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Normanville’s Big Gorge Walk Part 2

24 Jul

Dear Reader:

(30/6/25,12.05, Clear sky and around 18, light wind)

Numerous aged River Red Gums line the watercourse. I remove a few strips of bark to investigate the different animals that shelter there. A Marbled Gecko scuttles out and freezes relying on its camouflage to escape detection.

Marbled Gecko and Pie Dish Beetles

In part 1 of this story (June 7th Post) I had just passed the ruins and was nearing the end of this short but fascinating trail. I will pick up from there and relate the walk to the end of the trail and back by referring to my field notes. Conditions were recorded on my Apple watch.

End of the walk with information about Colonel Light’s exploration of the area

(30/6/25,12.13, Clear sky and around 18, light wind)

Amongst a tangle of branches I can just make out the shape of a large dark bird. I zoom in and pick up the white fringes to its tail and prominent yellow eye…A Grey Currawong.

Grey Currawong

(30/6/25,12.14, Clear sky and around 19, light wind)

Scanning further into the trees, I pick up the distinctive red breast and blue wings of an Adelaide Rosella. The rosella is not the only parrot in the area. There are small groups of Short-beaked Corellas in the canopy and an occasional Galah flying past.

Adelaide Rosella
Short-beaked Corellas

(30/6/25,12.25 Clear sky and around 18, light wind)

I leave the trail and walk closer to the creek and try to capture essence of this beautiful Gorge with a couple of scenic images.

Yankallila River
Surrounding hillsides with sheep grazing

(30/6/25,12.42 Clear sky and around 18, light wind)

I am almost back at the trailhead when I notice a small group of Silvereyes in a bush. They are probably the same birds I photographed earlier (7th June post). To my surprise, considering the season, I notice a Monarch Butterfly perched on a small branch near the track.

Late season Monarch Butterfly

(30/6/25,12.55 Clear sky and around 20℃, light wind)

I reach the Norm Garnet Park, pack up my gear and head back to the city. I have been surprised by the lack of Western grey Kangaroos, as I know they are prolific in this area. However, the gods of wildlife photography decide to rectify the problem and I come across a dozen or so ‘roos’ grazing in a fenced paddock, just a few kilometres shy of Normanville.  

Western Grey Kangaroos grazing on farmland

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

Other animals see, heard but not photographed

The camera used for this post is a

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

Normanville’s Big Gorge Walk…….part 1

17 Jun

Dear Reader:

Tiny birds are feeding in the canopy of a massive Red River Gum on the edge of the river bed. Scanning the area with the telephoto of my Nikon P900, I spot a diminutive Thornbill.

Thornbill species

Garnet Kelly Park on the southern side of Normanville is the start of the Great Gorge Walk. This charming track of around 3Kms return follows a path walked by explorers and traversed by later settlers.

Park entrance near the old bridge
Alongside the river

River Red Gums, Sheoaks and Acacia bushes are part of a complex and varied flora.

Sheoaks on hillside, private property bordering the walk

Information placards at the start of the walk and along its route tell the story of the bridge, pathway and the local soldier which the park is named after.

One of numerous informative signs on the walk and in the park

Small birds seem to be prolific in the first kilometre of the walk and I manage to photograph Fairy Wrens, Silvereyes and White-browed Finches. Most of the shots are taken at distance and emphasise the need for a good telephoto lens in this area.

Silvereye feeding on reed-like grasses near a pool in the river bed

I notice small groups of Sulphur-crested and Rose-breasted (Galahs) Cockatoos flying overhead. A few land to feed on the ground while others perch in nearby trees. They advertise their presence with a screeching, almost prehistoric, call.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

The weather is too cold for reptiles and I see only a few rather tattered looking butterflies. However, there are sheep with lambs in tow, on the hillsides. A closer look on one ridge reveals a lone Western Grey Kangaroo grazing alongside a couple of sheep.

Hilltop grazers

Glancing at the distance reading on my Apple watch, I realise I am almost at the half way (1.5 Km) point of this walk. Though the wildlife and scenery have been both interesting and varied, my writer’s mind wants a little more variation for an article. It comes in the form of an old ruin.

Remains of a once substantial building
Historical placard near the ruins

The exact nature of the ruin is a little unclear and an information plaque provides some different alternatives. Nevertheless, this old structure and its history provides yet another reason to take this truly beautiful walk on the Fleurieu Peninsular………….to be continued.

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The camera used for this post is a Nikon P900

This is an easy walk which is quite suitable for families and seniors, Dogs must be kept on a lead.

