There is a Galah perched by a nesting hole in the old, dead gum tree. The bird is holding a sprig of Eucalyptus leaves in its beak. This behaviour can be associated with both nest building and courtship.
This is the second of my visits to Mylor Conservation Park and my focus is on the animal life though a plethora of native plants still bloom around me.
The canopy of the park is dominated by tall Stringybark trees with bushes grasses and low flowering plants below. I can hear a wide variety of bird calls but locating and photographing them is difficult.
My ‘go to’ technique in this situation is to find a well-hidden location, sit quietly and wait. On my first try I am rewarded when a lovely Striated Thornbill makes an appearance on a distant tree branch. A good test for the telephoto capabilities of my Sony RX10.
I walk further along the trail and catch fleeting glimpses of Tree Creepers, Pardalotes, Laughing Kookaburras and Red-browed Finches. All too fast or too distant to photograph.
As the afternoon sun wanes in the shadows of the forest, I decide to concentrate on the smaller animals around me and employ the camera’s macro-photography capability. My first target is a prominent termite mound enveloped by wattle bushes.
Further into the scrub, I notice a Meat Ant nest and watch them swarming around the area in search of prey. In direct contrast to their colonial behaviour I spot a Bulldog Ant, a solitary hunter, though it too belongs to a colony.
My final foray into the world of insects, spiders and other small invertebrates is an intricately patterned Ennominae moth resting amongst the leaf litter.
It has been a rewarding walk and an interesting follow up to my previous excursion focussing on plant life. Once again I will finish my day with an afternoon snack at Verte Kitchen in Mylor.
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.
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
