April 27 through 30, 2005
This morning marked the half-way point of our trip, which meant it was time to head west, back toward the Liba Liba base. Although we wouldn’t be going further upriver, we still had plenty of time left on the boat, and I knew we’d still have plenty of great things to see and do on the way back. Going back seemed to go more quickly (maybe it did, maybe it was just my imagination), but we did do some different things. We stopped at places we hadn’t visited before to go walking and looking for birds. And, of course, it just felt good to be on the boat, on the river, rolling along without a care in the world. Unsurprisingly, we mostly saw the same species that we’d seen on the way east, but there were a few surprises.
Australian Pelican were usually the first species I saw each day, and were common all along the river. I saw three species of Cormorant (Little Pied, Little Black, and Great), as well as Australasian Darter. Maned Duck were the most commonly seen duck, although Pacific Black Duck and Australian Shelduck were seen, along with a few Hardhead. I saw numerous Black Swan, including what looked like a family group with adults and several juveniles. Welcome Swallow continued to swoop past the boat low to the water, and larger flocks of Tree Martin were perched in the trees. Eastern White-backed Magpie, Australian Raven, and Little Raven were all seen from the boat, along with numerous Whistling Kite. We also saw a few more Western Grey Kangaroo.
The Emu at Scottie’s Billabong turned out not to be the last ones we’d see. Far from it, in fact. I spotted Emu on three or four more occasions during the boat trip, including one time when Connor and I got off the boat near them to have a closer look. Another bird I was happy to spot was this Wedge-tailed Eagle. I had only seen a couple previously, and never a good enough sighting to get any photos.
I was also able to spot some smaller birds, sometimes from the boat, but more often during short excursions when we parked the boat and got off for a walk. In addition to the Superb Fairywren that I’d seen several times before, I also spotted Purple-backed Fairywren, Grey Fantail, and both Spotted and Striated Pardalote. Yellow Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, and Weebill were foraging in the riparian vegetation. I saw at least one Varied Sittella, and had an excellent look at a Grey Shrikethrush, which turned out to be quite lovely when seen in good light. I was also excited to see another lizard species: a Tree Skink that was seen, strangely enough, on a tree.
South Australian Swamphen, Dusky Moorhen, Black-shouldered Lapwing and Australian Coot were spotted all along the river, and as we came closer to Renmark, we began to see Silver Gull and a couple of Caspian Tern. The parrots were still with us, as well, including a lot of Little Corella and Red-rumped Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and a few Yellow Rosella, Mallee Ringneck and Galah.
On our penultimate morning on the river, Kevin, Eclipse and I took a little trip on the small rowboat that had been included with our houseboat rental. We went a ways up a little meander called Dix’s Cutting. It was a fun excursion, and we saw an Emu and Western Grey Kangaroo. We didn’t stay out too long, though, as it was kind of overcast and cold.
Eventually, it was time to return the boat. We’d been out on the river for a whole week, and it was truly a magical time for me. So relaxing and peaceful, and it felt so good to connect with the wilderness, and be completely isolated from cars and buildings and civilization for a whole week. This was seriously one of the best weeks of my life, and I would LOVE to take a trip like this again.
Species List
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo novaehollandiae), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), Black-shouldered Lapwing (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae), Eastern Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta), Masked Woodswallow (Artamus personatus), Australian Raven (Corvus coronoides coronoides), Maned Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Australasian Coot (Fulica atra australis), Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Tree Skink (Egernia striolata), South Australian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus melanotus), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa superciliosa), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis), White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus domesticus), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Blue-faced Honeyeater (Entomyzon cyanotis cyanotis), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena neoxena), Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Gray Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica harmonica), Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater (Acanthagenys rufogularis), Gray Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Striped Honeyeater (Plectorhyncha lanceolata), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae melanops), Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Yellow Thornbill (Acanthiza nana), Buff-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza reguloides), Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis), Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus), Southeastern Black-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tibicen), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea gymnopis), Mainland Purple-backed Fairywren (Malurus assimilis assimilis), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra australis), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita galerita), Great Egret (Ardea alba modesta), Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos melanoleucos), Black-capped Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera pileata), Mallee Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius barnardi), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis gracilis), Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala), Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus cyanopterus), Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus haematonotus), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Pied Butcherbird (Cracticus nigrogularis nigrogularis), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa tenebrosa), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax audax), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), Hardhead (Aythya australis), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), Yellow Rosella (Platycercus elegans flaveolus), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca cyanoleuca), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Brush Bronzewing (Phaps elegans), Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae novaehollandiae), Eastern Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla albiceps), Rock Dove (Columba livia domestica), Black-shouldered Lapwing (Porphyrio melanotus melanotus), Eastern White-backed Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tyrannica), White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucoryhnchus), White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus), Southeastern Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus melanotus), Showy Mistletoe (Amyema sp.), Nitre Goosefoot (Chenopodium nitrariaceum), Stonecrop family (Crassulaceae), Common Reed (Phragmites australis)
Let me know what you think!