Hire a Guide

Well i was desperate to get some new birds to tick off my list so decided to get a guide.

After an extensive search i found a gentleman from Queensland called Peter Crane. He assured me that he new everything about birds, everywhere in Australia.

Well the price was right so i took him on. After agreeing to an 8:30am start i put together some lunch and filled my thermos with hot water and packed the hot chocolate.

We were just starting our journey to our destination when peter pulled over and said "there will be Flame Robins here. Well he was not wrong.

Flame Robin Male and Female-1408 by rawshorty, on Flickr">[/url] Flame Robin Male and Female-1408 by rawshorty, on Flickr

After taking a few pics Peter said, look to your right there are some Pipits.

Well he sure was right again.

Pipit-1880 by rawshorty, on Flickr">[/url] Pipit-1880 by rawshorty, on Flickr

We spotted the farmer looking at us with our long lenses but he sat back away in his 4WD so after a few more pics we waved him down.

His missus got out and said "taking pics of my birds are you?"

Peter got talking to the farmer and he told us to drive around his property looking for birds if we like, so on we went. After going through a few gates we came across a pair of Crimson Rossella's with the female checking out a hollow in a tree.

Crimson Rosella-1475 by rawshorty, on Flickr">[/url] Crimson Rosella-1475 by rawshorty, on Flickr

We thought it was time to move on but Peter said we should go a different way out, i explained that the way he wanted to go i had to get out and open two gates and the way we came only one, his reply was that i was old and overweight and needed the workout.

I just looked him up and down and thought that he was just jealous of my physique so i complied.

Anyway back on the main road we made another stop to shoot some more birds.

Flame Robin-1555 by rawshorty, on Flickr">[/url] Flame Robin-1555 by rawshorty, on Flickr

Ok it was time to get to where we were going, Namadgi National Park ( Peter told me "Namadgi" was Aboriginal for "Where Pacman goes birding") I was suspect but humoured him with a nod of agreement.

After getting to the Honeysuckle campgrounds we started looking for birds and straight away Peter heard a bird. "whats that" it turned out to be 2 tree branches rubbing together in the 65km winds from the arctic.

We did find a Grey Shrike Thrush.

Grey Shrike-thrush-1712 by rawshorty, on Flickr">[/url] Grey Shrike-thrush-1712 by rawshorty, on Flickr

After a bit of looking around we took a track to a cliff but this was a bad idea!

The wind was stronger and colder, i walked down a track and not long after Peter followed.

He asked "what is that on the ground", it was ice. Not something a Queenslander wants to see

It was time to go to Booroomba Rocks planning a quick walk and then lunch.

Not long down a track Peter said there was a Tawny Frogmouth, so we took plenty of pics.

After loading them on my PC i justed cracked up.

Tawny Frogmouth LOL-1756 by rawshorty, on Flickr">Tawny Frogmouth LOL-1756 by rawshorty, on Flickr

But we did get some real birds.

Weebill-1796 by rawshorty, on Flickr">Weebill-1796 by rawshorty, on Flickr

Time for lunch, but my thermos was lousy and cheap so we had a cold chocolate

Well we had to go and start our trip back and just in the nick of time as Peter had not had his nanny nap and was yawning all the way back to Canberra.

Thanks, Peter for finding me 3 new birds, Flame Robin, Pipit and Hooded Robin.