Western Australia, Days Eleven and Twelve, Dryandra Woodland

Spent the last couple of days on a family Australia safari based at Lions Dryandra Woodlands Village. The main target was the iconic Numbat which frequents the woodland but unfortunately despite five or six hours of game driving through the woods (the limit of Jacob's patience) we failed to find one (not the best time of year). However the supporting cast of Australian mammals was equally impressive and we have a good excuse to come back to Western Australia in the future (August to October is a better of year for mammals and also herps).

Also a few extra bird lifers. Updated Ebird trip report HERE. Now had over 100 lifers on this trip which is not bad as weaving the birding around a family holiday. 

Tomorrow Jacob and I head north to Broome for an outback adventure.   

Echidna- thrilled to see this iconic creature. 

Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot). We had about five of these. 

Common Bushtail Possum (above and below) - these were abundant in the woodland and we had them feeding on our porch too. Probably saw 30+ over our two nights on our night drives with the thermal.

Tammar Wallaby (I presume this species as the only Wallaby species I could find reported from this area) 

Woylie (Brush-tailed Bettong)- had four of these 

Tawny Frogmouth- picked up three of these in the thermal 

Bush Thick-knees

Rufous Treecreeper- abundant in the woodland 

Western Yellow Robin 

Red Wattlebird- these are everywhere but not easy to get a photo 

Western Grey Kangaroo in the clearing behind the village 

Our woodland retreat at the woodland village 

Western Australia, Days nine to ten, Cheynes Beach

The second part of my mini-trip down south was a two night stay at Cheynes Beach. Updated trip report HERE.

Famously this site hosts the 'three amigos', Noisy Scrub-bird, Western Bristlebird and Western Whipbird, notorious skulkers that are extremely range restricted endemics to coastal heaths of SWA. I gave it two nights here to just focus on seeing these birds, I had success with seeing the first two but no sign of the Whipbird but luckily I had one singing at Mount Trio at Stirling Range, so mission complete. 

On the mammal front, I managed to see two or three Honey Possums in the Banskias (another reason this area is famed for) but they were not easy and I would not have succeeded without the new thermal. They are not so active in the winter and the nights were cool too. 

One of the highlights was the incredible spectacle of the bay full of Hump-back Whales, breaching and blowing and fin and tail slapping. There must have been at least 30 animals in the bay, the blows and breaching slaps audible continuously in the area including at night from the caravan- a nice sound to go to sleep to. 

On the way back to Mandaruh I took a different route back and checked in at Porongurup National Park and Muir Lake Nature Reserve to look for the last endemics I need to find- Baudin's Black Cockatoo, Western Corella and Western Shrike-tit. I've so far managed to find 13 of the 16 SWA endemics but my luck ran out and I still need to find these three species.  

A few photo highlights below.

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo (above and below) 

Western Bristlebird. No photos of the Noisy Scrub-birds unfortunately despite them being literally everyone singing loudly. I only managed a couple of brief low flight views and hops. 

Red-eared Firetail

Western Spinebill- stunner! 

White-breasted Robin 

Western Rosella 

New Holland Honeyeaters- bloody everywhere ! 

White-cheeked Honeyeater 

Black-shouldered Kite

Nankeen Kestrel

Bush Bronze-wing

Western Wattlebird

Eastern Osprey

Pacific Gull- what a bird. Nice to get a gull lifer. 

Sooty Oystercatcher

Little Eagle

Humpback Whale (above and below) 

Western Grey Kangaroo (above and below) 

Skink to identify 

Whale watchers at Cheyne Beach 

The Back beach 

Western Australia, Days Seven to Eight, Stirling Range National Park

Just back from a four day focused birding trip to the south of WA to target the region's endemic birds. I went alone as it would have been a bit intense for the family.  I first visited Stirling Range NP, staying at the Stirling Range Retreat. Most of my birding was around the retreat and venturing into the nearby park but also birded around Mount Trio. Updated trip report HERE .

I tried out the new thermal at night for mammals but nothing apart from European Rabbits. I also had Red Fox during the day and in addition to the usual Western Grey Kangaroos I had two Western Brush Wallabies. 

A few photo highlights below.

Wedge-tailed Eagle (above and below) 

Dusky Wood Swallow 

Spotted Pardalotes- top of wish list 

Yellow-plumed Honeyeater 

Tawny-crowned Honeyeater 

Gilbert's Honeyeater

Elegant Parrot 

Purple-gaped Honeyeater 

Regent Parrot 

Emu- cannot beat a ratite! 

View towards Bluff Knoll