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Mount Barker’s Laratinga Wetland………Crakes and Warblers

16 Jan

Dear Reader:

A small bird with vivid spots and dashes paddles out from the reed bed. A Spotted Crake, the first one I have ever seen.

Spotted Crake feeding

 

For the next ten minutes I watch several of the striking birds as they dip into the water in search of aquatic plants and animals such as worms, crustaceans, molluscs, spiders and even small fish and tadpoles.

Spotted Crake habitat

Leaving the crakes I walk a further hundred metres to another pool before I hear the melodic call of a reed warbler. There are reeds, small bushes and a variety of grasses bordering the water. I can still hear a bird calling and scan the reeds for movement. Deep in the tangle of stems I locate the source of the call; an Australian Reed-warbler.

Australian Reed-warbler calling

Reed warbler habitat

My hunting ground is the Laratinga Wetlands near Mount Barker about a Forty five minute drive from the city. In the local ‘Peramangk’ language it approximates to “Flooding Land Creek.” This wetland serves numerous purposes including filtering waste water, providing habitats for a range of animals and the establishment of walking, running, and cycling trails.

Wetland entrance

Having achieved my primary goal of photographing Spotted Crakes and Australian Reed-warblers, I continue my stroll around these fascinating wetlands keeping an eye open for more interesting plant and animal life.

Channel between larger pools

Because my Nikon P900 with its 83X magnification doubles as a spotting scope, I am able to search the opposite bank of a broad pool. I notice several Grey Teal perched on a branch overhanging the water. But it is the Short-necked or Macquarie Turtle in the background that is my main focus.

Grey Teal, Eurasian Coot and Short-necked Turtle

The day has been overcast and the light is fading. I have encountered numerous bird species in addition to the crakes and reed warblers as well as two reptiles; the turtle and a gecko. Another animal group would complete my day’s excursion. I turn my attention to invertebrates searching the foliage and leaf litter.

Marbled Gecko……showing camouflage

I am in luck. Perfectly suspended in the branches of a Christmas Bush is a Leaf-curling spider. These little arachnids create a home by spinning their silk around a dead leaf slowly curving it until they form a cylindrical shelter to hide in.

Leaf-curling Spider in Christmas Bush

Leaf-curling spider…Image shot at another location to show the spider

Now it is time to leave this amazing wetland but I will return in the near future to search for more wildlife in its maze of waterways, reed beds and bushland.

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, parking and other facilities nearby. 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 SA wildlife.

Click on these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Wildlife Around Chalk’s Campground

16 Dec

Dear Reader:

With the arrival of summer, grasses turn to gold with remnant shadings of green while pale gums add a subtle contrast to the landscape.

As the countryside flashes past on my way to the campground I notice a field of freshly baled hay. A flock of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos forages for any remaining seed heads.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos

My destination is Chalk’s Campground, just past the Warren Reservoir on the road between Williamstown and Gumeracha. I am not intending to camp here; however, the interface between human habitation, rural zones and wilderness areas is an excellent place to encounter wildlife.

Although the campsite is closed between December and March, due to the danger of bushfires, it is still accessible for walking and is a destination along the famed Heysen Trail. I drove through the area a few weeks ago on a sunny day and spotted a Shingleback lizard in the undergrowth.

Although it is summer, the weather is overcast and photography a little more challenging than on my previous visit. I use the powerful lens of my Sony RX10 to scan the trees, bushes and ground in search of wildlife.  Common Brown butterflies are the most common animals. They are flitting between the grass and leaf litter where their excellent camouflage is most apparent.

As I walk around the campsite zone, I notice a group of Adelaide Rosellas perched in a pine tree. The birds are wary and I only manage to fire off a couple of long range shots before they take flight.

Bark is peeling off many large River Gums and I probe under it in search of millipedes, spiders, roaches and other bugs. Spiders are not my favourite creatures and I have often come across multiple Huntsman species under the bark. However, today’s arachnid is a jet-black spider which resembles the common Black House Spider.

