I have just loved being in the Little Desert. It is so peaceful and yet so busy, so quiet yet so noisy. Each morning I try to open my van door so I don't disturb the grazing kangaroo. One morning, a group of juvenile emu ran through the long grass. They looked so comical, with only their heads visible, bobbing up and down.
My favourite place at the Kiata Campground has been an area on the Red Gums track. I called it the Meadow. It was at the eastern side of the loop and there was more grass here and bigger trees. It almost looked like an old orchard with smaller trees lining the path. The area used to be a eucalypt distillery so that might account for it. Anyway, it was just beautiful and the birds seemed to agree with me. They used the area as a sort of thoroughfare with numerous species zooming through.
Best of all, they would regularly stop and sit on a dead branch, frequently in front of me. First up was the Striated Pardalote. For a small bird, they frequently allow you to get close and they never disappoint.
Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus)
A family of robin frequented the area so I wasn't surprised when they turned up. As usual, the male was shy but the juvenile hung around for a while.
Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata)
It was chased away by a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. That, in turn, was replaced by a White-plumed Honeyeater. I couldn't keep up!
White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata)
I returned the next morning at dawn and just wandered this part of the track. In the early morning sun, the whole area was stunning and I loved the big trees.
The Brown Treecreeper appeared with a youngster in tow and I was thrilled to actually get them in the sunlight, just showing against the tree. What camouflage!
Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
As I walked further round, a young White-eared Honeyeater landed right in front of me. I blinked and blessed being at this place once again.
White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis)
Last up was another family of robins, this time the red-capped. A bit tricky to identify them at first as the family consisted of a female and 2 juveniles. Their call is unmistakable, which confirmed it.
As well as the Red Gums Track, I wanted to walk some of this track. It is a short way back up the entrance road to the campground and I thought it would be a good spot for the rarer endemics of the area.
The track itself was a deep orange, flattened sand. No good for my van but ok to walk on. It was quiet though, particularly having just come from the rowdy campground and its tracks. About half a kilometer in, I saw a honeyeater sitting up and was very pleased to see it was a White-eared Honeyeater. It sat and sang.
White-eared Honeyeater (Nesoptilotis leucotis)
Nothing else much was moving or singing and so I turned around. At the entrance to the track, I heard a melodius call. I try to learn the calls of local birds as I get very annoyed when I hear a call I don't know. This one was new but I immediately knew it. The Shy Heathwren. The bush lining the road was dense but I could peer through the bottom of it. I didn't get the heathwren but there, sitting in a patch of sunlight was the Southern Scrub Robin. And just for once, my view was unobstructed.
Southern Scrub Robin (Drymodes brunneopygia)
And right behind it was the heathwren. I couldn't get a shot but a great sighting nonetheless.
Back on the road in the warming sun, I found a bearded dragon. It sat very still and let me photograph it.
Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
I returned a couple of days later to this area to look for the heathwren again. I heard and saw the scrub robin and I hung around for a while before hearing the undoubted call of the heathwren. Then a reply from the other side of the road. Raptures!
The birds called to each other for a while until one broke cover and darted out toward the other. They then chased each other around for a while - oblivious to me!
The Red Gums Track is a loop starting at the southern side of the Kiata Campground. It is always a very good thing when campsites have such walks as it means I can explore the outback in relative safety. I was away before the sun came up and this is always my favourite time of day. It is not too hot, the flies are still asleep and the birds are active.
I really liked this track and was quite amazed at how different it was, yet so close to the campground. The first interesting bird I found was the Hooded Robin. An adult male was feeding a youngster. The adult was too quick for me but the juvenile obviously had other things on its mind as it sat quite still for me.
Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata)
Next up was a Restless Flycatcher. I had been hearing them a lot but only caught glimpses. I was trying to photograph another robin when the flycatcher just flew in and settled before me.
Restless Flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta)
In the same area honeyeaters, robins, swallows, martins and doves all flew about. It was just such a lovely space. I stood and just waited. My reward was a Diamond Firetail landing right in front of me. What a spectacular bird.
Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
It was quickly replaced by a Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo.
Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx basalis)
Round the corner, back in a more wooded area I was tracking some doves when I heard a kerfuffle in the bushes next to me. Must be babbler. There is a reason why they are called babblers! This juvenile jumped around on a log in front of me. I had to wait a while for it to come into the sun.
White-browed Babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus)
Before arriving here, I really did think the Jacky Winter robin was a rather plain, dull bird. Unlike the unfriendly parrots, which I have not managed to photograph, these little birds seem to be ready to pose for me at every turn.
The Little Desert National Park is about 4 hours north west of Melbourne and I have cut short my stay in Ballarat to visit. Thankfully I left the dismal weather behind and it was warm and sunny when I arrived at the free campground south of Kiata. I expected it to be busy being the last week of the school summer holidays but there were only 3 other groups and they all left in the morning. How fabulous to be back in the outback with no one around.
As is often the case, all the action was around the campground. I quickly found several species of honeyeater, and the lovely little Weebill came to investigate me.
Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris)
A pair of Jacky Winter with youngsters had a clearly defined patch, as they always seem to do and I stood and watched them hunting. I like this photo with the light on the bird. They are both juveniles, I think.
Jacky Winter (Microeca fascinans)
As I was watching them, a Brown Treecreeper darted in and then another. Always tricky to catch as they flit in and out of the shadows. I had to wait a while until I got this one having a rest. The gold behind the bird is just grass. The light was being very kind on this particular morning.
Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus)
Later on I found a pair of Diamond Firetail that seemed to be following a treecreeper. It was great to see them, my first for this trip.
Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
Further into the back area of the campground I could hear the familiar wailing of the White-winged Chough. I followed them for a while and suddenly it all kicked off.
The furore seemed to be around this chick.
White-winged Chough (Corcorax melanorhamphos)
It was been closely monitored by several adults. Some were displaying and howling at times.
I had read that the chough live in familial groups and have been known to kidnap young birds if their numbers are low. I wondered if this was what was happening here. There was certainly some kind of dispute. One bird unceremoniously shoved another off the branch and as it climbed back up the tree, it was clearly hopping mad.
With all this carry on, they didn't really notice me and I stayed until things had settled down. I know you are not supposed to anthropomorphize animals any more but I couldn't help but feel the young chough was a bit smug about it all.
