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Bristol to Kagu ?
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<blockquote data-quote="Larry Sweetland" data-source="post: 1298958" data-attributes="member: 27337"><p><strong>Port Augusta, Flinders, and some jam</strong></p><p></p><p>Ah yes, how time flies.</p><p></p><p>After stocking up in Port Augusta we decided to return to the Hesso area railway crossing c50km north of town to spend the night, as it seemed good for birds. Next morning produced a couple of <strong>Pied Honeyeaters </strong>again, and this time we discovered a raised tank in the SW corner of the junction with the road to Yudnapina station, some 700m south of the railway crossing. </p><p></p><p>On climbing to the rim of the small tank a few birds took flight, 6 <strong>Grey Teal</strong>, and a couple each of <strong>Little Pied Cormorant </strong>and <strong>Black-fronted Dotterel</strong>. Not much else there except a couple of <strong>Australasian Grebes </strong>and a couple of larger ducks that quickly swam out of sight up a channel at the back. One was a <strong>Pink-eared Duck</strong>, and the other looked rather plain and uninteresting. I walked round the tank rim and discovered that the channel led through to a second smaller tank, which itself had a channel at the back leading into dense bushy banks. Unfortunately there was no sign of the <strong>Pink-eared Duck</strong> but I was quickly distracted by 2 <strong>Black-tailed Native Hens</strong> that took flight, so I ran after them to get views of one atop a bushy bank. Ace. On heading back to the second tank a little voice in my head was saying "er...hello?" what. "Er..haven't you forgotten something?" Ah yes. Of course. That other duck. Luckily for me it was plainly visible in the middle of the second tank and I looked at it properly for the first time. A <strong>FRECKLED DUCK</strong> in female type plumage! Not that I deserved it to still be there! I couldn't take my eyes off this rare nomad for ages, finding it's odd shape and subtle plumage quite beautiful. So the lid was finally back off the jam pot. On the way back to the van for breakfast a <strong>Cockatiel </strong>appeared to add to the fun.</p><p></p><p>We then moved on to the botanical gardens just north of Port Augusta, where the wind had picked up, but we still saw 3 or more <strong>Chirruping Wedgebills</strong>, some <strong>White-fronted Chats </strong>and a <strong>White-fronted Honeyeater.</strong></p><p></p><p>We made it as far as Warren Gorge in the Flinders ranges that night, clocking up <strong>Adelaide Rosella, Mallee Ringneck, Elegant Parrot, Grey Currawong, Red-capped Robin</strong> and <strong>Brown-headed Honeyeater</strong> on the way. Not a bad day really.</p><p></p><p>Spent a couple of days exploring the Flinders ranges as far north as Lyndhurst, but the heat, wind and flies were all unbearable. How can the flies swarm all over you in such strong wind? How can anyone live here? We haven't had any gen for South Australia (except the next to useless Bransbury) so we've been just pottering blind, and doubtless bypassing some crucial sites. We did run into <strong>Black-eared, Horsefield's Bronze</strong>, and <strong>Pallid Cuckoos</strong>, a singing male <strong>Redthroat</strong> at the creek just south of Simmonston ruin. <strong>Australian Raven </strong>appeared to be the common corvid in the Flinders, but we found our first<strong> Little Ravens</strong>, and a <strong>Little Crow </strong>too. A couple of <strong>Rufous Calamanthus </strong>and <strong>Chirruping Wedgebill </strong>were near the Lyndhurst end of our drive.</p><p></p><p>On our exit drive we made a few stops to randomly scan the flat open areas. This eventually produced an impressive flock of about 100 <strong>Crimson Chats </strong>, a few <strong>Banded Lapwings </strong>and <strong>White-fronted Chats</strong>, a <strong>Spotted Harrier</strong>,and a displaying <strong>Brown Songlark</strong>. It was on what was to be my last scan, c30 km north of Quorn, that a great big spoon slipped into the jam pot and plopped a flock of no less than 30 <strong>Inland Dotterel</strong> about 50m from the road on the east side! Incredible! These birds were rather approachable, and would just run away a short distance if you got too close. Seriously beautiful creatures too.