9/4/11-17/4/11: Bowra Part 3- Best of the rest

There were several frog species around, a result of the plentiful standing water. Familiar species like Green Treefrogs (Litoria caerulea), Desert Treefrogs (L. rubella) and Emerald-spotted Treefrogs (L. peronii) abounded [there were several that had permanent residence in the toilet bowl (header pic; courtesy R. Yong)], but we also managed to find two species of burrowing frog (Cyclorana alboguttata (right) & C. novaehollandiae), two marsh frogs (Limnodynastes fletcheri & L. tasmaniensis) and most intriguingly, a desert toadlet, identified as Uperoleia rugosa/capitulata (below). Toadlet taxonomy is another famously confused and foul conundrum; depending on who you ask, U. capitulata is either separate to or synonymous with U. rugosa. The current majority opinion is that they are identical, and as U. rugosa is the senior species, it threatens to subsume the former. Either way, most of these species are either rare or nonexistent in greater Brisbane, so seeing them was something special.


Native mammals were stop-start; there were plenty of red and grey kangaroos about, and a few Common Wallaroos, but it was the microfauna we were really interested in and fortunately for us the few we saw were notable. The claypans were most rewarding, yielding two species new for the sanctuary: Giles’ Planigale (Planigale gilesi) (left; pic courtesy J. Rowland)and the Stripe-faced Dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura) (below; pic courtesy J. Rowland), two small marsupial predators that push all the adorableness buttons. The Harp traps were also fruitful, yielding several bat species including Gould’s Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus gouldii), Lesser Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus geoffreyi), Inland Forest Bat (Vespadelus baverstocki) and two species of broad-nosed bat (Scotorepens balstoni & Scotorepens sp.), the last one an as-yet undescribed species (below; pic courtesy R. Yong); microbats are one of those animal groups whose taxonomy seems to be in a perpetual state of flux.



Stripe-faced Dunnart


Undescribed Broad-nosed Bat (Scotorepens sp.)

These and other small mammals are less well-known than the more charismatic kangaroos, wombats and echidnas, but they form the bulk of Australia’s mammal fauna, and being voracious predators, are important components of the dry country biotopes. Nevertheless, their unassuming habits and often-restrictive lifestyles mean many species are highly endangered; finding several individuals of these native mammals is indicative of the need to regulate and manage Australia’s sensitive dry country ecosystems, not only to protect charismatic wildlife but also relatively obscure creatures such as these.


The regularity of work meant we had precious little time to regard the avifauna around us, but we did manage to come away with some good sightings. Bowra is particularly famous as a sanctuary for the Hall’s Babbler (Pomatostomus halli) (above), the most restricted in range of the four Australian babblers. Sure enough, we managed to sight mobs of these birds with some regularity, indeed one of our sites was located within the territory of one family, meaning we were at one point treated to daily views of this special dry-country bird. Another local specialty to offer good views was the Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma castaneothorax)(right). These attractive birds are not the rarest, but they are notoriously elusive, often affording birders no more than a fruitless pursuit around the mulga chasing their calls -a ventriloquic high-pitched “seeee”- and a fleeting glimpse as it runs for cover. We were therefore fortunate, not only to be able to see them on several occasions, but to come away with premium views.


Bowra was also known as a good site for both Grey Falcons and Letter-winged Kites; these, however, again proved elusive- another trip, another blank for Jeremy, who’s racking up the miles fruitlessly searching for both these species. As for myself, I managed to come away with decent views of Restless Flycatchers (Myiagra inquieta) and Spotted Bowerbird (Chlamydera maculata) (above), both new ticks, and Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii) (left) which felt like a whole new tick, given my only previous sighting was the most fleeting of glimpses from a moving vehicle. Parrots were particularly bountiful, and we saw six other species: Blue Bonnets (Northiella haematogaster) (below), Mallee Ringnecks (Barnardius zonarius) (below), Red-winged Parrots (Aprosmictus erythropterus), Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos (Lophocroa leadbeateri) (below), Little Corellas (Cacatua sanguinea) and Mulga Parrots (Psephotus varius).


Blue Bonnets (and Black-faced Woodswallows)


Major Mitchell's Cockatoos


Mallee Ringneck Parrot

All the iconic outback species were present: Woodswallows [four species: Black-faced (Artamus cinereus), Dusky (A. cyanopterus), White-breasted (A. leucorhynchus) (right) and Masked (A. personatus)], Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus) (below), Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus), Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), White-winged Fairy-wren (Malurus leucopterus), Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza uropygialis) and Crested Bellbird (Oreoica gutturalis). Less common species included Chestnut-crowned Babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps), Red-backed Kingfisher (Todiramphus pyrrhopygius), Painted Buttonquail (Turnix varia), both Stubble and Brown Quail (Coturnix chinensis & C. ypsilophora) and Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopodus argus). Raptors were thinner on the ground, but we nevertheless got decent views of the most common species, including Whistling Kites (Haliastur sphenurus), Brown Falcons (Falco berigora) (below) and most impressively a Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides) eating a Bearded Dragon.


Brown Treecreeper


Brown Falcon at sunset


Nankeen Kestrel

The ones I had been really hoping for though were Australian Bustards and Brolgas. Both species had eluded me the previous trip and I was desperate to get them; the former is rare this far south and might have been a pipe dream, but surely I would get Brolgas? As our trip wound down it became increasingly clear I would miss out once more. We heard Brolgas one morning but that was as close as we would come; they were clearly toying with our senses, tormenting me with titillations but no more. Leaving Bowra, we had our eyes peeled, but as we left Cunnamulla steadily behind, hope disappeared. I was all ready to give up when Jesse suddenly started: “Brolgas!” And there, flashing by the window at 110km/h were a pair of stately Brolgas, standing insouciantly in a mud puddle by the highway bordering a worse-for-wear paddock. There a second, gone the next, with nary a picture but an eternal memory to commemorate the moment I first saw these majestic birds. The return was rushed, as we had to cover the entire distance in one day. The route replicated the one Jeremy and I had taken back from Scotia: Cunnamulla to Dalby to Brisbane, with a lunch stop at St George. The little wildlife we saw whizzed by; most notable was a Spotted Harrier (Circus assimilis) over the highway approaching Moonie. By nightfall we had passed Toowoomba and our journey was soon over.

So it was that we left Bowra. We had spent a week there, during which we managed to experience the joys of the dry country’s animals both charismatic and obscure. It was hard work for a good cause richly rewarded, and we can only hope that further fulfilling experiences are in the offing.