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!

You Yangs

'Enjoyed some further birding diversity only 30 minutes drive from the Western Treatment Plant by visiting the You Yangs Regional Park on Boxing Day 2012. The You Yangs are a collection of 2-3 granite peaks between Melbourne and Geelong. The surrounding vegetation includes Manna Gum and Yellow Gum. The understorey is sparse. It is more akin to what I associate with "north of the divide" as distinct from the heavily forested gullies and rainforest of the ranges I have tended to frequent. Not surprisingly then the place attracts a nice variation of birds for me to observe!

White-winged choughs

A highlight for me was seeing my first ever chough nest. This was at the nearby Serendip Nature Reserve

The excellent Birds Australia book Where to see birds in Victoria edited by Tim Dolby has a You Yangs chapter written by Russell Woodford. We found the "car park" Tawny frogmouths to which he refers ....

... and also found the "gravel pit on the east side of Great Circle Drive, a little past Kurrajong Ave". Remarkably we picked up the Diamond firetail, Crested shrike-tit and Dusky woodswallow mentioned in his narrative amongst others. The gravel pit had created the effect of a small dam which was particularly popular with the firetails and numerous honeyeater species.

You'll have to take my word that the birds drinking (at left, above) are the aforementioned Diamond firetails. The positioning of the pond didn't allow for proximity to such small birds. Crested shrike-tit is always a good find for me - it can be seen at right. I was once again travelling with Richard whose post of the same trip has some better shots of these birds.

New-Holland honeyeater and Yellow-faced honeyeater enjoying the dam.

White-plumed honeyeaters having their Boxing Day extended-family get together! 

Nearby is the Serendip Sanctuary which is located on the outskirts of the town of Lara. As well as wild birds the sanctuary has enclosures for recovery program birds. These include Brolga, Magpie geese and Australian bustard. I was curious about this captive bustard's posture. Looking up I was not surprised to see a soaring raptor.

Bird on!