It is time to wind up this excursion and I backtrack along a little creek towards the car park. On my drive home I will take a break at the Gumeracha Bakery and enjoy a tasty chicken pie and an indulgent custard tart.

In a final attempt to find some different animals, I decide to turn over a few flattish rocks (which I carefully replace in their original position) in the hope of finding one of the elongated skinks that commonly shelter under them. To my surprise, it is a large and very and active Garden Centipede that I unearth. And, on that note, I bid Chalk’s Campground farewell.

Until our next adventure

Cheers

Baz

 Additional notes

This is an easy walk and 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

 https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Glacier Rock….Good food, Geology and Wildlife

30 Nov

A pair of New Holland Honeyeaters

Dear Reader:

There is white water swirling around the boulders in the river and a family of Pacific Black Ducks are huddling to one side where the water is calmer. Perched amongst the branches of an overhanging eucalyptus tree I make out the shape of several New Holland Honeyeaters and hear the distinctive call of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos as they fly overhead.

Breakfast at the Tearooms

I am sitting on the back decking of the Glacier Rock Tea Rooms  having just devoured a serve of the delicious waffles topped with berries, cream and ice cream; with a little maple syrup for good measure. The weather is overcast and not great for photography but I shall make the best of it.

Typical rural countryside along the Inman Valley

On the drive along the Inman Valley Road we spotted a mob of roos feeding just outside the little township of the same name. There were also  black headed sheep and numerous herds of dairy cattle grazing on the fertile grassland. Some really pleasant rural scenes to photograph.

Inman river and Tearooms

I take the track from the caffe down to the river passing an information board on the way which explains the geological processes that lead to the rock formations. They involved the scraping of surfaces by rocks embedded in an ancient glacier which carved out the valley millions of years ago.

White-naped Honeyeater

Grey Fantail

From the viewing point alongside the river I watch Welcome Swallows and Grey Fantails hawking for insects above the water. And, to my great delight, spot a bird I have never photographed before: a White-naped Honeyeater.  

Old bridge over the Inman River

Superb Fairy Wren

The Mt Alma Road runs alongside the café. I walk a short distance along the road to get a good view of a dilapidated, old bridge which crosses the river. Thick brush lines the first section of the road and I can hear the twittering of wrens in the thickets. There are both sheep and cattle in the paddock opposite.

Galahs in silhouette

Red Wattlebird

On the other side of the Inman Valley Road, a narrow, sealed track called Parsons Road climbs a small rise. In the field alongside the road, several Galahs are perched at the top a long dead tree. Nearby a group of Red Wattlebirds are feeding on flowering shrubs along the fence line.

Spider predation or devouring its own carapace after shedding????

However, my final wildlife encounter is on a much smaller scale. A little spider (species unknown) appears to have caught another spider in its web and is starting to wrap it in silk ready to devour later.

Sweet indulgence

My walk is over and I shall return to the tearooms and treat myself to a hot chocolate. An appropriate end to a rather successful walk in this lovely part of the Fleurieu Peninsula.  

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, parking and other facilities nearby. 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Aldinga’s Temperance Precinct

13 Oct

Dear Reader:

There is a sizeable group of Short-billed Corellas in the eucalyptus trees flanking the street. They exhibit a range of behaviours ranging from preening each other to nibbling branches and feeding on gum nuts. Some of the cars parked under the trees or nearby have also suffered some paintwork indignities due to the sheer number of birds.

Little or Short-beaked Corella

Corellas in tree

I am enjoying the ambience of the Temperance Precinct. A group of shops, restaurants, a pub, and other organisations situated on Port Road, where it intersects South Road leading into Aldinga. It is an area that has developed significantly over the last few years.

