Birds of the Roebuck Plains

The town of Broome in Western Australia is a well-known birding destination. The tidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay play host to large numbers of migratory waders and it is on these shores that the Birdlife Australia Broome Bird Observatory is located. The observatory provides information, walking trails, bird hides and camping accommodation. It also offers tours and it was a tour called the Lakes Tour that I joined on 24 August 2012.

The trusty vehicle our guide had grown to love, Roebuck Plains

The tour gives access to land owned by the Roebuck Plains Cattle station. It is my understanding that the Roebuck Plains area was originally the massive delta of the Fitzroy River - a large river system that now flows into the King Sound. In "the wet" the plains are awash and impassable. The tour runs in the dry season and visits three residual shallow lakes as they dry out.

Our guide Theresa, a visiting Spanish ornithologist, was a gun at bird ID. This is Lake Campion. We are viewing birds on the other side of the lake.

I was impressed by the Google earth image showing a striking difference in the topography between the plains and the surrounding West Kimberley bush. This is not really appreciable as you zip along Highway One!

This was classic long-range birding using scopes and binoculars. Up close photographic opportunities were few but many species were identified including several lifers.

"Is there a particular bird you would like to see?" asked Theresa
"I have never seen Australian bustard." Sure enough we had our tick within the hour.

Four of a group of seven Australian bustard wandering away from the track

Our first stop was at Lake Eda - we were met with fine views of a White-bellied sea eagle. Brolga were readily seen around the area. Taken through the tinted windscreen of a slowly-moving car these photos are particularly poor but I am amused by the pictures of this bird descending with its landing gear down.

White-bellied sea eagle, Lake Eda

White-bellied sea eagle

Brolga descent and then grazing near Lake Eda

Lake Eda was followed by Lake Campion and then Taylor's Lagoon. At each lake I practiced trying to differentiate between the different waders present (Wood and Marsh sandpiper principally). I enjoyed my first ever sighting of Cockatiel (albeit at a great distance). Australian pratincole paraded obligingly.

Australian pratincole, Lake Eda

An across-the-lake view of a group of Cockatiel, Lake Eda

Not my kit .... unfortunately! Yes I was "out-lensed", Taylor's Lagoon

Red-backed kingfisher

Rainbow bee-eaters

Black-winged stilt

We had a few Zebra finch encounters (above) but my favourite photo opportunity of the day would have to be the Long-tailed finch that came down to drink near a magnificently placed branch!

Long-tailed finch, Taylor's Lagoon

77 species were seen in all including many ducks and other water fowl, budgerigar, raptors. You can see the entire list here (Eremaea website).

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Bird on!

Birds of the Bungles

Driving to and from the Bungle Bungles from our accommodation close to the highway was a big day out - not a day that lent itself to birding (how can this be true?)!

However I did enjoy a walk the following morning (12 August 2012) exploring along the Spring Creek. This is a tributary of the Ord River. Caravan park, creek and river are all a part of the Mabel Downs cattle station.

You can see pictures, stories and a short video from the family adventures at the Bungles at these posts from the family blog!

• Purnululu National Park
• Bungles video
• Tom's helicopter narrative and photos

But on to the birds ....
It was a great morning for slaking your thirst at Spring Creek!

One of the grubbiest Sulphur-crested cockatoos I have come across!

Peaceful dove

Long-tailed finch drinking and ... well .... reflecting!

Budgerigar

I remember being frustrated and elated at the same time as the small flock of budgies arrived. Elated that they had appeared in the first place and deigned it reasonable to have a drink adjacent to my "perch"! Frustrated that I knew it was not possible to get any closer or make any attempt to improve my position without seeing them off!

In these cropped views I do like the "descending angel" pose of the bird at left!

In my limited experience (about 2 weeks!) I have found that budgies can be hard to photograph! They are small fast and in numbers that bewilder - all characteristics that help them elude predators. Even in dead trees they camouflage well!

Spot the budgie - I just counted 33 in this picture!

If Long-tailed finch sit on a branch they tend to stand out!

Long-tailed finch

The rear view is included because it demonstrates the feature that gives them their common name!

This was another location that seemed to cope with a large number of honeyeater species. Black-chinned honeyeater seen below was a lifer for me. The north and western Australian race laetior is also known as Golden-backed honeyeater - these colours demonstrated in the peculiar pose at right.

Yellow-tinted honeyeater. This back-lit photo was a small spot metering triumph for this photographer - not least because as the swaying branch moved I was being blinded by a direct view of the sun!

Please also meet some other locals seen that morning including Olive-backed oriole, Grey shrike-thrush, Little friarbird and Whistling kite. You can see the complete Eremaea list here.

Bird on!

HV8 Finches put on a show!

HV8 is the cattle brand for the Home Valley Station located in the Kimberly region of Western Australia. In our brief stay there in August this year I was thrilled to meet several bird species for the first time including a few species of finches.

Photographing these Long-tailed finch was a buzz! I had not really studied in advance and didn't know their name nor anything about them .... except that they looked sensational!

Long-tailed finch, Home Valley Station

I had met Crimson finch back at Kununurra but the Home Valley birds were very accommodating. Finches do love poor plumbing!

Crimson finch, Home Valley Station

Finally, a small flock of Gouldian finches was worth getting up early for. They didn't allow me very close and disappeared after a single viewing but I at least got a couple of shots to remember the occasion!

Gouldian finch, Home Valley Station

Ahh the memories!

Bird on!