Trip Report: Dirk Hartog - Midwest Subspecies
Dirk Hartog Island White-winged Fairywren
Targets: Dirk Hartog Island subspecies & other Midwest subspecies. White-winged Fairywren
Dates: 9th - 18th June 2025
Guide: Louis Masarei (Birding Southwest)
Guest: Sue Taylor
Western Australia has a fair bit to offer from an endemic’s perspective. If you look just another layer deeper, you’ll find a whole lot more to off in terms of endemism at the subspecies level. Some birders don’t take much notice of subspecies, and some birders obsess over it. Some birders consider the subspecies level of taxonomy trivial and in some cases unscientific while others are keen to see and hear the differences from birds they know well when far away from home. There are also those who want to tick off everything! Who knows, they might just get split and elevated to a full species worthy of a new tick. I reckon I’m a bit like this.
There are also those who want to tick off everything!
The Blowholes - Dirk Hartog Island
Dirk Hartog Island offers perhaps the most unique looking subspecies on the Australian list. When you flip through your field guides, the Dirk Hartog Island subspecies of White-winged Fairywren stands way out. It’s jet black! The rest of them are a beautiful blue. There aren’t many subspecies around that have such a difference in colouration. So, this trip was built around seeing them and as many other unique birds along the way.
The day-by-day itinerary with locations are below and the eBird trip report can be found here.
Day 1: Perth - Geraldton
Day 2: Geraldton - Hamelin Pool
Day 3: Hamelin Pool - Dirk Hartog Island
Day 4: Dirk Hartog Island
Day 5: Dirk Hartog Island
Day 6: Dirk Hartog Island - Overlander Roadhouse
Day 7: Overlander Roadhouse - Carnarvon
Day 8: Carnarvon - Exmouth
Day 9: Exmouth
Day 10: Exmouth - Perth
Shark Bay Mangroves
Perth - Geraldton
After a delayed airport pickup, we headed straight to one of Perth’s favourite birding spots of late - Blackadder Wetlands. Blackadder is fantastic for a great diversity of waterbirds but also bush birds in a relatively small area. We picked up a quick 50 odd species before heading off for our first subspecies for the trip, Butler’s Corella. This is the northern race of Western Corella (Cacatua pastinator derbyi) and it’s found relatively easily around the waterbodies and grain terminals of the northern Wheatbelt around Northam. We very quickly got onto a pair along the Avon River causing a commotion in a palm tree. With them in the books, we went to have a look at the barely tickable Mute Swans that the town of Northam is so proud of. They aren’t looking too flash anymore, and no longer able to fly as a result of a deformity called angel wing. It might not be long before they need to be replaced and their viability on the Australian list gets rightfully put into question. Thankfully we had that subject to spur on the conversation as we began the journey to Geraldton.
We drove through a town I’d seen many more than two Western Corella’s in the past, Calingiri. The grain terminal there did not disappoint. Around 200 foraged on the edge of the main road as we watched from the car. Spotted Harriers were the highlight of the rest of the drive through endless paddocks before night fell and we rolled into Geraldton for some food and rest.
Hamelin Pool
Geraldton was a quick stopover for us. In the morning we did have a quick check around for the local race of White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillatus carteri) and found them on the doorstep of our breakfast spot. Too easy! On we went north towards Shark Bay and our rickety accommodation at Hamelin Pool. It is a shame that Bush Heritage have closed their grounds to the public as the accommodation there is much more comfortable and clean. We stayed next door at the old caravan park and let’s just say that at the very least we were near some good birds. The area around the Stromatolites carpark is a fantastic birding location. Chiming Wedgebills and Rufous Fieldwrens lit up the soundscape as the sun set. That was just perfect as we needed to get a look at the local subspecies of Fieldwren (Calamanthus campestris rubiginosus). Other highlights included an adorable Redthroat singing heartily almost within arm’s reach and Brown Songlarks descending into the flats with their robotic song in tow.
Rufous Fieldwren perched up and singing.