An interesting name

A little footwear style

So many colours to choose from

Perhaps the most iconic of these outlets is Miss Gladys on Sea which specialises in ‘well made’ clothing, shoes and accessories. Next door is a deli with organic foodstuffs and across the road, a bakery. Further down the street, there is an old church and graveyard as well as some fine period homes. Intermingled with the buildings are gardens, trees and bushes and the animals and plants which inhabit them.

A bit of everything

Heading for home

Collecting nectar

I sit on a stone wall, which borders a garden, waiting for a friend to do some shopping and notice a large native wasp fly into a gap in the stonework. In the garden I observe the same species feeding on several different kinds of flowers. With my attention focussed on these small invertebrates, I scan the plants for more species and spot: a diminutive flower spider, several Hoverflies, numerous Honey Bees and a cluster of tiny Aphids.

Not a gardener’s best friend

Shopping completed, it is time for lunch, but first I take a short stroll down to the churchyard where I can see some birds flitting between the branches of a red flowering gum. They are wary and in shadow. However, I recognise both Little Wattlebirds and New Holland Honeyeaters.

New Holland Honeyeater

Little Wattlebird

I finish the day with a wonderful steak and kidney pie washed down with a bottle of local fruit juice. In truth, a very satisfying low-key jaunt to one of my favourite coastal towns and I haven’t even taken the short drive to the beach with its fringing reef. An adventure I will leave for another day.

 Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, parking and other facilities nearby. 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Aldgate to Stirling…a short walk

24 Sep

Dear Reader:

It is still early Spring and the sun is out and I have often spotted a small copper headed skinks basking in the sun at this time of year. There are several logs on the northern facing aspect of the path and with a little patience and perseverance I manage to find one of the little lizards. Their correct name is the Common Garden Skink or Sun Skink.

Common Garden Skink

Following up on my previous post, which covered the area around the RSL Hall, on the edge of Aldgate, I am now walking the short path to Stirling. The trail follows the road and creek on one side and is heavily wooded on the other. There are numerous plants both native and introduced along the pathway including: Holly, tall pines, grevilleas, a few eucalyptus and acacia species as well as ferns and bracken.

Holly in the Hills

Grevillea species

After a fifteen-minute stroll along the pathway I reach the outskirts of Stirling. The town has an English country village feel about it with some lovely old homes and many small shops and businesses. Whenever I visit Stirling there always seems to be a welcoming committee of Little Ravens (often mistaken for Crows) in the area. Today is no exception as a group of the shiny black corvids trumpet their characteristic calls from a nearby garden.

Little Raven Stirling

I do not venture far into Stirling as it will be the subject of a later blog. I head back down the path to Aldgate. The dense vegetation, now to my right, is full of movement and the sounds of small birds in the undergrowth; probably wrens and finches. I scan the other side of the road and spot a Koala high in the branches. I take a couple of shots to demonstrate how difficult locating wildlife can be and how training your eyes to notice subtle changes and movement takes continual practice.

Koala at 100 metres

As I approach the outskirts of Aldgate I notice a track on the other side of the road near the township sign. Crossing over, I follow it a short way as it cuts along the hillside and into the scrub. This area is dominated by tall eucalypts and is a more typical hills bushland setting than the pathway.

The track near the entrance to Aldgate

Adelaide Rosella

Koala Aldgate

My detour is well worth the effort. Within a few minutes I have managed to photograph an Adelaide Rosella perched on an old, gnarled branch and a Koala at far closer range than before.

FRED……..Barista at work

FRED….Cosy place to dine

With the walk concluded I drive into Aldgate for lunch at Fred, a wonderful local eatery and another compelling reason to visit Aldgate. Over the years, I have had some wonderful meals in this iconic hills café and I’m sure today will be no exception. The only problem is one of choice with so many interesting dishes to choose from. After some serious deliberating, I end my day in Aldgate with a Croque Monsieur and a Chai Latte, selected from the ‘All Day Breakfast Menu’.    

