Princess & Scarlet-chested Parrots at Neale Junction, WA

It is not often that Princess and Scarlet-chested Parrots are seen in the same tree in the wild. Lovand Szucs has sent me these pictures from his trip earlier this month to Neale Junction in WA's Great Victoria Desert. He planned the trip as a result of a similarly successful foray to find these two rare parrots in 2009 by myself, Bill Watson and Alexander Watson.

Lorand reported a minimum of 50 Princess Parrots in his 1.5 days around Neale Junction, including this one. Subsequent to Lorand's trip, a Birdquest expedition found an average of 90 Princess Parrots a day in the area.

In 2009, we had a maximum of 17 Princess Parrots in 2.5 days; this bird was one of them. Princess Parrots were also found at Neale Junction in October in 2008 but not in 2010, so they have been there at this time of the year for three of the past four years. Examination of historical records shows the area has been consistently good for the species over many years, so it is difficult to fathom the obsession that birders have with finding the species in the much more remote Great Sandy Desert.

Lorand had a minimum of 10 Scarlet-chested Parrots this month. Freshly plumaged young of both species at Neale Junction indicated they had recently bred in the area. We had just one Scarlet-chested Parrot in 2009.

This is classic Princess-Scarlet-chested Parrot habitat at Neale Junction - Marbled Gum in sand-dune country with plenty of spinifex and other shrubs such as Eremophila.

Our 2009 trip report reprinted here:

October 6 – 19, 2009 WESTERN AUSTRALIA

The trip began with a search for western corellas in the wheatbelt north-east of Perth. I found small flocks of this species 18km north of Toodyay, 15km south of Bolgart, and near New Norcia.

I was joined in Kalgoorlie on October 8 by Bill and Alexander Watson for our 770km journey to Neale Junction Nature Reserve in the Great Victoria Desert in search of princess and scarlet-chested parrots. Both species have been recorded regularly in this area over the past half-Century and the trip was made at Alexander’s suggestion.

We took plentiful supplies of water and extra fuel but did not require them. The area is remote; we had three consecutive days where we did not see another vehicle. Temperatures were pleasant, rarely rising above 30 degrees and very cool on some mornings. It had rained recently in some areas, and wildflowers were widespread.

October 9 – Drove from Kalgoorlie to Bubbles Well bore, where we camped in open mulga country.

October 10 – Drove to the campsite 300m west of the Neale Junction crossroads, on the Anne Beadell Highway, where we arrived late in the afternoon. Tank water was available here but should not be relied upon.

October 11 – We birded in separate directions from the campsite in the morning and late afternoon. The primary habitat is here are extensive spinifex flats dissected by parallel east-west sand-dunes, with marbled gum Eucalyptus gongylocarpa the dominant tall tree, with smaller mallee eucalypts common and pockets of mulga in places.

October 12 – We drove in the early morning 6km west of the campsite and spent the rest of the morning and the late afternoon walking in separate directions again from the campsite.

October 13 – We drove 24km east of the campsite the old airstrip, birding along the way and around rocky crags in the breakaway country at this locality. In the afternoon we birded around the campsite.

October 14 – We birded around the campsite in the morning and drove 167km to Yeo, a deserted grazing property homestead which is now a fine campsite. Tank and bore water were available here.

October 15 – We birded in separate directions in mulga and on bluebush and samphire flats in the Lake Yeo Nature Reserve.

October 16 - More birding around the reserve.

October 17 – We left early to bird the section of road between Point Sunday and the Great Central Highway before driving to Laverton, Menzies and Goongarrie Station, where we stayed in the old shearing headquarters.

October 18 – Birding around Goongarrie where mulga and mallee are interspersed.

October 19 – Returned to Kalgoorlie after early morning birding at Goongarrie.

SPECIES

Emu (occasional individuals), Australian Bustard (small numbers Neale Junction, Yeo Lake), Mallee Fowl (1 crossing the road at Goongarrie),

Wedge-tailed Eagle, Little Eagle, Brown Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, Australian Kestrel, Australian Hobby, Crested Pigeon, Common Bronzewing, Diamond Dove,

Galah, Pink Cockatoo (small numbers at Neale Junction), Cockatiel,

Ringneck Parrot, Mulga Parrot, Budgerigar (large flocks at Neale Junction; small numbers elsewhere), Bourke’s Parrot (several parties at Yeo Lake),

PRINCESS PARROT: First found by Alexander, with 3 birds flushed roadside at 11am on 11/10, 1.3km east of the campsite; they flew 200m to a marbled gum. It took 30 minutes to gather the other two members of the party and one of the parrots was still in the tree, affording close and prolonged views for the next hour, flying short distances to other trees. Two parrots were seen within 800m of this spot in each of the late afternoons of 11/10 and 12/10, and one in the morning of 14/10, with two birds heard in the afternoon of 13/10. At around sunset on 11/10, princess parrots were heard calling from the campsite but not seen. At 7am on 13/10, a flock of 9 princess parrots were seen well as they crossed the road 5km east of the campsite. We saw princess parrots on five occasions and heard but not saw them on two other occasions, with a total of between 12 and 17 birds seen. The habitat is not unlike that in the Gibson and Great Sandy deserts further north, where the species has been recorded in recent years, the main difference being that marbled gum and not desert oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) is the dominant tall tree on the spinifex plains at Neale Junction.