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/

The tip of the Fleurieu

28 Apr

Dear Reader:

The school of Silver Drummer and Banded Sea Sweep mill around the rocky outcrop off Cape Jervis SA.

Silver Drummer (top centre) and Banded Sweep

I am exploring the southern tip of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsular using images that show a few of its many features and attractions.

Australian Pelicans Goolwa bird reserve

Cape Jervis is the transit port for the Kangaroo Island Ferry as well as being an interesting wildlife destination in its own right.

Kangaroo Island ferry at Cape Jervis with KI in the background

Numerous seabirds live in this area including: terns, gulls, cormorants and various birds of prey. At different times I have observed Sea Eagles and Nankeen Kestrels.

Nankeen Kestrel hovering

Just before Cape Jervis, a dirt road leads to Fishery Beach where an undersea cable crosses beneath Investigator Strait to KI. I spend a little time snorkelling close to the shore where I photograph a school of Zebra Fish.

Zebra Fish

Range Road Curls around the foot of the peninsular passing through pasture, scrub and grazing country. Near the beginning of the road there is an entrance to the old Talisker mine. Numerous small birds inhabit the dense scrub around this area and the old buildings and machinery provide some historical context.

Crusher house and boiler
Crescent Honeyeater

One of the main attractions of the southern Fleurieu is the Deep Creek Conservation Park; a wonderful place to photograph Western Grey Kangaroos and the occasional Echidna.

Lone roo Deep Creek Conservation Park
Roos in the mist Deep Creek CP

My next stop on this trip is Victor Harbor, where I watch a succession of recreational fishing boats head out to sea while I enjoy a tasty seafood lunch at Whalers Seaside Dining.

Setting out from the Victor Harbor boat ramp

Having reached Victor from the city via South Road and Range Road I decide to return to Adelaide along the B37 (Strathalbyn Route) after a 4WD run along iconic Goolwa Beach towards the mouth of the Murray River.       

Entrance to Goolwa beach

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The cameras used for this post are Sony RX, Nikon P900 and Nikon Coolpix AW100  

This is an easy drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with the exception of the 4WD section which can be tricky depending on tides and wind.

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/

Dragons

26 Mar

The diminutive dragon lifts its body and head in a territorial display.

Painted Dragon….one of our smaller species

I am walking along Tennyson beach in the early morning in search of two of our South Australian dragon species.

Tennyson Dunes and beach

By pure chance, in a scrubby clearing I spot a Bearded Dragon poised on a dead branch waiting for prey.

Bearded Dragon

My job is done and it is time for breakfast at the Grange Caffe.

A short post

Cheers

Baz

Other animals see, heard but not photographed: (Heron, Brown Snake)

The camera used for this post is a (Nikon P900)

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

Wirrina Foreshore Reserve

25 Mar

Dear Reader:

The Western Grey Kangaroo stops feeding and looks at me, twitches its ears then hops deeper into the bushes where it is joined by a second roo.

Western Grey Kangaroo
Then there were two

I am driving along the access road to Wirrina Cove marina, where I will walk along the Wirrina Foreshore Reserve. It is a rather overcast day which adds a few extra photographic challenges.

Beginning of the walk

Like other parts of the Fleurieu the story told by the rock formations is fascinating. The areas geoheritage includes: deep sedimentary basins, massive plate tectonic collisions, glaciation and mountain formation.

Rock formations along the shoreline

At low tide the rocky foreshore is a maze of rockpools. Within each of these ecological niches lives a wonderful variety of marine organisms such as anemones, sponges, seasnails and crustaceans; to mention just a few.

Shore crab species on the edge of a rockpool
Turban Shell

Banks of seaweed cover some parts of the shoreline and I am amazed to see an Australian Magpie probing the weed. Closer observation suggests it might be gathering nesting material.

Australian Magpie in seaweed pile

After spending some time exploring the edges of the pools, I move back to the trail to capture a few images of the typical birdlife. There are White-faced herons stalking the shallows, Pied Cormorants and Masked Lapwings resting on the rocks and a pair of grebes further out to sea.

White-faced Heron

Having captured images of molluscs, birds, crustaceans and marsupials, I turn my attention to plants, insects and other life forms. Butterflies and native bees are feeding on flowering Scabia blooms, lichens coat the rock formations and Cushion Bushes colonise niches in the rock formations.  

The weather closes in and it is time to leave the walking trail. However, I am determined to return on a warmer, sunnier day with some snorkeling gear to further explore this fascinating area.

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The camera used for this post is a Nikon Coolpix P900

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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Driving the James Track to the Myponga Conservation Park

11 Mar

Dear Reader:

A Short-billed Corella perches in the fork of a gum tree. Its raucous call resonating through the still morning air.

