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Visited: Autumn and winter
Recommendation: This is a real Outback experience. The campsites are basic but the area is stunning, particularly at sunrise and sunset. You can find some great dry specialist birds here and it is wonderful to visit any time.
Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
Across the Outback are large sheep and cattle stations and you can stay at some of them. It is a great way to spend time in the Outback and still have flushing toilets! And so, my first stop as I crossed the border into Queensland was the station at Charlotte Plains. There were 2 sites - the Sheep Shearing site and the Borehead site which has hot spring baths. I stayed at the much smaller Sheep Shearing site and was glad as it was quiet with very few people.
The first thing I noticed was that there were Brown Treecreeper everywhere. Climbing the trees, hopping around on the ground and in the campsite. It was lovely to see this large treecreeper just pottering around.
Visiting the area in autumn and winter was great as the long, soft light in the mornings and afternoon and on one visit I found a group of Ground Cuckoo-shrike who looked like they were getting ready to nest. I have always found these birds to be very skittish but here, they were preoccupied which allowed me to get close to them. I spent some time watching them on the ground and in the trees and finally got some good shots of them. These photos are a mix of adult and juvenile birds.
Ground Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina maxima)
Bourke's Parrot (Neophema bourkii)
Every morning I drove up to the other campsite as there were often parrots everywhere. Greater Bluebonnet and Bourke's Parrots were usually around but hard to get close to. The Bourke's in particular, are small, shy and cryptic. They are also known as the Bourke's parakeet or Bourkie, and are native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia.
These are relatively small parrots, measuring only 18-23 cm (7-9 inches) in length. They have a distinctive coloration – mostly grey-brown above with a pinkish-red abdomen and a blue rump. Around their eyes, they have a prominent white patch, giving them a "spectacled" look.
Unlike many parrots, Bourke's parrots spend a considerable amount of time on the ground because their body colouring provides good camouflage in their natural habitat. They can also fly well, but tend to travel in short, swift bursts with glides in between.
One of my favourite experiences at Charlotte Plains was finding a huge flock of Pink Cockatoo. It was in June and they came to the same spot each afternoon to feed on the wild melons (which I thought were poisonous!). As with any cockatoo, there was a lot of noise, squabbling and posturing. What more could you ask for?
Pink Cockatoo (Cacatua leadbeateri)
I liked to wander through the campsite and out the other side. Hot spring baths seemed out of place to me in the heat of the Outback! I found, or rather heard, a group of Apostlebirds squabbling over some water. It was great that I am now back in range of them.
True to their namesake, Apostlebirds are known for their strong family bonds and cooperative breeding habits. They live in groups of around six to ten birds, typically consisting of a dominant breeding pair, several females, and immature helpers (usually the previous season's young). These young birds play a vital role in the group's success. They act as helpers to the breeding pair, assisting with nest-building, feeding chicks, and keeping an eye out for predators.
Apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea)
On the way back to the Sheep Shearer campsite, I was startled to see a pair of Brolga just wandering along the road. The Brolga, also known as the Australian Crane is an iconic bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea.
They are one of Australia's largest flying birds, standing around 1 to 1.3 meters tall with a wingspan of 1.7 to 2.4 meters. They have a slender build, long legs, and a long neck. Their plumage is mainly grey with black wingtips, but the most striking feature is the red to orange patch on their head, which extends down the throat like a wattle.
Unlike other cranes, Brolgas have a unique adaptation - a special gland located near the corner of their eyes. This gland helps them expel excess salt from their bodies, which is important as they often inhabit wetlands with brackish water.
Brolga (Grus rubicunda)
After several attempts, I returned to the Borehead site and finally got the bluebonnets These are really interesting birds, typically found in small groups of under ten birds, with some pairs separating to breed before rejoining the flock in late spring with their young.
When flushed, they will quickly leave the ground with whistling calls, flying to a nearby tree where they fall silent and adopt an upright posture to observe the intruder before returning to the ground. Their flight is described as undulating or jerky, usually below treetop level.
