Bendelby Ranges

After leaving Gluepot, we headed for the Bendelby Ranges in the southern Flinders Ranges. Most of our time here was spent driving the 4WD tracks but I did manage to get some early morning and late afternoon birding in. We were camped in the middle of an open Eucalyptus-Callitris woodland that provided some great opportunities to find a range of bush birds.

There was a nest at the top of the tree right next to our campsite and we woke at sunrise to the chattering calls of Chestnut-crowned Babblers. As usual, they proved difficult to photograph as they are rarely stationary and seem to remain in the middle of the vegetation high up in the tree but I did manage to capture one bird with its breakfast on a branch at eye height

Chestnut-crowned Babbler, Bendelby Ranges, SA

A group of five Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters were equally noisy nearby and this one posed nicely in the early morning sunlight.

Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Bendelby Ranges, SA

A late afternoon walk along a creek bank revealed more than 20 species of birds, all of which proved difficult to photograph in the low contrasty light but the highlights were:

Chestnut-rumped Thornbill, Bendelby Ranges, SA

Red-capped Robin (male), Bendelby Ranges, SA

Rufous Whistler (female), Bendelby Ranges, SA