03 October 2010

Round 2 at Round Hill...(Australia): 29 Sept 2010


After the early morning thrill of our first electric Splendid Fairywren, things went quiet for a while before we found a male Crested Bellbird perched up by the highway. Welcome relief after this ventriloquist bird had taunted us constantly all morning. Backtracking into the mallee again a bird flew up in front of the van that I could not quite place. We hopped out and we scanned the near brush, and there creeping his way through was a spectacular male Chestnut Quail-Thrush (photo). Unfortunately he ghosted out of view before we all had our fill, although a little I-Pod action brought him creeping impressively into view. A mallee flock later that morning bought us a pair of Black-eared Cuckoos, Speckled Warblers, and White-winged Trillers. However, this marvelous mallee morning closed with a Pink Cockatoo and a flurry of Cockatiels that came up at our feet. What a place!

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