FITZGERALD BAY TO PORT LINCOLN

Continuing on with our travels in SA earlier this year we made our way down the Eyre Peninsula with our first stop at Fitzgerald Bay where we sat out the Easter long weekend, with access to flushing loos, fresh water, peace and quiet.  

High tide at Fitzgerald Bay 

Sunset over our camp

After trying unsuccessfully to spot one of these little buggers in the Botanic Gardens at Port Augusta, I snagged some half decent views of some in the saltbush not far from our camp and snapped a record shot of one.

Rufous Fieldwren - lifer

I drove out to a conservation park not far from Whyalla to search for Thick-billed Grass-Wrens and Slender-billed Thornbills, with no luck. Did see plenty of Chestnut-rumped Thornbills and they were much more confiding than the Fieldwrens.

Chestnut-Rumped Thornbill 

Wild Dog Hill

Full moon over Fitzgerald Bay

From the bay it was on to Port Lincoln National Park where we stayed at Surfleet Cove and enjoyed the lovely scenery and varied birdlife.

On the beach at SurfleetCove

Coastal rock formation

Emu

Pied Oystercatchers

Sooty Oystercatcher

The Yellow Robins here were just as photogenic as their Eastern cousins.

Western Yellow Robin - lifer

View from Stamford Hill lookout

The Port Lincoln race of the Australian Ringneck were common around the campground and it didn't take me long to get on to a small flock of Rock Parrots, a member of the Neophema family confined to the coasts of southern WA and SA.

"Port Lincoln" Ringnecks

Rock Parrot - lifer

Australian Pelicans wait for a handout

Pacific Gull

Cheers and Happy Birding

CAPERTEE REVISITED

We had the chance to revisit the Capertee Valley a couple of weeks ago due to the circumstances of our interrupted travels earlier in the year. It was a great opportunity to look for the Regent Honeyeater again after our previous caper back in late January as described in this post:  http://qldbirder.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/capertee-capers.html

Unbelievably we found some on our first afternoon, after setting up camp at Glen Davis and driving out to a location where we were told one had been seen that morning. I spotted a female first, getting pretty excited and also relieved knowing they were really there!

Regent Honeyeater - female

After a while of watching this mega-rarity moving around in the treetops I mentioned to Clare "even if I don't see a male I am absolutely rapt", then she just happened to glimpse one and before long we had great bino views of the bird with its striking black and yellow plumage. Needless to say we were both impressed and sat quietly for over an hour watching them feeding on the mistletoe and insects in the casuarinas and chasing other honeyeater species.    

Regent  Honeyeater - male

Male feeding in mistletoe

To top it off, when I went back the next morning to have a better look at some of the other breeding birds present, I bumped into a couple of members of the Regent Honeyeater Recovery team who had been surveying the local population. They mentioned a pair were nesting nearby and after scanning the trees for a while I was able to locate the nest with two fledglings, being attended by the said pair. I watched, fascinated and privileged to be able to glimpse a view into the lives of these critically endangered birds, less than 1000 estimated to be left in the wild:

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=5374

Male at nest

Most of the images taken here were at the extent of my camera lens magnification and we were careful not to disturb the birds at any time.

All in all a memorable couple of days and up there with the best of my many birdwatching experiences!

  

Striped Honeyeater and nest

Olive-backed Oriole with nesting material 

Restless Flycatcher at nest

FLINDERS RANGES

We arrived in the Flinders Ranges proper in late March and based ourselves at a private campground on a property just outside the National Park.

The drive in to the Ranges was quite scenic and we stopped often for the excellent photo opportunities.

A Wedgie perched conveniently, albeit a long way off, but still within camera range.  

Wedge-Tailed Eagle

Campground entrance.

View over Willow Springs Station.

Our secluded campsite.

We drove along some of the roads through the National Park, taking in the stark beauty of this ancient landscape. One of the highlights of our travels to date.  

Massive Red Gum along a dry creek bed.

The weather was perfect and we enjoyed our walk into Wilpena Pound, a huge natural amphitheatre with only one easy way in our out. Probably the only way to properly appreciate this geological wonder is from the air. Besides being expensive and with my aversion to flying, we were content enough to take it all in from ground level. 

Sculpture points the way into the Pound.

Clare on the edge of  Wilpena Pound.

Looking across the Pound.

One of the reasons for staying at Willow Springs was the short drive to Stokes Hill Lookout, a well known site for the Short-Tailed Grass-Wren. After three attempts I was able to add this elusive little bird to my life list. I got an excellent 5 second view of one and brief glimpses of another two nearby. No pictures, but this will be etched in my memory for a long time.

Common Wallaroos

The locals looked on in amusement as I scanned the slopes of the hill in search of little brown birds.

Sunset from the Lookout.