I decided to escape the scorching heat wave forecast for Adelaide
Saturday morning found me on the road at 5.30am & I drove straight through to Bool Lagoon where I stopped for about 45 minutes.
I allowed myself short walk along the board walk. The first thing I noticed was there are so many HUGE tadpoles there. They almost lept out the water as I walked along the board walk. Then I noticed that some had grown up already..
There were plenty of Magpie Geese breeding – lots of fluffy little juveniles around!
Magpie Geese with young
Magpie Geese
I also heard 2 Australasian Bittern in the reeds quite close to the board walk. I got a glimpse of one as it clumsily flew from one clump of reeds to another very close by. I had fun photographing the Cisticola's who came over to visit me.
Golden Headed Cisticola
Golden Headed Cisticola
One of the thousands of Dragon Flies at Bool Lagoon
That was fun but I had to keep moving so it was back into my Birding Bus and onto Port MacDonnell where I filled up on Fish & Chips & a Pepsi Max before driving on to 8 Mile Beach
This beach is the breeding ground for resident shorebirds including Hooded Plovers. Thankfully there are informative and large signs erected to stop people driving onto this beach between November and April in an attempt to save these nests.
I walked along the beach to see if I could find any interesting birds when suddenly a 4WD group drove straight past the signs and onto the beach!!! Well, I was livid. Dressed in my Khaki gear I positioned myself directly in front of the leading vehicle and photographed him so he could see that I had done so! I then signalled for him to stop. Calmly and politely I proceeded to explain to him about the breeding area, describing how cute & vulnerable these little birds are and how helpless they are with their tiny fragile nests. When he looked like he wanted to take one home as a pet I then reminded him that he and his friends may now be directly responsible for their demise!!! At that point he looked like he would commit suicide. After I handed him a pack of razor blades they carefully drove straight back to the exit, blowing their noses and wiping their eyes as they went….
My work here was done so I too moved on, straight to Nelson and Lower Glenelg National Park
What a great Park, Brown Stringybark with dense health understorey. A great variety of birds and mammals just waiting for me.
As I was unsure how hot it would be there I spoilt myself and booked an airconditioned cabin at Kywong Caravan Park
This park backs onto the National Park and a great variety of birds and animals come in including Red necked Wallaby, Red Wattlebird, Little Wattlebird, Pied Currawong, Forest Raven, Crimson Rosella, White Browed Scrubwren, Superb Fairywren, Rufous Whistler and Rufous Bristlebird.
This park backs onto the National Park and a great variety of birds and animals come in including Red necked Wallaby, Red Wattlebird, Little Wattlebird, Pied Currawong, Forest Raven, Crimson Rosella, White Browed Scrubwren, Superb Fairywren, Rufous Whistler and Rufous Bristlebird.
Pied Currawong
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Red Necked Wallaby
Little Wattlebird
I spent the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday morning birding in the national park, mainly along Glenelg Drive near the turn off to Forest Camp and Battersbys.
At Battersbys I came across a bloke camping there who was chopping out a tree root with an axe! Now if that isnt bad enough, the reason he gave me was so that he could have a campfire that night! What the??? What part of conservation park.... totally fire ban.... 40C..... does he not understand???
I wanted to put the axe through his skull..... so I walked off before I reacted..... he appeared to be a good example of what is produced when you have a lack of genetic diversity....
Anyway, back to birding - I was rewarded with great views of Gang Gang Cockatoos, Crested Shrike-Tit (one of my all time favourite birds), Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, Olive Whistlers, Blue Winged Parrots, Forest Ravens and a good (albeit brief) view of Rufous Bristlebird who decided to cross the track right in front of me. I stupidly grabbed my binoculars instead of my camera. NOTE TO SELF – Always grab camera first!!!
At Battersbys I came across a bloke camping there who was chopping out a tree root with an axe! Now if that isnt bad enough, the reason he gave me was so that he could have a campfire that night! What the??? What part of conservation park.... totally fire ban.... 40C..... does he not understand???
I wanted to put the axe through his skull..... so I walked off before I reacted..... he appeared to be a good example of what is produced when you have a lack of genetic diversity....
Anyway, back to birding - I was rewarded with great views of Gang Gang Cockatoos, Crested Shrike-Tit (one of my all time favourite birds), Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, Olive Whistlers, Blue Winged Parrots, Forest Ravens and a good (albeit brief) view of Rufous Bristlebird who decided to cross the track right in front of me. I stupidly grabbed my binoculars instead of my camera. NOTE TO SELF – Always grab camera first!!!
Gang Gang Cockatoo
Crested Shrike-Tit
Blue Winged Parrot
Gang Gang Cockatoo
After the morning birding in Glenelg NP on Sunday I decided to drive to Portland
Guard Dog protecting Gannet Rookery
Point Danger
Gannet Roostery
I climbed the steps to the observation deck which is connected to a large structure covered in signs reading Warning – Shooting Range
I took a few photos and left before I was either mauled alive, electrocuted or shot.
Then it was time to eat. Portland Harbour
Then the token drive along the dry dock watching gannets dive like missiles into the water.. and me nearly driving into it as well… watch where you are driving Kay, especially when you are on a jetty or in a salt field…
I then headed back to Mt Richmond National Park which has great views of a variety of honeyeaters, scrub and fairy wrens along with a few reptiles baking themselves on the sandy tracks.
Back to Lower Glenelg where I continued birding until sundown.
I spent the evening enjoying a cool shower and recharging my iphone, ipod, netbook and both cameras. Thank goodness the cabin had a lot of power points. How did I ever survive without all my gadgets?
This morning up at 5am and at Telford Scrub at 6.30am armed with Iced Coffee.
I wanted better photos of the Satin Flycatchers who have been hanging around there for a couple of months.
After photographing many species including white naped & white eared honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills and Eastern Yellow Robins bathing at the water trough I walked in a bit further.
On hearing the flycatcher's raspy call I found both male and female Flycatcher flying back on forth to the same branch. On closer inspection I then realised there was a tiny nest with 3 nestlings. One juvenile appeared slightly more developed and that one was able to flutter to close twigs.
White Naped Honeyeater
On hearing the flycatcher's raspy call I found both male and female Flycatcher flying back on forth to the same branch. On closer inspection I then realised there was a tiny nest with 3 nestlings. One juvenile appeared slightly more developed and that one was able to flutter to close twigs.
Satin Flycatcher feeding the young
Female Satin Flycatcher
I watched for about an hour as the male chased away unwanted visiting birds and Mum and Dad constantly brought food to the young. It was priceless to watch. AWESOME!
While in this quiet beautiful place I heard something rustling toward me from the undergrowth. It got louder and louder. I expected it to be a Koala as it sounded so large. Then an Echidna appeared right at my feet! It seemed to not notice that I was there and continued past without a care in the world. Nice!
Feeling very happy with my 3 days of birding I then drove back to Adelaide
I remembered to give thanks for my air-conditioner and forced myself not to turn around and head back to Nelson!!
