The country west of Adelaide holds several difficult species. These include the recently split mallee whipbird, which inhabits the thick heaths of Innes National Park on Yorke Peninsula.

Around Whyalla, in the saltbush/bluebush country, there is an isolated population of thick-billed grasswrens, subspecies myall that may follow trend and be split at some time. 



Scarlet-chested parrot is our other main target bird. We saw around sixty birds on 2011's tour. This highly nomadic bird can at times be found in the mallee and spinifex country around Ceduna.

We'll also check out the coastal heaths for rock parrot and slender-billed thornbill. In the Arid Land Gardens and nearby country around Port Augusta we'll have a chance for black and pied honeyeaters, redthroat and black-eared cuckoo. 

Some of the Western Australian species at the eastern edge of their range can be found in Lake Gilles Conservation Park, such as western yellow robin, rufous treecreeper and blue-breasted fairywren as well as other mallee species. Our aim is to track down these species.

Pre-tour day.
15 October 2013
Overnight: Adelaide

Day 1
16 October 2013
Adelaide to Marion Bay (Yorke Peninsula) (c 280 km)
Leaving Adelaide we'll travel towards Port Wakefield where we will bird the coast heath and saltbush for rock parrot and slender-billed thornbill. Fairy tern and a good variety should be about the mudflats. After lunch, we travel on to Marion Bay at the southern tip of Yorke Peninsula with some birding stops along the way.
Overnight: Marion Bay area

Day 2
17 October 2013 

Innes National Park
We'll invest most of the day in the park in our attempt to get decent views of the secretive mallee whipbird. We'll be on the lookout for mallee fowl, brush bronzewing, rock parrot, purple-gaped honeyeater and rufous fieldwren.
Overnight: Marion Bay area



Day 3
18 October 2013

Marion Bay to Port Augusta (c 400 km)
If need be, we'll spend some more time in the park this morning looking for any species we still need. Afterwards we'll travel to Port Augusta where we'll take in the Arid Land Botanic Garden where black and pied honeyeaters are a chance.
Overnight: Port Augusta


Day 4. 

19 October 2013
Port Augusta to Kimba (c 160 km)
The saltbush/bluebush country around Whyalla will be birded today for the myall race of thick-billed grasswren. We should also pick up redthroat, black-eared cuckoo and white-winged fairywren. Success being ours, we'll move on to Lake Gilles Conservation Park for some great mallee birds. (Success not being ours, we'll need to move on eventually anyway!)

Overnight: Kimba


Day 5
20 October 2013
Lake Gilles CP
There is many a desirable species in the park and we'll spend the full day in our quest for rufous treecreeper, western yellow robin, blue-breasted fairywren, southern scrub-robin, shy heathwren, mulga parrot and owlet nightjar.
Overnight: Kimba

Day 6
21 October 2013
Kimba to Ceduna (c 315 km)
We'll bird in the mallee about Kimba again this morning before heading to Ceduna, birding along the way. The highly nomadic scarlet-chested parrots can at times be found in the park. We'll test our luck!

Overnight: Ceduna

Day 7 & 8
22 & 23 October 2013 

Ceduna

Over next two days our time will be spent birding the mallee and spinifex country northwest of Ceduna in Yumbarra Conservation Park. This is one of the more reliable sites in Australia for scarlet-chested parrot and we'll pull out all stops in our endeavour to locate this elusive species.

Overnight: Ceduna



Day 9
24 October 2013 

Ceduna to Port Augusta (c 315 km)
Quite a long drive today but we'll do some early morning birding before heading back to Port Augusta.

Overnight: Port Augusta



Day 10
25 October 2013
Port Augusta to Adelaide
Well do some birding about Port Augusta before travelling back to Adelaide in time to catch evening flights out.

End of tour

$4,260 AUD twin share. Single supplement: $600.00

Cost includes accommodation from the pre-night 15 October to 24 October 2013; all meals from breakfast 16 October until lunch 25 October 2013; guiding, land transport and park entry fees.