April 24, 2005
I woke before dawn, as had become my habit in Australia, and went out for a solo walk right as the sun was coming up. Not only is this a great time to see birds, but I loved feeling like I was the only person awake for miles and miles. (And on this trip, I might have been the only person awake for miles and miles). This morning, my first bird of the day was an Australian Pelican swimming right near the boat, and during my walk I saw Yellow Rosella, Red-rumped Parrot, and Gray Fantail. Superb Fairy-wren and Striated Pardalote were foraging in bushes, and I heard a Laughing Kookaburra. I also enjoyed watching Black-faced Cuckooshrike playing and calling to one another very near the boat.
During the days, we spent most of our time moving along the river, stopping every so often to get off the boat and have a walk around. On this day, we stopped at a place where you can walk up to lookout towers on the clifftop. Eclipse and I didn’t go all the way to the viewing platforms because of the warm weather, but the landscape was gorgeous! While we waited near the boat for the others to return from the hike, I saw Brown Treecreeper and a Grey Butcherbird.
While we were on the river, I spent the vast majority of daylight hours outside on the deck, to look for birds and watch the scenery roll by. Several birds were commonly seen along our route, including Australasian Darter, Mallee Ringneck, Maned Duck, South Australian Swamphen, and White-plumed Honeyeater. Welcome Swallow were our constant companions, swooping around the boat as we went along, and periodically landing on the rails. We frequently saw Whistling Kite soaring, and occasionally perched beside their huge nests, constructed of sticks. Eastern Great Egret foraged in the river, and Black Swan swam or flew past. A couple of Yellow-billed Spoonbill were seen in the trees, and I spotted a White-browed Babbler on the side of a tree, and a Blue-faced Honeyeater flying across the river. I was also thrilled to see Western Grey Kangaroo, usually right at the water’s edge.
One of the things I loved about the river is how its character changed constantly, as we traveled through different habitats as we went along . . . Willow near Renmark, and then more Eucalyptus as we headed east, with thick stands of Southern Cattail edging the shoreline. The place we stopped our first night looked harsh and almost apocalyptic, with dried, cracked mud and burnt-out trees stretching into the distance. On the second night, we stopped in a beautiful wood with a dry creek bed running through the trees. Each place was different, and special – I enjoyed them all.
Species List
Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata), Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus haematonotus), Yellow Rosella (Platycercus elegans flaveolus), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Gray Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae novaeguineae), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae melanops), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena neoxena), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides coronoides), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Black-shouldered Lapwing (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae), White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), Australasian Coot (Fulica atra australis), Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos melanoleucos), Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta), Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa superciliosa), Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), Southeastern Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus melanotus), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca cyanoleuca), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa tenebrosa), Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), Gray Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus leucopterus), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis gracilis), Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius barnardi), Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis cyanotis), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), Eastern White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea gymnopis), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita galerita), Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.), Lindley’s Saltbush (Atriplex lindleyi), Harlequin Mistletoe (Lysiana exocarpi), Yorrel (Eucalyptus gracilis), River Redgum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis), Common Reed (Phragmites australis), Soft-stemmed Bulrush (Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani), Old Man Saltbush (Atriplex nummularia), Box Mistletoe (Amyema miquelii)
Let me know what you think!