Queensland's Outback: Mining for Grasswrens

Day 1: Arrival in Cairns

After arrival in Cairns, the tour will begin with a post-lunch meeting at 1pm so that we can head out birding around this small city. Some of the sites we may visit include Centenary Lakes, Cairns Cemetery, and The Esplanade. Targets include waders and shorebirds along The Esplanade, such as Terek Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, godwits, sand-plovers, gulls and terns. Cairns Cemetery can be a great spot for finding common Australian birds such as Willie-Wagtails, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Australasian Figbirds, Torresian Imperial-Pigeons, and White-breasted Woodswallows, as well as roosting Bush Thick-knees. Centenary Lakes could yield some of our first tropical species such as Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Australian Brush-Turkey, Dusky Myzomela, Brown-backed and Yellow Honeyeaters, Metallic Starling, Green Oriole, and Black Butcherbird. The night will be spent in Cairns.

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Day 2: Cairns to Charters Towers 

On this morning we will head south of Cairns, making a special stop on a rainforest-clad beach, where Southern Cassowary sometimes boldly feed alongside the roads. This area south of Cairns offers some lowland rainforest birding to break the journey south, in stark contrast to the Outback tropical savanna that we enjoy later. Some of the rainforest birds we may encounter include some real crackers, like Spotted Catbird, Pied and Spectacled monarchs, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Wompoo and Superb fruit-doves, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, as well as Black Butcherbird. Barred Cuckooshrike and Pale-yellow Robin are also possible. In drier country, towards the end of the journey, we may start seeing some birds more typical of the Queensland Outback, like Great Bowerbird, Black-faced Woodswallow, Red-winged Parrot, Pale-headed Rosella, and Apostlebird. A night will be spent in Charter Towers.

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Day 3: Charters Towers to Winton

We will drive west out of Charters Towers to Winton for a two-night stay, where our Grasswren exploration will begin. Two nights will be spent in Winton.

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Day 4: Winton

This area in the Channel Country is most famous for cattle and sheep farms and its considerable dinosaur fossil finds than birds, but it holds some highly-desirable ones within easy reach. One of the most localized species in play is the Rusty Grasswren, sometimes referred to as “Opalton Grasswren”, a very recent split from Striated Grasswren, so now an extremely local endemic found within the clumps of spinifex grass near town. There are plenty of other birds to search for in this area though, including the local Hall’s Babbler, reclusive Rufous-crowned Emuwren, and striking terrestrial Chestnut-breasted Quail-Thrush. Australian Bustards roam the Outback, as do Emus, while Spinifex Pigeon scurry among the rocky outcrops, and Hooded Robins occur in this sparsely wooded country. Other birds that we might see include a good mix of woodswallows, with Masked, White-browed and Little all occurring. We will be on the lookout for any blooming shrubs and trees that attract nectar-thirsty honeyeaters, like Grey-headed, and sometimes the nomadic  Black and Painted honeyeaters too. In this season we might find active groups of Crimson Chats working the low shrubs, and Orange Chats can be around in some years too. A distinctive sound of this landscape are the numerous Crested Bellbirds. Other possible finds could be Bourke’s Parrot, or flocks of Budgerigars or Cockatiels, Spotted Bowerbird, delightful Purple-backed and White-winged fairywrens, and the dry-country-loving Red-browed Pardalote and Red-backed Kingfisher. Raptors overhead could include Little Eagles, while Zebra Finches are frequent in the grasslands. “Waterbirds” can also be found, including Australian Pratincole, Black-fronted Dotterel and Brolga.  A second night will be spent in Winton.

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Day 5: Winton to Mount Isa

After another morning in Winton, we move north to Mount Isa for a two-night stay.

 

Day 6: Mount Isa

With a full day (and a morning) here, we will have plenty of time to search for our main targets and their supporting cast. Top on the agenda will be tracking down Mount Isa’s two most famous avian residents, the Kalkadoon and Carpentarian grasswrens. Among the other birds in this area though are some other highly-desired species, like Black-tailed Treecreeper in the Tetradonta Woodland, and rocky areas with stands of spinifex grass that hold the stunning Painted Finch, the comical Spinifex Pigeon and Spinifexbird. The Cloncurry form of Australian Ringneck also occurs, as does Purple-necked Rock-Wallaby. Another night will be spent in Mount Isa.

 

Day 7: Mount Isa to Karumba

After another morning among the wattle scrub, red rocks, and spinifex of Mount Isa, we move north to Karumba for the night, right on the edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria. A single night will be spent in Karumba. There should be some time in the late afternoon to begin exploring this area of tropical savanna, for species like, Yellow-tinted, Rufous-throated and White-gaped honeyeaters, Diamond Dove, Red-browed Pardalote, and Star Finch, which are characteristic of this area and the Northern territory to the west.

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Day 8: Karumba to Cairns via Georgetown

In the morning, we will focus on the coastal mangroves around Karumba, before driving east towards Cairns via Georgetown. A boat trip will be taken to search for mangrove specialists, like Red-headed Myzomela, White-breasted Whistler, Australian Yellow White-eye, and Mangrove Fantail. There will also be a chance for other interesting wetland birds like Rajah Shelduck, Sarus Crane, Brolga, Pink-eared Duck, and Far Eastern Curlew. During the journey eastwards, we make a short stop around Georgetown in the heart of Black-throated Finch country. The area also holds Masked and Zebra finches, and yet more waterbirds. We arrive in Cairns in the evening, a little later than usual (around 8pm), due to the length of the drive, and spend the final night in Cairns.

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Day 9: Departures from Cairns

There is no birding on this day, and so you are free to leave whenever is most convenient.

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