Lets get serious, Elefromoz 2021 West Aus BY

[Kitsafari]

On 10/12/2021 at 5:17 AM, shazdwn said:

I was voting for the gouldian finch

 

 

another worthy candidate too!!

 

Sydney is opened!! well at least for citizens and PRs for now..... @shazdwn @elefromoz does this mean you can sneak to Sydney for international travel? 

[elefromoz]

Thanks everyone

On 10/16/2021 at 10:22 AM, Kitsafari said:

Sydney is opened!! well at least for citizens and PRs for now..... @shazdwn @elefromoz does this mean you can sneak to Sydney for international travel?

Well yes we can go, but, can't get back across the border home again, sigh....

 

162. Elegant Parrot  Busselton. 8/9/21,  not looking so elegant taking a bath in a roadside puddle

 

 

 

163. Restless Flycatcher. Collins Road. 10/8/21. Its Spring and the babies are out

 

 

164. Yellow Plumed Honeyeater

 

165. Rufous Treecreeper. A lifer for me

 

 

166. Western Thornbill

 

Im not there only one feeling 'blue'

 

 

Our Tawneys have done it again, another baby. I think that's about 6 chicks in the last two years, what stellar parents

[Soukous]

super shots

[Zim Girl]

Great set of new additions!

[Kitsafari]

wow look at that fairywren. and such a cute tawny chick. 

[Peter Connan]

Some really interesting birds!

[shazdwn]

On 10/16/2021 at 11:52 AM, Kitsafari said:

 

Sydney is opened!! well at least for citizens and PRs for now..... @shazdwn @elefromoz does this mean you can sneak to Sydney for international travel? 

 

Same as @elefromoz- we can get out but to get back in would mean 2 weeks quarantine as a guest of the Northern Territory Government.  Word is come December we will be allowed to travel (not necessarily internationally - not clear yet) with one week quarantine at home when we get back if you are vaccinated.  Better but still puts a dampener on things.  I would head overseas tomorrow if I didn't have to quarantine but my husband is more cautious - so no overseas travel for us until late 2022 at the earliest I think. 

[elefromoz]

The weather has been very weird this month, lots of unseasonal rain, not a bad thing but just not what we expect in Spring. We thought we'd seize the opportunity for a short trip away before the heat hits and revisit Cue, some 600+ kms NE, where I'd tried to kill myself on the caravan door last trip resulting in aborting our visit. We had a great trip, everyone else had left, heading south in anticipation of the heat which hadn't arrived yet, so we pretty much had everywhere to ourselves. First stop

Buntine Rock 20/10/21

 

 

I got off to a great start, a lifer, and I could have stepped on it!  It chose to hunker down and sit very still, hoping we wouldn't see it

167. Little Button Quail

 

168. White Fronted Honeyeater,  another lifer

 

169. Pied Honeyeater. yes...another lifer (you can tell Im new to this game, could get tougher next year)

 

The next day we moved onto Nallan Station, 100,000 hectare cattle Station which welcomes visitors camping, in the Shearers Quarters and at the Homestead. I love this place. If anyone ever makes it to WA its a very worthy stopover with a big list of birding possibilities. All the tourists had left, last time we were here in Wildflower season it was very busy. I think the birds enjoyed having the place to themselves again.

 I took and early morning walk and again nearly stepped on this little Juv, no fear of me at all, just got on with his 'bugging''. A couple of days later we were lucky enough to see the Adult too, normally very shy, but hopped right on by as we sat at the Cattle troughs trying to get the Bourkes Parrot (never did after 3 nights trying, we'll be back next year to try again).

 

170. Crested Bellbird  21/10/21.    Lifer for me!  What made me even happier was that "Birdlife" had been here just the two days before us for a campout and they missed the Bellbird altogether, I was very lucky. Love his groovy little Crest

 

 

171. White Browed Babbler

 

172. Southern Whiteface

 

 

[elefromoz]

Today we drove out to Walga Rock, a very sacred place for the local Indigenous community. They generously allow access to the Rock which is not only beautiful but has some very fine Art. I was very grateful for this opportunity that's was given to us. There was a family of Kestrels keeping busy over the Rock (already counted)

 

 

 

 

 

A little Echidna was climbing the Rock too

 

A Sand Monitor rested in the shade

 

A "Wedgie" checked us out as we walked by

 

And I nearly missed it, playing my EBC card

173. Crimson Chat

 

 

 

What a disservice to an otherwise stunning little Bird...oh and another lifer

[elefromoz]

Nallan Station. 23/10/21

174. Hooded Robin

 

 

175. Chestnut Rumped Thornbill

 

The Bowerbird is quite secretive about his 'bower', if you approach when he's in residence doing his domestics, he'll fly off. At Nallan Station he has chosen to build the "bower' right in the middle of the campground. It is signposted and has two witches hats at the entrance, that means everyone gets to see it and no-one runs over it. So not so secret. That did not stop him being shy nevertheless, I could hear him tidying things up and adding bits, as soon as he spotted me he flew off, hoping I didn't notice what he was up to.

All sorts of white bits and pieces, a pile of green berries and a few scattered bits of blue stuff leading the way in

 

176. Western Bowerbird

[pedro maia]

Very nice places I never heard about, the quail must have been a difficulot one to spot, it just blends with the soil.

[michael-ibk]

Cool birds and places. I've seen the Bowerbird  doing its thing on TV, must be very interesting to observe that 'live'. 

[Galana]

What a terrific start to any trip. Lifers too.

[Kitsafari]

A brilliant start to the trip! lots of birds unknown to us. I would love to watch the bowyerbird do its thing. and yes that mohawk cut looks cool on the crested bellbird.

lovely sand monitor.

 

[Zim Girl]

Great collection of new birds so far from your trip!

[PeterHG]

Impressive scenery as background to your birds! Great info and photos of the Bowerbird !

[Peter Connan]

Really nice collection! 

[shazdwn]

Looks like a beautiful part of the country - with great birds.  They would all be lifers for me too.  

[elefromoz]

The end of another weird year. Whilst I haven't been able to leave West Aus, Ive been lucky enough to live restriction free here in my home state and pretty much 'covid free', so no restrictions, no masks, nuthin'. We've just had our first and biggest 'outbreak' with several community cases for many many months, so not so bad. I don't hold out any optimism for travel anywhere else '22, our economy has powered on regardless, so its tempting to leave things as is, lets see. 

I hoped to reach 200, didn't quite make it. Resorted to skulking around the garden to pick up couple more. funnily enough I missed the Raven altogether, probably the most common bird here, just overlooked.

177. Buff Banded Rail 19/3/21 Vasse Estuary.    (found in an old photo)

 

178. Willy Wagtail, today the garden

 

179. Au Magpie,(chick on the nest) today, garden

 

180. Great Cormorant  29/12/21 Alfred Cove

 

181. Bar Tailed Godwit, 6/11/21  Dunsborough lagoon

 

So that's a wrap for me, my biggest score yet , will do better next year hopefully.

Happy New Year to everyone around the globe from Western Australia

[PeterHG]

And a Happy New Year to you, too. May it extend your travels and produce lots of birds!

[Kitsafari]

Happy New Year @elefromoz 

[Peter Connan]

Thanks and happy new year from SA!

[michael-ibk]

Happy New Year, and hope to see you back here in 2022!

[Galana]

Happy New Year too.

A good finish in a difficult year. Well done.

[shazdwn]

Well done @elefromoz. A good number from a single state. Hope you get to do some of your planned trip in 2022