week 011 | Welcome to the Spinifex & Kalkadoon! | trip list 257 – 293
Posted onFantastic birding week starting on the Great Inland Way into the Spinifex around Mount Isa, Kalkadoon county
In an Eggshell:
- Big Zigzag bird species count: 293 (+36 this week)
- Big Zigzag bird families count: 77 (+3 this week: Buttonquail, Australo-Papuan Bellbirds, Reed Warblers)
- Big Zigzag Lifers: 45 (+13 this week: Plum-headed Finch, Spinifex Pigeon, Gray-headed Honeyeater, Spinifexbird, Red-chested Buttonquail, Budgerigar, Spotted Bowerbird, Pictorella Munia, Black-tailed Treecreeper, Carpentarian Grasswren, Gray-fronted Honeyeater, Painted Firetail, Kalkadoon Grasswren)
- Campsite Lifers: 12 (+4 this week: Red-chested Buttonquail, Budgerigar, Spotted Bowerbird, Pictorella Munia)
- Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 72 (+13 this week)
- eBird days of checklist streak: 75
- Week’s special milestones: Reached 500 on my Australian list, Travelled so far milage passed the 10000 km, my first Grasswren! (the second as well)
Bird(s) of the Week
Spinifex Pigeon (Geophaps plumifera) common on naturally spinifex habitat.
Spinifexbird (Poodytes punctatus), The Locustellidae (Grassbirds and Allies) member of this habitat.
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) is probably the first Australian bird I have seen as a kid, as a common cage bird. Only now, in my 4th trip to Australia I was able to see one in wild. One is the wrong description, folks of dozens and hundreds welcomed me early morning at Lake Corella, and later on in other outback site. Still waiting for the thousands’ flock. My other childhood memory related to Budgies was the pepper seeds they were feeding with. And last nigh, as I was cutting pepper for my dinner’s salad, I was thinking whether that’s a sing for tomorrow’s first budgie.
Waxbills and Allies (Estrildidae) are defiantly the family of this week. with 3 lifers: Plum-headed Finch (above, from Hughenden Recreational Lake), Pictorella Munia and my 500th Australian – bird Painted Firetail.
Painted Firetail (Emblema pictum) monotype genus
Non-bird image(s)
Spinifex habitat, near Mount Isa City
My gateway to the spinifex – Chinaman Creek Dam Road, Cloncurry
Week's Key location(s)
The Flinders. Great free camping near Hughenden Recreational Lake, gave me the opportunity to tick Plum-headed Finch just next to my Motorhome’s night camp.
Chinaman Creek Dam Road, Cloncurry was my gate way to the spinifex, where I had my firsr Spinifex Pigeon, Spinifexbird and Gray-headed Honeyeater.
Lake Corella is also a great combination of amazing birding site and free camping, where I had no less than 4 lifers: Red-chested Buttonquail, Budgerigar, Spotted Bowerbird and Pictorella Munia.
Gunpowder Road, about 45 km north to Mount Isa City, is also a great site which provided 3 lifers: Black-tailed Treecreeper, Carpentarian Grasswren, Gray-fronted Honeyeater. Amazing birdy area!
Pamela Street Water Tanks, Mt. Isa, includes a birding trail where I’ve got my Kolkadon Grasswren and Painted Finch.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 10240 km (this week 1220 km)
eBird Checklists this week
