Dear Reader:
There is a White-browed Babbler fossicking in the leaf litter which has accumulated under a small tree. Several more birds are perched in a nearby Lemon-flowered Gum watching me warily. Most of the Babblers I have encountered in this region seem to feed on the ground looking for insects, spiders, small lizards as well as fallen fruit and other vegetation.
White-browed Babbler foraging
The area I am investigating has been planted out by the Blanche Harbour Revegetation Group and is at the southern extremity of Blanche Harbour which is south of Commissariat Point along Shacks Road (I wrote about Commissariat Pt in my 25th of October blog). The coast adjacent to Blanche Harbour and the army training zone of Cultana, also incorporates the Douglas Banks Marine Reserve.
View across saltbush and mangroves
At low tide the exposed shoreline and coastal fringe is a mixture of saltbush, samphire, mangroves and exposed seagrasses. This region is the perfect environment for wading birds ranging from herons to plovers and oystercatchers; making this an ideal birding destination.
Coral Gum
Coral Gum flowers
Many of the trees, shrubs and flowering plants have been planted by the local conservation group and they are well labelled. A large shelter with excellent information displays, explains some aspects of the local ecology and provides pictures of significant wildlife.
Shelter and interpretive displays
The sun is low in the sky and photography is becoming more difficult and mosquitoes more prevalent; time to hop back in the car and head back to Commissariat Point where I am staying. However, the windows are left open and my mate Geoff cradles the camera as this is often the best time to encounter wildlife.
Blue Bonnet Parrots
Wester Grey Kangaroo
We are not disappointed when Geoff spots a pair of glorious Blue Bonnet Parrots in a roadside tree. A few minutes later, a Western Grey Kangaroo lifts its head from feeding, twitches its radar ears and watches us drive by. A couple of wonderful encounters as we head back to the shacks for a well-earned dinner.
Driving into Commissariat Point at dusk with wind on the other side of the gulf
Cheers
BAZ
Additional notes
This is an easy walk/drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors. It is dog friendly.
Please pass on this blog title and or contact information (URL) to any person or organisation with an interest in taking walks and enjoying wildlife in SA.
Click on this link and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles
Naturally South Australia 
I’d never heard of a blue bonnet parrot before, so thanks for this pic! We have a Goffin’s Cockatoo running our home, and I think they are native to Australia. The blue bonnets are lucky that they didn’t attract the attention of the pet trade. All three of our parrots are rescues….