Gouldian Finches
Submitted: Monday, May 02, 2016 at 20:28
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Member - Raymond J
Has anyone in their travels in the northern parts of NT and WA, in the last couple of years has sighted some Gouldian finches in the wild.
I'm heading over to the top part of WA in the second half of next year. Any other of the grass finches sighting would be a bonus also.
Thanks for any information at all.
Reply By: The Explorer - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 21:09
Monday, May 02, 2016 at 21:09
Hello
I am lead to believe
Mornington Wilderness Camp is good for them.
Also, maybe post your question on
Western Australian Birders facebook page or
birdswa Google group (both require sign up ..but in long run worth it).
Both these sites are frequented by some of the best birders in Aus so you should get the info you require quick smart.
Frank O'Connor also provides a very good summary of
places to find particular birds in WA.
Frank O'Connor's Birding Western Australia
People also post sightings of various birds in WA here
Birdlife WA sightings page
A quick look through the archives reveals no recent post on Gouldians but not everyone bothers to report.
Never seen them in the wild myself...but working on it.
Cheers
Greg
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AnswerID:
599447
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 19:59
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 19:59
Hi Greg,
Thanks for the info I got a lot of good
places to
check out and I'll look up the sites you mentioned.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868714
Reply By: Member - JOHN C16 - Monday, May 02, 2016 at 21:33
Monday, May 02, 2016 at 21:33
Gouldian finches are regularly seen at:
Mornington Wilderness Camp. This is an Australian Wildlife Conservancy property located South of the
Gibb River Road. There are often research ornithologists present who will take you on guided birding trips for a small fee. Gouldians are frequently sighted.
El Questro station. There is a bird hide on the Saddleback Ridge track where we have seen Gouldians daily at dawn.
Wyndham. This one is a surprise as it is a town. After rain Gouldians have been sighted in puddles in front of the town hall and even in the caravan park near the big
Boab tree.
No Gouldians but near
Wyndham is the
Marlgu Billabong bird hide in the Parry Lagoons
Nature Reserve which is
well worth a visit.
AnswerID:
599448
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:03
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:03
Hi
John.
That part of the country will be covered in the brothers and my trip next year. I've heard of the AWC before and we more than likely pull in and
check them out.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868715
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 00:16
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 00:16
20 years ago every place we visited in the
Kimberley would whisper in our ears "and we have the rare and endangered Gouldian Finch"!!!!!
It became quite a joke.
Then when we got to
Kununurra, you could buy a pair of them from the local pet
shop.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome
AnswerID:
599455
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:10
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:10
Hi Peter,
I used to breed about 30 species of aust and foreigns finches about 25yrs ago and i would like to see them in the wild. The brother said he saw them in the
Kununurra area around 30 odd years ago, but I wanted a couple of other
places as a back up.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868717
Reply By: Alloy c/t - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 11:03
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 11:03
Not so rare and not only in the NT & WA … areas around
Alpha -
Barcaldine - Jerico -
Aramac all have had recorded sightings of Gouldian Finches , Cattle destocking due to drought seems to play a part in numbers …..
AnswerID:
599460
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:21
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:21
Hi Alloy c/t,
The brother and I came back
home to Mackay last Sept through from
Longreach -
Ilfracombe to Mt Coolan via
Aramac and lake Dunn. Did even realise they were there. Will do a bit of ringing around those's towns for sightings and may end up taking a trip and try and have a look for them.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868718
Reply By: LJME & LMG - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 13:50
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 13:50
Saw Gouldians with other finches most mornings around 05:45 near
Wyndham, at Parrys Creek Lagoon (at the
waterhole in the
camping area) and at the Zebra
Rock mine, in the water trough.
Saw many finches including Crimson and Star, at Mornington and at
Silent Grove near
Bell Gorge, but not the gouldians.
AnswerID:
599468
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:42
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:42
Hi LJME & LMG.
Will head to those's areas and try our luck. The brother and I crossed the Simpson last August and chased "The Wind of the Desert" as I named it to get a good photo of it. The bird was the White winged Wren, had to get a good photo in the sun. But I finely got one which i was happy with.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868721
Reply By: Steve in Kakadu - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 17:04
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 17:04
I have seen them regularly at Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin
Gorge) or the
Yurmikmik walks ( Motor Car Falls / Kurrundi Falls) in the southern park of
Kakadu.
AnswerID:
599481
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:51
Tuesday, May 03, 2016 at 20:51
Hi Steve.
I printed all the responses from the other people as
well who wrote in, and I'll keep them in a folder so the brother and I have a base to work with.
Thanks Ray.
FollowupID:
868723
Reply By: Member - Cuppa - Thursday, May 05, 2016 at 23:06
Thursday, May 05, 2016 at 23:06
We had Gouldian & Double barred Finches drinking from a water dish within a few feet of where we were camped each day at Bully's
Camp (Djoodoon) up on the
Dampier Peninsular. (Turn right immediately north of the air strip) - 4wd advisable (sandy). Was the only place we saw Gouldian Finches.
.
The river at
Gregory downs was a good place to see Purple Crested Fairy Wrens.
AnswerID:
599585
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Friday, May 06, 2016 at 21:44
Friday, May 06, 2016 at 21:44
Hi Cuppa
Thanks for the info, the brother and I will look it up as we're heading that way anyway. Hope we get lucky . I got a few photos of the purple crouned wren the last time I was at Adel's grove, that's not too far from
Gregory Downs.
FollowupID:
868899
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 10:30
Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 10:30
I saw a flock of 20-30 Gouldian Finches on Thursday, Ray.................in a cage in the pet
shop near Aldi, in
Hervey Bay.
Bob
AnswerID:
599639
Follow Up By: Member - Raymond J - Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 17:10
Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 17:10
Hi Bob
Were they the Red, black or
orange headed one. I've bred plenty of all colours but would like to see them in the wild.
Thanks Ray
FollowupID:
868928
Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 17:35
Saturday, May 07, 2016 at 17:35
There were a couple of different colour blends in the group, Ray, but can't recall with any certainty what they were,
Bob
FollowupID:
868930