</p><p></p><p>I like birding with no gen sometimes because it just blows you away what you see, rather than frustrates you with what you're missing!</p><p></p><p>So the Dotties were yesterday morning. The afternoon took us to Port Germain where we walked out on the pier to check the birds on the posts of the broken end. A couple of <strong>Pacific Gulls </strong>with their honking great bills were new for the trip, but for me even better was 6<strong> Black-faced Cormorants</strong> with the 80 or so <strong>Pied</strong> and <strong>Little Pieds</strong>. Plenty of very close <strong>Great Crested Terns </strong>too. Things looking up.</p><p></p><p>We headed south looking for a parkup, but it had become all rural and sewn up. We did find a tiny conservation park eventually which had a caravan parked up there, so we pulled on thinking it would be ok. Not only was it ok, but the occupants of the caravan were birdos! Locals from Adelaide too, so we've got a bit of local gen now. Great! this means I can start having a worse time by knowing what I'm missing if/when we miss it! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />.</p><p></p><p>1158 Pink-eared Duck</p><p>1159 <strong>BLACK-TAILED NATIVE HEN</strong></p><p>1160 <strong>FRECKLED DUCK</strong></p><p>1161 Cockatiel</p><p>1162 <strong>CHIRRUPING WEDGEBILL</strong></p><p>1163 White-fronted Chat</p><p>1164 White-fronted Honeyeater</p><p>1165 <strong>Adelaide Rosella</strong></p><p>xxxx Mallee Ringneck</p><p>1166 Elegant Parrot</p><p>1167 Grey Currawong</p><p>1168 Black-eared Cuckoo</p><p>1169 <strong>LITTLE RAVEN</strong></p><p>1170 <strong>REDTHROAT</strong></p><p>1171 <strong>PALLID CUCKOO</strong></p><p>1172 Banded Lapwing</p><p>1173 <strong>BROWN SONGLARK</strong></p><p>1174 <strong>INLAND DOTTEREL</strong></p><p>1175 Pacific Gull</p><p>1176 <strong>BLACK-FACED CORMORANT</strong></p><p></p><p>I can't help noticing that Mark Harper's on 3966, and I reckon I must be over 3900 by now....can I get to 4000 before him?? <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" />. When's your next foreign trip Mark?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Larry Sweetland, post: 1298958, member: 27337"] [b]Port Augusta, Flinders, and some jam[/b] Ah yes, how time flies. After stocking up in Port Augusta we decided to return to the Hesso area railway crossing c50km north of town to spend the night, as it seemed good for birds. Next morning produced a couple of [B]Pied Honeyeaters [/B]again, and this time we discovered a raised tank in the SW corner of the junction with the road to Yudnapina station, some 700m south of the railway crossing. On climbing to the rim of the small tank a few birds took flight, 6 [B]Grey Teal[/B], and a couple each of [B]Little Pied Cormorant [/B]and [B]Black-fronted Dotterel[/B]. Not much else there except a couple of [B]Australasian Grebes [/B]and a couple of larger ducks that quickly swam out of sight up a channel at the back. One was a [B]Pink-eared Duck[/B], and the other looked rather plain and uninteresting. I walked round the tank rim and discovered that the channel led through to a second smaller tank, which itself had a channel at the back leading into dense bushy banks. Unfortunately there was no sign of the [B]Pink-eared Duck[/B] but I was quickly distracted by 2 [B]Black-tailed Native Hens[/B] that took flight, so I ran after them to get views of one atop a bushy bank. Ace. On heading back to the second tank a little voice in my head was saying "er...hello?" what. "Er..haven't you forgotten something?" Ah yes. Of course. That other duck. Luckily for me it was plainly visible in the middle of the second tank