Birding in the Adelaide Hills South Australia

This weekend was cold! Very cold, so cold in fact that most normal people would snuggle up on the couch in front of the heater to watch their favourite TV show.

But, I'm not normal.


I spent a freezing morning in Belair National Park. This park is 13 km south east of Adelaide on Upper Sturt Rd, Belair. It has great facilities for families with BBQ's, toilets, picnic areas, but more importantly, many great walking tracks! So, I warmed myself up by hiking for 5 hours carrying my camera.

 

There are many fungi around at the moment too, after all the recent rain! Yes, it does rain here sometimes, even though SA is the driest state in the driest continent on earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I actually lived in Belair National Park for approximately ten years, so I know it pretty well. So I can assure you that there are some great tracks to explore away from the main tourist areas where you can escape the crowds and you may even be able to hike for a couple of hours without seeing another person. Clearly these are my favourite areas!

Heading to Melville Gully

 

 

 

There are stunning areas of Messmate Stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua & Eucalyptus baxteri) with dense heath understorey which is great habitat for the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot and gorgeous Yellow-footed Antechinus (a gorgeous dasyurid marsupial). It is interesting to note that only 200 years ago there were 8 species of Bandicoot in SA. Now there is only one, and it is endangered. All due to land clearing and the introduction of feral cats and foxes.

 

 

I was rewarded by seeing some great birds and about 15 Koala's  (which are Marsupials, not bears) - but we do like to call them Drop Bears from time to time... 

 

 

Golden Whistler

Grey Fantail

 

 

 

 

Musk Lorikeet

 

 

Red-browed Finch

 

 

 

 

After my hike in Belair I also spent an hour in a tiny little block of native vegetation in Blackwood and managed a couple of photos of a Rose Robin, which is very rare in South Australia.  so I was happy to see this little featherball. Only the second one I've ever seen in SA!

 

 

 

Rose Robin - a rare visitor to SA

 

 

Spotted Pardalote - female

 

 

 

 

 

 

White-throated Treecreeper

 

 

 

Koala have sharp claws for climbing

 

 

Koala are a marsupial - not a bear!

 

 

Adelaide Rosella  (Crimson Rosella)