MALLACOOTA - BACK TO ITS BEST

When I compiled 'The Best 100 Birdwatching Sites in Australia,' I put Mallacoota in the top ten. Then came the devastating fires of 2019. When the second edition of 'The 100 Best Birdwatching Sites in Australia' was published, I felt obliged to downgrade Mallacoota to site number 30, and it remained there for the third edition. Site number 30 for the whole of Australia is still pretty impressive. I have just had a great few days enjoying the birds of Mallacoota, and I'm pleased to say that, should there ever be a fourth edition, Mallacoota will be restored to its rightful place in the top ten of Australia's birding sites. I saw 133 species in total on my trip - this includes driving to and from Melbourne and one night in Orbost on the way. Highlights were: Freckled Duck on Lake Guthridge in Sale, a paddock full of Glossy Ibis along the way, Australian Masked Owl at Cape Conran, and an unexpected Australasian Figbird at Paynesville on the way home. Of course Mallacoota reliably provided: Southern Emu-wren, Tawny-crowned Honeyeater, Hooded Plover (at Betka Beach), Satin Bowerbirds and both White-headed and Wonga Pigeons. I saw Superb Lyrebirds every day, and they lived up to their name. One beautiful male, in particular, shimmered his tail for me for quite a few seconds. I must also mention the superlative Grey Goshawk that flew overhead when I was on the beach looking for Sooty Oystercatchers. I saw Beautiful Firetails at the airport, but, to be greedy, I'd have liked a better look. The bird of the trip was a magnificent Spotted Quail-thrush on the Wangarabell Road who very kindly walked into my line of sight as I pointed my binoculars hopefully towards some moving grass.

Disappointments were: I did not see a Ground Parrot and I did not see a Greater Sooty Owl. But, let's face it, anyone who's seen a Masked Owl has no right to complain about the absence of sooties, right? At Shipwreck Creek I admired sea eagles and emu-wrens, but I could not convince a Ground Parrot to say hello. I was also disappointed to note that some remarkably clever person had seen fit to burn the toilet down. I do hope that person is caught short in very embarrassing circumstances. I also dipped on Glossy Black Cockatoos and Scarlet Myzomelas. Again, I should not complain. The Victorian population of Glossy Blacks is now a fighteningly low 30-40 birds, and Scarlet Myzomelas don't really have to put in an appearance until summer according to their contract. Having enjoyed my first ever Western Shriketits in Western Australia earlier this year, I was very pleased to admire Eastern Shriketits at Gipsy Point. I don't seem to see these lovely birds in Melbourne as often as I used to. The Eastern Whipbirds were vocal and evident at Gipsy Point too, always a great addition to the birdlist.

Of course I had a wishlist when I set off from home. It had a very ambitious 43 species on it, all birds I haven't seen yet this year. I came home with 21 new birds for the year, but five of those were so unexpected they weren't even on my wishlist. As well as the beautiful birds, and the kangaroos and wallabies, I always admire Australian Swamp Rats in Mallacoota. I confess I don't get excited when I see Humpback Whales, but I do catch my breath for Sugar Gliders and Agile Antechinus. There was also a colony of Grey-headed Flying Foxes present as I admired the Freckled Duck at Lake Guthridge. Mallacoota, you never disappoint! I hope there is a fourth edition of my book and I can reinstate you to your proper place in the world.

PILBARA BIRDING

If you want to see grasswrens, I recommend that you seek help from Bellbird Tours. The IOC presently recognises 13 species of grasswren. Phil Maher showed me one species (the Carpentarian near Mt Isa); Klaus Ulenhaut showed me one (the Black Grasswren on the Mitchell Plateau); and, remarkably, I've managed to get two by myself (the Dusky at King's Canyon and the Striated at Hattah Kulkyne in my home state). But Bellbird Tours has shown me an incredible eight species. Yes, you're right, I still have one to get: the elusive White-throated Grasswren at Kakadu. There are also another eleven subspecies to chase, of which I've now seen four, leaving me with a total of one species and seven subspecies yet to see. I'm just back from a Pilbara tour with Bellbird Tours, where I clocked up three grasswren subspecies: the Western Grasswren, famously at Monkey Mia in Shark Bay (easy!); the Sandhill Grasswren, a race of Rufous, at Sandstone (typical grasswren difficulty); and the Pilbara Grasswren, another Rufous race, at Newman (which also seemed remarkably easy - but that might just be down to the skill of the guide!).