Cheers Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, parking and other facilities nearby. 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Aldgate to Stirling 1……..around the RSL and church

26 Aug

Dear Reader:

There is a small stream running under the roadway which is overshadowed by tall Eucalyptus trees. I can hear the raucous calls of Galahs, Lorikeets and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos coming from high in the canopy. I swing the Nikon telephoto in a broad arc and eventually locate a lone Galah (Rose-breasted Cockatoo) gripping the trunk of a Stringy Bark Gum. On a grassy area near the playground, which is adjacent to the stream, a male and female Maned Duck are sitting close to each other some distance from the water.

Galah (Rose-breasted Cockatoo)

Male and female Maned Ducks or Wood Ducks

In another tree, I spot an Adelaide Rosella perched amongst the branches and leaves and nearby a second bird  is feeding on the buds of a non-native tree.  In the last few minutes I have identified four species of parrots , two by sight and two by sound. A nice start to my walk between the Aldgate RSL club and the outskirts of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills.

Adelaide Rosella

Adelaide Rosella feeding

Before I take my intended walk back to Stirling along the roadside pathway, I decide to explore the immediate area as I have been surprised by the diversity of birdlife here. A short stone stairway leads up to the Soldiers Memorial and a clearing with some garden seats. I sit for a while contemplating lives lost and the sacrifices made by families to ensure our way of life.

Soldiers Memorial

Golden Whistler

While I am sitting near the Memorial a Golden Whistler lands in the bushes close to me. This truly beautiful bird is not common and I feel privileged to watch it hopping between branches.

Superb Fairy Wren (Male)

Anglican Church of the Ascension

On the other side of the main road there an Anglican Church. It is shaded by trees and appears to have a range of flowers and flowering trees and shrubs in the grounds; always a good sign when one is searching for wildlife. I have heard the twittering call of wrens while walking up to the church and, as if on cue, I notice a male and female Superb Fairy Wren fossicking in the gravel beneath the Church Noticeboard.

Pair of Laughing Kookaburras

The church’s pretty wrens and flowers seem to have rounded off the first part of my walk around the Aldgate RSL but I am left with one more divine offering. A pair of Kookaburras, that I have not noticed, start to call from a branch in the largest eucalypt overlooking the church. There has been so many species in this small area that I have decided to cover the actual walk back to Stirling in my next post.

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, parking and other facilities nearby. 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Hale Conservation Park

14 Aug

Adelaide Rosella

Dear Reader:

Over the years I have made several major errors as a wildlife photographer. Perhaps the most telling has been the tendency to see a shot at the beginning of a field trip and not take it as I believe there will be a better one later. Not this time! As I climb out of the SUV I notice a pair of Adelaide Rosellas flying into a gum tree about a hundred metres away. I steady my camera against the vehicle and fire off a couple of frames. And yes; they were the only Rosellas I came close to photographing for the rest of the day.

Trailhead

Typical section of the trail showing some fire damage

I am walking the loop trail in the Hale Conservation Park a few kilometres out of Williamstown on Warren Road which leads to Gumeracha. It is a lovely, compact park with a small parking area and a well-defined track with information panels at the head of the trail.

Flame Heath with Goodenia flower growing through

Cryptandra species

The path climbs gently with generous views of the surrounding rural landscape. There is evidence of fire damage in some areas and significant regrowth; especially the Blue Gums. Although it is winter there are still numerous flowering plants along the trail including Flame Heath and Prickly Cryptandra bushes with Goodenia flowers growing through them.

Clever hands

I continually scan both trees and bushes for birdlife, possums and Koalas. On a level section, which gives me an excellent view of trees growing below me on the hillside, I spot a large Koala in the forked branches of a eucalypt. Its grip on the tree provides an excellent example of the prehensile nature of the marsupial’s ‘opposable thumb grip’-a feature more common in primates.

