Little Desert - Kiata Campground

Visited: summer

Recommendation: I loved it here. A combination of late rain and summer sun meant there were perfect conditions for wildlife. And it was abundant. This is on my revisit list for sure.

The Little Desert National Park is about 4 hours north west of Melbourne and I was thankful to leave the dismal weather behind. It was warm and sunny when I arrived at the free campground, just south of Kiata. I expected it to be busy being the last week of the school summer holidays but there were only 3 other groups and they all left in the morning. How fabulous to be back in the outback with no one around.

As is often the case, all the action was around the campground. I quickly found several species of honeyeater, and the lovely little Weebill came to investigate me. The Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris) is indeed the smallest bird in Australia! At only 8 to 9 centimeters (3.1 to 3.5 inches) long and weighing an average of 6 grams (adult bird), it holds the title of Australia's tiniest feathered friend. These little insectivores are known for their inconspicuous brownish-grey plumage and short, stubby beaks.

Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)

A pair of Jacky Winter with youngsters had a clearly defined patch, as they always seem to do and I stood and watched them hunting. I like this photo with the light on the bird. They are both juveniles, I think.

Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)

As I was watching them, a Brown Treecreeper darted in and then another. Always tricky to catch as they flit in and out of the shadows. I had to wait a while until I got this one having a rest. The gold behind the bird is just grass. The light was being very kind on this particular morning.

Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)

Later on I found a pair of Diamond Firetail that seemed to be following a treecreeper. It was great to see them, my first for this trip.

Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)

Further into the back area of the campground I could hear the familiar wailing of the White-winged Chough. I followed them for a while and suddenly it all kicked off.

The furore seemed to be around this chick. It was been closely monitored by several adults. Some were displaying and howling at times.

White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)

I had read that the chough live in familial groups and have been known to kidnap young birds if their numbers are low. I wondered if this was what was happening here. There was certainly some kind of dispute. One bird unceremoniously shoved another off the branch and as it climbed back up the tree, it was clearly hopping mad.

With all this carry on, they didn't really notice me and I stayed until things had settled down. I know you are not supposed to anthropomorphize animals any more but I couldn't help but feel the young chough was a bit smug about it all.