These parrots form monogamous pairs and typically breed only once a year. However, in years with abundant rainfall, they may attempt to raise two broods. Both the male and female participate in selecting and preparing a nesting site, often choosing a hollow in the trunk or limb of a living or dead tree with a small entrance hole.
Greater Bluebonnet (Northiella haematogaster)
On the other site of the camp again, I found some Mallee Ringneck. There are four recognized subspecies of the Australian Ringneck, each with a distinct range and plumage variation. This was the last of the species that I needed and it was good to see them.
The Mallee Ringneck is found in eastern parts of the Northern Territory, north western Queensland, and eastern Australia.
They are mainly green plumage with a yellow collar and green head. The underparts are yellow and blue and there is a distinctive red patch on the forehead.
Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius barnardi)
I was now on my way out of the station and heading back to Cunnamulla but I wasn't finished yet. A Rufous Songlark sat nicely for me. Interesting that I hadn't heard their distinctive call but had seen a couple of them.
Visiting in winter brought a big surprise in lots of Brown Songlarks. Their electronic buzzy call was distinctive and wonderful. After several trips up and down the road between the 2 camps, I found a pair who were clearly gathering nesting material. The female (below right) was a pale brown and sat low as she looked for grasses. The male (below left) sat up singing in that characteristic pose.
Rufous Songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi)
Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis)
You have to go through a closed gate to exit and as I pulled up, I was startled to see a Brown Falcon with some prey just the other side. I sat quietly and watched. It was throwing something around and digging at it with its beak. I realised it was a rock. I think this was a young bird practising. It was quite incredible to watch.
Brown Falcon (Falco berigora)
I haven't seen too many raptors around the site but once there were several dead sheep in a field and a Wedge-tailed Eagle and lots of Black Kites were circling. They were unapproachable as the ground was totally open but with my long lens, I was able to get the kites on the ground, which looked fabulous in the winter light.
Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax)
Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
I was hoping to see several species of Woodswallow at the station but I have only ever found the rather common Black-faced. They did look rather sweet all cuddled up together in the cool early mornings. In the same, open area were several Jacky Winter. They always seem to be very territorial and I saw them hawking for bugs in the same location day after day.
Black-faced Woodswallow (Artamus cinereus)
Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)
Some birds I didn't necessarily expect to see were the Red-backed Kingfisher, which was often sitting on the power lines at the Sheep Shearers Campsite. Another surprise was the Pacific Heron which was working the edge of the creek that flows from the other side of the artesian baths. With lots of people about, I thought it unusual to see one being so unconcerned.
Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygia)
Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica)
Driving slowly between the campsites was always productive and I regularly heard fairywren. I was thrilled to see even in the colder weather there were lots of the electric blue White-winged Fairywren. There were, as usual, lots more females and juveniles around but still some males in full, brilliant colour.
White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
In the winter, there were lots of parrots around, particularly Cockatiel. They zoomed around in small groups and it was wonderful to see some of them grooming and socialising. Larger groups of Budgies were around and at times they settled in the long grass making it impossible to get close to them. A few took to the snags to investigate holes which gave better viewing.
Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)
Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
On the approaching main road, I have often seen Emu. Never looking very smart, the traffic usually has to stop for them. On this occasion, a group of them were dashing out of the scrub to sit at a small puddle and drink. This actually provided a great opportunity to photograph them from the safety of my campervan.
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
At the Sheep Shearers Campsite, after a good douse of rain, I spent some time watching Fairy Martins collecting mud for their nests. You don't often see these little gems stationary so it was a good opportunity to photograph them. It is quite remarkable that these tiny birds collect mud and then shape it into nests.
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
I have seen several species of cuckoo at the station. My favourite has to be the Pallid Cuckoo with its haunting call that can be heard from quite a distance. During my winter visits, I have found adults and juveniles like this bird to the left. It's mottled brown plumage gives it away, compared to the pale grey of the adult.
Pallid Cuckoo (Cuculus pallidus)
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