NT Road Trip 2015: Part 26

Newhaven: Here we come

But first we visited Yuendumu. Peter and Liyin went on to Alice Springs and back home. I fuelled up at @2.20/L and headed southwest to Newhaven via Nyirripi -- to visit the poo ponds of course. Nothing special there. I had misread an email that I thought said that there was a resident Black Falcon at Nyirripi but no BF so I reread the email and I should have been at Papunya!! So I had to make do with Hoary-headed Grebes, Zebra Finches and Brown Falcons. Still nice to see and photograph though.

Hoary-headed Grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus

Zebra Finch Taeniogpygia guttata

Brown Falcon Falco berigora

Newhaven at last. Bird mecca of central Australia,
second to Alice Springs poo ponds.

But, coming from the west, first I had to bypass the road kill in the first ten kilometres. This first body is an Australian Owlet-nightjar. I had seen one at Old Police Station Waterhole, live of course, but this one allowed closer examination. They tend to work open areas [roads] for food [insects etc] at sunset/night [thus roads are the most likely place to see them] but sometimes, obviously, they succumb to the risks of a modern feeding environment.

This guy is a Stimson's Python.

The first "mountain" to the south of the one and only road running east-west through Newhaven, is Mt Gurner which had a good rap in the trip notes [available here and downloadable to your mobile device for off-line use] and looked good to climb with great views of the surrounding countryside. So, a plan for the next morning.

Mt Gurner

Sunset at Mt Gurner