Check my birding map for specific location.
The Nullarbor Roadhouse is set on the Eyre Highway just as the Nullarbor Plains meet the ocean. I wondered where the name came from and was amused to find out that it is Latin, Null for none and Arbor for trees. It is in fact a huge plain, with no trees. Quite spectacular and I am only on the very edge of it. The Roadhouse is great because it is part of a golf course that spans the area with participating Roadhouses and settlements each hosting a hole. For me, that means a cleared tract of land that I can explore safely (never wander in the Outback remember).
And so I did on my first afternoon here. I was hopeful as I could already hear several Brown Songlark singing near the caravan park. Behind the park I walked along the golf course and onto a track. The low lying shrubs were alive with bird song. But they could wait. I saw something crawling on the edge of the track. Looked like a funny shaped dragon. I got closer (it didn't move very fast) and watched it for a while. I saw 3 of these Shingle-backed Lizards on my walk. I have never seen a lizard where the back end looks exactly like the front!
Shingle-backed Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa)
It was a great place to look for birds as the track and surrounding thin grass meant I could walk around without danger of stepping on a snake. I followed the fairywren and I knew I could hear the White-winged and possibly the Blue-breasted. I saw and photographed the former but the latter stayed stubbornly out of view.
White-winged Fairywren (Malurus leucopterus)
Next I chased a couple of Australasian Pipit as they ran along the side of the track and then sat on top of the shrubs. Alongside them were White-fronted Chat, singing away to each other.
Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae)
White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons)
Lastly I found a couple of Southern Whiteface. I think they are so unusual and interesting and am always glad to see them.
Southern Whiteface (Aphelocephala leucopsis)
Back in the van, a family of Australian Magpie sang their warbling call interspersed with the wail of the youngster wanting to be fed. Once it had been, it lay on the dirt and tried to stay awake. I've never seen a sleepy magpie before!
Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
My second day here was met with wind and rain in the morning. It was into the afternoon before I could get out for some birding. I met Carol, another birder, and we walked together lamenting the difficulty of finding birds like the Nullarbor Quail-thrush. And then I saw one, really early on the track. No doubt about it, with distinctive markings but it fled into the scrub and we couldn't find it again. We tried a couple of tracks and on one adjacent to Roadhouse we started to hear Rufous Fieldwren. They were near and far but we didn't see any until on the way back when we were examining a buzzing bush looked for thornbill and one popped up onto a bush and sang. It was glorious.
Rufous Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris)
Then the Slender-billed Thornbill jumped to the top of the bush next to us. We briefly saw them again but only got shots of the fieldwren.
The next morning we were both out again early and Carol had lined up the quail-thrush ready for me. There were 2 males and a female bouncing around the track but of course, out of range for a decent photo. Carol had to leave and just as she was walking away, a male popped up again. I got as close as I could and sat down to wait. Despite a numb, cold bum I waited and waited. Then I saw one in the distance running down the track towards me. It never came close enough for a good picture but at least I got it. Next time!
Nullarbor Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma alisteri)
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