Travelogue 2015/2 The Birds of Butchers Track Eucalyptus Pool
#7 (part 1)
G’day,
We travelled 120 kms north from Galena Bridge to Billabong Roadhouse, stopping to admire the wildflowers in numerous places along the way, where we fueled up the Toyota. The fuel stop is more than just a fuel stop. It includes a hotel and a motel, a cafe and a caravan park as well as the Billabong Station Homestead near by. Below is a Google Earth image of Billabong Roadhouse looking south along North West Coastal highway. The hotel/motel complex is the white roofed building in the distance.It is the only habitation in the 200 kilometre stretch between Northampton and Overlander, which is also an isolated roadhouse.
Google Earth image. Billabong Roadhouse
A further 20 kilometres north and we turned east on to Butchers Track. Butchers Track, which has been upgraded to a reasonably well maintained natural surface graded road, runs pretty much due east for 145 kilometres connecting NW Coastal Hwy with the Mullewa Carnarvon Road. Surprisingly, given the wealth of wildflowers on New Forest Road, there was very little in the way of flowers along this road. The birds though were something else and more than made up for the lack of flowers. The vegetation along Butchers Track is Mulga scrub all the way except for one tiny patch of River Gums about 100 kms east of the highway. On the map there is shown a string of small lakes (usually dry) orientated in a north south line. I imagine that these lakes are all that remain of a very ancient riverbed that would have once flowed in to the Murchison River. All that remain now are very shallow ( a few inches deep) depressions that can be identified as holding water on rare occasions by the string of River Gums and then Paperbarks before the Mulga recommences. We were fortunate to find three or four tiny and very shallow pools of fresh water which attracted thousands of birds. The road, undoubtedly, was located here due to the occasional water. (A check on Google Earth confirmed this). Outback roads are located by passing isolated fresh water spots whenever they are available. A good bushy learns to note the signs of fresh water in case of a need. We passed this way late in the afternoon and travelled another 30 kms east to another lake in the hope that there might be birds. We camped here overnight and yes there were birds but the lake was a crummy lake and not at all scenic so the next morning we travelled west and back to the tiny pools. We were more than rewarded as the bird life kept coming in to drink and continued to arrive all day without a stop or a break.
img-1721 Crimson Chat
img-1726 Diamond Dove
img-1728 Poverty Bush
The only flowering plant, apart from the trees. There were a number of these bushes.
img1729 Zebra Finch
img-1732 Woodswallows + female White-winged Triller
img-1734 Woodswallows + Budgerigars
img-1735 Woodswallows
img-1737 Pink and Grey Galah
img-1738 Pink and Grey Galah
img-1742 Woodswallows + White-winged Triller
img-1743 Diamond Dove + Crimson Chat
img-1745.1 Crimson Chat male
img-1746 Budgerigars
img-1747 Budgerigars
img-1690 Eucalypt Pool. River Gums
img-1693 Eucalypt Pools
img 1723 Paperbark Campsite
The pool, surrounded by trees, looks like an attractive spot but the reality is a harsh, arid and unforgiving Mulga countryside where surface water is extremely scarce. The water in these pools would only last for a few weeks after rains and look away from the pool and the scenery is much harsher. We used this water for everything bar drinking.
img-1695 Paperbark Campsite
The land in the picture would also be inundated on rare occasions as the paperbark trees indicate. Immediately past the paperbarks and to the right the Mulga recommences.The pool of water, where all of the photos below were shot, is directly behind the photographer.
img1707. Thick Mulga Country
With hundreds and hundreds of Budgerigars in flight
Img-1707 was taken 30 kms east where we camped on October 9th. The lake was maybe a hundred yards wide and a half a mile long but not in the slightest bit scenic. The were birds here but none came close enough for a decent photograph. The following day we returned to the eucalypt pool. hoping to find birds.
img-1713 Budgerigars
img-1948 Butchers Track
The black and white zebra poles identify that this is a floodway. Note the eucalypt tree on the left. It is worth noting the the ancient river would be lucky to be more than a couple of inches deep? The pool of water where all the photos of birds in this and the next Blog were taken is just a few yards to the left of the tree.
We camped here for two nights and marveled at the shear number of birds that came in for a drink.
Woodswallows and Budgerigars came in in their thousands. Many hundreds of Zebra Finches also paid us a visit along with about 20 other species. A few were not photographed or not well enough to included here. The Emu and his chicks took one look at me an highlighted out before I could blink which is unusual as emus are normally inquisitive and don't shoot through without good reason especially if they are looking for a drink. Ten thousand Budgies for the day would not be much of an exaggeration as they came in in flocks of hundred or more staying for a few minutes and then leaving only to be replaced by another large flock moments later. If a flock of Woodswallows arrived at the same time as the Budgies then the Budgies stayed a little bit longer, at the water, for no obvious reason but took flight the instant the Woodswallows departed.
img 1700- Budgerigars & Woodswallows
The budgies came in and did a few rapid wheeling flights around the pool and if all was to their liking they landed in these two trees where further scrutiny was conducted of their surroundings. If all was considered safe they flew down to the water in small groups where drinks were taken in just a few seconds and then they flew away, in small groups. The tree emptied of birds in short order only to be replaced minutes later by hundreds more Budgies and sometimes Woodswallows. My presence didn't hinder them at all which suggests shooters hadn't been here. The odd Kangaroo and Emu also came in for drinks. A male Emu came in for a drink carefully shepherding his 10 chicks. (no photo, bugger).
The only flowering plant, apart from the trees. There were a number of these bushes.
Woodswallows are not Swallows but belong to the same group of birds as Magpies and Butcherbirds.
img-1748 Budgerigars
img-1750 Black-fronted Dotterel + White-winged Triller
img-1752 Black-fronted Dotterel
img-1754 Black-fronted Dotterel
img-1755 Pacific Black Duck. Juvenile
img-1756 Pink and Grey Galah
img-1757 Black-tailed Native-hen. Juvenile
img-1759 Pacific Black Duck. Juvenile
img-1762 Pink and Grey Galah
img-1769 Woodswallows +White-winged Triller
As can be seen seen in this picture the pool of water is tiny to say the least.
img-1778 Black-fronted Dotterel
img-1783 Budgies + Zebra Finch
img-1784 White-winged Triller. female or juvenile
img-1787 Woodswallows + Budgerigars
img-1791Woodswallows + Budgerigars
img-1793Woodswallows + Crested Pigeon
img-1794 Crested Pigeon
img-1796 Black-fronted Dotterel
img-1798 Pink and Grey Galah
img-1799.1 Pacific Black Duck. juvenile
img-1801 White-winged Triller
img-1802 White-winged Triller
img-1803 Cockatiel or Weiro. juvenile or female
Most people in WA would call this bird a Weiro but elsewhere Cockatiel is probably the preferred name?
Next Travelogue is more birds, later on in the same day, from the exact same spot.
Travelogue 2015/2 The Birds of Butchers Track Eucalyptus Pool #7 (part 1) Ends
My whinge for the day: Apparently a Mozzie has been offended by the cap badge that the Australian Army Chaplains have been wearing for 102 years and is to be withdrawn from service to prevent offence to Muslims. My question is: What about the millions of Australians who will be offended at this sacrilegious act by the Australian Army? Who the hells side is the Australian Army on anyway? A proud, but pissed off, ex Grunt.Click on link for story.
Army chaplains to remove 'conquer' from 102-year-old motto ...
Geoff
mmmmmmmmmmmm
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