Driving back to Alice Springs from Kintore yesterday, I came across a few of the less seen (by me anyway) birds. In reality, it was the 280 km stretch between Kintore and Papunya, and even more specifically from Kintore to Mt Liebig turnoff.
The first bird I stopped for was a Chiming Wedgebill. I wasn't 100% from the photo so I waited for the call - then I knew, definitely a Chiming Wedgebill, as opposed to a Chirruping Wedgebill that looks almost identical, although THAT would be unusual as its range is much further south I think.
Chiming Wedgebill
this isn't the best shot of one in flight, but you can see a little that may help to identify one in the future if you have very good eyesight and ID skills, in which case you probably don't need the photo!
Next was the Crested Bellbird, a little more often photographed, but heard a lot more than seen. This one was very polite and sat on the tree long enough for me to reverse to take a couple of snaps.
One of the disappointments of the day was the poor photos I managed of two Australian Bustards in flight, one about 5 minutes after the other. Here are 2 of the "better" shots
The last two less unusual birds kept a fair distance. One was the Varied Sittella
and the second was the White-fronted Honeyeater
and a few of the more common birds:
Australasian Pipit
Brown Falcon
Brown Falcon hassled by a Masked Woodswallow
Brown Falcon going across the red dirt road
Budgerigars
Centralian Blue-tongue Lizard
Crimson Chat
Diamond Dove flashing me but the female wasn't impressed
Grey-headed Honeyeater
Lizard on the red dirt
Masked Woodswallow
Pied Butcherbird - "King of the Castle!"
Rufous Songlark
