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The Kapunda Mine Trail…History and Wildlife

17 Jul

Dear Reader:

There is an Adelaide Rosella perched amongst the bare branches of a fruit tree in the garden of the old ‘Mine Manager’s House’.

Adelaide Rosella

I am taking a walk around the Kapunda Mine site situated on the southern edge of the mid north town of the same name. It is an easy, short walk. Despite the rather overcast conditions, I am hoping to get a few good shots of the site and local wildlife.

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike (credit Debbie Simmonds)

Before my walk I spoke to several people at the Visitor Information Centre and the local hotel. They mentioned a mob of Western Grey Kangaroos in the area and the occasional Echidna encounter. Fingers Crossed!

Classic Aussie pub

From the parking bay by the old house, the marked trail leads up to a lookout and tall Chimney which was connected to the boiler house and steam engine.  This system ran different pieces of mining equipment.

Start of the trail

Leaving the chimney site I make my way down to a playground area with fascinating metal sculptures. As I read the information plaque I notice some movement in the bushes to my right. Kangaroo? No! A bunny which skips away into the bushes.

European Rabbit

Rounding one of the bends at the top of the walk I encounter more information plaques which detail a range of stories about mining processes, the life of miners as well as some anecdotes from the mine’s historic past.

One of many stories

I read some information about ‘Wheal Charles’ an early part of the complex catch a  glimpse of some tiny birds feeding on nearby saltbush plants. Focus is tricky in the poor light and with such speedy little birds I have to take a dozen shots before getting one right. They are Silvereyes, one of our smallest local species.

Silvereye

The views across the ‘minescape’ from here are quite fascinating with the streaks of different coloured minerals standing out from the browner soil and background rock strata.

View across part of the open cut section of the mine

There are sheep in a paddock alongside the mine and some dark coloured birds on the ground near them. Initially, I think they are Ravens but after a closer look through the telephoto lens I spot their red eyes and realise the birds are White-winged Choughs.

Nearby pasture

White-winged Choughs

The Choughs are my final wildlife encounter. However, as I make my way back to the beginning of the looped trail I notice a series of placards telling a story about Sir Sydney Kidman a famous Australian outback figure. A great way to finish my tour of this charming town’s historic mine site.  

A story to end the walk

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, barbecues, parking and other facilities nearby. At the time of writing this post, the trail and facilities were undergoing a major upgrade. 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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Kapunda…The Pines Recreation Park

4 May

Dear Reader:

There is a pair of White-plumed Honeyeaters perched on a branch about thirty metres away. I think one is an adult which has just fed its well fledged chick.

The Pines Conservation Reserve is a five-minute drive from the historic township of Kapunda. It encompasses the old reservoir which once serviced the town and its mining community. Today the reservoir is dry after a long summer with little rain.

From the park’s entrance where I spotted the honeyeaters, I follow a looped trail leading to the reservoir. There are Galahs and rosellas flying through the trees and scrub and I can hear the twittering calls of smaller birds in the canopy and bushes.

On the side of a nearby slope I notice a classic 1800s cottage which has been renovated and is now privately owned. Nearby signage informs me this was once the residence of the Waterworks Manager.

Nearby, there is a bird hide which would stand on the edge of the water when the reservoir is full. There is a visitor book of observations which recounts animals observed. One recent notation mentions an Echidna shuffling underneath the hide.

I sit in the hide for a few minutes and watch several different species of birds drinking from a small trough which appears to have a permanently piped in water supply. I am particularly excited to see a pair of White-naped Honeyeaters at the trough.

From the bird hide, I backtrack a little and take the shorter route to the car park which passes across the top of the levy then down a slight slope. I stop to photograph the old Turncock building which regulated the water supply to the town.

From the top of the levy I am level with the middle story of the surrounding forest. I spot a Laughing Kookaburra half hidden in the branches and an Australian Tree Creeper on the trunk of a skeletal, old eucalypt.

The walk has been quite successful though for this time of year, with little water and most of the flowering trees and shrubs dormant, the wildlife has been hard to spot and photograph and I have had to rely on the extreme magnification that my Nikon P900 embodies.

My final stops are in the town itself; firstly, the local craft and arts centre then for lunch at the North Kapunda Hotel.

Next time I visit Kapunda I will explore the town which has its own pond and urban wildlife as well as the nearby mines. I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to my next one which will focus on the tourist oriented town of Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills. Yet another destination in our wonderful state

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, a shelter, 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/

Tags: , , , , ,