BASNA runs birding tours for Birds Australia members. These tours provide a service to our members enabling them to access many remote areas of Australia, which often are only reachable by extended 4WD expeditions. Many of our members then have the opportunity to experience these unique areas and the wonderful birds that inhabit there. Whilst camping trips are frequently used for the more remote areas, accommodated tours are also available for those who prefer this style. For many Birds Australia members an organised trip is the only way they can access these areas.

The tours also play an important role in bird conservation as a proportion of the price for each trip goes to BASNA, which is then used for a variety of conservation purposes within the organisation. Since these tours began in 2004, hundreds of Birds Australia members have participated and thousands of dollars have been raised for conservation as a result. The BA projects that have benefited from the tours include the Cowra Woodland Birds Project, Regent Honeyeater Recovery Project, North Head Bird Monitoring and Port Botany surveys. To download any of the tour brochures visit the Outback Track Tours website.

Birding in the Kimberley 2010

Departing 26 June – 12 July, 2010 join us for a Birding Adventure to the Kimberley Area. Departing Broome we visit the Broome Bird Observatory, Windjana Gorge Mornington Station, King Edward River, Mitchell Falls, Kununurra before travelling back to Broome via the Bungle Bungles and Geikie Gorge.  Birds we hope to see at Broome will be migratory shorebirds that are overwintering. The birds of the mangroves such as White-breasted and Mangrove Golden Whistlers, Broad-billed Flycatcher and Red-headed Honeyeater are present throughout the year. While exploring the gorges and savannah woodland of the Kimberleys we will see the species that occur throughout this spectacular rocky terrain. We will visit Mornington Station owned and managed by Australian Wildlife Conservancy. A haven for wildlife, the endangered Gouldian Finch is regularly seen at Mornington. There will be time to search in the pandanas along the rivers for Crimson Finch and Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens. We must always be alert for the Red Goshawk or Grey Falcon. Of special interest will be the Mitchell Plateau where we will be after the elusive Black Grasswren. Other species of the escarpment are White-quilled Rock-Pigeon and Sandstone Shrike-thrush. Around Kununurra different species will be found in the lush irrigation areas such as Yellow-rumped Mannikins. We will also have an opportunity to add many waterbirds on a relaxing cruise on Lake Argyle where Yellow Chats are often recorded.

For further details and prices visit the Outback Track Tours website.

Birding Cape York 2010

17th July Departure - FULLY BOOKED
1st August - NEW DEPARTURE DATE JUST RELEASED

Trip Overview
BIRDS WHICH WE HOPE TO SEE (these will be seen in the reverse order for the 1st August tour) as we leave Cairns to travel north, we will start to see the commoner birds of Far North Queensland such as Whistling, Black and Brahminy Kites, Scaly-breasted Lorikeets, Forest Kingfisher, Australian Swift, Metallic Starling, Little Friarbird and Blue-faced Honeyeater. With luck at Daintree River, we may see Azure, Collared and Little Kingfishers, Great-billed Heron and Black Bittern. From Daintree to Cooktown, we pass through excellent rainforest supporting a wide variety of birds including Southern Cassowary, Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Double-eyed Fig-Parrot, Papuan Frogmouth, Noisy Pitta, Yellow-breasted Boatbill, Spectacled, White-eared and Pied Monarch and Victoria’s Riflebird. Pigeons include Superb, Rose-crowned, Wompoo, Topknot, White-headed and Brown Cuckoo-Dove. Around Cooktown, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Red-winged Parrot, Lovely and Red-backed Fairy-wren, Black Butcherbird, and Yellow Oriole are all possible. While travelling, we will pass many wetlands which support a vast range of waterbirds including Australasian Darter, Black-necked Stork, Pied Heron, Yellow-billed Spoonbill, Glossy Ibis, Magpie Geese, Plumed and Wandering Whistling-Duck, Radjah Shelduck, Cotton and Green Pygmy-geese, Swamp Harrier, White-browed Crake and Comb-crested Jacana. Care must be taken with Brolgas to ensure that Sarus Cranes are not overlooked. In Lakefield National Park there will be opportunities to see many of these species.

