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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Larry Sweetland" data-source="post: 1575242" data-attributes="member: 27337">On to BroomeI think Mark's post should clarify for those confused about the half tick. You could have some fun there Mark. If you see anything with any Black-eared Miner features at all, you'll have seen more of one than us! Better get in there quick if you want a pure one methinks.One spot I was very much hoping to get to around Kununurra was Marglu Billabong, also called Parry's Lagoon, mostly because there are often Yellow Chats there. On meeting Rest Stop Bill, he told us he'd just spent 2 days there, and there were about a dozen Yellow Chats there, mostly at the edge of the billabong, c400m to the right of the hide. To get there take the road up towards Wyndham, and turnoff to the right about 3/4 of the way to Wyndham onto the signed dirt road. It's about 8km of rough dirt track.We spent an afternoon here, then camped by the billabong and birded around it again in the morning. We had the place to ourselves. Well, us and the crocs and dingos. And of course the birds. We saw about 80 species in or around the small billabong during our stay, including Star and Masked Finches, Pictorella and Yellow-rumped Mannikins, a multitude of ibises, spoonbills, ducks, geese, herons, egrets, waders, darters, grebes, swamphens, parrots, cockatoos, raptors, pigeons, quail, passerines galore and whatnot. What I could not find for the life of me though I thrashed around till I was purple was a single Yellow Chat. I think I was too surprised to be that gutted. I really thought the Jiff Chat was in the bag there, and it would be as easy as finding Jiff lemons on pancake day (to borrow a Bowleyism.)So on we drove, back to the main road. At least nothing else that day could be worse than dipping a dozen Yellow Chats right? Wrong. Try this. As we drove on towards Hall's Creek, we'd got to a point about 20km from the Wyndham junction, but still c305km from Hall's Creek. Nicky was driving and I'd just noticed what I took to be a sizeable falcon ahead and to the right, and was waiting for it to show some colour. When it did I found myself shouting Grey Falcon! As it had pale grey upperparts and no dark hood at all. This is a very quiet road, and we drove for several hours that day. 99% of the time it would have been possible to stop immediately, but right then there was not only a car coming up behind us, but also one ahead coming the other way! By the time Nicky could stop the bird was gone and we were left on the quiet road without a vehicle in sight scanning hopelessly in the heat. Once I saw what colour it was I just concentrated on making sure it was actually a falcon and not a Grey Goshawk, the only possible confusion species. The bird simply refused to look like anything other than a falcon until I lost it, but the brevity of the view will always leave me wondering if I can trust my mind on this. Tragic or what? The next time I saw a Grey Goshawk was about an hour later, while Nicky was driving. It too was gliding around on slightly raised wings, though in a tighter circle. It was immediately obviously a Grey Goshawk and remained looking like a Grey Goshawk at all times. I think I might have to kill myself. So the day wasn't going that well. Never mind though because Rest Stop Bill had recently seen Painted Finches coming to drink at a couple of pools at our proposed stop for the night past Hall's Creek, at Mary Pool. He drew a mud map and said to stake out the furthest 2 pools up the creek bed from the camping area. Luckily it was possible to find a hiding spot where both pools could be clearly seen. Loads of birds came down to drink evening and morning and we had our closest views of drinking Budgerigars. Heaps of honeyeaters dive-bombed the water rather than standing to drink (maybe they were feeding too?). We saw 2 Golden-backed and a couple of Grey-fronted Honeyeaters, heaps of Zebra Finches, a Collared Sparrowhawk up to it's belly in the water, and of course not a single Painted Finch.We set off onwards to Derby, stopping to check out finches a few times seen from the car on stony spinnie-covered ground. All were Zebras. We had a smart highlight not long out of Mary Hole though, in the form of 2 fantastic Ground Cuckoo-Shrikes. On arriving at Derby we drove out to the wharf and I had a poke about in the mangroves to the right, generally feeling useless and incapable of finding the 2 mangrove specialities I figured I should be looking for in there. Pishing brought in a Brown Honeyeater and a Singing Honeyeater. I think they felt sorry for me. I quickly gave up and we walked round the circular wharf area. Before leaving I had one last poke about and thought I'd try squeaking this time. Rocketting out of cover came a whopping White-breasted Whistler. A rather messy immature male, but an impressive bird nonetheless. What a bill! Bet it'll look right dapper when it grows up. Hooray! This morning I discovered that the mangroves are more accessible if you take the left turn to the boat ramp before getting to the wharf, and park at the end. Here birds I saw included a female White-breasted Whistler, a couple of Mangrove Grey Fantails, a Broad-billed Flycatcher, and eventually after srabbling into the thick of the mangroves, great views of a couple of Dusky Gerygones.We're now in Broome, and hopefully the cavalry will be arriving on the morrow.Just realised that this post could come across as being a bit overly negative. sorry about that. Just trying to convey some downs as well as ups.1426 WHITE-BREASTED WHISTLER1427 Mangrove Grey Fantail1428 DUSKY GERYGONEPhotos: 1. Ground Cuckoo-Shrike, 2. Comb-crested Jacana, 3. Sunset at the Billabong</blockquote>

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