Dirk Hartog Island
Finally we’d be on our way to the barge to Dirk Hartog Island. DHI was the focus of this trip for its famed black White-winged Fairywren. From Hamelin Pool, it’s a couple of hours drive up a rough track, around Useless Loop and all the way towards Steep Point. On the way, just prior to sunrise, a Spotted Nightjar flushed from the road and showed well in front of the headlights. They’re always a good omen on an early morning drive, I think! We eventually rolled onto the beach at Shelter Bay to wait for the barge across to our island destination. The wait was pleasant as we watched a White-bellied Sea Eagle soar above the Oystercatchers, Gulls and Terns. Then as we departed the barge, we were greeted by a white morph Eastern Reef Egret and a beautiful Osprey tending to its nest. The soundscape was filled with one of our target birds, the Dirk Hartog Island Rufous Fieldwren. Despite a brief scout from the comfort of the car, we couldn’t locate it. Up the road, we would hear them again alongside Spotted Scrubwrens, Purple-backed Faiywrens and Black-faced Woodswallows. They were quickly located, and the trip was already looking like we were going to be on track! Optimistic we would find the other two subspecies quickly we drove towards our accommodation. Wedge-tailed Eagles and Nankeen Kestrels filled in the blue sky as we moved north through dense coastal heath.
We had driven past our lodge waiting for the check-in time and thought that birding might be the best thing to fill in the time. What else? We stopped at some particularly good-looking habitat. An Australian Bustard flushed not long after we began walking down the track. A good sign the habitat was healthy. Surrounded by the calls of Fieldwrens, I eventually heard one of our other targets. The fine, faint contact call of a White-winged Fairywren. As we approached the calls, a large flock of about 12 scattered through the heath. I was drawn to a blackish flash. It looked as though there was a male in eclipse plumage. We’d thought it may be a challenge to find a full breeding plumage male at this time of year, and this was an indication that it may remain a challenge. Regardless, the big target for the trip was in the bag on paper. In practice, we still had to see that little black bird. The flock settled and they sung, and after 20 minutes or so, a clean black ball moved through the song. We were on. He sat proudly at a few different perches and sung to the sky. Too easy, we hadn’t even checked in yet.
The following days included chasing the remaining endemic Southern Emu-wren and experiencing the rest of what DHI had to offer. A boat cruise with Humpback Whales, Dugongs, Manta Rays, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Bottlenose Dolphins and Green Sea Turtles was a worthy addition to the almost perfect weather we experienced. An evening trip to the highest point on the island for sunset had us seeing a ridiculous collection of mammals - Dibbler, Rufous and Banded Hare-Wallaby, Shark Bay Mouse, Greater Stick Nest Rat, Desert Mouse, Western Barred Bandicoot. The work that is being done on this island is certainly effective in this respect.
But that Emu-wren still remained. Our last day was taken finding what I thought should have been the easiest find. Never have I worked so hard for an Emu-wren. Many Grasswrens I have found easier than this. You can see by the quality of the photo. We had once again been stopped by Fieldwrens and then distracted heavily by a beautiful black Fairywren before hearing the Emu-wrens finally sing. It had been 3 days without a peep from them. They took almost an hour to show and then another half an hour to show well. Its experiences like that which remind you to never take a bird for granted. Waiting quietly, tracing calls, seeing flashes within and across small spaces, only to have them eventually sit, sing and show every little feature of theirs. It was definitely an experience in guiding and birding that I won’t forget. Hopefully Sue doesn’t either!
We headed all the way up to the North end of the island to suss out some of the historical points in celebration of seeing all the endemics of the island. Lunch at Cape Inscription was beautiful and suitable. Our stay on DHI was coming to a close but it will be a guiding and birding highlight for me for years to come. The accommodation and was fantastic, the scenery incredible and the wildlife all around you with that genuinely untouched feeling had us feeling wonderful as we departed on the barge across to the mainland.
Mainland Shark Bay
Back safely on the mainland we thought it wouldn’t quite be right to not go and check out Steep Point. This is the western most point of Mainland Australia and was well worth the visit if not only just to tick it off. The cliffs and scenery are stunning and raw, but we did have to get moving east. We’d stop at a small patch of mangroves to be greeted by the local subspecies of Yellow White-eye, a pile of Mangrove Grey Fantails, Spotted Scrubwrens in the mangroves and potentially one of the most southern Dusky Gerygone’s there is. The Gerygone was shy and neither of us had really good looks. By the water it was calm and clear, well worth the stop.
