Tag Archives: Nallan

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

Posted on by

One of the birds you are most likely to see in Australia is also one of the most beautiful.  The galah Eolophus roseicapilla, also known as the rose-breasted cockatoo, galah cockatoo, roseate cockatoo or pink and grey, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos, and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.

Notice how this first Galah’s crest (Nallan Station) is pinker than the other ones?

IMG_5883a

IMG_5900 IMG_6526a

IMG_0161Galahs are known for their silly, playful nature.  If an Aussie calls you a “galah”, they usually don’t mean it as a compliment!

You won’t have to try to hard to find them as they are pretty much all over Australia.  I’ve seen them around Perth, Nallan Station, Stirling Range, Tasmania, Melbourne, Brisbane, Bowra Station, Coolmunda, Karara, Girraween just to name a few.  They frequent the park a couple blocks from my house and I can usually hear them as they fly overhead in the morning to forage for breakfast.

Galah rangeLEARN MORE ABOUT GALAHS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

The Australian Galah

VIDEOS

Wild Galahs in  action – playing and foraging.

 

 

 

Nallan Station – I Wish We Could Have Stayed Here

Posted on by
Reply

When I was researching our trip to Western Australia, I found several glowing reports of birders who had stayed at Nallan Station and even had meals catered.  Unfortunately, the owners haven’t been operating their station stay for several years.  Even though the Queen of the Murchison provided great accommodation in town, there would have been something special about staying at the station and waking up with the birds.  The accommodation is in the shearers accommodations and would suit backpackers or people seeking an authentic Aussie experience.  I did take a peek inside the quarters, although they have not been maintained since they aren’t being used, you can get a good idea of what to expect.

IMG_5976 IMG_5824 IMG_5925 IMG_5927 IMG_6047 IMG_6050 IMG_6049 IMG_6052 IMG_6054 IMG_6055 IMG_6056 IMG_6057If you are planning a trip to Western Australia for birding, it would be worth contacting them just to see if they re-open the accommodation.  It’s also a good idea to call them if you just want to come for day visits.  They seem happy to have birders visit.  Please offer a donation to help them conserve this amazing bird habitat for future generations.

ABC Life on an Outback Cattle Station

Michael & Sandy were away when we visited but their son Jamie showed us around and was very friendly.

Nallan Station, Cue 6640

08 9963 1054     nallanstn@bigpond.com

Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata)

Posted on by
Reply

The Western Bowerbird (Chlamydera guttata) is a species of bird in the Bowerbird family. The species is a common endemic of Australia. It has a disjunct distribution, occurring in Central Australia and the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Male Bowerbird

IMG_6094a IMG_6089a IMG_6043a Female IMG_5924aThis bowerbird is endemic to Central Australia and mid-central inland and semi-arid Western Australia.  They can be easily seen at Nallan Station near Cue in Western Australia.  See black dot on map below.

.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN BOWERBIRDS

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Nice footage of Bowerbird dancing and calling for a mate.

 

 

Other Birds Of Nallan Station

Posted on by
Reply

Here’s a few other birds we saw at Nallan Station that I managed to get photos of.  Other species are always possible, here’s a bird list for the Cue area.  These were all seen either near the homestead or near Judas Well.

Zebra Finch

IMG_6022a IMG_5892a

Crested Pigeon

IMG_5730

Black-faced Woodswallows

IMG_5791a

White-plumed Honey-eater

IMG_5963

Common Bronzewing

IMG_5972a

White-plumed Honey-eater

IMG_5998a

Magpie-Lark

IMG_6003

Diamond Dove

IMG_6030a Not sure about this one IMG_6141a

Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius)

Posted on by
1

If Australia were to have a beauty contest for parrots, the Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius) would be a definite contender!

IMG_5764 IMG_5762a IMG_5838aThe Mulga Parrot (Psephotus varius), also known as the Many-colored Parrot, is endemic in arid scrublands and lightly timbered grasslands in the interior of southern Australia.  In the photo just above you can see 2 brightly coloured males and one duller female.

Mulga Parrot range.
Red dot – Nallan Station, Blue dot – Bowra Station

The species ranges across the dryer interior of the Australian continent, from Western New South Wales through the northwestern tip of Victoria and across South Australia and into the dryer central regions of Western Australia west to the Wheatbelt and north to the Pilbara.  The Mulga Parrot is generally encountered in pairs in arid grassland and mulga scrubland.   I have personally seen them at Nallan Station and at Bowra Station.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MULGA PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Beauty of Birds

Alice Springs Desert Park

VIDEOS

Breeding pair

 Live action from a webcam.

