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Visited: dry season
Recommendation: Always stop at rest areas, especially if there is a water tank. In this single spot, I saw 38 bird species including bowerbirds, woodswallow, kites, babblers, gerygone, honeyeaters and all manner of parrots.
Another rest area, another stellar birding experience. Every time I see a water tank with a bowl underneath, I get excited. If there are birds nearby, I know I am in for a treat. And so it was that I backed the van into position so I could sit with the back door open and watch the water bowl. In less than 24 hours, with minimal walking around the site, I recorded nearly 40 species of birds and got half decent photographs of 13 of them. You can see them below and a full list of the birds at the bottom.
Great Bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis)
Leaden Flycatcher (Myiagra rubecula)
Little Friarbird (Philemon citreogularis)
The Magpie Lark is known for its striking black and white plumage. While both sexes share the overall black and white pattern, they can be easily distinguished by the markings on their heads.
The male bird has the all-black face and throat, extending down to the chest, with a large white patch on the side of the neck/cheek, which is distinct from the white eyebrow.
The female has the white face and throat, extending up to the forehead.
Magpie Lark (Grallina cyanoleuca)
White-throated Honeyeater (Melithreptus albogularis)
Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)
Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus)
Silver-crowned Friarbird (Philemon argenticeps)
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
The genus name Gerygone comes from the Greek 'gerugonos', meaning born of sound or echoes, highlighting the importance and often ethereal quality of their vocalizations. Another colloquial name for them is warbler and this sums them up. They all have wonderfully melodical calls.
White-throated Gerygone (Gerygone olivacea)
Black Kite
Mistletoebird
Torresian Crow
Apostlebird
Leaden Flycatcher
Magpie-lark
Willie-wagtail
Australian Magpie
Pied Butcherbird
White-breasted Woodswallow
Olive-backed Oriole
Rufous Whistler
White-bellied Cuckooshrike
Black-faced Cuckooshrike
Grey-crowned Babbler
White-throated Gerygone
Weebill
Striated Pardalote
Silver-crowned Friarbird
Little Friarbird
White-throated Honeyeater
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Honeyeater
Red-backed Fairywren
Great Bowerbird
Red-collared Lorikeet
Red-winged Parrot
Galah
Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo
Sacred Kingfisher
Blue-winged Kookaburra
Rainbow Bee-eater
Straw-necked Ibis
Masked Lapwing
Pheasant Coucal
Bar-shouldered Dove
Peaceful Dove
Crested Pigeon
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