The Big Year and the Fiery Phoenix

Well after our awesome last weekend down the South-east we realised we'd have our work cut out for us trying to top it. Four Big Year ticks, with unexpected birds in Grey Goshawk and Fiordland Penguin was going to take some beating. With another weekend squeezed in between that one and our first trip up to the north of the State for a week coming up we had to arrive at a plan that would help to maintain our momentum. Two days is not a lot of time to do much so we needed to stay within easy driving of home that could still offer us up some birds. With a bit of thought a plan came to fruition. We'd drive up to Morgan to search for Regent Parrots and Little Friarbirds and work our way towards Loxton on the River Murray to give us several opportunities to connect with both. Then, we were to drive down to Billiat CP to camp overnight and search for Red-lored Whistlers in the morning when they'd hopefully be calling. The only risk in that was we hadn't been to Billiat in quite a while and knew there had been several recent fires down there but didn't know the extent of them or even if there was any habitat left!! Well you've just gotta try these things.

So Saturday morning came and we found ourselves in the command vehicle buzzing up the road towards Morgan. Passing through Eudunda we had some Apostlebirds just out of town which is about as close to Adelaide as they come these days and then a Pied Butcherbird in Sutherlands which is a fair way from the river. Not bad records locally. Nearing Morgan we checked out a  site near an old rail siding that has a lot of Eremophila glabra which were starting to flower nicely. A lot of White-fronted and Singing Honeyeaters along with Spiny-cheekeds had already found them but just a little too early for Black Honeyeaters. We made a mental note to check back in a month or so. Arriving in Morgan to a lovely sunny day we crossed on the ferry and headed south to an area where Regent Parrots usually nest.

As we pulled up a pair of suspicious looking birds took off through the trees and we didn't really get anything on them. Well..........it was time for a brew anyway! Halfway through my cup of tea and as bold as brass, in flies a lovely raucous male Regent Parrot in to a tree directly over our heads......nice!!. He posed this way and that before another bird flew in to a nearby tree to call him over, it was a female. The pair were obviously loved up and spent some moments mutually preening before she flew towards a hollow to try it on for size. "No....that one just won't do, lets try over there" and with that, they were off.

Morgan on the great bend in the River Murray

Male Regent Parrot at Morgan

A loved up pair of Regent Parrots

Having enjoyed the Parrots we were still looking for Little Friarbirds. Morgan pretty much is the western extremity of their range so are very thin on the ground here. I suspect they may well only make it down this way in Spring/Summer when there is at least some of the floodplain vegetation in flower. As it was, none of the trees on the floodplain around Morgan were flowering so we headed east.

We decided to check out Banrock Station Wetlands on the way. Having only visited once before when the entire basin was dry we were looking forward to having a look around now there was water in the complex.

Overlooking the Wetlands at Banrock Station from the visitor centre/cellar door

Registering at the visitor centre before heading off on the track we then proceeded to the start of the boardwalk that winds its way through some floodplain vegetation where we hoped to pick up Little Friarbirds. Sadly we never even heard one but did enjoy the walk and a group of five Regent Parrots that flew through right in front of us. An enjoyable ramble even though we didn't go the whole way around but definitely worth a revisit some day when our schedule isn't so manic.

The boardwalk through the wetlands at Banrock Station

A friendly Banrock local

As time was getting on we started the drive down to Billiat via Alawoona arriving with enough light in the day to set up camp. Time to enjoy the first frothy of the day while listening to the footy on the radio.

The next morning we were up early in the bitter cold of a steady southerly breeze. A brief dawn chorus was enough to know there were at least some birds around. As we crossed over the first dune from our camp it was evident that the most recent fire had indeed passed through here but the regrowth was advanced enough to suggest that was at least over five years ago but it likely meant birds were not going to be as prevalent as we thought. After the first half an hour we arrived at a site we had previously seen Red-lored Whistler, but this time there was no sign despite the dune having escaped the ravages of the fire and being well vegetated. Not to be put off we carried on but realised after a while that most of the area was still recovering from that recent fire and we failed to locate any Whistlers or indeed hear any. The cold southerly breeze was not helping matters much and we felt like we were flogging a dead horse so we turned back after several kilometres of walking .