Scarlet Robin and New Holland Honeyeater (ID images only)

Red-browed Finch (ID image only)

With rain clouds gathering, I decide to backtrack rather than continue along the loop trail. Near the parking area there is a noticeable population of smaller birds which are hard to photograph as they flit between branches and leaves. I decide to take a sit and wait approach and capture some images for identification purposes. My results are far from ideal but they do give a true sense of the difficulty inherent in acquiring good clear shots in a natural environment where animals are wary. Nevertheless, I have included my attempts in this post.

Spotted Ctenotus

When I explore a new area I try to find and photograph animals from as many groups or classifications as possible. In the cooler months, cold blooded animals such as invertebrates and reptiles are the most difficult to locate. It is always worth turning over a rocks and dead tree branches or peering under bark to find animals that might take shelter there, (always replace the item or make sure the animal can move back to a safe place). Today, I find a Spotted Ctenotus; a small, stripy, long-tailed skink, hiding under a rock on a north facing incline.

Mouse Spider (Credit Andrew Fitzner)

One of the best things about exploring our parks is encountering like-minded people and today’s walk is no exception. I meet a couple who passed me on the trail earlier and we chat about what we have seen. They show me a picture of a Mouse Spider spotted on the trail and photographed with an I Phone.

My walk completed, including a promise to myself to return in the spring, I drive back to Williamstown and the local bakery to treat myself to a chai latte and one of the best custard tarts I have eaten in ages.  

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is a moderately steep walk with a small parking bay. It is not 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 these links and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Houseboat stories…..After the Floods

28 Jun

Houseboat stories continued (May 2023)…..After the Floods

Dear Reader:

As I walk across the flood plain, which was inundated in last year’s winter rains, there is a definite lack of wildlife. Bushes, grasses and other ground covers have been decimated. Last time I visited this area there were: Butcherbirds, Mudlarks, parrots, honeyeaters, Western Grey Kangaroos as well as an abundance of insects. Eventually I spot a single white butterfly settling on the cracked earth.

Cabbage White Butterfly

I am exploring Kings Billabong near Mildura, just over the SA border. We have travelled to this location by houseboat but the area is also accessible by unsealed roads. Each year I holiday here from Adelaide and observing the changes along the river, especially after major climatic changes,  is always interesting.

Track to the billabong

First lagoon

Following a pathway carved by a 4WD vehicle, probably a local ranger, I reach a boardwalk leading to a junction of trails accessing various parts of the billabong. From this location I get my first look at one of the many lagoons which make up this fascinating wetland.

Pink-eared Ducks

There are numerous birds congregating around a small island in the middle of the lagoon. They are about one hundred and fifty metres from my nearest vantage point and the light is starting to fade. Challenging conditions for my Nikon P900. I brace myself against a tree trunk, take a breath and fire off a couple of frames as I exhale. Later examination on the laptop reveals some Australian Ibises, a lone White-necked Heron and a flock of Pink-eared Ducks. The latter two species are birds I have never previously photographed.

Whistling Kite

With around half an hour’s light remaining I quickly skirt the first lagoon and sit quietly while scanning a second lagoon. High in a tall, dead tree overlooking the water, I can just make out the distinctive outline of a raptor. Zooming in, I recognise it as a Whistling Kite.

Spoonbills foraging

 

Fish in beak

There are a few Pacific Black Ducks, herons and a pair of Laughing Kookaburras around the edge of this second pool but it is a small group of Yellow-billed Spoonbills that are most interesting as they swing their bills through the water in search of small prey. However, I am quite surprised when I see one of the birds capture a small fish in its bill; something I have never witnessed before.

Back at the boat

I feel the vibration of my Apple Watch indicating an incoming phone call. The watch, with its emergency capabilities, is a useful tool when you work alone in the bush. The call is just a safety check and a reminder that dinner is being prepared on the houseboat and it’s time to make my way back. Tomorrow I will venture further into the park to explore some other parts of this complex wetland.

For more wildlife stories and pictures go to:

Weekend Notes

Feedspots best wildlife blogs

 

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Gorge Wildlife Park

20 Jun

Dear Reader:

Capturing images in the wild is one of the most exhilarating challenges a photographer faces. Each image evokes poignant memories of the location and circumstances under which it was shot. However, there is also a place for pictures taken in zoos and wildlife parks.