Our evening would have us looking further back inland with our target being the nominate race of Copperback Quail-thrush. An old spot I had from years back wasn’t far from the roadhouse so off we went for an evening stroll. We never so much as heard one, but that didn’t matter at all. A handful of Red-capped Robins and some beautiful Splendid Fairywrens kept us occupied. We heard some Mulga Parrots amongst the chorus of Chiming Wedgebills and then just as we were to turn, we flushed a pair of Bourke’s Parrots. They flew directly over our head and showed all of their intricate muted colour palette.
Carnarvon
On our way to north to Carnarvon, we had one job to do. A quick detour to see that Quail-Thrush. We were driving to the spot when one flushed across the road. The tick was in the bag, but we needed to get out and see one better. We did. Walking right in front of us on the track. Southern Scrub-Robins called alongside more Chiming Wedgebills and we felt like our day was off to a great start. Malleefowl tracks in the sand as we strolled topped that off.
We’d get going through the small mesas and floodplains towards the mangroves of Carnarvon. Various different sections had us picking up an array of shorebirds at close distance. Slender-billed Thornbills were heard but not seen in between mangrove patches and many Dusky Gerygone showed really well on the edges. Good sightings of Torresian Kingfisher added another subspecies to the list.
Our main target bird for the Carnarvon area was the Black-tailed Treecreeper, wellsi subspecies. We’d find them on a beautiful morning on a dry Gascoyne River. With small pools of water around, the place was busy. Piles of Budgerigars, Cockatiels, and White-plumed Honeyeaters filled the sky and trees. There were a good number of Common Wallaroo or Euro on the banks of the riverbed too.
Exmouth
Birds of Prey filled the sky on our trip further north to Cape Range and the North-west Cape. We' had a few things left to see before Sue would depart from Learmonth airport south of Exmouth. Masked Woodswallows made their lofty presence felt as we made our way around the range and down to Yardie Creek. A very dishevelled young Dingo sauntered down the road as the sun fell over Ningaloo Reef. And we were right on time for that sun to absolutely light up the creek and the gorgeous glowing browns of a big active population of Western Bowerbirds. These birds spread all the way to central Australia, but this particular subspecies is only found on Cape Range, carteri. The Welcome Swallows in WA are also carteri and they were in abundance here. Black-flanked Rock Wallabies are always a highlight down at the creek and they cautiously foraged around us as we took it all in and the sun set.
A trip to the wastewater treatment plant was already long overdue. We’d find an errant Bar-shouldered Dove from the local race here alongside Star Finch, Zebra Finch and Red-backed Kingfishers. We didn’t have much left to find!
I was extremely dissapointed to find almost all of my spots for Spinifex specialists burnt to a crisp. We still got onto some great birds deep into the ranges though. Red-browed Pardalote, White-winged Triller and Crimson Chats made us feel like we were all the way inland, but we could see the ocean just over the range! The Exmouth area is truly special and is reflected in its birding wonders.
One target subspecies left! We’d heard them but the mangroves always are difficult to get clear looks. White-breasted Whistler, here we come. Wapet Creek has always been one of my favourite spots to bird in the Exmouth area and this time was no different. A Striated (Little) Heron flushed as soon as we made our birding presence felt. Funnily enough a fisherman had been there for quite a while before us. The calls of the whistler rang out. I responded and a beautiful, clean, resplendent male flew right to us. Perched well in the light and singing its head off it made for a wonderful sight! Rainbow Bee-eaters flew over head to fill the colour palette in and we were over the moon.
We’d have our last night down at Bullara station, picking up Orange Chats, Grey-crowned Babblers and a load of Zebra Finches. The largest amount of Australian Pied Oystercatchers I’ve ever seen together at the edge of the mangroves saw the sun set with us and we’d be up to Learmonth and Cape Range tomorrow to send Sue on her way.
To fill in time, we thought we’d look for those Spinifex specialists. Even more areas I’d discovered were burnt but we persisted. Spinifexbirds called in the distance but weren’t a priority, Rufous-crowned Emu-wrens were. There sat a beautiful male singing his tiny little head off. A perfect bird to finish our trip.
White-Breasted Whistler
On this hugely successful trip we saw 164 species, all of our target subspecies and all many difficult to see birds. This trip will be formalised into an itinerary with upcoming dates in the future.
If you'd like to experience this awesome trip, get in touch!
Yardie Creek at sunset
