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Visited: spring
Recommendation: This area has a great reputation for wildlife but I was a little disappointed. It was probably the weather. I would like to return to try again here.
Lake Gilles was on my list to visit but I had originally thought I was heading east to Melbourne and would miss it. My change of plans now meant I could get there and it was with some trepidation that I turned off onto another unsealed road. I was also nervous because I could find very little information about the campsite there online. Ready to turn around at any corrugation or absent campground I ventured forth. This time, I shouldn't have worried. The track was great and I zoomed along at 60kph with no trouble (or corrugations) and the campsite was well marked and very nice. The lake itself was beautiful and huge.
It is always promising when arriving at a new place to hear a range of new bird calls. Equally frustrating though, I hate not knowing what species are around (I might be a control freak in that respect). Anyway, once I got some shots of the lake, I settled down to explore. The campsite is surrounded by gum trees, spinifex grass and another lovely grass I couldn't identify. I heard the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and a Striated Pardalote early on but I really wanted to photograph the White-fronted Honeyeater. It has an electronic sounding call, not unlike the Spiny-cheeked and I wasn't sure which I heard as I walked along the lake shore. Then I saw the owner of the call sitting out and I started snapping. I could tell by the shape that it was the White-fronted and as I approached, it sang (just for me I'm sure). A great start.
White-fronted Honeyeater (Purnella alibfrons)
Straight after that I spotted another honeyeater low down in a gum tree. A Yellow-plumed, my first for sometime. It sat nicely for me while I photographed it.Â
Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula ornata)
Generally though, I did find birding quite difficult here. I think it might be that the gum trees were not yet in flower so the honeyeaters were less visible. I did catch a glimpse of the Blue-breasted Fairywren and I heard the familiar calls of the Weebill. Grey Shrikethrush at the camp while Galah and Ringnecks flew around too. All in all a very nice place to be, I think I just had a bad birding day!
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