This afternoon
Dec. 8th, 2005 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreAfter having a lovely stint on the balcony this morning, this afternoon I decided to head up to John Forrest National Park again. Seeing as it's hardly 10 minutes up the road it's ideal, and a lovely spot, consisting of many granite outcrops and a lot of Jarrah dominated dry sclerophyl and banksia heathland. I decided I'd go right into the park and pay for an annual parks pass, which was $17 (it costs $9 for a mere day trip so it's well worth it for me, who wants to be able to drop in for maybe an hour frequently). There was no-one around to take my money however and seeing as I only had $20 notes on me they didn't get ANY money from me today (there is an honour box). I will have to get the pass some other time.
I first stopped at the lookout to see how things were. No Elegant Parrots at the nest hollow and the whole forest was surprisingly quiet. I continued on to the picnic area and was immediately greeted by many New Holland Honeyeaters frolicking in the grevillia garden in the centre of the carpark. The sprinkler was on which I'm sure created more of an attraction to them, a Red Wattlebird also lurked in a nearby tree.
I made my way along the creek and saw a few Red-Capped Parrots, I could hear a Sacred Kingfisher calling and found him quickly. A couple of Australian Ringnecks (the local sub-species, the '28 parrot') foraged on the ground very near to me and I could hear White-Tailed Black Cockatoos and Western Gerygones, but failed to locate them. I soon reached a picnic ground with a large gum tree. I put my binoculars on the commotion in the treetop and saw to my surprise a Brown-Headed Honeyeater - a new bird for me. In the same tree were New Holland Honeyeaters, one White-Naped Honeyeater and a few of the ubiquitous Grey Fantails.
Not far further I came across some low scrub consisting of a lot of grevilia. There was quite a commotion in here also and I discovered many New Holland Honeyeaters hassling more Brown-Headed Honeyeaters and a female Western Spinebill. I stuck around in the hopes that I'd finally see a male spinebill (a gorgeously patterned bird), but no such luck. I did however also see in the area a Jacky Winter and a few Brown Honeyeaters.
A little further along I heard an insectlike call and stalked around some fallen logs searching for the source. Eventually I found my quarry, a White-Browed Scrubwren, these are very vocal birds but extremely hard to find due to their habit of hiding in thick undergrowth. Around this time I discovered that this was going to be the day of the "little brown bird" (I put that in quotes because birds like the pardalote or fairy-wrens are hardly dull brown). In the drooping branches barely a metre from me a Striated Pardalote foraged closely followed by a Weebill. Investigating a rustling in the leaves I got awesome views of a Common Bronzewing (okay, so this is a large pigeon, not a little brown bird). I then discovered the male of the pair was showing off on top of a small rock! I saw plenty more bronzewings on my walk, they are relatively bold in this area. I was now beside the road into the parking area and thought to myself, "I haven't seen a fairy-wren yet. Weird, I haven't even HEARD one." I then looked across the road and, speak of the devil, there was a bright blue male Splendid Fairy-Wren probably wondering if I'd gone blind. I crossed the road for a closer look and discovered a Western Thornbill in the scrub over there.
I made my way back across the carpark and to the pool caused by the damming of Jane Brook. There were plenty of Australian Wood Ducks here as well as a few token Pacific Black Ducks. A couple of Magpie Larks also dabbled around while Australian Magpies and Australian Ravens flew about in the trees overhead.
As I walked beside the lake there was suddenly a huge commotion in the trees above me. Galahs and Wood Ducks burst from the canopy and Laughing Kookaburras began to call. This could only mean one thing. I scanned the sky and found the cause of the alarm - a Little Eagle patrolling the skies.
The undergrowth in this area was also teeming with little birds. A large flock of Silvereyes was doing the rounds accompanied by pardalotes, weebills, a few female fairy-wrens and two Inland Thornbills.
I was pretty chuffed as I made my way back to the car. As I got in a male Splendid Fairy-Wren showed off his stunning blueness on the path nearby. A fitting way to end a great birding day.
So, the entire list for today. Birds in brackets were seen around my house, not at the national park. A (H) indicates the bird was heard but not seen.
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Little Eagle
(Spotted Dove)
(Senegal Dove (H))
Common Bronzewing
White-Tailed Black Cockatoo (H)
Galah
(Rainbow Lorikeet (H))
Red-Capped Parrot
Australian Ringneck (28 Parrot)
Laughing Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Splendid Fairy-Wren
Red Wattlebird
White-Naped Honeyeater
Brown-Headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris leucogenys) - NEW!!
