Tuesday, 14 July 2015

NT Road Trip 2015: Part 30: Newhaven

Newhaven: More

I decided to spend a couple of hours staking out one of the few remaining bores still operating -- Freshwater Bore. I gathered several tonnes of home comforts and settled down.


Two hours later my bird count was Diamond Dove 1, Coffee 3, Zebra Finch ∞+1. That was it. Not as successful as I had envisaged.



Then I went driving. Other birds seen included ....

Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis

Pallid Cuckoo Cuculus pallidus


The owner of Newhaven was a bit of an environmentalist evidently and was an integral part of the [partly?] Federally-funded purchase of the property. There is one rock on the south side of the Home Range near to the original farmhouse and, now, campgrounds upon which he used to regularly climb to survey the surroundings.



Other birds seen in my last two days there included ...

Black-faced Woodswallow Artamus cinereus

Brown Honeyeater Lichmera indistincta

Major Mitchell's [Pink] Cockatoo Cacatua leadbeateri

Red-capped Robin, male Petroica goodenovii

Red-capped Robin, female Petroica goodenovii

White-fronted Honeyeater Phylidonyris albifrons

Red-browed Pardalote Pardalotus rubricatus

Cockatiel Nymphicus hollandicus

Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis


Brown Falcon Falco berigora

Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata


My Newhaven list was 59 species in five days. Certainly not stellar but I had an excellent time. There were only two other campers, both of whom were waiting to start their volunteering and knew a fair bit about the place. The rangers/warden folks were very nice. The shower block and toilets were top-class, firewood was provided. Although 400 km from Alice Springs, I highly recommend it as a place to visit, both for birding and just being in a great environment.

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