With only 6 weeks to go until our 3 week Longreach trip, we needed to take our camper trailer on a test run. I had a three day break from work, so my dad and I headed up to Blanchetown for a couple of nights. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and the first thing to do was set up the trailer in the caravan park. Once that was done, we headed off for an afternoon drive around Brookfield Conservation Park. It was quite windy so there wasn't as much bird activity as I might've hoped, but I did manage to pick up a pair of Chestnut Quail-thrush, a lifer - and the first of any of the quail-thrushes I have seen! I didn't manage to get a decent photo, so I'll have to try again next time! I also found a few "year ticks" including Southern Whiteface (heaps of these around at the moment), Chestnut-crowned Babbler, White-fronted Honeyeater, Mulga Parrot and Emu.
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| Western Grey Kangaroo, Brookfield CP, SA |
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| White-fronted Honeyeater, Brookfield CP, SA |
Our first night in our camper trailer was comfortable enough despite the weather - hot and windy at first, then cold in the middle of the night - and a noisy neighbour in the middle of the night. On Sunday morning we drove to Banrock Station to go for a walk around their wetland. Again it was quite windy and there wasn't a lot of bird activity, however I finally spotted a white-necked heron - a species I've only ever seen twice before and had been making a special effort to try to find at various spots for the last few months. I spotted it as it was taking flight from a nearby tree but by the time I realised what it was and got my camera up it had flown too far away for a photo!
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| Black Swan, Banrock Station |
From Banrock we headed back towards Blanchetown, stopping at Waikerie for lunch. We went to our usual spot on the river front to eat, and I nearly dropped my pie when I spotted a pair of Apostlebirds grazing around on the grass and asphalt! Another species that I have only ever seen twice before, and both times were at Gluepot, so this was an exciting find for me.
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| Apostlebird, Waikerie, SA |
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| Apostlebird, Waikerie, SA |
We spent another hour or so at Brookfield CP on Sunday afternoon, where we found a pair of Greater Bluebonnets, some more Mulga Parrots and Mallee Ringnecks. Back at our campsite we were barbecuing some chicken patties for our dinner when I noticed we were being watched from above by an inquisitive Pied Butcherbird, another year tick! Eventually some Noisy Miners chased it away, along with a Kookaburra they decided to harrass. The second night in the camper trailer was better as the weather was cooler and less windy, and our noisy neighbour had packed up and left!
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| Pied Butcherbird, Blanchetown, SA |
On Monday morning we got up early and packed up the trailer, and went for one last drive around Brookfield. Again it was pretty quiet, and didn't find much aside from a Red-capped Robin, Striated Pardalote and quite a few Brown Treecreepers.
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| Hooded Robin, Brookfield CP, SA |
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| Brown Treecreeper, Brookfield CP, SA |
In total I added 19 species to my year list for South Australia, bringing me up to 158 species. Highlights were of course the Chestnut Quail-thrush pair, as well as the White-necked Heron, Apostlebirds and Pied Butcherbird.
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| "Cheers", Blanchetown, SA |
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