Big Zigzag bird species count: 422 (+17 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+0 this week: )
Big Zigzag Lifers: 84 (+2 this week: Long-billed Corella, Olive Whistler)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 118 (+9 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 152
Week’s special milestones: none
Bird(s) of the Week
Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus), VU Vulnerable. Endemic to southern Australia sandy ocean beaches. Not a lifer, but much better distance comparing to the one seen in 2018.
Olive Whistler, Enchanted Forest, Glenelg. Back in Victoria lifer.
Surprise lifer! Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris) was not on my target list as I have seen it in New South Wales in 2013 & 2018. But after posting today’s checklist on eBird of a random drive stop at Tantanoola, I found that the old reports considered as non-countable exotic species, and today’s birds from South Australia are mentioned on eBird as a lifer!
Having the biggest beak of all birds can be an advantage, although sometimes cause a headache.. Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).
Australasian Gannet colony at Point Danger, near Portland, VIC.
Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Happy with the photo (not with the cable 😜)
Non-bird image(s)
I was trying to photograph the only inland lighthouse in Australia, at Point Malcolm (narrow passage between Lake Albert and Lake Alexandrina), but unfortunately the building is not on focus 😜
Echidna. Defiantly not a bird.
Crumpets Beach, VIC.
Week's Key location(s)
Tantanoola is a surprising key location (see Long-billed Corella above)
Enchanted Forest, Olive Whistler site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 18490 km (1050 km this week)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 405 (+10 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+0 this week: )
Big Zigzag Lifers: 82 (+3 this week: Red-lored Whistler, Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Crescent Honeyeater)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 112 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 145
Week’s special milestones: Zigzag vird list over 400, 98th global Honeyeater – 50% of Meliphagidae
Bird(s) of the Week
Milestone Honeyeater. Crescent Honeyeater (Phylidonyris pyrrhopterus) is not just a lifer. Not just clean-up genus Phylidonyris (With New Holland & White-cheeked Honeyeaters). This is my 98th global honeyeater, which means I have more the 50% of the 195 Honeyeaters in the world. Photographed at Scott Creek Conservation Park, South Australia.
Red-lored Whistler at Murray – Sunset NP
Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans) ticked 2 weeks ago without photo. At Cox Scrub Conservation Park it was easier.
Dusky Woodswallow feeding chick
Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) – not a lifer – but you can see the water through his nostrils!
Non-bird image(s)
Cox Scrub Conservation Park
Scott Creek Conservation Park
Murray – Sunset National Park
Week's Key location(s)
Red-lored Whistler location – Murray-Sunset National Park–around Millewa South Bore Track at Pheenys Track
Ettrick Conservation Park, Purple-gaped Honeyeater location
Cox Scrub Conservation Park, Elegant Parrot site.
Scott Creek Conservation Park, Crescent Honeyeater site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 17440 km (990 km this week)
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.
On the 2 evenings I was in Ouyen, Pink Cockatoos seen west and north to Blackburn Park. During the day could not find them.
Seems that the best way to see Malleefowl is when the feed on roadsides as Hopetoun Walpeup Rd. May a better option is to contact
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 16450 km (this week 990 km)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+0 this week: )
Big Zigzag Lifers: 75 (+5 this week: Mulga Parrot, White-browed Treecreeper, Regent Parrot, Striated Grasswren, Black-eared Miner)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 105 (+6 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 131
Week’s special milestones: Grasswren #7, eBird’s 1500th checklist, 3500 species photographed, clean-up Australasian Treecreepers, Zigzag travelled over 15000 km
Bird(s) of the Week
Regent Parrot at one of Gluepot Reserve drinking points (Don and Chris Lill Bird Hide )
Mulga Parrot on similar situation
Striated Grasswren at Mallee trail
Black-eared Miner, Gluepot Reserve.
Clean-up Australasian Treecreepers (Climacteridae) with White-browed Treecreeper. The family contain 6 Australian endemics plus 1 papuan.
