Nine Grasswren tour report 20 July – 31 July 2014

Summary and checklist of 2014 Nine Grasswren Tour

Dates of tour: 20 July –31 July 2014

Leaders: Peter Waanders (assisted by Tonia Cochran & Chris Watson)

next tour: July/Aug 2015 go to our tour program page tour brochure

Dusky Grasswrens, 31 July 2014, Alice Springs © P Waanders

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Nine Grasswren tour report 20 July – 31 July 2014

Tour overview

The 2014 ‘Nine Grasswren tour’ started in Adelaide (SA) and finished in Alice Springs (NT). After visiting Birdlife

Australia’s Gluepot Reserve (Red-lored Whistler, Black-eared Miner) we explored the bluebush plains around

Whyalla (Western Grasswren, Splendid (turquoise) Fairy-wren) and travelled through the scenic Flinders Ranges

(Short-tailed Grasswren) up to the Birdsville track where we had both Chestnut-breasted and Banded Whiteface

as well as the elusive Grey Falcon and Eyrean and Grey Grasswren. Yellow Chat and Gibberbird were added here,

too. Through the heart of outback Queensland we arrived in Mount Isa after ticking off Red-browed Pardalote,

Painted Honeyeater, Australian Bustard and Black-breasted Buzzard while massive flocks of Budgerigars were

wheeling through the sky. We had great views of both Carpentarian and Kalkadoon Grasswren as well as Spinifex

Pigeons, Varied Lorikeets, Spinifexbird and mixed flocks of woodswallows coming in to drink. From Mt Isa we

travelled west over the vast Barkly Tablelands, where Flock Bronzewings entertained us with their antics in the sky

while we also found 2 Red-chested Button-quails. Finishing around Alice Springs we found Dusy Grasswren, Grey-

headed Honeyeater and Spinifexbird while those people that took the 3-day extension in ended up seeing Painted

Finch, Bourke’s Parrot and Grey Honeyeater to name but a few.

The weather was good throughout, with calm, sunny days and maximum temperatures in the 16-28 0C range,

some frosty mornings, and no rain. A grand total of 206 bird species were recorded. The full bird list follows at the

end of this document. Other sightings of interest included Freshwater Crocodile, Dingo, 3 spp of Kangaroo,

Yellow-footed-, Purple-flanked and Black-footed Rock-wallaby.

Itinerary

20 July: Adelaide – Birdlife Australia’s Gluepot Reserve - Peterborough.

21 July: Whyalla Conservation Park and surrounds – Hawker.

22 July: Flinders Ranges – Leigh Creek area – Lyndhurst.

23 July: Mt Lyndhurst Station – Marree – Birdsville track to Mungerannie roadhouse.

24 July: Cowarie station near Mungerannie.

25 July: Birdsville track from Mungerannie to Birdsville.

26 July: Birdsville – Boulia, birding en-route.

27 July: Boulia – Mt Isa, birding en-route.

28 July: all day around Mt Isa.

29 July: Mt Isa to Barkly Homestead, birding en-route and north of Barkly HS.

30 July: Barkly HS –Tennant Creek –Alice Springs.

31 July: all day around Alice Springs.

A number of participants then joined the Red Centre Adventure, available as a stand-alone tour or an extension.

Nine Grasswren tour report 20 July – 31 July 2014

Cinnamon Quail-thrush, Australian Pratincole, Flock Bronzewing, Yellow Chat, Chirruping Wedgebill, Short-tailed

Grasswren. Photos © P Waanders.

Nine Grasswren tour report 20 July – 31 July 2014

Kalkadoon Grasswren, Painted Honeyeater, Banded Whiteface, Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Dusky Grasswren,

Carpentarian Grasswren, Spinifex Pigeon, Red-lored Whistler. Photos © P Waanders.

