week 020 | Gluepot to Hattah – Kulkyne | trip list 391 – 395

West Victoria Mallee (and both, only "Mallee" named birds, as lifers!)

In an Eggshell:

Big Zigzag bird species count: 395 (+4 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+0 this week: )
Big Zigzag Lifers: 79 (+4 this week: Chestnut Quail-thrush, Mallee Emu wren, Pink Cockatoo, Malleefowl)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 109 (+4 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 138
Week’s special milestones: Clean-up genus Stipiturus (Emuwren), Clean-up Megapods of Australia

Bird(s) of the Week

A warm Victorian welcome with Chestnut Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma castanotum) at Hattah – Kulkyne National Park

Pink Cockatoo (aka Major Mitchel Cockatoo) seems like an easy lifer in the right time and location. I spent a few hour in Ouyen with not much activity, but late afternoon they become the nosiest birds around

Malleefowl, the mound-builder or the Megapod of the Mallee, not easy to spot. On the right places, they seen feeding on roadsides, dangerous for them, may useful for spotting it. Thanks for Michal from Explore The Mallee from his help!

Mallee Emuwren – ticked at Hattah – Kulkyne National Park, photographed better a few days later at Murray – Sunset National Park

Non-bird image(s)

Crossing from South Australia to Victoria

Mallee landscape at Hattah – Kulkyne NP

Sunset near Ouyen, Pink Cockatoo time

Week's Key location(s)

Hattah-Kulkyne NP was the site for the first to lifers: Chestnut Quail-thrush & Mallee Emuwren. Striped Grasswren was seen as well. I spent most of the time on Nowingi trail.