-browed Treecreeper Climacteris affinis 1 (0.24%)
• Rufous Treecreeper Climacteris rufus 13 (3.11%)
• Black-tailed Treecreeper Climacteris melanurus 1 (0.24%)
• Red-winged Fairy-wren Malurus elegans 16 (3.83%)
• Blue-breasted Fairy-wren Malurus pulcherrimus 3 (0.72%)
• Variegated Fairy-wren Malurus lamberti 19 (4.55%)
• Splendid Fairy-wren Malurus splendens 57 (13.64%)
• Red-backed Fairy-wren Malurus melanocephalus 13 (3.11%)
• White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus leucopterus 21 (5.02%)
• Southern Emu-wren Stipiturus malachurus 6 (1.44%)
• Rufous-crowned Emu-wren Stipiturus ruficeps 1 (0.24%)
• Western Grasswren Amytornis textilis 1 (0.24%)
• Black Honeyeater Sugomel niger 1 (0.24%)
• Red-headed Honeyeater Myzomela erythrocephala 1 (0.24%)
• Silver-crowned Friarbird Philemon argenticeps 7 (1.67%)
• Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis 35 (8.37%)
• Banded Honeyeater Cissomela pectoralis 5 (1.20%)
• Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta 90 (21.53%) (B)
• New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae 48 (11.48%)
• White-cheeked Honeyeater Phylidonyris niger 4 (0.96%)
• White-eared Honeyeater Nesoptilotis leucotis 6 (1.44%)
• Blue-faced Honeyeater Entomyzon cyanotis 6 (1.44%)
• Black-chinned Honeyeater Melithreptus gularis 2 (0.48%)
• Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris 6 (1.44%)
• White-throated Honeyeater Melithreptus albogularis 15 (3.59%)
• White-naped Honeyeater Melithreptus lunatus 22 (5.26%)
• Tawny-crowned Honeyeater Glyciphila melanops 2 (0.48%)
• Western Spinebill Acanthorhynchus superciliosus 5 (1.20%)
• Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus 11 (2.63%) (B)
• Rufous-throated Honeyeater Conopophila rufogularis 19 (4.55%)
• Bar-breasted Honeyeater Ramsayornis fasciatus 1 (0.24%)
• Crimson Chat Epthianura tricolor 5 (1.20%)
• Orange Chat Epthianura aurifrons 3 (0.72%)
• Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea 1 (0.24%)
• White-fronted Chat Epthianura albifrons 1 (0.24%)
• White-gaped Honeyeater Stomiopera unicolor 13 (3.11%) (B)
• Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis 54 (12.92%)
• Western Wattlebird Anthochaera lunulata 1 (0.24%)
• Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata 72 (17.22%)
• Singing Honeyeater Gavicalis virescens 138 (33.01%)
• Grey-headed Honeyeater Ptilotula keartlandi 10 (2.39%)
• Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Ptilotula ornata 22 (5.26%) (B)
• Grey-fronted Honeyeater Ptilotula plumula 4 (0.96%)
• Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Ptilotula flavescens 18 (4.31%)
• White-plumed Honeyeater Ptilotula penicillata 31 (7.42%)
• White-fronted Honeyeater Purnella albifrons 25 (5.98%)
• Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula 61 (14.59%) (B)
• Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus 8 (1.91%)
• Red-browed Pardalote Pardalotus rubricatus 11 (2.63%)
• Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus 56 (13.40%)
• White-throated Gerygone Gerygone olivacea 3 (0.72%)
• Dusky Gerygone Gerygone tenebrosa 1 (0.24%)
• Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster 3 (0.72%)
• Western Gerygone Gerygone fusca 32 (7.66%)
• Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris 81 (19.38%) (B)
• Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus 22 (5.26%)
• Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris 6 (1.44%)
• White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis 51 (12.20%)
• Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis 12 (2.87%)
• Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa 27 (6.46%) (B)
• Inland Thornbill Acanthiza apicalis 64 (15.31%)
• Slaty-backed Thornbill Acanthiza robustirostris 2 (0.48%)
• Slender-billed Thornbill Acanthiza iredalei 1 (0.24%)
• Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis 27 (6.46%) (B)
• Western Thornbill Acanthiza inornata 8 (1.91%)
• Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis 25 (5.98%)
• White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus 20 (4.78%)
• Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera 9 (2.15%)
• Ground Cuckoo-shrike Coracina maxima 2 (0.48%)
• Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae 53 (12.68%)
• White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina papuensis 10 (2.39%)
• White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor 22 (5.26%) (B)
• Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris 67 (16.03%) (B)
• White-breasted Whistler Pachycephala lanioides 2 (0.48%)
• Golden Whistler Pachycephala pectoralis 35 (8.37%)
• Mangrove Golden Whistler Pachycephala melanura 3 (0.72%)
• Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica 66 (15.79%) (B)
• Sandstone Shrike-thrush Colluricincla woodwardi 2 (0.48%)
• Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis 36 (8.61%)
• Chiming Wedgebill Psophodes occidentalis 17 (4.07%)
• Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus 9 (2.15%)
• Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor 22 (5.26%)
• Australian Magpie Gymnorhina tibicen 86 (20.57%) (B)
• Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis 41 (9.81%)
• Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus 43 (10.29%)
• Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus 1 (0.24%)
• Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus 7 (1.67%)
• Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus 27 (6.46%)
• Little Woodswallow Artamus minor 7 (1.67%)
• White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus 11 (2.63%)
• Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris 5 (1.20%)
• Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys 109 (26.08%) (B)
• Rufous Fantail Rhipidura rufifrons 1 (0.24%)
• Mangrove Grey Fantail Rhipidura phasiana 3 (0.72%)
• Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa 71 (16.99%) (B)
• Torresian Crow Corvus orru 52 (12.44%) (B)
• Little Crow Corvus bennetti 12 (2.87%)
• Australian Raven Corvus coronoides 112 (26.79%)
• Leaden Flycatcher Myiagra rubecula 7 (1.67%)
• Broad-billed Flycatcher Myiagra ruficollis 1 (0.24%)
• Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta 30 (7.18%) (B)
• Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca 92 (22.01%)
• Scarlet Robin Petroica multicolor 17 (4.07%)
• Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii 42 (10.05%)
• Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Microeca flavigaster 1 (0.24%)
• Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans 7 (1.67%)
• Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia 2 (0.48%)
• Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis 5 (1.20%)
• White-breasted Robin Quoyornis georgianus 19 (4.55%)
• Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata 7 (1.67%)
• Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum 23 (5.50%)
• Yellow-rumped Mannikin Lonchura flaviprymna 1 (0.24%)
• Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax 1 (0.24%)
• Red-eared Firetail Stagonopleura oculata 4 (0.96%)
• Painted Finch Emblema pictum 1 (0.24%)
• Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton 6 (1.44%)
• Star Finch Neochmia ruficauda 4 (0.96%)
• Masked Finch Poephila personata 5 (1.20%)
• Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda 9 (2.15%)
• Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata 51 (12.20%) (B)
• Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii 16 (3.83%)
• Gouldian Finch Chloebia gouldiae 1 (0.24%)
• Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae 22 (5.26%)
• Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava 1 (0.24%)
• Horsfield’s Bushlark Mirafra javanica 6 (1.44%)
• Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis 1 (0.24%)
• Brown Songlark Cincloramphus cruralis 4 (0.96%)
• Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi 15 (3.59%) (B)
• Little Grassbird Poodytes gramineus 3 (0.72%)
• Spinifexbird Poodytes carteri 3 (0.72%)
• Australian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus australis 9 (2.15%)
• Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel 21 (5.02%) (B)
• Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans 36 (8.61%)
• Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena 57 (13.64%)
• Yellow White-eye Zosterops luteus 8 (1.91%)
• Silvereye Zosterops lateralis 59 (14.11%) (B)
• Greylag Goose Anser anser 1 (0.24%)
• Black Duck-Mallard hybrid 1 (0.24%)

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If you would like to contribute the the well being of this world, our world, your world, an easy and effective way to do it is to join a quality environmental group. There are many spread across the world all plugging away trying to make the world a better place for wildlife. We belong to Birdlife Australia, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). You can donate your time and or money to these and many others knowing that the world will be a slightly better place because of your effort.