Tag Archives: SAwildlife

One Tree Hill Road Roundabout to Kersbrook Part 1

20 Sep

Dear Reader

After leaving the One Tree Hill Road roundabout for Kersbrook Road, I expect to drive a few kilometres before making my first roadside stop. Two Western Grey Kangaroos and a small herd of cattle put pay to that plan as they appear a mere hundred metres from my starting point.

Western Grey kangaroo and joey amongst the tall grasses
Murray Grey Cattle

Leaving the roos and cattle behind I start to climb the winding road towards Kersbrook stopping at a convenient roadside layby after 2.3Kms.

Roadside scrub

After clambering over an old fence, I catch a brief glimpse of a Grey Fantail and some small parrots in the thick scrub which makes them impossible to photograph. Luckily, a decorative, Common Brown Butterfly settles on a fallen branch providing a nice image.

Common Brown Butterfly

I fossick around in the undergrowth moving fallen branches and bark and unearth a Piedish Beetle and a large Garden Centipede. It seems that invertebrates might be the flavour of the day.

Piedish Beetle
Garden Centipede species

At the 3.7 Km mark Karwin Road leads off to the left with a sign for Minya Sanctuary. I park on the corner where there’s a small patch of scrub and a panoramic view of open farmland as well as an earthen dam for sheep and cattle.

Local dam for stock

Following a small path through Sheoak sapplings, I am lucky enough to encounter Honeybees feeding on Scabia flowers as well as a native Blue-banded Bee and a Mud-dauber Wasp.

Blue-banded Bee
Common Honey Bee

Although I have only covered around 4kms of the 11Km drive to Kersbrook it has been a revealing and fascinating look at this part of the foothills and I am sure that the next 7kms will be equally enthralling.

Mud-dauber Wasp

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

Other animals seen, heard but not photographed: Mistletoe Bird

The camera used for this post is a Nikon Coolpix P900

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

https://www.weekendnotes.com/adelaide/writer/452/

https://blog.feedspot.com/australian_wildlife_blogs/

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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/

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,