Dear Reader:
For once, my first interesting sighting is not an animal but a delicate orchid known as a Parson’s Bands because the two delicate petals resemble a clergyman’s white collar.
I am walking along Wottons Track from the gate 3 entrance to the Kenneth Stirling series of Conservation Parks near Carey Gully and Uraidla. The drive up Greenhill Road towards the park has taken me through some beautiful hill country adorned by vines, native forest and orchards.
It is early winter and I am not expecting much wildlife and it is quite a surprise to see an ornate Common Brown Butterfly amongst the leaf litter. With wings folded it is remarkably well camouflaged.
Late blooming flowers seem to be the order of the day and far easier to photograph. Hills Daisies and Common or Pink Heaths dot the lush green undergrowth.
There are the twittering calls of wrens in the bushes alongside the path but they are wary and hard to spot. Eventually a pair appear on the trail some fifty metres ahead of me. I steady myself and fire off a couple of frames trying to catch both male and female together. They are a perfect example of sexual dimorphism in birds.
I have walked around three kilometres and spotted a few Grey Fantails, Adelaide Rosellas and Rainbow Lorikeets, all too far away to photograph.
Near a fork in the trail leading to Fern Gully I can hear the rasping calls of Spotted Grass Frogs and assume there must be a creek or wetland area there. However, as this trail appears to have more steep sections my ‘not so young knees’ suggest it is time to turn back and head for home.
My drive home takes me back through Uraidla where I stop off the local caffe which incorporates a fine bakery and micro-brewery. Always a good way to round off any trip to this part of the Adelaide Hills
Cheers
Baz
Additional notes
The camera used for this post is a Sony RX10 M3
This is a moderate walk with some steep sections
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