When you need to leave your vehical at the repairman, you better do than in a walking distance from wetlands… Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea), Barker Inlet Wetlands, South Australia
Happy hour at the bird hide
Non-bird image(s)
Barker Inlet Wetlands
Mallee landscape at Gluepot Reserve
Gluepot lifers by location
Week's Key location(s)
Two lovely morning with 50 species at Barker Inlet Wetlands while fixing my RV
Great birding opportunities in Gluepot Reserve. Including 4 active bird hides, a few waling trails, and campsite facilities.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 15460 km (this week 720 km)
'Cause the desert had turned to sea...** (and elegant lifers, and mighty Murray River)
In an Eggshell:
Big Zigzag bird species count: 376 (+14 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 81 (+1 this week: Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 70 (+3 this week: Slender-billed Thornbill, Elegant Parrot, Brush Bronzewing)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 99 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 124
Week’s special milestones: cleanup genus Phaps (Bronzewing), passed 525 in my Australian list
Bird(s) of the Week
Lovely lifer and cleanup genus Phaps! Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans) was a dream bird and one of the two elegant lifers (with Elegant Parrot) this week. Belair National Park
Week’s first lifer: Slender-billed Thornbill (Acanthiza iredalei), Port Gawler, SA
Musk Duck from Barossa Reservoir, Whispering Wall
Master of nest camouflage, Varied Sittela
Non-bird image(s)
Port Gawler, Slender-billed Thornbill habitat.
Belair National Park
Lenger Reserve
Murray River at Mannum.
Week's Key location(s)
2 lifers location near Port Gawler: Elegant Parrot & Slender-billed Thornbill
Barossa Reservoir–Whispering Wall was the surprising site of the week. I stopped there after failing to find Brush Bronzewing at Para Wirra Conservation Park, just due curiosity – and found a lovely place to pass the day with interesting attraction (the whispering wall), some birding at the reservoir, and nice picnic area.
Belair National Park, Brush Bronzewing site.
Big Zigzag Travelled so far: 14740 km (this week 900 km)
Big Zigzag bird species count: 362 (+17 this week)
Big Zigzag bird families count: 80 (+0 this week)
Big Zigzag Lifers: 67 (+3 this week: Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Western Grasswren)
Campsite Lifers 19 (+2 this week: Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill)
Big Zigzag New for Australia list: 96 (+3 this week)
eBird days of checklist streak: 117
Week’s special milestones: 6th Grasswren (Western), trip list over 350
Bird(s) of the Week
Tawny Frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) master of camouflage, Farina.
Campsite Lifer – Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis) A new category has been added to the weekly post’s “In an Eggshell:” – Campsite Lifer. It is great fun to start your morning with a lifer, before starting your engine. As far as possible, I am trying to find campsite in nature environment, preferably free of charge, and start my day with birding as I wake up. Sometimes it is a few hours walk, but if I did not drive from the night camp – I’ll consider a new bird seen on that round as a Campsite Lifer.
Who comes to drink? One of the benefits of RV birding, is the ability in certain condition, to position your motorhome in a great birding spot, such as this unexpected drinking point, just at the camping site in Parina, SA. You can watch from your bed window or from your kitchen, make your meals and even work on your laptop, and still see what’s going on. In such hot day in the desert, this is a very busy spot. Hundreds of Zebra finches, dozens of Honeyeaters (Spiny-cheeked, Singing, White-plumed, White-fronted, Pied, Crimson & Orange chats) Woodswallows (White-breasted and Black-faced), Crested Pigeons, Diamond Doves, Budgerigars, Galah s, Little Corellas, Willie-wagtails, House Sparrows, Brown Quail, Chirruping Wedgebill, Rufous Songlark and.. Emu!
Not a lifer, but first Redthroat (Pyrrholaemus brunneus) for the Big Zigzag at Flinders Rangers.
Pied & Great Cormorants, Australian Pelican, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Australian Darter at Leigh Creek Coal Retention Dam.
Non-bird image(s)
Sundown creek free campsite south of Leigh Creek
View from Sundown creek
Flinders Ranges Way
Whyalla consevation park – Western Grasswren (Amytornis textilis myall) habitat.
Week's Key location(s)
Farina, an abandoned town established in 1878, serves now as historical site and a great birding place. A lot of walking options, on a birding trail and many other trails. Although I failed to find here the Thick-billed Grasswren, I was able to tick Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, and had a great find with the drinking spot.
Leigh Creek Coal Retention Dam was also a nice site and it’s great to get coffee and light food on near by Copley Bush Bakery & Cafe (closing usually around noon).