Short-billed Corella

I am driving the largely unsealed road between Myponga and the conservation park of the same name. For a summer’s day, it is refreshingly cool but the dryness of the surrounding countryside tells a different story.

James Track

A few minutes after seeing the corella, I catch a glimpse of a group of Straw-necked Ibises strutting through the pale, yellow grass. They turn to watch me then fly off towards the coast.

Straw-necked Ibises

Further down the road there are dozens of Rose-breasted Cockatoos (Galahs) in a stand of trees. All but one takes to the air as I leave the car to take a shot of them. The plucky little bird drops out of the gum tree and hops onto an old, circular concrete well and starts to drink.

Just taking a little drink

The road takes a sweeping bend and starts to climb. I find a good vantage point and scan the broad expanse of dry pasture with my telephoto lens. What I missed from the vehicle soon becomes apparent. There are Western Grey Kangaroos scattered across the landscape in small groups of two to six animals.

Roos in the landscape
Western Grey Kangaroo (through the telephoto lens)

The terrain changes from lightly wooded pasture to scrub with an overstory of smaller eucalypts. Several kilometres on, I reach a gated entrance to the Myponga Conservation Park alongside a local property.  

Change if terrain near the park

Taking care to close the gate behind me I drive through a combination of rolling hills, farmland, and dense scrub. The track is about two kilometres long and ends in an open space wide enough to turn around.

Inside the park

Two trails; The Echidna and Wren, branch off from the end of the road into the park and alongside some farmland. As a bonus, there is a spectacular view across the hills towards the ocean.

Trails at the end of the park

My goal for today achieved, I drive back along the trail. At the gate I meet a local property owners and chat to him about the area. He tells me that the park is best explored in spring when the plants are in flower providing food for a range of animals.

Myponga Conservation Park gate

I return to Myponga back along The James Track where I enjoy the delights of the local bakery before heading home to review my images and make a note in the diary to return in the spring. 

Bakery delights

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The camera used for this post is a SONY RX10 Mark 3

This is an easy 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.

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

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Pangarinda Botanic Garden, Wellington SA, part 2

1 Dec

Dear Reader:

As we walk around the waterhole, I notice a large spider clinging to the corner of a fallen branch. Closer examination reveals it to be the shed carapace of a large Huntsman Spider.

Spider carapace

We are continuing (see previous post) our walk around the Pangarinda Botanic Park in Wellington East. We have reached a waterhole which is currently dry but surrounded by flowering Grass Trees and Kangaroo Paws. Nearby there are many other native bushes, many of which have ID markers. 

Grass Trees and scrub

Kangaroo Paws

Hundreds of insects are feeding on the tiny flowers which coat the Grass Trees. Most are introduced Honey Bees. However, there are some larger bees that might be natives as well as ants and a butterfly species which I do not recognise.

Flowering Grass Tree and butterfly

The next section of our walk is dominated by numerous Eremophila species. These beautiful flowering bushes have delicate curved, tubular flowers in a wide range of colours. Many varieties are well adapted to dryland conditions. Eremophilas are often used in gardens as they attract honeyeaters and other small, nectar feeding birds.

Eremophila polyclada

New Holland Honeyeater in yellow Eremophila

It is getting late in the day and with an hour and a half drive in front of us there is time for one last stop. We are only a couple of minutes’ from the Wellington ferry and it would be remiss not to spend a few minutes by the river.

Wellington ferry

Wetland pool near the ferry with old mechanical windmill

There are a couple of small  reedy, pools alongside the ferry ramp and we can hear Australian Reed Warblers calling. Tiny fish swim in small schools near the surface of the water.  In the distance Black-tailed Native hens are feeding in a paddock. 

Australian Reed Warbler, near Wellington ferry, credit David Morris

 

Black-tailed Native Hens at distance

Our day complete, we turn for home and enjoy the wide variety of dryland landscapes this part of South Australia has to offer.

Rural landscape near Wellington

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The camera used for this post is a Nikon Coolpix P900

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, picnic area, information maps, tags and placards and parking. 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

Pangarinda Botanic Garden, Wellington SA….part 1

18 Nov

Dear Reader:

There is a beautiful European Goldfinch perched in the top of a Casuarina. Though I came to look at native plants and fauna, this introduced bird is far to pretty to ignore.

European Goldfinch

A little further along the pathway, I notice a low spreading gum with pale roundish leaves and brilliant red flowers. The tag beneath the tree shows it is a Eucalyptus rhodantha or the Rose Mallee.

