Spinny Pidge and the Dystopian Holiday Park

Thursday morning after a bit of birding about the sewage ponds, we departed Exmouth.

Spotted Harrier

Budgerigar in a finch bush (more about that later elsewhere).

We pointed Troopi toward Onslow, WA. Not because we had any desire to see, or be in Onslow, but because eBird listed a spot near it on Onslow Road that had produced some birds we wanted to see. We also did not actually point Troopi at Onslow as that would have produced a large splash and a short trip. So we pointed her south, then northeast and then north to be on the road to Onslow, home of miners (not the birds, although there were some there).

We stopped on the way when I saw a small flock of finches (which turned out to be Zebra) flying around what turned out to be a small dam. We had a quick look about and then went to the eBird spot where we found Orange Chats, which are very cool to see anytime as well as some zebbies and a few other of the regulars. It was very enjoyable and I was, and am quite grateful.
     

Orange Chats, a couple of the boys.

Ms Orange Chat

We arrived at the caravan park in Onslow about 4:30pm. It was a Discovery Holiday Park. We are members. I will join any caravan park group that is free to join, so we saved 10%. I hated this park. It was not a caravan park. It was like some sci-fi miners housing from an unhappy future. Instead of “Discovery Holiday Park” it should have been “Dystopian Holiday Park.” My review on WikiCamps is as follows…

“Never again. Not even if it were free. It has the ambiance of a minimum security prison and the noise level of a steel mill. It is not a caravan park (for me).”

After a crap night’s sleep (as stated, the noise was awful), we went birding. The eBird spot produced Chats again and some White-winged Fairy-wrens (love them too) but none of our targets. We headed back to the dam that we had stumbled upon the day before. There were millions of Zebra Finches. Ok, there were hundreds. We birded around the dam and I was on the backside when I heard Lynn call, “BRUCE!” I knew she had found something, and I ran straight toward her. As I came over the dam, I saw her looking through her bins and I asked, “What?” And she said, “Spinifex Pigeons.” And they were too. She was looking at three of these bizarrely beautiful pigeons, one of our targets, and life birds for us both. Yes! I am so grateful.
         

Showing off!

Just one of the bushes and spots filled with Zebra Finches at the dam. There is also a single Budgerigar in there with them.

Spinifex Pigeon (or as Ross refers to them... a Spinny Pidge). 

Just cool as... I am in love.

Birds. Peace. Love.