What comes to mind when you imagine a “Rock Parrot”? Maybe this?
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Or this?
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Then it may come as a surprise to you that the actual Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila) is a very subtle and small parrot.
Rock parrot
They are endemic to Australia and found along the western and southern coastal regions. Some of the best places to go to see this bird in the wild are Rottnest Island near Perth, Eyre Bird Observatory, Cape Leeuwin and the coast of Esperance.
The Eyre Bird Observatory is a loooong way from anywhere! First you have to get to Perth which can be done with frequent flyer miles. You could also take a domestic flight to Esperance, then hire a 4WD. The drive can be half the fun if you are after a full-on Aussie Outback experience. It’s about 643km or 7 hours from Esperance across the Nullarbor.
The red dot is the approximate location of the Eyre Bird Observatory
You can actually get as far as Cocklebiddy on the Eyre Highway with a normal car but then you would have to get the caretakers to pick you up and leave your car in Cocklebiddy which would be risky with a rental car.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Eyre Bird Observatory lies within the Nuytsland Nature Reserve and was established as Australia’s first bird observatory by Birds Australia (formerly the RAOU) in 1977.
The observatory is a lovely old stone building within walking distance of the beach. It was built in 1897, near the site where explorer Edward John Eyre found water during his overland journey Adelaide to Albany in 1841, to serve as the Eyre Telegraph Station. The station was deserted in 1930 and remained so until its restoration in 1977.
The building incorporates a fine natural history library and a small museum, which provides some history of the Eyre Telegraph Station and the telegraph line between South Australia and Western Australia. It also contains information and displays on the coastal environments, including past activities such as whaling.
The Observatory accommodates up to eight overnight guests. Because of our limited facilities, to avoid disappointment, advance bookings for overnight stays and meals are essential.
Overnight Guests
Accommodation in the historic Old Telegraph Building is basic with shared bathroom and toilet facilities. There are three bedrooms, one with a double bed and bunks, one with a double bed and two singles, and one with two singles and bunks.
Guests should note:
Bookings are essential. Please contact the caretakers
Up to a total eight guests can stay on any one night
You will need to bring your own bed linen—Sleeping bag, sheets, pillowslip, towel—to reduce water used for laundry purposes
Three meals per day are included in the cost of the booking
Prices for Accommodation
All prices include GST (Effective January 2012)
Adults $90 per person
Children (4-14 years) $45 per person
Courses (6 nights) $560 per person
10% discount for Seniors Card, YHA and BirdLife Australia members
Payments
Payments can be made by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) or cheque made out to Eyre Bird Observatory.
Eyre Bird Observatory is a not-for-profit facility, with the fees directed to cover our running cost. Fees for courses cover transport within the nature reserve for course outings, tuition by experienced leaders, accommodation in shared rooms, and hearty meals!
Eyre Bird Observatory
PMB 32, Cocklebiddy via Norseman WA 6443
Check Eremaea for the latest bird list. If you’re a parrot lover, you can usually find Major Mitchell Cockatoos, Purple Crowned Lorikeets and Port Lincoln Parrots.
If you are hoping to see the endangered Western Ground Parrot, Cape Arid is one of two places they have been seen historically albeit with extreme difficulty. It’s always best to check with Friends of the Western Ground Parrot before heading out there.
The park is accessed via Esperance, Western Australia which is pretty easy to get to by either a long road trip from Perth or short flight with SkyWest.
Skywest
Esperance
ESPERANCE
Although there are two hotel chains represented here (Best Western & Choice), using them is not the best use of your points. If you have points burning a hole in your pocket:
Personally, I think Esperance has better options if you go indie and earn points with Pointshound. Save your Choice points for Europe and earn some airline miles with United or another program of your choice.
No matter how you get to Esperance, you will need a 4WD vehicle to visit Cape Arid and drive on any of its tracks.
Cape Arid
You can download the whole park brochure PDF from DEC. The only accommodation in the park is rough camping. There are some gas BBQs but you will need to be self-sufficient. If you don’t wish to camp, you can stay in Esperance and make an evening trip out to Cape Arid. The day trips cater for whale watchers so you would need to organize a special trip if you are hoping to see Western Ground Parrots which are most active at dusk. This group camped out for a few days but managed to see a few Western Ground Parrots in Cape Arid.
According to Eremaea you can see these birds in Cape Arid:
Sooty Oyster-catcher, Pacific Gull, Great Crested Tern, Rock Parrot, Blue Breasted Fairy Wren, New Holland Honeyeater, White-browed scrub-wren, Welcome Swallow, Silver-eye.
Guests should note:
Prices for Accommodation
Payments
