Birds: Nightjar Painted Snipe Tropicbird Pratincole Scrub-bird Shrike-tit Sittella Quail-thrush (Grasswren)
For my next trip coming up this Monday I have planned to go to the following places so far: Perth Zoo Armadale Reptile and Wildlife Center Kanyana WRC Barna Mia Dryandra SF Sugarloaf Rock Cheynes Beach Anyone have any advice on other must-see places or can tell me anything about the other zoos in the south-west area?
Where did you enter Mount Lewis from for spotlighting? There seems to be three obvious options on google maps, the far southern end (Mount Lewis Road - near Julatten), a bit further to the West of that (the road doesn't seem to be named, but where there seems to be various things labelled as Mount Carbine), or from the Mossman side?
I can give a bit of advice for places around the Perth area as I visit every few years to see relatives. I seem to recall that you've visited Perth/the South West before (?) have you been to Caversham Wildlife Park? It's rather good and definitely worth a visit. They've got a number of quite unusual species and it's a nice little place. AQWA is good too. I notice you've got Quenda on your list. They're quite easy to see in a few places around Perth, even in the day in many places (I had a wild/habituated one in the cafe in John Forrest National Park actually poke my shoe with its nose). John Forrest National Park is one option, I've also seen them around picnic sites in Korung National Park, but probably the best place for you to try is Kings Park in the centre of Perth. I think you've got a rather good chance - you'll definitely see their digging marks - and I think it's a rather nice park anyway. I also notice that you've got Sittella in your list, and I have seen them well around Mundaring Wier. I haven't visited enough to know how regular they would be there though.
Also, if you want more information, I have some posts about birding and zoos in the South West (though around the Perth area and not the far south - no further South than Peel Zoo (which is another zoo to consider)) in my trip thread from 2016 thread starting on page five and the next couple of pages, and again from the bottom of page ten. (after a gap with Queensland in the middle).
Did you not see Quenda last time you were in WA? (I'd need to read back through the other thread). They are really common, even within Perth itself, so if you haven't seen them yet then they will (should!) be easy. Have you seen obesulus Southern Brown Bandicoot in the east? I thought the Western Barred Bandicoots were gone from Barna Mia now? I thought that's what @LaughingDove had said on here, but I might be remembering that wrong.
When I visited Barna Mia (4 years ago) they did have Western Barred Bandicoots. When I visited, I was told that Banded Hare-wallabies had left recently, so maybe that's what you're thinking of.
I didn't do the driving so not a 100% sure. But I think we went up Mt Lewis Road and parked at the Blue Finch Site and then went on foot past the gate (road further up is closed during the wet).
I've been to the area, but only for three days (did Cheynes Beach, Perth Zoo and AQWA). This time I'll have a couple days more. Haven't been to Caversham. What unusual species do they have? Thanks for the advice on Quenda and Sittella. I've read your trip reports (that's actually why Armadale made it onto my list) but will have to give it a more thorough read again...
Nope, no Quenda last time (at least none that I could identify as such), but I wasn't really looking for them back then. I have seen SB Bandicoot here (in the east) twice which will come up if I ever finish that other thread. I've talked to people there and they should still have them although I've been told they are the least easy ones to see.
For Caversham, there's a species list from my visit here: Caversham Wildlife park - Caversham Wildlife Park On Show Species List, July 2016 As you can see, it's quite a lengthy species list (by Australian zoo standards) with a number of unusual birds, reptiles, and mammals. If you visit Caversham, Perth, and Peel then you can get all 4 Australian quoll species in just those three collections. The other zoo not mentioned on this thread yet is the Cohunu Koala Park. It's a dump and almost certainly not worth visiting unless you want to tick a zoo or see how run down a place can get just for your interest. It's very close to the Armadale Reptile and Wildlife Centre though.
Yes, I'd seen that photo but I don't know if it's obesulus or fusciventer. The only zoos which list their animals as anything other than simply "Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus" are Cleland and Softfoot (which both have eastern obesulus). For all the others - west and east - they are unspecified. Googling didn't give me any answers as to which Adelaide holds. It could be assumed that they hold the local one, but that's not a given.
That is exactly what I was thinking of. I'd seen your photo of the bandicoot and so thought they must have left after you'd been there.
That's fair enough. Adelaide Zoo's sign only said: Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus and I didn't see the ones at Cleland. But I have seen two wild ones so at least those are a sure thing.
There's a wildlife park at Bunbury that's been advertising on regional TV. I know nothing about it (unless it's a re-named Peel Zoo), but it might be worth visiting. At the very least ZooChat might get a zoo-review (hint, hint). Hix
Bunbury Wildlife Park is about an hour's drive further south from Peel Zoo and looks like it is council run, There is a species list here: Animal Species
