Day Four- Gorge Loop

​An early morning walk around camp to begin the day. A bit more bird activity this morning, including one of our targets, Red-browed Pardalote. First we heard the call and followed it, to find a pair tending an inconspicuous little nest burrowed into a small creek bank. We also found two parties of Chestnut-crowned Babbler and saw a couple of Euro.

Red-browed Pardalote nest at Dead Horse Gully

​Fuelled up in Tibooburra, and then headed east on the Wanaaring Road to drive the Gorge Loop through Sturt National Park. The park used to be sheep stations, but the country is very hard to work, so in the 1980's the landholders all sold up to the government and the park was created. We visited the ruins of Mt Wood station, including the shearing shed, shearers quarters and area where they used to scour the wool. At the shearers quarters we found two Gidgee Skink who had taken up residence in the old donkey (water heater).

​Beyond Mt Wood homestead we drove across the gibber plain, a treeless area covered in red pebbles. We were hoping to spot Gibberbird, but today it was only Australasian Pipit we found. We stopped off at Bullen Tank, which was bone dry and surrounded by many kangaroo carcasses. From here the terrain changed to rolling hills, and we stopped off for a quick look at the Gorge lookout.

Mt Wood shearing shed

Feral pigs at Horton Park ruins

At Horton Park ruins there was water in the ground tank and we saw a sow with two suckers coming off the water. We investigated the ruins, Horton Park was an outpost of Mt Wood with a small two-stand shearing shed where they would shear about 4000 sheep each year. Towards the end of the loop road we came across some Bourke's Parrot near a waterhole.

Crossing the Silver City Highway we arrived at South Meyers Tank at 3:00 p.m. There is a bird hide, but it has been colonised by Fairy Martin, so we set up our camp chairs outside the hide and sat for a couple of hours watching the comings and goings. No lifers here, but we did spot a Red-capped Plover in non-breeding plumage. Wandering around the tank, we came across a crafty feral cat waiting to ambush an unsuspecting bird, but it retreated as we approached. The birding highlight for this location was three Blue-winged Parrot which were on the ground across the road from the car park.

Feral cat at South Meyers tank

Back to Dead Horse Gully for the night. Two-minute noodles and a beautiful, hot pink sunset to finish the day.

Big Sis

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