Nine Grasswren tour list of birds seen 20-31 July 2014

1 Emu Dromaius novaehollandiae

2 Plumed Wistling-duck Dendrocygna eytoni

3 Freckled Duck Stictonetta naevosa

4 Musk Duck Biziura lobata

5 Black Swan Cygnus atratus

6 Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides

7 Australian Wood Duck Chenonetta jubata

8 Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus

9 Australasian Shoveler Anas rhynchotis

10 Grey Teal Anas gracilis

11 Chestnut Teal Anas castanea

12 Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa

13 Hardhead Aythya australis

14 Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

15 Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus

16 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus

17 Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus

18 Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca

19 Straw-necked Ibis Threskiornis spinicollis

20 Royal Spoonbill Platalea regia

21 Yellow-billed Spoonbill Platalea flavipes

22 Great Egret Ardea modesta

23 Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus coromandus

24 White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica

25 White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae

26 Little Egret Egretta garzetta

27 Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus

28 Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos

29 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo

30 Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

31 Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax varius

32 Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae

33 Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris

34 Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

35 Black Kite Milvus migrans

36 Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon

37 Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus

38 Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrocephalus

39 Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis

40 Swamp Harrier Circus approximans

41 Wedge-tailed Eagle Aquila audax

42 Little Eagle Hieraaetus morphnoides

43 Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis

44 Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio

45 Black-tailed Native-hen Tribonyx ventralis

46 Eurasian Coot Fulica atra

47 Brolga Grus rubicunda

48 Red-chested Buttonquail Turnix pyrrhothorax

49 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus

50 Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae

51 Banded Stilt Cladorhynchus leucocephalus

52 Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus

53 Black-fronted Dotterel Elseyornis melanops

54 Red-kneed Dotterel Erythrogonys cinctus

55 Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles

56 Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabella

57 Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia

58 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida

59 Silver Gull Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

60 Rock DoveI Columba livia

61 Spotted DoveI Streptopelia chinensis

62 Common Bronzewing Phaps chalcoptera

Nine Grasswren tour list of birds seen 20-31 July 2014

63 Flock Bronzewing Phaps histrionica

64 Spinifex Pigeon Geophaps plumifera

65 Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes

66 Diamond Dove Geopelia cuneata

67 Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata

68 Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo Chalcites basalis

69 Pallid Cuckoo Cacomantis pallidus

70 Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis

71 Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae

72 Red-backed Kingfisher Todiramphus pyrrhopygius

73 Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus

74 Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides

75 Brown Falcon Falco berigora

76 Australian Hobby Falco longipennis

77 Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos

78 Black Falcon Falco subniger

79 Galah Eolophus roseicapillus

80 Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea

81 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita

82 Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus

83 Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus

84 Varied Lorikeet Psitteuteles versicolor

85 Musk Lorikeet Glossopsitta concinna

86 Red-winged Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus

87 Crimson (Adelaide) Rosella Platycercus (elegans) adelaidea

88 Crimson (Yellow) Rosella Platycercus (elegans) flaveolus

89 Australian (Pt Lincoln) Ringneck Barnardius (zonarius) zonarius

90 Australian (Mallee) Ringneck Barnardius (zonarius) barnardi

91 Blue Bonnet (yellow-vented) Northiella h. haematogaster

92 Blue Bonnet (pale form) Northiella h. pallescens

93 Red-rumped Parrot Psephotus haematonotus

94 Mulga Parrot Psephotus varius

95 Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus

96 Elegant Parrot Neophema elegans

97 Spotted Bowerbird Chlamydera maculata

98 Western Bowerbird Chlamydera guttata

99 White-browed Treecreeper Climacteris affinis

100 Black-tailed Treecreeper Climacteris melanurus

101 Brown Treecreeper Climacteris picumnus

102 Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus

103 Splendid Fairy-wren Malurus splendens

104 White-winged Fairy-wren Malurus leucopterus

