ShareThis21 September 2010
I came back from my recent trip to Alice Springs wanting to write about my time in the green (red) centre. My worry was, however, that birders will soon be suffering from Princess Parrot fatigue, from hearing too much about repeated trips out to the desert to look for them. With current issues in getting to sites where the parrots are, I also wanted to talk about all the other wonderful things that can be seen out in the desert around Alice. My solution to this is to instead write about some of the other amazing birds I encountered on my trip, and why I feel they are special in their own right.
I have, of course, seen wild budgies before, on many occasions around the country. These tiny, gorgeous parrots for me ARE the Australian outback. Their vivid green set against the blood red soil and deep blue sky is as much a part of the experience of being in central Australia as flies and four wheel drives. My first pet as a child was a wild-type budgie that I imaginatively called “Greenie”, a friendly bird who would sit on my shoulder and nibble my ear. It is hard to say for sure, but I suspect at age 5, this close bond shaped my future passion for birds and bird watching greatly. Suffice to say the humble Budgerigar holds a special significance for me, and seeing great flocks of them wheeling around in the sky at close quarters was both a joy and a privilege.
Dusky Grasswren at Mt Gillen
If you had to pick a bird that somehow represented bird watching in Alice Springs, you might pick Dusky Grasswrens. These tiny little skulkers are a quintessential desert bird – they hang out in Spinifex clumps in rocky gorges and ridge lines. They come from one of the most difficult, most sought-after groups of birds in the country. And they are, surprisingly, relatively easy to see. As such, they are a target of most birders that visit Alice, and they are one species that most birders are likely to walk away having seen. Not to mention the areas they occur in are some of the most visually spectacular parts of the entire country, most notably the West Macdonnell Ranges. I had, a few years back, spent an hour chasing a family of Dusky Grasswrens around a rocky escarpment at Newhaven Reserve. Despite this familiarity, I was completely unprepared for how confiding the Grasswrens around Mt Gillen and Santa Teresa Rd were. To have a grasswren, any grasswren, sitting casually on a rock two metres from you, singing, isn’t just a great birding experience; it is one of those defining moments that you remember forever. Now imagine this amazing encounter taking place in the stark beauty of one of the most iconic Australian landscapes. This was the highlight of my trip, and it could be the highlight of yours too.
These somewhat drab, unassuming birds are every bit as rare as Budgerigars are common. And while sometimes it can be difficult to sell a trip based on small brown birds, seeing a rare bird that lives in some of the harshest conditions in the world is definitely something worthwhile. Needless to say, Spinifexbird was new for me; despite having spent a month at Newhaven I failed to find these normally elusive birds on my previous searches. This time however, in the greenest Spinifex I have ever seen, they were common and confiding, often perching in the open, singing loudly. The entire experience was incredible, and constantly bumping into Spinifexbirds took some of the edge off failing to see Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens at the same site!
Around Australia there are several finch species whose plumages combine red, white, black and brown to wonderful effect. Perhaps the most stunning of these is the Painted Finch. As with Dusky Grasswren, they are found in the amazing rocky hills and gorges in the red centre. In addition, they have these amazing colours and patterns that stand out but at the same time perfectly complement the stark landscape around them. Painted Finches have responded well to the great conditions in the region, and I found them easily in the rocky areas of the West Macdonnells and on Santa Teresa Rd.
Perhaps the most unexpected encounter of the trip came from one of the most easily seen birds of central Australia. Spinifex Pigeons are, in the right habitat, common as muck. They are beautiful pigeons, but being so easily seen it is easy to take them for granted. Despite having seen hundreds, if not thousands of Spinifex Pigeons previously, noting really prepared me for having one run between my feet. And then back again.
Spinifex Pigeon at King's Canyon
On two separate occasions we found pigeons in the King’s Canyon area that were so tame we could almost reach out and pick them up. They fed at our feet, a male courted females at arm’s length of us, and one bird sat on the footpath so stubbornly we went around him. This was one of those experiences as a birder that I cherish; a chance to see a familiar species in a whole new context.
My final amazing bird experience of the trip would have to go to that most elusive of raptors, a bird so rare Sean Dooley refuses to acknowledge they exist! The Grey Falcon. I have been fortunate enough to see Grey Falcons on four separate occasions, and I treasure each one. Earlier this year Birding-Aus regular Jenny Spry described Grey Falcons as the Maserati of the sky, all elegance and grace, and I couldn’t agree more! My experience this trip was at Kathleen Springs near King’s Canyon. While some of the group forged on ahead I had hung back with the rest to photograph some of the amazing wildflowers decorating the desert right now. As I moved to catch up with the first group I heard parrots (which turned out to be Ringnecks) making alarm calls. I soon found a sleek falcon flying high over the gorge, carrying something in its talons. I never discovered what it was carrying, as it dropped its load from up high, turned over its shoulder and sped off in the opposite direction. This behaviour is a total mystery to me, so if any readers can shed some light please make a comment below the article. Regardless of the mystery, it is always a highlight to see such a rare bird, however briefly, and Grey Falcons are always a chance on any visit to central Australia.
So there you have it. Six encounters with six species that make the red centre special. Despite my disappointment in not seeing Princess Parrots, it is impossible to regret the beauty and joy we encountered on our trip. I hope every birder who lives in or visits Australia takes the chance to see what we have seen. Go! Now!
