Quorn - South Australia

24 - 26 September 2014

After lunch at the pub in Hawker - which we would recommend - we drove on the 60 km to Quorn and Endilloe Lodge which was to be our home for two nights. This "cottage" is a three bedroom house with an orchard, creek bed and more fantastic views.

The massive living area of the "cottage".

A visit to the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens in Port Augusta was next on the agenda so we left fairly early for the 40 minute drive, arriving just after 9.00am. Stopped for coffee in the visitor centre while we decided which of the walks we would tackle first.

We chose the 4.5km Red Cliff Walk. My map reading skills are obviously appalling and I had us completely bamboozled within the first fifteen minutes. Thankfully Mick was able to decipher the map - which was actually very easy to read - and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the grounds. This walk is very easy, but water and hats were essential. Even though the morning started out quite overcast, the sun emerged and it became a beautiful, and quite warm, day.

View of the gulf from Red Cliff Walk

Red Cliff Walk

There were plenty of wildflowers in bloom, and birds around. Bird hides, seats and interpretive information are provided.

We had lunch in the cafe, choosing from an interesting, well priced menu with lots of local flavours. Then it was back out onto the walks. We criss-crossed around the various paths trying to find the best spots to photograph birds, and generally enjoying the beautiful weather.

Mulga Parrot

This was a full-day excursion and we didn't leave until after 3.00pm. We will certainly be back here again one day.

This is another great spot to find some interesting birds. Singing Honeyeaters and Red Wattle Birds are plentiful and I saw a couple of Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters as well. Out on the salt bush plain, White-winged Fairy Wrens were frequently encountered. One of the highlights for me was the Black-eared Cuckoo I spotted on arrival. It was the first of two (possibly three) 'lifers' for this great place. The other was this Mulga Parrot that ate wattle seeds happily, unconcerned by the clicking of my camera only a few metres away.

The other possible lifer is the Chirruping Wedgebill we were able to see but not photograph. I can't remember if I've seen this bird before. A fellow visitor was nice enough to point out the hiding place of a Boobook Owl. It was quite high in a Gum tree but I managed a reasonable photo. 

We returned the next day to have another crack at the Chirruping Wedgebill but dipped. We did manage to see a couple of goannas flat out like themselves drinking.

Gould's Goanna at the Visitor Centre

Southern Boobook Owl