(White-Cheeked Honeyeater)
New Holland Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Western Spinebill
Striated Pardalote
White-Browed Scrubwren
Weebill
Western Gerygone (H)
Inland Thornbill
Western Thornbill
Magpie
Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike
(Rufous Whistler)
Grey Fantail
Magpie Lark
Australian Raven
Jacky Winter
Tree Martin
Silvereye
I first stopped at the lookout to see how things were. No Elegant Parrots at the nest hollow and the whole forest was surprisingly quiet. I continued on to the picnic area and was immediately greeted by many New Holland Honeyeaters frolicking in the grevillia garden in the centre of the carpark. The sprinkler was on which I'm sure created more of an attraction to them, a Red Wattlebird also lurked in a nearby tree.
I made my way along the creek and saw a few Red-Capped Parrots, I could hear a Sacred Kingfisher calling and found him quickly. A couple of Australian Ringnecks (the local sub-species, the '28 parrot') foraged on the ground very near to me and I could hear White-Tailed Black Cockatoos and Western Gerygones, but failed to locate them. I soon reached a picnic ground with a large gum tree. I put my binoculars on the commotion in the treetop and saw to my surprise a Brown-Headed Honeyeater - a new bird for me. In the same tree were New Holland Honeyeaters, one White-Naped Honeyeater and a few of the ubiquitous Grey Fantails.
Not far further I came across some low scrub consisting of a lot of grevilia. There was quite a commotion in here also and I discovered many New Holland Honeyeaters hassling more Brown-Headed Honeyeaters and a female Western Spinebill. I stuck around in the hopes that I'd finally see a male spinebill (a gorgeously patterned bird), but no such luck. I did however also see in the area a Jacky Winter and a few Brown Honeyeaters.
A little further along I heard an insectlike call and stalked around some fallen logs searching for the source. Eventually I found my quarry, a White-Browed Scrubwren, these are very vocal birds but extremely hard to find due to their habit of hiding in thick undergrowth. Around this time I discovered that this was going to be the day of the "little brown bird" (I put that in quotes because birds like the pardalote or fairy-wrens are hardly dull brown). In the drooping branches barely a metre from me a Striated Pardalote foraged closely followed by a Weebill. Investigating a rustling in the leaves I got awesome views of a Common Bronzewing (okay, so this is a large pigeon, not a little brown bird). I then discovered the male of the pair was showing off on top of a small rock! I saw plenty more bronzewings on my walk, they are relatively bold in this area. I was now beside the road into the parking area and thought to myself, "I haven't seen a fairy-wren yet. Weird, I haven't even HEARD one." I then looked across the road and, speak of the devil, there was a bright blue male Splendid Fairy-Wren probably wondering if I'd gone blind. I crossed the road for a closer look and discovered a Western Thornbill in the scrub over there.
I made my way back across the carpark and to the pool caused by the damming of Jane Brook. There were plenty of Australian Wood Ducks here as well as a few token Pacific Black Ducks. A couple of Magpie Larks also dabbled around while Australian Magpies and Australian Ravens flew about in the trees overhead.
As I walked beside the lake there was suddenly a huge commotion in the trees above me. Galahs and Wood Ducks burst from the canopy and Laughing Kookaburras began to call. This could only mean one thing. I scanned the sky and found the cause of the alarm - a Little Eagle patrolling the skies.
The undergrowth in this area was also teeming with little birds. A large flock of Silvereyes was doing the rounds accompanied by pardalotes, weebills, a few female fairy-wrens and two Inland Thornbills.
I was pretty chuffed as I made my way back to the car. As I got in a male Splendid Fairy-Wren showed off his stunning blueness on the path nearby. A fitting way to end a great birding day.
So, the entire list for today. Birds in brackets were seen around my house, not at the national park. A (H) indicates the bird was heard but not seen.
Australian Wood Duck
Pacific Black Duck
Little Eagle
(Spotted Dove)
(Senegal Dove (H))
Common Bronzewing
White-Tailed Black Cockatoo (H)
Galah
(Rainbow Lorikeet (H))
Red-Capped Parrot
Australian Ringneck (28 Parrot)
Laughing Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Splendid Fairy-Wren
Red Wattlebird
White-Naped Honeyeater
Brown-Headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris leucogenys) - NEW!!
(White-Cheeked Honeyeater)
New Holland Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Western Spinebill
Striated Pardalote
White-Browed Scrubwren
Weebill
Western Gerygone (H)
Inland Thornbill
Western Thornbill
Magpie
Black-Faced Cuckoo-Shrike
(Rufous Whistler)
Grey Fantail
Magpie Lark
Australian Raven
Jacky Winter
Tree Martin
Silvereye
