NT Road Trip 2015: Part 06

Day 06 -- Eringa Waterhole to Chambers Pillar

After heading north from Eringa, we made relatively slow [40kph] progress on some fairly rough roads towards New Crown Station. The Pedirka Track to Dalhousie Springs [a top birding spot] was closed. This meant that we would have to do an extra 180 km to visit. We decided not to, so kept heading north. The border between SA and NT was interesting for it's lack of features. Just a welcoming sign!

After passing through the town of Finke [Aputula] we headed towards Alice Springs on the Old South Road. This road has several unique features. It is mostly sand. It has lots of corrugations. It follows the Old Ghan easement and there are plenty of old steel rail spikes on the road, presumably brought to the surface when grading. We saw many dozens. And made sure we didn't run over any. But the most unusual feature is that the road runs beside the Finke Desert Race track which is from 10 metres to 50 metres away. Occasionally the race track crosses the road. The FDR occurs on the Queen's Birthday weekend [06-08 June 2015] in which various classes of bikes and buggies race the 250km to Finke on one day and back again the next. See here for YouTube footage of buggies or bikes. Essentially it is 250 kms of corrugations, moguls and jumps. The biggest drop from crest to valley is 1.8 metres. The bikes used to be faster than the buggies but the buggy guys have their suspensions sorted these days and do the distance in about 90 minutes. Yes, 90 minutes for 250 kms!!

We turned off the Old South Road at Maryville Station and drove 40kms into the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve. There is a 4WD-only jump-up about 20km out which gives a fabulous view of the country and the pillar.

Spot the pillar

Closer

Closest [towards sunset]

The only birds photographed for the day were Zebra Finches Taeniopygia guttata by a bore. ZFs must have water daily and are never very far from it.

NT Road Trip 2015: Part 05 Whistling Kite v Magpie

Day 06 Morning -- Eringa Waterhole

I think Whistling Kites look a bit disorganised with their ruffled hair and mildly unkempt/frazzled appearance. They are a very common resident across Australia and we saw plenty on the trip, especially around water.

Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

This is in contrast to the also very common resident across northern Australia, the Black Kite, who looks a lot snappier.

Black Kite Milvus migrans

A Whistling Kite decided to investigate the area and landed in a tree to check out the place/potential meals, doubtless at its usual watch station. A Magpie decided that it did not want the aforementioned predator in the vicinity and so made a vigorous attempt to discourage the kite's presence with a dramatic near-miss, but not too close, "swoosh"-past accompanied by appropriate vocalisation. This action was hard to miss by anyone with working hearing. On this occasion, just one pass was enough to move the kite along.

"Let's have a look around for breakfast"

"Incoming" Australian Magpie Cracticus tibicen

"Keep your eye on the birdie"

"I'll look elsewhere. It will be quieter"

Magic! t1250 and be there.

NT Road Trip 2015: Part 04 Eringa Waterhole

Day 05 overnight -- Eringa Waterhole

On this trip, I slept in a swag. It was excellent, snug and cosy in my sleeping bag, perhaps a tad too enclosed. I certainly couldn't sit up in it, couldn't raise my head more than 10 cm without opening the cover. It had a fly cover and a canvas cover over that; all with zips to make the thing impenetrable if necessary. I mostly slept with the canvas half down thus the lightening sky always woke me well before dawn. Which meant I was up and ready to bird at sunrise.

Eringa Waterhole was lovely. The light was superb [as it was every morning of the trip; a legacy of no clouds nor light nor pollution] for both birding and photos. Each morning was usually dead calm hence it was easy to spot a bird moving in the top of a tree.

A life tick was the Red-breasted Grey-crowned Babbler [yes, there is such a bird] spotted in the gums on the side of the waterhole.

Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporals rubeculus

Magpie-lark Grallina cyanoleuca

Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis

Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus

More on Whistling Kites in the next post.

Magic. t1250 and be there.