Meet The Parrots – Nallan Station, Western Australia

Posted on by
3

There are so many avian delights at Nallan Station, I will need to break them up into several posts.  Let’s start off with my favourites – the parrots!

BOURKES PARROTS

Seen mostly by Judas Well.  I have a profile on them here.

IMG_5756a IMG_5799a IMG_5980a IMG_5742aMULGA PARROTS

Also seen at Judas Well and in surrounding trees.  Note the brightly coloured male vs the duller female.

IMG_5697a IMG_5703a IMG_5762a IMG_5764 IMG_5819 IMG_5838aAUSTRALIAN RINGNECK

Found flocking with these Mulga Parrots.

IMG_5834aGALAHS

Seen near the shearing shed.  They weren’t the least bit afraid of the workers who were using some pretty noise machinery!

IMG_5852 IMG_5862a IMG_5866 IMG_5874 IMG_5879a IMG_5883a IMG_5886a IMG_5897 IMG_5903 IMG_5912See my post on Cue for more information on how to get here and Western Australia to learn how I organized this trip.

 

 

 

Cue: Gateway To Western Australia’s Outback

Posted on by
4

As one might expect, a country as large as Australia has a wide variety of eco-systems and species of birds.  Many of these potential bird habitats are extremely difficult to access such as the Canning Stock Route.  You need to be a very experienced 4WDer to make it out there safely.

Canning Stock Route

Fortunately the Outback town of Cue gives us a much easier way to access some stunning bird species such as Mulga Parrots, Major Mitchell Cockatoos, Bourke’s Parrots, Western Bowerbirds and some that are very familiar to pet bird keepers such as Cockatiels, Budgerigars and Zebra Finches.  Seeing your pet bird’s wild cousins is an amazing experience and can give you a renewed interest in conservation and learning more about the bird’s behaviour.  Check out the very impressive bird list!

Cue has no airport  so most people would fly into Perth and drive.  The roads are in good condition but you should avoid driving between sunset and sunrise as there is a strong risk of hitting kangaroos.

Location of Cue

You also need to beware of road trains and oversized mining equipment.  They are preceeded by a warning vehicle which gives you plenty of time to pull over and let them pass.

 

IMG_6157 IMG_6158 IMG_6162 IMG_6164

Forget about your hotels points, there are only two places to stay in town:

Queen of the Murchison  (I stayed there, review coming)

Murchison Club

Up until around 2010, most birders stayed at Nallan Station, about 13 km north of town, but they are no longer operating the station stay.  Hopefully, they may open it back up again!

Cue has a “wild west” feel about it and an Outback charm all its own.  The locals are very friendly and the town attracts birders interested in the wonderful Nallan Station which I will be blogging about separately.  Meanwhile, here’s a few pics from Cue and surrounds!

IMG_5668 IMG_5662 IMG_5671 IMG_5672 IMG_5673 IMG_5675 IMG_5677 IMG_5678 IMG_5670

Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)

Posted on by
1

The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata) (formerly Poephila guttata),is the most common estrildid finch of Central Australia and ranges over most of the continent, avoiding only the cool moist south and the tropical far north. It can also be found natively in Indonesia and East Timor.

IMG_6022aSince they have such a large range, you are likely to run into them in any part of Australia.  To date, I have seen them at Nallan Station, at a few road side places in Western Australia and near Kalbarri.

.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

ABC TV Documentary (YouTube version embedded below)

VIDEOS

Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii)

Posted on by
2

IMG_5980aThe Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii, formerly known as Neophema bourkii), also known as the Bourke’s Parakeet, Bourke or “Bourkie”, is a small parrot originating in Australia and the only species in its genus Neopsephotus.  It is a grass parrot approximately 19 cm long and weighing around 45 grams.  It is named after General Sir Richard Bourke, Governor of New South Wales from 1831 to 1837.

IMG_5799a IMG_5756a

Use your miles to get to Australia as these little beauties are Aussie endemics.  Bourke’s Parrot is widespread across arid and semi-arid areas of the inland, from north-western New South Wales and south-western Queensland to the mid-coast of Western Australia, and from the Devil’s Marbles in Northern Territory south to Port Augusta, South Australia.  I found them easily at Nallan Station in WA and Bowra Station in Queensland.

LEARN MORE ABOUT BOURKE’S PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEOS

Sorry, I couldn’t find much on this gorgeous little bird in the wild, plenty of captive bird videos.  Here’s one bird in the wild followed by a captive bird so you can hear what they sound like.