Bustards and Biliburning Rock

A couple of weeks back, I joined a group of intrepid birders from the WA Birds FaceBook group on a trip up to Biliburning Rock. Our mission was to find Bustards on a farm near the rock.

Biliburning Rock is about four hours north east of Perth near the little town of Beacon and is like a miniature Uluru. After setting up camp, we took a walk around the rock and saw Mulga Parrots, a Rufous Songlark, Zebra Finches, Southern Whitefaces, Chestnut-rumped Thornbills and Redthroats as well as a sizeable flock of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.

A drive around the farm later in the afternoon revealed a number of Banded Lapwings but no Bustards. The next morning, however, was a different story. We saw four of these beautiful, stately birds. There was also a surprise visit to a neighbouring farm to see a Bush Stone-curlew that walked into the yard one day and never left.

Secret puddles, delicious deserts, plenty of flies, a cool night and great company all added to the excellent weekend of birding.

Bush Stone-curlew

Stoney

Aggressive stance

Mulga Parrots

Redthroat

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill

Farm machinery

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters

Bustard

Zebra Finches

Red-capped Robin

Rufous Songlark

Brown Falcon and pet spider

Southern Whiteface

Welcome Swallows

Galahs

Flint State Forest

I dropped into Flint State Forest earlier this week hoping for a quail sighting. It was late afternoon and I had about half an hour to spare on my way to Brookton. I hadn't seen a quail since I started my life list so I was excited about the chance of finding one even though time was against me. But as soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw a quail, frozen, staring at me. By the time I fumbled for my camera and tried to sort out the settings, it had gone. No lifer. But the consolation was some young Western Yellow Robins who weren't so camera shy.

There was also a family of very active White-browed Babblers who were sticking their heads in holes in the ground, flitting about the low branches of scrub and so on. These birds are all personality and so they're very entertaining to watch. When they noticed me, they retreated into a nest which was a large, messy affair with side exits.  It was about head height on a spiky kind of plant.  There were a few nests in close proximity but only this one appeared active, and although the chicks had fledged, it was clearly still home. They poked their heads out of the holes to keep an eye on me then decided I was no threat and continued with their antics. The light was fading so I couldn't watch them for long, but I'll certainly be back. There's a quail there with my name on it...

Western Yellow Robin

Dusky Woodswallow

White-browed Babbler

Nalbarra Station

In September this year, I drove up to Nalbarra Station which is about halfway between Payne's Find and Mount Magnet.  Nalbarra is a working sheep station of around 370,000 acres. And there's plenty of birdlife if you don't mind the heat, the flies, the lack of phone reception and the bungarras.

Western Bowerbird

Whistling Kite

Zebra Finch

Bourke's Parrot

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Young Nankeen Kestrels

Mulga Parrots

Cockatoo sunset

Juvenile Red-capped Robin

Bungarra

Sunset

Dorper Sheep

Emu chicks

Banded Lapwings

Crimson Chat

Juvenile Crimson Chat

Pied Butcherbird and Yellow-throated Miners

Southern Whiteface

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill