Tag Archives: kookaburra

Giles Conservation Park near Norton Summit

15 Feb

Dear Reader:

I can hear small birds in the undergrowth and scan the leaf litter and low bushes with my telephoto. Nothing at first then just a glimpse of a wren but it is a beautiful Milkmaid Lily that Catches my eye.

Milkmaid Lily

The Giles Conservation Park is a twenty-five minute drive up Magill Road from Adelaide’s CBD to Norton Summit; then a further five minutes along Lobethal and Woods Hill Road. I park opposite the park entrance and enjoy the view of green undulating farmland. There are Australian Magpies and a few Ravens in the fields.

Farmland opposite Giles CP

After leaving the wrens and Lilies my next surprise is a rather unusually marked Koala in a tree just a few metres along the clearly marked Ridge Trail.

Koala

Being late Spring, there is a proliferation of blooms along the trail including: eucalypts, wattles, lilies, peaflowers and native primroses. And, there are also an introduced weeds, one of which is quite intriguing the aptly named Rattlesnake Grass.

Red Parrot Peaflower

Forester Moth on Native Primrose

Rattlesnake Grass

Some animals give away their location with a subtle shuffle in the grass, not so the Kookaburra. Midway up a tall Stringybark a Laughing Kookaburra perches and calls to its mate deeper in the scrub.

Laughing Kookaburra

Koalas and kookaburras are relatively easy to spot but there is a myriad of smaller animals that live amongst the foliage, flowers and leaf litter which are much harder to detect. Insects, spiders, skinks and beetles are just a few examples of this lower but critical part of the food chain. Unfortunately the number of these creatures is becoming dangerously low because of pesticides, habitat loss and other human induced threats.

Common Garden Skink

Plague Locust

Having walked several kilometres and taken many photographs, it is time to head back to the city. However, I would never consider leaving the Norton Summit area without enjoying lunch with a view at the Scenic Hotel.   

Scenic Hotel Norton Summit

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 limited 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/

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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/

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Charleston Conservation Park……Coming Back from a Burn

1 May

Dear Reader:

Despite the blackened and scarred bush there are glimmers of hope in the landscape. Grass trees can survive the worst of the worst bushfires and some Banksias and other native species need fire to regenerate successfully. And, where there are plants the animals follow. Sitting atop the burnt spire of a grass tree (Xanthoria sp) I notice a female Superb Fairy Wren and my companion David points out a Male in full breeding plumage. Wildlife amongst the devastation.

Superb Fairy Wren male….photo by David Morris
Superb Fairy Wren female

I am exploring the Charleston Conservation Park, on Bell Springs Road in the Adelaide Hills about 7 Kms north of Lobethal and near the little town of Charleston. This small park of 54 hectares and bounded by open farmland on all sides, was devastated by recent bushfires but it is starting to show signs of re-vegetation. It is both sad and fascinating to walk around the park and look at the new life that is emerging amongst the burnt trees and undergrowth. However, the open, burnt bushland makes it easy to see animals though they are scarce, wary and hard to photograph. If you visit take a camera with a good telephoto.

Track along the park perimeter

We follow the track which runs around the edge of the park. It is separated from the surrounding farmland by a fence with a few surviving trees and bushes along the perimeter. In the distance I spot a mob of kangaroos feeding alongside cattle. These animals would have inhabited the park before the bushfires and will again as the understory and scrub develops, providing them with food and shelter.

Mob on the fenceline

A few hundred meters along the primary track that circumnavigates the park we take a smaller trail leading to a rocky outcrop. David stops abruptly and points, “Snake and it’s a big one, just a few metres in front of me.“ I can just make out the shape as it slides into a gap between the rocks; a sizeable Red Bellied Black Snake. Time to be a little more cautious in our movements. Later, we encounter another large Red-bellied Black on the gravel path. This snake is remarkably relaxed and we are to get some decent close-up images.

Snake ahead….enlarge and look at centre below and left of large rock
Red-bellied Black Snake

Further along the main track I notice numerous Monarch Butterflies landing on plants growing near the fence line. I focus on one of the insects while David point out a pair of Yellow-faced Honeyeaters feeding in a native pine.

Yellow -faced Honeyeater……photo David Morris
Monarch or Wanderer buterfly

Quite unexpectedly we hear the strident sound of Laughing Koookaburras. A pair has landed in a badly burnt eucalypt. They look surreal against the devastated background. Getting close enough to photograph them in this open environment is difficult; finally I settle for a long distance shot stretching my Nikon P900 to its limits.    

Laughing Kookaburras

Nodding Vanilla Lily

There are many signs of life emerging in the blackened landscape including: mosses, lily flowers, and patches of, what appear to be, acacia plants. Only time will tell how much the new environment will reflect the past as many non-native species will quickly colonise the vacant spaces; most notably grasses and windblown weeds. However, with some help from park rangers and volunteers this small area of remnant bushland may be able to regain much of its former beauty.   

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors. It is not dog friendly due to its status as a a conservation park.

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 this link and see more South Australian stories and pictures in my Weekend Notes articles

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

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Hickory’s Run

20 Sep

Hickory’s Run

Dear Reader:

There is a Ringneck Parrot somewhere in the river gum alongside the creek. I can recognise its distinct call. Positioning myself just behind some bushes near the trunk I scan the topmost branches. Finally I find the bird, a little obscured by leaves but just visible enough for a shot.

 

Ringneck Parrot

 

I am at a lovely little cafe and olive farm between Wirrabara and Laura in South Australia’s mid north; about a two and a half hour drive from Adelaide. Hickory’s Run Oliveria and Cafe sits alongside the Rocky River and serves light meals as well as displaying art work in the surrounding garden.

 

Rocky River

 

From the property I can access the river and I take some time to walk along the banks searching for any aquatic animals that might be in the area. There is a Laughing Kookaburra well camouflaged in a branch overhanging the water and a pair of Black Ducks is feeding along the edge of the creek. Both Dragonflies and Damselflies are flitting across the surface but they are too hard to photograph.

 

Laughing Kookaburra

 

My companions call out that lunch has arrived and I leave the creek to enjoy a well presented dish of lasagna with some home fried wedges and salad.

 

Lunch

 

 

 

The area is well known for produce and we stop in the little town of Wirrabara on the way back to the city and walk around the farmers market that is held on every third Sunday of the month. Fine food, some wildlife and a little shopping-not a bad way to end our weekend jaunt to the mid north.

 

Local products

 

 Cheers

Baz

 

Additional notes

This is an easy drive and walk which is quite suitable for families and seniors with toilets parking and other facilities nearby. It is dog friendly.

 

See more South Australian stories on Weekend Notes

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

 I have recently spent time in Africa and the link below will allow you to enjoy images and text describing some of my encounters with the wonderful wildlife of Botswana and Zambia. I will attach a new image and notes to accompany each post.

https://wildlifemomentssa.blogspot.com

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Aldgate Valley Reserve

14 Apr

Aldgate Valley Reserve

The road from Aldgate to the reserve winds through rural and bush country with charming homes and patches of scrub on either side. I pull off the road near an old bridge that crosses Aldgate Creek and walk along the well marked trail listening to the sounds of birds high in the gum trees. Eventually I catch sight of a pair of eastern rosellas as they fly between the topmost branches.

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Eastern rosella

 

Aldgate is one of the principal towns in the Adelaide Hills. It has a village atmosphere with fine eateries and small, locally owned shops. A fascinating 6 km nature walk runs between Aldgate and its neighbour Mylor. The route passes through the Aldgate Valley where southern brown bandicoots have been reintroduced to their native habitat (little marsupials that superficially resemble rats).

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Aldgate Creek

 

From the road bridge I take the path alongside the creek where I find a small footbridge. Several eastern water skinks have taken up residence amongst the wooden slats and one little fellow, who seems to have regrown the end of his tail, poses nicely for a portrait. Most of these smaller skinks drop their tail if grabbed by a predator. This serves a dual purpose as the tail continues to wiggle after being detached, acting as a decoy.

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Eastern water skink

 

Today I have decided to simply explore the area around the reserve and search out some of the animals that inhabit it. A bandicoot would be nice but as they are timid and mainly nocturnal and I am not holding out much hope. On the right hand side of the bridge there is a small orchard and some benches. Several large magpies are strutting around the area and one sits on the bench and glares at me as I walk through the trees.

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Magpie with attitude

 

 

I spend a little more time sitting by the creek watching finches and wrens darting between bushes but the day is getting chilly and the clouds are rolling in. As I step into the car for the drive back home a solitary kookaburra chortles in the trees nearby. Something seems to have disturbed the bird and I take a closer look and find a koala feeding in an adjacent tree.

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Laughing kookaburra

 

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Does my bum look big up this?

I make one last stop back in Aldgate to drop in at ‘FRED’ for a late lunch. So much to choose from; but the Sicilian ciabatta with wilted greens, haloumi, home-made chutney and caramelised onion cannot be resisted.

1 7 wilted greens aloumi chutney ciabaco sicilian armelised onion

One of many choices

 

Cheers

Baz

PS

I will be travelling for the next month and will not post any articles until mid-late May

Take a look over some of the earlier work and find somewhere to take a walk and enjoy our wonderful wildlife.

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Wildlife and Wineries

15 Mar

Wildlife and Wineries

Dear Reader:

I can hear the first few notes of a kookaburra calling near some picnic tables across the other side of the green. The birds are usually quite shy and I don’t hold out much hope of sighting them with all the families enjoying their lunch on the grass. However, to my surprise there are two birds sitting on a low branch quite close to a group enjoying a BBQ and glass of wine. I have seen kookaburras steal a sausage in the past and these birds must be residents accustomed to life in the grounds of one of South Australia’s most notable wineries.

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Laughing kookaburras

 

Seppeltsfield winery in the Barossa Valley is a pleasant 50 minute drive from the city. Easily recognised by the avenue of huge palms at its entrance, the rambling complex encompasses: green spaces, bushland, old buildings, a family mausoleum, fine restaurant, cellar door facilities and even an art gallery; and that’s without even mentioning the sprawling vineyards. Established in 1851 the land was initially used for growing tobacco then wheat and finally grapes in the mid 1860s. Today, it is one of the nation’s most famous and revered wine wineries.

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Jam Factory gallery

 

I decide that a bushland trek in the area is not by best wildlife option. Today, I will simply wander around the grounds enjoying the animals that take advantage of the plantings, food and shelter that this popular rural setting can provide. My strategy pays off when a wattle bird hops down onto one of the slate tables just a few yards away. Like the kookaburras, wattle birds are fairly common but shy and often difficult to photograph. Having one so close is a rare opportunity.

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Wattle bird

 

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Picturesque grounds

From the picnic area I take a walk around the courtyards near the restaurant enjoying the tasteful landscaping and searching for insects amongst the plantings. There is a good selection of butterflies this time of year and several different kinds of tiny spiders are hunting amongst the flowers.

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Flower spider n blossoms

 

After a late afternoon meal ‘Local Garfish, Skordalia, Snowpeas and Vegetable Escabeche’ at ‘FINO’ and a sample sip of the wonderful vintage port that Seppeltsfield is renowned for, I call it a day. As I walk back out to the car park a young magpie fixes its gaze on me cocking its head to one side as if to bid me farewell

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Fond farewell from magpie gatekeeper

 

Cheers

Baz    

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Kids, Kookaburras and Creeks

4 Oct

Dear Readers

It would be lovely to write for a living. To earn my dollars wandering South Australia’s diverse wilderness areas taking photos and composing articles to share with you. Dream over….reality check! Like most of the world I need a steady job to survive and my profession is teaching. One of the many requirements at my school is to take my year 6 students on camp each year. Fortunately, Adelaide has many wonderful destinations in the adjacent hills and along the coastline that provide a range of outdoor activities. Many of these sites also double as corporate destinations. This year we chose Wirraway a campsite located on the eastern fringe of the Mt Lofty Ranges. It is a beautiful location situated amongst rolling hills with a little creek running through the property. And, to my delight their program included a nature walk along with the adventure activities.

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Typical hills country

 

Each morning I woke at six and reluctantly dragged my weary bones out of bed; any teachers reading this will immediately understand that the previous night’s sleep was limited to a few hours. The students were not allowed out of their dorms until 7.00 which gave me an hour to wander around the grounds uninterrupted. Campsites always attract wildlife. However well intentioned the staff may be there are always a few food scraps to be had, nooks and crannies to nest or hide in as well as wood piles and building materials that might be home to both predator and prey. On my first morning a pair of rats scurried under the raised foundations of the caretaker’s home watched with interest by me and anticipation by a kookaburra sitting in a an old gum tree (there’s a song title there).

kooka2 red

Hungry kookaburra

 

The camp site was also home to a wild rabbit that liked to munch the grass close to one of the girls’ dorms but scurried back into the bushes at the slightest noise. Each time it appeared I tried to signal the students to be quiet and take a look…no such luck. Only a picture snapped in the quiet hours and shown at the dinner table convinced them that I was not making it up.

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Peter makes a rare appearance

 

Both male and female superb blue wrens were common though timid and constantly on the move keeping low in the bushes and feeding in the leaf litter. And a resident flock of red browed finches moved between the flowering trees and bushes often coming close when I was working with the students and staying away if I had a camera nearby. Fancy that!!

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Male superb blue wren

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Finches all in a line

 

Our nature walk was quite a revelation. You would not expect city kids to be overly responsive to a lengthy stroll in the bush when the alternative activities included horse riding, archery and rock climbing. Surprisingly, they showed a keen interest in what the guide had to say and even sat quietly by the creek for a few minutes trying to work out how many different frog species could be identified from their distinctive calls. Even the plant life scored a hit, most notably the unusual grass trees that were flowering at the time and an old weathered log with lichen and moss growing in its sinuous furrows.

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Flowering grass plants

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Patterns and colours in nature

 

The three days passed quickly and each group appeared to enjoy their excursions into the bush.  Kids get few opportunities to experience the outdoors in our digital world and watching their faces as they discovered the beauty of wild things was a rare pleasure.

 

Until my next post

Cheers

Baz

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