Winter Pelagic Challenge!

This weekend I went to Port MacDonnell for another pelagic with the hope of adding to my pelagic list.

Colin and my first stop was Keith roadhouse to get much needed coffee and to visit the Blue-faced Honeyeaters. 5 birds put on a show until a Peregrine Falcon decided to pay them a visit.

We got back on the road but instantly had to stop when I saw 2 Spotted Harriers hunting next to the road. We watched as they hunted and they got closer and closer to us. One of them then caught a mouse right in front of us!

Smiles all round as we climbed back into the Landcruiser and continued on our way. Next stop was Padthaway Conservation Park where we found Yellow-faced Honeyeater & Shy Heathwren while slowly driving through the park.

Even though the sun was setting we decided to still visit Glen Roy Conservation Park where we were greeted by plenty of Jacky Winters and a White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike.

It was then a mad dash to Port MacDonnell to check into our accomodation and head out to dinner.

7am we met Mark Moody and Jamie who had rescued some fishermen over night  and have now been declared heros. We boarded the Remarkable in out wet weather gear and braced ourselves for the 6 -8 metre swells providing an interesting ride out to or first stop at the Shelf. 

After a couple of hrs bouncing around the boat and getting covered in huge walls of sea water we gave thanks for the invention of KWELLS.

We were rewarded for our efforts by great views of Cape Petrel, Grey-backed Storm Petrel, Wilsons Storm-petrel, Fairy, Antarctic, Slender-billed and Salvins Prion, Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, Great-winged Petrel, Shy Albatross, Black-browed Albatross along with Arctic Tern.

Antarctic Prion

Salvins Prion have a broad bill!!!

Campbell's Albatross

Cape Petrel

Northern Giant Petrel

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross

Then we headed out to the Hotspot where we enjoyed plenty of prions & storm-petrels.We then enjoyed a BBQ lunch. It is almost a given that the minute you put a sausage in your mouth a bird would be called. Sausages went all over the place when the only Great Albatross was called - Northern Royal.

As we headed back in we stopped at the bank and also enjoyed Fluttering and Huttons Shearwaters which are extremely difficult to get near.

If you enjoy a challenge try pelagic photography in winter!!

Slender billed Prion

Slender Billed Prion

Giant Petrel

Kaurna Park Wetland Birding

Today I spent a few hours birding between rain showers at Kaurna Park in Burton, near Salisbury in South Australia. This urban wetland was formerly degraded farm land. The wetlands act as a natural filtration and water treatment system. This area is excellent for birding.

Red Wattlebird

Red Wattlebirds are in huge numbers as are Purple-crowned Lorikeets.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

Both New Holland and White-plumed Honeyeaters were also abundant.

White-plumed Honeyeaters

Sacred Ibis, Little Pied Cormorants, White-faced Heron and Purple Swamphen were present. I also had a Spotted Crake but was unable to capture a photo of it.

Australian Magpie enjoys a meal

This park is definately worth a visit but ensure to allow plenty of time to get around it!

Adelaide Hills and Surrounds South Australia Birding

Birding, as most of you would be aware, can (and does) take over your life.

Little Pied Cormorant

Willie Wagtail

It can become an expensive hobby if you let it, and I, for one, have fallen victim to the ever tempting quest of trying to see, and photograph every species of bird in Australia.

Rainbow Lorikeet

I am very grateful to have been invited to join a small team of bird photographers who all share the same passion (obsession) as I do, and thus am now providing my photographs to Bushpea.com. This website is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in Australian birds.

 

Purple Swamphen

White-faced Heron

You can find a link to it in my Favourite Birding Links up on the right-hand side of your screen!

Australian Wood Duck

Australian Shelduck

To see every bird in Australia is a huge task and consequently an action plan must be followed. This year my aim was to bird in Victoria, Broome, North Queensland and Southern Queensland. 

Australian White Ibis

Brush Bronzewing

Welcome Swallow

Willie Wagtail

In the last 5 months I have actively birded Victoria and Broome and later this year I will return to Qld to repeat areas I visited last year to hopefully “clean up”.

Grey Currawong

Little Black Cormorant

I have had to save my pennies to ensure I could afford to pay for few weeks of intense birding as it is going to cost me a small fortune. Therefore I’ve had a bit of a “drought” in my little birding trips recently.

Immature Golden Whistler

I have used the past month to photograph many common species who tend to get over looked by many birders ( apart from January 1st of course, when most of us who keep year lists go crazy for a few days “ticking” every bird we can find as we need to start our lists again). I had not bothered to photograph these common birds (chooks) but found that I needed them to add to my Bushpea collection.

Crested Pigeon

Magpie-Lark

It appears to be that even though these common species are usually easy to find, as soon as a birder is looking for them, they undoubtedly will be nowhere to be found. Hence the noticeable absence of the House Sparrow in this collection of photographs. This bird, for the last 4 weeks has disappeared every single time I go out with my camera!

Little Raven

Little Corella

Northern Mallard

Pied Cormorant