BellBird Tours Birding Blog

Special Six Grasswren Tour – October 2020

Special Six Grasswren Tour – October 2020

Due to Covid-19 and state border restrictions we had to juggle the usual tour itinerary around quite a bit to accommodate participants from various states. We ended up foregoing the usual Strzelecki track itinerary, which traverses 4 states, instead birding the Birdsville track and splitting the group in two, with one group starting in Mount Isa, Qld and heading south to Adelaide, led by Peter Waanders, and the other group starting in Adelaide, SA and heading north, led by Michael Greenshields, meeting up with the first group on the Birdsville track in SA, and from there on we birded together on our way and eventually back to Adelaide. A total of 155 outback species were seen by Michael’s group including 5 Grasswren species, and 206 species were seen by Peter’s group including 7 Grasswren species.

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Far North Queensland Tour – May 2017

Far North Queensland Tour – May 2017

This was a tour with returning guests from South Africa birding the Iron Range region in Far North Queensland. The aim was to see as many of the endemic bird species in the Far North as well as visit the Atherton Tablelands. The 9 day tour took us down to Etty Bay, south of Cairns, up into the Tablelands and then north to Iron Range concluding at Weipa. It was just after the wet season so the grass was high and the rainforest and woodlands were pristine. Some of the migratory birds that should have normally headed further north were still around which was a bonus.

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Great Southern tour 2016

Great Southern tour 2016

The Great Southern Tour concentrates on the many specialties of the southern coastal region of Australia and the South Australian outback. Coastal birding north of Adelaide and along the Great Ocean Road; the outback deserts and dry watercourses, with the rugged escarpments of the Flinders Ranges; Birdlife Australia’s splendid Gluepot reserve, the Murray River, we wander the plains around Deliniquin and marvel at the masses of waterbirds in Werribee to finish in the tall, hill forests near Melbourne.

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Six Grasswren tour report September 2016

Six Grasswren tour report September 2016

The September 2016 Six Grasswren tour was already the 11th year that we have done these tours. The aim was to see Striated, Short-tailed, Western, Thick-billed, Eyrean and Grey Grasswren and other wonderful outback bird species. The 6.5 day tour took us along the Strzelecki track through the outback of South Australia. It had been a wet winter and spring which means that the conditions were great for birding – probably the best I’d seen it in 5 years. There were plenty of wildflowers and birds breeding wherever we went.

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Highlights of South Australia tour September 2016

Highlights of South Australia tour September 2016

The Highlights of South Australia birding tour provides an insight into the range of habitats present in South Australia, which contain some unique bird species including a small number of endemics. From the lush and green Mt Lofty Ranges around Adelaide to the outback deserts with spectacular mountain ranges, the bird-rich wetlands along the Murray River, beautiful coastal scenery and vast expanses of the famous semi-arid mallee scrublands, tour has it all.

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Red Centre tour report July 2016

Red Centre tour report July 2016

The “Red Centre”, as Australia’s outback around Alice Springs is named, hosts a variety of exciting bird species. Using Alice Springs as a base, this 4-day tour took daily trips out to different areas targeting enigmatic birds such as Dusky Grasswren, Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Spinifexbird, Grey Honeyeater, Western Bowerbird, Painted Finch and more. Guided by Mark Carter, the tour visited the Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges, the sewage works, the Old Telegraph Station, the Tanami Road, Kumoth Bore and the Deep Well Road.

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Nine Grasswren tour report July 2016

Nine Grasswren tour report July 2016

The 2016 ‘Nine Grasswren tour’ started in Adelaide (SA) and finished in Alice Springs (NT). After visiting Birdlife Australia’s Gluepot Reserve (Black-eared Miner) we explored the bluebush plains around Whyalla (Western Grasswren, Splendid (turquoise) Fairy-wren) and travelled through the scenic Flinders Ranges (Short-tailed Grasswren) up to the Birdsville track where we had both Chestnut-breasted and Banded Whiteface as well as the elusive Grey Falcon and Eyrean Grasswren. Unfortunately the Grey Grasswren site was inaccessible due to flooding but we had great views of Gibberbird and Inland Dotterel.

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