Eucalyptus Rhodantha

Eucalyptus Rhodantha cap coming off to reveal blossom

Eucalyptus Rhodantha blossom

I am wandering around the Pangarinda Botanic Garden in Wellington East near Murray River. This wonderful community project, started in 1993, transformed 25 HA of weedy, eroded land into a brilliant dryland botanic garden primarily featuring plants of Western and South Australia.

Garden entrance

My first native bird sighting  is a Red Wattlebird picking insect larvae off the branches and leaves of a gum tree. They might be Lerps but it is difficult to tell at this range.

Red Wattlebird with larvae

Further along the trail, I notice a brilliant, yellow flowering bush (Calothamnus quadrifimus) sometimes called the One-side Bottlebrush. It appears to be a feeding station for a hoard of New Holland Honeyeaters. I set my camera to high speed mode and fire a few quick shots at the feeding birds.

New Holland Honeyeater feeding on Calothamnus sp blossoms

The nature of the trail changes throughout the park and I find myself looking across a small grove of Native or Cyprus Pine (Callitris sp). In the distance, I can just make out some blackbird sized birds hopping around a small pile of branches. Steadying myself on a the back of a conveniently placed bench, I use the full extent of my zoom. On review, I think they are Grey Shrike Thrushes.

Grove of Native Pine

Grey Shrike Thrush

The next section of the walk takes me along the eastern flank of the garden where there is a variety of eucalypts, native pine and other trees. The bird calls are both overwhelming and distinct along this part of the trail.  They indicate significant numbers of Superb Fairy Wrens, White-browed Babblers, various honeyeater species as well as tiny canopy living birds such as pardalotes and Silvereyes.

Male Superb Fairy Wren

White-browed Babbler foraging

White-browed Babbler close up shot from nearby Monarto CP

Where this taller stretch of trees peters out there is a bench by a waterhole surrounded by Grass Trees and Kangaroo Paws. An excellent place to stop and rest before tackling the rest of the circuit………..to be continued

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

The camera used for this post is a Nikon P900

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets,  with parking and other facilities nearby. It is dog friendly but they must be on a lead.

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/

Kayeema Conservation Park, Kangaroos, Koalas and a nearby winery

23 May

Dear Reader:

On entering the forest of eucalypts, native pine and acacias we hear the bellowing grunts of a male Koala. Within a few minutes we find the perpetrator of this solo cacophony hanging upside down in a gum tree.

An unusual Koala pose

Looking more carefully, we notice a second, smaller animal; probably a female. The story becomes clear as the male rights himself then clambers across the gap towards his intended.

Lady in waiting

On my way

We leave the Koalas to their mating rituals and move further along the narrow trail. The weather has been dry this autumn and the wildlife is scarce with not much food on offer. However, we do spot some Superb Fairy Wrens and an Australian Tree Creeper. With shadows and distance against us, photography is quite a challenge.

Treecreeper on the forest floor (poor light)

Dry weather has also impacted the invertebrate population. However, there are numerous Leaf Curling Spiders stringing their webs across the trail and I manage to find the silken lair of a trapdoor spider. Ants are numerous and there are a few Common Brown Butterflies fluttering around.

Leaf Curling Spider

Common Brown

The Dominant vegetation in the Kyeema Conservation Park varies between Pink Gums and Cup Gums on the flatter stretches to taller Stringy Barks and thick growths of bracken and fern in the gullies . Several different shrubs are flowering in the gullies including bright red Flame Heaths.

Trail near the start of the walk

Stringybark habitat

Heath species

Today, we are following the Mulurus hike, a short walk of about 1.5 Kms. It loops back to the park entrance where it intersects part of the Heysen Trail. We follow the Heysen Trail for around 500meters then cut up to Woodgate Road and return to the small car park.

Park entrance

The park is fringed by pasture and there are Australian Magpies and Adelaide Rosellas feeding on the ground with sheep in the background. The occasional call of little Ravens and White-winged Choughs as well as the twitter of tiny birds in the canopy accompanies us throughout the walk.

Adjacent pasture

After leaving the park we take a series of unsealed roads back to Brookman Road, the main bitumen road leading back to Adelaide through Willunga and McClaren Vale.

Backroads to Brookman Road

Near the intersection of Brookman Road and Woodgate Road, which leads to Kyeema, there is a lovely winery, the Lazy Ballerina, which is certainly worth including on your itinerary.

Lazy Ballerina Winery

Finally, to complete our day visiting Kyeema, a pair of Western Grey Kangaroos are lazing in the shade just walking distance from the Winery. 

Male Western Grey Kangaroo

Cheers

Barry and David

Additional notes

This is an easy to moderate walk which is quite suitable for families and seniors. There is parking. 

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

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/