The Golden-shouldered Parrot is an endangered endemic restricted to the Musgrave area of the Cape. We will look for it at Artemis Station where the owners, Tom and Sue Shepherd are active in saving this rare and beautiful parrot. Other birds which we may see include Squatter Pigeon, Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Great Bowerbird, Masked Finch and Black-backed and Pied Butcherbird. Flowering trees, especially along the watercourses should be checked for honeyeaters such as Helmeted, Silver-crowned and Little friarbirds and White-throated, Black-chinned, White-gaped, Yellow, Bar-breasted and dusky Honeyeaters, Yellow-bellied Sunbirds may also be present Birds which can only be seen at Iron Range or further north include Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus and Red-cheeked Parrots, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, White-faced Robin, Yellow-legged Flycatcher, Northern Scrub-robin, Frilled Monarch, Tropical Scrubwren, Green-backed Honeyeater, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Magnificent Riflebird and Trumpet Manucode. White-streaked Honeyeater lives in a wide range of habitat but rarely in rainforest. Four nights at Iron Range National Park will allow plenty of time to look for these specialties but there will be opportunities further north to find any that are missed. Spotted Whistling-Ducks are occasionally recorded at Chilli Beach near Iron Range and at Weipa. At Portland Roads, seabirds that are possible are Greater and Lesser Frigatebirds, Brown Booby, Crested, Lesser Crested and Bridled Tern and Black and Common Noddy. In the mangroves at Portland Roads and Weipa, Great-billed Heron, Beach Stone-curlew, Mangrove Robin, Shining and Broad-billed Flycatchers, Grey Whistler, Fairy, Mangrove and Large-billed Gerygone and Varied and Red-headed Honeyeater are all possible. It is hoped that a trip by launch can be arranged to an island of Seisa at the tip of Cape York. Here it is possible to find Pale White-eye which is restricted the islands off the Cape York Peninsula.

What's Included
Travel by airconditioned OTT 4WD vehicle. All meals unless specified denoted as B breakfast L lunch D dinner some assistance with preparation is required. All camping fees. All National Park entrance fees. All camping gear including two person tents foam sleep mats tables and chairs. Ferry to, and tour of Thursday Island. Return flight Horn Island to Cairns (subject to availability at time of booking). Any additional flights cruises side excursions are optional extras. Note on the itinerary "Bush Camps" do not have facilities "Camps" are at Caravan Parks with full facilities National Park campsites have limited facilities.

For further details and prices visit the Outback Track Tours website.

Birding Mighty Darling 2010

Departing 2 – 12 October 2010, Ex Sydney - An 11 Day tour to visit Warrumbungles, Brewarina, Bourke and the Darling River. Menindee Lakes, Mungo National Park and Darlington Park. The recent rain in Queensland has restored life back to the Darling River. This trip is a unique opportunity to see mighty river at its best. Birdlife will be taking full advantage of the influx of water.

Itinerary
THURS 30 SEP: Sydney – Warrumbungles. Our first night is at the Warrumbungles National Park. Lying between the moist eastern coastal zone and the dryer plains to the west, the Warrumbungles are sometimes called the place where the east meets west. Due to this position the mountains provide protection for flora and fauna suited to both habitats.
FRI 1 OCT: Barwon River - Brewarrina area (bush camp). We will stop at the fish traps at Brewarrina which are estimated to be over 40,000 years old and were included in the National Heritage List on 3 June 2005. This elaborate network of rock weirs and pools stretches for around half a kilometre along the riverbed from the town weir and were built by the ancient tribes to catch fish as they swam upstream. We first encounter the Darling River between Brewarrina and Bourke, where the Barwon, Bogan and Culgoa Rivers merge to become the mighty Darling.
SAT 2 OCT: Bourke, Gundabooka National Park, Overnight Trilby. We stop at Bourke to view the historic wharf before travelling on to Gundabooka National Park. Mount Gunderbooka rises to 500 m among the rust-coloured cliffs, gorges and hills of the Gunderbooka Range. The park was created in April 1996 and covers an area of 63,902 hectares. Mixed woodlands cover most of the park and more than 130 species of birds have been recorded including Major Mitchell Cockatoos and Halls Babbler. Our base for the next two nights will be at Trilby, a farm stay on the banks of the Darling near Louth.
SUN 3 OCT: Trilby. Covering about 80,000 hectares, Trilby is a working sheep and cattle station. The flat open country supports a mixture of birdlife ranging from water-birds along the river to birds of the plains such as Mulga Parrots, Budgerigars and Hooded and Red-capped Robins.
MON 4 OCT: Menindee Lakes. We leave Trilby to travel through the historic port town of Wilcannia with its old sandstone buildings, historic centre Lift Bridge and old wharf that handled cargo so many years ago. We follow the river along outback tracks to our base for the next two nights at Menindee Lakes.
TUE 5 OCT Menindee Lakes. At Menindee the river flows into three large bodies of water, two of which are within Kinchega National Park. When the lakes are full, they are a very important refuge for breeding water-birds such as ibis, egrets and herons. As well as for irrigation, the lakes are also supplies water to Broken Hill.
WED 6 OCT: Wentworth. We continue our journey along the Darling to Wentworth. Sitting at the junction of two great rivers, the Murray and Darling, Wentworth was a thriving river port during the 19th century. Many historic buildings remain. (BLD)
THUR 7 OCT: Wentworth. An easy day relaxing around this historic town. View the junction of two rivers and visit the Perry sand hills-dunes, a unique land formation of 400 acres of continuously shifting sand dunes which are often used as background for movies and TV shows. You may wish to take cruise on a paddle-steamer along the river.
FRI 8 OCT Darlington Point. We leave the Darling to travel east to Darlington Point, a small but pretty town on Murrumbidgee River.
SAT 9 OCT: Darlington Point. Darlington Point is surrounded by good birdwatching areas. We will seek the advice of local birdwatching to choice the best sites for birdwatching throughout the day.
SUN 10 OCT: Return to Sydney. We travel through Narrandera, Wagga Wagga and Gundagai to end our journey in Sydney.

