Birding Australia’s Red Centre Tour - 6 Days

Tour participants will need to arrive in Alice Springs today and after you make your own way to our motel we’ll meet up for introductions and dinner. Overnight Mercure Springs Resort (Motel with en-suite rooms, meals included: D).

We’ll head into the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges for our best chance at some of the tricky spinifex species. Prime targets are the tiny Rufous-crowned Emuwren, Spinifexbird, Crimson Chat, and Painted Finch. We’ll bird all the way into the picturesque Trephina Gorge for an easy walk to search for another local specialty: Dusky Grasswren. Other species we may find here include Australian Owlet-nightjar, Red-browed Pardalote, Western Bower- bird, and the gorgeous “Golden-backed” race of Blackchinned Honeyeater. We’ll have lunch in the famous Olive Pink Botanic Garden, with its resident Chiming Wedgebills, Grey-crowned Babblers, Western Bowerbirds and many honeyeaters. We’ll then visit Simpson’s Gap where we’ll take a gentle stroll to look for Slaty-backed Thornbill, Western Gerygone, Redthroat, another chance at seeing Dusky Grasswrens and Painted Finches and this is a common place to find Peregrine Falcon hunting Little Woodswallows above the cliffs. Black-footed Rock Wallabies often come down from the scree slopes to drink. On the drive back we may encounter Brown Quail and Spotted Nightjars. Overnight Mercure Springs Resort (Motel with en-suite rooms, meals included: B, L, D).

We start with a visit to the Alice Springs Sewage Works and adjacent swamp. In a good morning of birding we can be assured of seeing over of 50 species, including Pink-eared and Freckled Duck, waders like Red-necked Avocet, Red-kneed Dotterel, all three ibis and all three grebe species, both spoonbills and occasionally Banded Stilt. White-winged Fairywrens are common and Black Falcon is often seen. After lunch at the historic Old Telegraph Station Reserve we’ll bird the mulga woodland along the Tanami Road keeping an eye out for raptors including Black-breasted Buzzard, Little Eagle and a chance of Grey Falcon. We’ll reach Kunoth Paddock to look for specialties like Banded Whiteface, Banded Lapwing, Chiming Wedgebill, Spotted Harrier and Australian Bustard while in the scrub we may find White- browed Treecreeper, Grey Honeyeater and Slaty-backed Thornbill. This is one of the few sites in Australia where it is possible, with luck, to see all 6 Australian falcon species in one place. If there is water in the dam we will stake it out for sunset and should have a good chance at Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos and Bourke’s Parrot as they come in to drink. On the way back to Alice Springs we’ll spotlight for Dingo, Southern Boobook, Spotted Nightjar. Overnight Mercure Springs Resort (Motel with en-suite rooms, meals included: B, L, D).

Today we are heading deep into the Western MacDonnell Ranges. At our first stop at the Ochre Pits the many flowering plants along the creek can attract a wealth of honeyeater species. Grey Honeyeater will be our target but we will also be looking for Black-chinned, Black, Grey-fronted and Pied Honeyeater. Next, at Glen Helen Gorge, we’ll take a short walk to view the stunning waterhole and bird back along the bed of the Finke River – which rarely flows, but pools of water often contain Spotless and Baillon’s Crake, and Nankeen Night-heron. Following a delicious pub lunch at the Glen Helen Homestead, we’ll bird one of the gems of the Western MacDonnell Ranges: Ormiston Gorge. Here we take a scenic walk with views of the gorge and good birds including Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Painted Finch, Spinifex Pigeon and Dusky Grasswren. Overnight Mercure Springs Resort (Motel with en-suite rooms, meals: B, L, D).

After an early breakfast we’ll head down the Deep Well Road with reliable sites for Rufous-crowned Emu-wren, Spinifexbird and Dusky Grass-wren. Also sometimes seen here are Crimson Chat, Cinnamon Quail-thrush, and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo. On the return drive to Alice Springs we will stop at another mulga woodland site for another chance at Bourke’s Parrot, Little Button-quail, Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, and Slaty-backed Thornbill. We’ll have lunch and the best coffee in town at the Irrante Café and then head south a bit to the magnificent Owen Springs Reserve, with its many different habitats and we will stop at several different sites to look for any species still missing from our list and we have a good chance of Australian Bustard. The tour ends with an afternoon tea and final bird list check. You will be returned to your accommodation of choice (not included in tour price) in Alice Springs, or the airport – please don’t book flights departing before 4pm this evening. Meals: B, L.