SCARLET-CHESTED PARROT: At 7.30am on 12/10, Greg flushed a male 6km west of the campsite. It alighted in a marbled gum nearby and, like the first princess parrot, obligingly stayed put until the other observers had gathered. This bird also allowed close and prolonged views. Despite diligent searing around Neale Junction and elsewhere, this was the only sighting.

Red-backed Kingfisher (common), Rainbow Bee-eater, Black-eared Cuckoo (1 at Neale Junction; 1 at Yeo Lake), Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo, Welcome Swallow, Tree Martin,

White-backed Swallow (3 at Neale Junction), Richard’s Pipit, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike,

Ground Cuckoo-shrike (seen twice at Neale Junction), White-winged Triller,

Red-capped Robin, Hooded Robin, Grey Shrike-thrush, Rufous Whistler, Gilbert’s Whistler (small numbers Yeo Lake), Crested Bellbird, Chiming Wedgebill (1 at Yeo Lake),

Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail (several Goongarrie), Jacky Winter (2 at Point Sunday), White-browed Babbler, Mudlark, Splendid Fairy-wren, White-winged Fairy-Wren, Variegated Fairy-wren, Weebill, Redthroat (common at Yeo Lake and Goongarie), Southern Whiteface,

Chesnut-rumped Thornbill, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Inland Thornbill,

Slaty-backed Thornbill (1 at Neale Junction; 1 at Lake Yeo),

Rufous Field-wren (1 at Yeo Lake), Rufous Treecreeper (common at Neale Junction),

Red Wattlebird, White-fronted Honeyeater (common and widespread),

Black Honeyeater (1 at Neale Junction; 2 at Yeo Lake),

Pied Honeyeater (common at Yeo Lake; several along Great Central Hwy),

Grey-fronted Honeyeater, Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Singing Honeyeater,

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, White-rumped Miner, Brown Honeyeater, Brown-headed Honeyeater (several Goongarrie), White-eared Honeyeater (several Goongarrie), Crimson Chat (common), Mistletoebird, Striated Pardalote, Zebra Finch, Mudlark, Black-faced Woodswallow, Masked Woodswallow, White-browed Woodswallow, Little Woodswallow, Pied Butcherbird, Grey Butcherbird, Grey Currawong, Australian Magpie, Little Crow.

Reptiles included Thorny Devil (1 at Neale Junction), Central Nettled Dragon Ctenophorus nuchalis, Military Dragon C. isolepis, Sand Goanna.

Spotless Crake, Cotton Pygmy-Goose, Little Grassbird on Sunshine Coast

Four Spotless Crakes were seen feeding in the open today at the Cooroy sewage treatment works.

The crakes were not vocalising; nor were they responsive to playback - not what I would expect at this time of year. Also at Cooroy were 4 or 5 Little Grassbirds, the first time I have had the species there.

 I had a 4-hour paddle in my kayak in the rain at nearby Lake Macdonald. Highlights here were a pair of Cotton Pygmy-Goose and 50+Whiskered Terns.

Pied Geese were in good numbers, with the furtive behaviour of several pairs around the lake edge indicating nesting. Another Little Grassbird was also found in the lake edge reeds.

Black Cormorant was among the more common species.

Extinction of Most Northerly Population of Eastern Bristlebird

The most northerly population of the endangered Eastern Bristlebird appears almost certain to be extinct.

This week, I spent some time in the Conondale Range, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, surveying a site which had in the past been reliable for Eastern Bristlebird, with several pairs resident in the vicinity. Not a squeak. What I did see was a large feral cat, at precisely the spot where I last saw bristlebirds in the area in the early-1990s.

That particular spot is pictured here. I and others have tried unsuccessfully at this and other sites in the Conondale Range since the last bird was heard there in 2009. It appears almost certain that the population is extinct.

The Eastern Bristlebird was discovered in the Conondales in the early-1980s by Chris Corben. The population is distant from other populations in the Main Range and around the Queensland-NSW border, which are also threatened.

Several factors could be responsible for the bird’s demise. Feral animals clearly are a threat. One bristlebird released in the Main Range under Queensland’s captive breeding program was quickly taken by a fox.

Habitat may have been altered in ways which do not favour bristlebirds. In protected reserves in the Conondales and elsewhere, fires may be less frequent than in the past. Consequently, vegetation may have become too dense for the birds.

At the site this week, there was no evidence of burning in recent times and the open grassy woodland favoured by bristlebirds was choked by various weeds in parts. However, there were a few nice patches, such as the one pictured above, of the native grasses favoured by the birds. Fires in the past had not directly threatened the bristlebirds as they sought refuge in adjacent rainforest areas.

The prolonged drought through the 1990s and 2000s may have been the nail in the coffin. Following good rains over the past 18 months or so, conditions are looking ideal now; there was plenty of bird activity this week.

Whatever the cause, the Eastern Bristlebird appears almost certainly to be no longer present in this part of Australia.

Shining Flycatcher on the Sunshine Coast

Shining Flycatcher is always a tricky bird to find in southeast Queensland so it was nice to see three - a pair and a single male - from my kayak today along the Maroochy River, Sunshine Coast.

The female in the first pair was particularly inquisitive.

There were lots of Collared Kingfishers about, with this one showing nicely in the open.

Plenty of Australasian Darters were along the river,

Along with Royal Spoonbills.

Squirrel Glider In My Sunshine Coast Garden

This Squirrel Glider was in my garden this evening.

The Squirrel Glider was once considered a rarity in southeast Queensland, but the animal is not uncommon in its preferred habitat. That said, this is only the second time I've had them in my garden.
This one is feeding on lerpes (tiny insects) attached to the eucalypt leaves.