For further details and prices visit the Outback Track Tours website.

Birding Western Victoria 2010

Departing 23 Oct – 2 Nov 2010, Ex Sydney - join us for a relaxing fully-accommodated 11-day tour birdwatching along the Great Ocean Road, in the Grampians and at Little Desert National Park in Western Victoria. Fully Accommodated in 3.5 Star Motels/Lodges. At Geelong,  we will have two nights with a full day for birdwatching around the Bellarine Peninsula visiting various habitats including wetlands and coastal heathlands. Along the Great Ocean Road, many of the stops for the spectacular scenic attractions are also great spots for birdwatching but we will also visit some key sites for birds in the Otway Ranges. A great opportunity for finding the birds of the open oceans, coastal cliffs and beaches and the mountain forests. The Grampians National Park is renowned for its wildflowers but the area is also good for birdwatching. Over 200 species have been recorded in the dry sclerophyll forests where koalas are often seen. Another highlight of the trip will be our two nights at Little Desert Lodge near Nhill. Set in 117 hectares of natural bushland next to Little Desert National Park, it is a great area for birdwatching. We will have a full day to look for the specialties of the mallee including Malleefowl.

For further details and prices visit the Outback Track Tours website.

Birding South Coast 2010

Departing 13 -21 November 2010, Ex Sydney. A popular favourite, 9 Day accommodated tour to Jindabyne, Gipsy Point Lodge near Mallacoota. The Lodge is set on extensive grounds and is a highlight on this tour. We also make a day trip to Montague Island.

Trip Overview
From Sydney we travel to Jindabyne where we will be looking for birds of the high country. Our accommodation has been chosen for the large grounds which attracts much bird life. There is the chance of seeing Platypus in the crystal clear streams. From Jindabyne we continue on south to Gipsy Point Lodge near Mallacoota just over the border in Victoria. The Lodge is set in extensive grounds overlooking the Genoa River. The gardens attract an abundance of birds and Bassian Thrush Eastern Whip birds and Wonga Pigeons are frequently seen.

The area around Mallacoota is very scenic and has many different habitats ranging from rainforest to coastal heathlands and beaches. November is the best time of year for birdwatching in the area as the summer migrants have returned and many species are nesting. Large numbers of waders and seabirds can be seen on the sandbanks and beaches near the entrance to the Inlet.

While walking in nearby Croajingolong National Park we will be on the lookout for Koalas. Travelling back up the coast through Eden and Bega we have two nights at Narooma where we hope to join a cruise to Montague Island. The island is one of the most important reserves for nesting seabirds off the NSW coast. Little Penguins Wedgetailed Shorttailed and Sooty Shear waters and Sooty Oyster catchers all nest on the island. There is also a colony of Fur Seals. Dolphins and whales are often seen on trip to the island.

BIRDS THAT WE HOPE TO SEE - Around Jindabyne we hope to see species of the mountains such as Grey Currawong Little Raven Flame and Scarlet Robins Olive Whistlers and Diamond Firetail. Australian Shelduck can be seen at the lake. Gang Gangs and Yellowtailed Blackcockatoos are often seen around the town. At Mallacoota we will look for Hooded and Redcapped Plovers which nest on the beaches. Black Swans and Hoaryheaded Grebe feed along the river. The heaths of Croajingolong National Park are home to Ground Parrots Southern Emuwren Striated Fieldwren Tawnycrowned Honeyeater and Beautiful Firetail. In the rainforest lyrebirds are fairly common. Summer migrants include Rufous Fantail Blackfaced Monarch and Leaden Flycatchers. Several pairs of White-bellied Sea eagles nest in the area and are frequently seen. King Parrots and Bowerbirds come to be fed at the Lodge. Azure Kingfishers live along the river behind the Lodge. At Eden we will check to see if there are any Blackfaced Cormorants at the wharves. As we travel we will be on the lookout for raptors such as eagles and goshawks.

For further details and prices visit the Outback Track Tours website.