Wedge-tailed Eagle

At the Gorge Wildlife Park, one can get close enough to discern the fine details of animal structure and physiology such as the split grooming claws of a kangaroo or the scale patterns of a venomous snake. And of course, there are the fascinating interactions of people and animals. Each of the following images was added to my collection to emphasise these and other characteristics of our unique Australian wildlife.

Koalas are usually high in the branches of a gum tree. Being able to photograph one so close enables me to see the shading of fur as well as ear and eye structure.

The bullet shaped body, nictating eye membrane and position of the webbed feet and wings are obvious as this Little Blue or Fairy Penguin enters the water.

The tongue, beak structure and use of the feet when eating are well illustrated in this image of a Little Corella.

Getting close enough to a Dingo and her pups in the wild would be nearly impossible without specialist equipment, outback guides and a great deal of time to spend on the project.

Quinn feeds a female Red Kangaroo with a joey in its pouch. A picture which tells so many stories.

I have only encountered two Death Adders in all my years observing wild animals in the bush.

Bad hair (feathers), a wild gleam in the eye and a mouth full of greens….one of my favourite Emu images taken in a wildlife park.

I hope you have enjoyed these images from The Gorge Wildlife Park and they encourage you to visit this extraordinary facility and see what kind of images you can capture.

Cheers

BAZ    

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors.

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.

All images using a Nikon P900

Click on the links below to see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs

https://www.weekendnotes.com/profile/651267/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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Exploring the Southern Flinders Ranges…..Kanyaka Ruins

4 May

A window view of the area around Kanyaka Ruins

Dear Reader:

There are patches of low scrub and gravelly, ochre shaded soil on either side of the dirt road leading to the ruins. We are not expecting to see much wildlife on this exposed track. A pair of adult Emus surprise us as they dash across the road and I have just enough time to grab the camera from the console and fire off a few frames.

Driving into Kanyaka Ruins

Pair of Emus

We are driving along the entrance track to Kanyaka Ruins between Quorn and Hawker in South Australia’s Southern Flinders Ranges. This area is the ancestral home to the Barngarrla people. Kanyaka (most likely meaning ‘place of stone’) was originally established as a cattle station in 1852 by Hugh Proby who tragically died in the flash flooding of the nearby Willochra Creek. At its height, under later ownership, Kanyaka housed up to 70 families and ran sheep rather than cattle.

Ringneck Parrots

We have timed our arrival for mid-afternoon in order to have lunch at the ruins, explore the area then search for wildlife in the cooler hours before sunset. Our planning is rewarded as a small flock of Ring-neck Parrots settle a few hundred metres away amongst some wild grasses. With the parrots intent on their feeding, I am able to get close enough for an acceptable shot.

Apostle Birds

Nearby in the shade of a eucalyptus grove, I spot a pair of medium sized grey and brown birds fossicking amongst the leaf litter. On closer examination, I recognise them as Apostle Birds; a species I have never encountered around the Adelaide area where I live.

Small mob of Western Grey Kangaroos near the highway

With the sun getting lower in the sky it is time to leave in order to reach Hawker before dusk. Driving at night or in low light conditions is a recipe for disaster around the Flinders. With so many kangaroos in the area it is easy to have a collision, which can be devastating for both wildlife and driver alike. As if to emphasise the point, we pass a small mob of Western Grey Kangaroos, some with joeys in the pouch, feeding ­close to the highway.

Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby on steep hillside

After resting overnight in Hawker we will head into the heart of the Ranges and search for Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies in the steep gorges. However, that is a story for another time.

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is a long drive from Adelaide but easy walking and quite suitable for families and seniors 

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 the links below to see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles as well as locating similar blogs on Feedspot’s top 20 Australian wildlife blogs.

https://www.weekendnotes.com/profile/651267/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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