105 Variegated Fairy-wren Malurus lamberti

106 Rufous-crowned Emu-wren Stipiturus ruficeps

107 Dusky Grasswren Amytornis purnelli

108 Kalkadoon Grasswren Amytornis ballarae

109 Carpentarian Grasswren Amytornis dorotheae

110 Short-tailed Grasswren Amytornis merrotsyi

111 Western Grasswren Amytornis textilis myall

112 Eyrean Grasswren Amytornis goyderi

113 Grey Grasswren Amytornis barbatsu

114 Pied Honeyeater Certhionyx variegatus

115 Singing Honeyeater Lichenostomus virescens

116 Grey-headed Honeyeater Ptilotula keartlandi

117 Grey-fronted Honeyeater Ptilotula plumula

118 White-eared Honeyeater Lichenostomus leucotis

119 Yellow-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus ornatus

120 White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenostomus penicillatus

121 White-fronted Honeyeater Purnella albifrons

122 Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis

123 Noisy Miner Manorina melanocephala

124 Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula

Nine Grasswren tour list of birds seen 20-31 July 2014

125 Black-eared Miner Manorina melanotis

126 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater Acanthagenys rufogularis

127 Red Wattlebird Anthochaera carunculata

128 Striped Honeyeater Plectorhyncha lanceolata

129 Crimson Chat Epthianura tricolor

130 Orange Chat Epthianura aurifrons

131 Gibberbird Ashbyia lovensis

132 Yellow Chat Epthianura crocea

133 Black Honeyeater Sugomel niger

134 Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta

135 Black-chinned Honeyeater Melithreptus gularis

136 Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta

137 New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae

138 Brown-headed Honeyeater Melithreptus brevirostris

139 Spotted Pardalote Pardalotus punctatus

140 Red-browed Pardalote Pardalotus rubricatus

141 Striated Pardalote Pardalotus striatus

142 White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis

143 Redthroat Pyrrholaemus brunneus

144 Weebill Smicrornis brevirostris

145 Yellow-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza chrysorrhoa

146 Chestnut-rumped Thornbill Acanthiza uropygialis

147 Inland Thornbill Acanthiza apicalis

148 Southern Whiteface Aphelocephala leucopsis

149 Chestnut-breasted Whiteface Aphelocephala pectoralis

150 Banded Whiteface Aphelocephala nigricincta

151 White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus

152 Chestnut-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus ruficeps

153 Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis

154 Cinnamon Quail-thrush Cinclosoma cinnamomeum

155 Chestnut-backed Quail-thrush Cinclosoma castanotum

156 Chirruping Wedgebill Psophodes cristatus

157 Grey Butcherbird Cracticus torquatus

158 Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis

159 Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen

160 Grey Currawong Strepera versicolor

161 White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus

162 Masked Woodswallow Artamus personatus

163 White-browed Woodswallow Artamus superciliosus

164 Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus

165 Little Woodswallow Artamus minor

166 Dusky Woodswallow Artamus cyanopterus

167 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae

168 White-winged Triller Lalage sueurii

169 Varied Triller Lalage leucomela

170 Gilbert's Whistler Pachycephala inornata

171 Red-lored Whistler Pachycephala rufogularis

172 Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris

173 Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica

174 Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis

175 Olive-backed Oriole Oriolus sagittatus

176 Grey Fantail Rhipidura albiscapa

177 Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

178 Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta

179 Paperbark Flycatcher Myiagra nana

180 Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca

181 Australian Raven Corvus coronoides

182 Little Raven Corvus mellori

183 Little Crow Corvus bennetti

184 Apostlebird Struthidea cinerea

185 Jacky Winter Microeca fascinans

186 Red-capped Robin Petroica goodenovii

Nine Grasswren tour list of birds seen 20-31 July 2014

187 Hooded Robin Melanodryas cucullata

188 Southern Scrub-robin Drymodes brunneopygia

189 Horsfield's Bushlark Mirafra javanica

190 White-backed Swallow Cheramoeca leucosterna

191 Welcome Swallow Hirundo neoxena

192 Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel

193 Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans

194 Australian Reed-Warbler Acrocephalus australis

195 Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus

196 Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi

197 Brown Songlark Cincloramphus cruralis

198 Spinifexbird Megalurus carteri

199 Silvereye Zosterops lateralis

200 Common StarlingI Sturnus vulgaris

201 Common BlackbirdI Turdus merula

202 Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum

203 House SparrowI Passer domesticus

204 Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata

205 Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii

206 Australasian Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae

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next Nine Grasswren tour: July/Aug 2015

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