and I looked at it properly for the first time. A [B]FRECKLED DUCK[/B] in female type plumage! Not that I deserved it to still be there! I couldn't take my eyes off this rare nomad for ages, finding it's odd shape and subtle plumage quite beautiful. So the lid was finally back off the jam pot. On the way back to the van for breakfast a [B]Cockatiel [/B]appeared to add to the fun. We then moved on to the botanical gardens just north of Port Augusta, where the wind had picked up, but we still saw 3 or more [B]Chirruping Wedgebills[/B], some [B]White-fronted Chats [/B]and a [B]White-fronted Honeyeater.[/B] We made it as far as Warren Gorge in the Flinders ranges that night, clocking up [B]Adelaide Rosella, Mallee Ringneck, Elegant Parrot, Grey Currawong, Red-capped Robin[/B] and [B]Brown-headed Honeyeater[/B] on the way. Not a bad day really. Spent a couple of days exploring the Flinders ranges as far north as Lyndhurst, but the heat, wind and flies were all unbearable. How can the flies swarm all over you in such strong wind? How can anyone live here? We haven't had any gen for South Australia (except the next to useless Bransbury) so we've been just pottering blind, and doubtless bypassing some crucial sites. We did run into [B]Black-eared, Horsefield's Bronze[/B], and [B]Pallid Cuckoos[/B], a singing male [B]Redthroat[/B] at the creek just south of Simmonston ruin. [B]Australian Raven [/B]appeared to be the common corvid in the Flinders, but we found our first[B] Little Ravens[/B], and a [B]Little Crow [/B]too. A couple of [B]Rufous Calamanthus [/B]and [B]Chirruping Wedgebill [/B]were near the Lyndhurst end of our drive. On our exit drive we made a few stops to randomly scan the flat open areas. This eventually produced an impressive flock of about 100 [B]Crimson Chats [/B], a few [B]Banded Lapwings [/B]and [B]White-fronted Chats[/B], a [B]Spotted Harrier[/B],and a displaying [B]Brown Songlark[/B]. It was on what was to be my last scan, c30 km north of Quorn, that a great big spoon slipped into the jam pot and plopped a flock of no less than 30 [B]Inland Dotterel[/B] about 50m from the road on the east side! Incredible! These birds were rather approachable, and would just run away a short distance if you got too close. Seriously beautiful creatures too. I like birding with no gen sometimes because it just blows you away what you see, rather than frustrates you with what you're missing! So the Dotties were yesterday morning. The afternoon took us to Port Germain where we walked out on the pier to check the birds on the posts of the broken end. A couple of [B]Pacific Gulls [/B]with their honking great bills were new for the trip, but for me even better was 6[B] Black-faced Cormorants[/B] with the 80 or so [B]Pied[/B] and [B]Little Pieds[/B]. Plenty of very close [B]Great Crested Terns [/B]too. Things looking up. We headed south looking for a parkup, but it had become all rural and sewn up. We did find a tiny conservation park eventually which had a caravan parked up there, so we pulled on thinking it would be ok. Not only was it ok, but the occupants of the caravan were birdos! Locals from Adelaide too, so we've got a bit of local gen now. Great! this means I can start having a worse time by knowing what I'm missing if/when we miss it! ;). 1158 Pink-eared Duck 1159 [B]BLACK-TAILED NATIVE HEN[/B] 1160 [B]FRECKLED DUCK[/B] 1161 Cockatiel 1162 [B]CHIRRUPING WEDGEBILL[/B] 1163 White-fronted Chat 1164 White-fronted Honeyeater 1165 [B]Adelaide Rosella[/B] xxxx Mallee Ringneck 1166 Elegant Parrot 1167 Grey Currawong 1168 Black-eared Cuckoo 1169 [B]LITTLE RAVEN[/B] 1170 [B]REDTHROAT[/B] 1171 [B]PALLID CUCKOO[/B] 1172 Banded Lapwing 1173 [B]BROWN SONGLARK[/B] 1174 [B]INLAND DOTTEREL[/B] 1175 Pacific Gull 1176 [B]BLACK-FACED CORMORANT[/B] I can't help noticing that Mark Harper's on 3966, and I reckon I must be over 3900 by now....can I get to 4000 before him?? ;););). When's your next foreign trip Mark? [/QUOTE]
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