The tour, comprising six birders (including me) and Louis Maserei, our guide, started at lunchtime on Wednesday, 5 June 2024 in Kings Park Cafe in Perth - don't ask me why! After lunch, we had a quick walk around Kings Park, allowing me to add Western Spinebills to my daylist. They are even more beautiful than their eastern cousins. We saw a few other birds, including Carnaby's Black Cockatoos and Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. The Red-tails had an unusual rolling call, which I hadn't noticed before, and I declared them to be my bird of the day. We had an uneventful drive to Geraldton, where we spent the night in cabins in the caravan park. On Thursday, we were disappointed that we could not view the stromatolites at Hamelin Pool. There had been a cyclone in 2021 and the damaged boardwalk had been fenced off, which, to be fair, is much easier than fixing it, and it is only 3 years, isn't it?

We drove on to Monkey Mia, admiring Black-breasted Buzzards from the car, and stopping briefly to see Chiming Wedgebills and Western Fieldwrens. It was almost dark when we arrived at the Monkey Mia Resort, but Louis still managed to point out a pair of Western Grasswren in the carpark, right on cue! Of course they were my bird of the day. We had better views in the daylight the next morning, and everyone expressed due excitement at the dolphins. I was surprised (because I'd forgotten) how pale the Southern Whiteface are here, and how bright their chestnut flanks are. My bird of the day was the Southern Scrubrobin, which had provided us all with excellent views. We were back in the Geraldton caravan park cabins overnight. On Saturday we drove to Mt Magnet accompanied by a little unwelcome misty rain. We saw lots (and lots!) of Red-capped Robins, but they are beautiful, aren't they? I like the understated females even more than the showy males. We also saw quite a few mixed flocks of thornbills: Inland, Chestnut-rumped and Slaty-backed, and quite a few very colourful White-browed Treecreepers, a bird I wouldn't normally think of as 'colourful,' yet they were. Simpson and Day says that they breed from July until December, and I reckon that, in June, these blokes were getting ready for an early start. We saw an interesting wattle, Red Mulga, with red, prickly stems. The Granites provided spectacular scenery, as well as Little Woodswallows and our first Western Bowerbird for the trip. This is what The Granites looked like:

Our accommodation on Saturday night in Mt Magnet was called 'Outback Gold' and the less said about it the better. My bird of the day for Saturday was the White-browed Treecreeper, although I was spoiled for choice. On Sunday morning, we ate breakfast in our room, then set off at 5.30 in quest of Sandhill Grasswren, a bird I had been warned we may not see, as it can be difficult. Louis found (or re-located) a likely spot in the spinifex, and we all had excellent views of both male and female Sandhill Grasswrens before 7.15 a.m.! Of course they were my bird of the day. We had lunch at a picnic table. Being vegetarian, I'd been given a special lunch: a salad with two raw eggs! That night we went spotlighting. The rain paused long enough for us to see absolutely nothing. The others heard owlet-nightjars, but I managed to miss even this. On Monday, we all had wonderful views of Bourke's Parrots and one very special Banded Whiteface, which I named my bird of the day. We moved on to Nallan Station, where we stayed in the Shearer's Quarters (note where they placed the apostrophe). I did not like this accommodation. One compensation was a Western Bowerbird's bower very close to our accommodation, with a most accommodating bowerbird tending it. He had a large pile of brand new screws carefully arranged on his runway. The photographers got great shots, and Louis even managed a most professional video on his mobile phone. On Tuesday, we drove to Newman, finally arriving in the Pilbara. An odd thing, to start a Pilbara Tour on day seven of a nine day tour! Here, without any apparent effort, Louis produced Pilbara Grasswren for us, my easy pick for bird of the day. On Wednesday, we birded around Newman, admiring Crimson Chats and Masked Woodswallows. I found a small turtle carapace, which I'm told came from a Flat-shelled Turtle.

We did not see Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, a minor disappointment, well compensated for by our great views of Grey Honeyeaters, my obvious pick for bird of the day. These small, inauspicious honeyeaters must be the most mis-identified honeyeater we have. Often in mixed flocks, they are easily confused with thornbills or gerygones. On Thursday, our last day, Louis showed us some delightful Painted Finches (clearly the bird of the day), then dropped me off at the airport. I attempted to get a boarding pass, and was quite traumatised when I was informed that there was no seat for me on the plane: I was on standby, despite having paid for my ticket months beforehand. No apology, no explanation, no seat. Alone in Newman, far from the township and any possible accommodation, I didn't know what to do. There is no taxi rank at Newman airport. How could I get back to town? I waited patiently, and after my plane was fully loaded, somehow they managed to find me a seat. I've never been so grateful for a squashy economy seat. I managed to get back to Perth without further drama and my disappointment at the attitude and behaviour of Qantas Link will soon be forgotten. It was a great tour. Great grasswrens. Great company and a great tour leader.