Early morning light over the regrowth of Billiat CP

As we passed the boundary gate and back in to more mature habitat near camp we heard a faint peep from the adjacent mature spinifex understorey that sounded not unlike an Emu-wren! Mallee Emu-wrens did once inhabit this park in years gone by but with successive burns over the years in what is effectively an isolated albeit large block of scrub it was thought that these birds were now extinct in SA. The other well known historical range for them incorporated Ngarkat CP which has also endured extensive and excessive fires over the years. There was something not quite right about the call and so as a suggestion I asked Sue to give some brief playback for Striated Grasswren. From out of nowhere a dark looking bird literally ran straight at us from deep in the scrub veering off at the last minute and disappearing again. We both looked at each other very perplexed. "Was that a Heathwren?" Sue tried Shy Heathwren playback with no result at all. "Surely if it was a Heathwren it would respond, those things love the sound of their own voice". Sue tried Grasswren again. I walked a bit further back up the track away from Sue and realised I was hearing the call in stereo!!! At that moment a bird burst out on to the track before flitting back in to cover. It WAS a bloody Striated Grasswren!! A species whose population has crashed significantly in SA especially north of the River Murray. We had given up much hope of actually seeing this species in SA during the Big Year and here they were in a park that had been ravaged by fire over the years, yet endured out of the ashes like a Phoenix of legend, and what a legend this bird was. Turned out it was an adult pair and we enjoyed excellent views of the two of them after we peaked their interest. We had our fill of photographing them both and left them in peace while wishing them well for the future. We'll definitely monitor these birds over the next year and see if we can find any more within Billiat CP and elsewhere.

Rising out of the ashes of recent bushfires like a fiery Phoenix a stunning and increasingly rare Striated Grasswren from Billiat CP

Sue enjoying the rare and declining Striated Grasswren

That was trip made for both us right there and then and we went back to camp for a much needed warming cup of coffee and breakfast. After something to eat and refreshed with something warm in the stomach we decided to have another walk along the boundary track that had escaped the ravages of the fire and contained some mature stands of spinifex. We didn't encounter much of interest and certainly didn't see or hear the Whistler we were specifically here to chase. Time to withdraw and come up with another plan. The day as moving on and it was nearly midday before we headed back out of the park and back up to the river again. We thought we'd give the Friarbird one last shot so drove in to Loxton but then carried on to Berri. I hadn't been here for quite some time but remembered the Marina road as one I'd seen Blue-faced Honeyeater at before so thought that might be worth a shot. We parked up at the entrance of the "Alan Thurmer Recreational Trail" that seemingly wound its way through some riverside vegetation and started walking. We'd gone nearly a kilometre and despite having lovely views of a perched up female Peregrine Falcon there was no sight or sound of any Friarbirds. Giving up we turned tail and began walking back to get ready to drive the long road home. Nearing a Black Box tree that was partially flowering I intimated to Sue that it was exactly the kind of thing the birds would be feeding in. As I was pointing it out a Little Friarbird called from the canopy!! I imitated the call and you'd think I'd become its best friend as the bird flew directly towards me looking intently for its new found friend. A few photos later and we were back in the command vehicle whizzing our way back to Adelaide having enjoyed a really good and surprising weekend that gave us both another three year ticks.

My new best mate!

 

A random track in Berri that had just what we were looking for

So another week to endure for work before we head off up to Port Augusta this coming Friday night to start our big trip up to Coober Pedy, Marla and the NT border. Having picked up our friend Andy Walker from the airport last night this trip is gonna be epic and could see us rocket in to the mid 340's. We just need some of that "Andy Walker luck" The next blog post promises to be huge so stick around for that one.