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Hallet Cove….a scrub and coastal walk

The walk from the park’s entrance is striking with the ocean forming a sapphire backdrop to the greens and greys of the scrub. Along the edge of the track stands of eucalypts dominate an understory of acacias, banksias and native grasses. Near the top of the trail, several wattle birds are feeding on a late autumn splash of flowers in the crown of a flowering gum. The largest of all the honeyeaters, these birds have a grating call reminiscent of an out of tune bagpipe.

View from the park entrance

Wattle bird

I scramble further down the track listening to the twittering of scrub birds in the bushes. It is difficult to identify any particular species and almost impossible to photograph them. After walking for a couple of hundred metres, I catch a glimpse of some wrens and miner birds deep in the labyrinth of foliage. Where the trail runs alongside a small creek at the foot of the hill, a singing honeyeater is perched on an exposed branch, finally providing one easy target.

Singing honeyeater

Hallet Cove Conservation Park runs parallel to the coast about half an hour’s drive south of the city centre. It encompasses a range of habitats from sclerophyll forest to coastal heath and a classic wave cut platform below the cliff face. In addition to a healthy population of native animals the park has extraordinary geological and marine features that I will explore more fully in a later post.

The track winds through the scrub near a creek bed

I meet a group of elderly walkers on a small bridge that crosses the creek where the path starts to climb towards the top of the cliffs. As they tramp across the wooden planks a large water skink runs across, pausing momentarily before disappearing over the edge into the reeds.

Skink on the bridge

Climbing southward up the track I take note of the dramatic changes in terrain. The hillside that rises from the cliff tops is dominated by low wind-swept shrubs and grasses and the coastline is defined by the wave cut platform. Near the edge of the cliffs, two magpies are probing the undergrowth with their long, powerful beaks. Suddenly the birds become agitated and take to the air. I look around for the source of their distress and catch sight of a kestrel hovering high above them. But this kestrel has made an error of judgement that soon becomes apparent as the maggies take it on in an aerial dogfight.

Minding my own business

Kestrel hunting

Not on my turf

The final section of my trail follows the boardwalk along the top of the cliffs. I can see pacific gulls foraging in the rock-pools on the exposed shore and a colony of cormorants roosting on a rocky outcrop out to sea.

Cormorants on offshore outcrop

After following the contours of the hillside for a kilometre the boardwalk slopes down to a stretch of beach, finally terminating at a car park and local eatery…The Boatshed Cafe. Simply grabbing a croissant and soft drink to eat on the beach or choosing a light meal from the excellent menu is an ideal way to wind up a morning stroll.

Descent to the beach and cafe

I hope you enjoyed this little adventure

Cheers

Baz

Tags: Hallet Cove, magpie, nankeen kestrel, Pied cormorant, singing honeyeater, South Australian birds, South Australian tourism, South Australian wildlife, water birds, wattle bird, wildlife photography

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Categories Adelaide beach front, Adelaide suburbs, Coastal, Photography, Reptiles

Jenkins Scrub

21 Mar

Dear Reader:

There are tiny birds flitting through the canopy and squabbling in the bushes either side of the walking trail that snakes its way through the scrub. Occasionally they settle for just a second or two and feed on Autumn’s few remaining blossoms or probe for insects beneath the bark. The birds move quickly, giving me just a split second to focus and fire; which is my excuse for some of these images not being quite as sharp as I would like. However, they do give an accurate depiction of what searching for wildlife images in dense scrub, is really like.

Grey fantail

Treecreeper species

After walking across a small footbridge, I find a clearing and sit on a fallen log and wait in the shadows for ten minutes. Birds are still twittering deep in the bushes, heard but not seen; but most have moved on.

Crescent honeyeater

Jenkins scrub is a remnant area of the original bushland that once covered the Adelaide hills. The light sandy soil supports a wide range of shrubs, grasses and delicate flowers including native orchids. Tall eucalyptus trees complete the ecosystem which is traversed by a series of narrow trails.

Classic hills scrub

The scrub lies just off the Springton road, a pleasant 50k hills drive from the city. A lunch stop at the Bakehouse Tavern in Williamstown, just 10 Kms from the park’s entrance, is a good way to break up the drive. Or, you can buy a pies and cake at the bakery to snack by the old cemetery on the edge of the adjoining pine forest; somewhere to explore the personal histories the people who settled this region.

Pub at Williamstown

Graveyard from the old church

Hefting my long lens from the pack I continue my walk. The understory is littered with leaves and fallen branches which provide a home for a plethora of insect and retile species. There are quite a few butterflies in the area and every so often one settles in the leaf litter. They seem to spread their wings a couple of times then rest them upright exposing only the underneath which blend perfectly with the bleached leaves and twigs.

Meadow argus butterfly…..brilliant camouflage

Another hour’s walking produces a few more images, shot at long range, and a memorable encounter with a pair of kangaroos which are feeding deep in the bush. I try for a better angle to get a clear shot but they quickly hop into deeper cover. By the time I reach the car it is a welcome refuge as some large bush flies have emerged in the late afternoon and the insect repellent is in the glove box.

Adelaide rosella

Just as I am about to turn on the engine I hear the shrill call of rosellas. Luck is with me and the birds settle in a gum tree just within camera range of the car. Three quick frames and my day ends on a high or so I think. It turns out that the 2 Km drive back along the dirt to the Springton road has a final surprise; three young emus feeding in a field of stubble just a ‘stone’s throw’ from the roadside.

Emus at dusk

Until our next adventure

Author in the office

Cheers

BAZ

Tags: adelaide rosella, Australian birds, Australian wildlife, crescent honeyeater, fantail, South Australia, South Australian tourism, South Australian wildlife, springton, treecreeper, wildlife photography

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Categories Adelaide Hills, Birds, Photography

A Morning at the Zoo with Quinn

27 Feb

Dear reader:

It is a warm Adelaide morning and the shady paths of the zoo are a labyrinth of intrigue for a nearly three year old. Around every turn there is a new enclosure full of sights, sounds and animals that she had only previously experienced in picture books.

A pair of king parrots provide a suitable backdrop for a tiger striped Quinn

The zoo is situated by the river just over the Frome Road Bridge

A misty spray of water shrouds the koala and Tasmanian devil enclosures in anticipation of the midday heat. It proves irresistible to our little granddaughter and sends her squealing down the path shouting, “bear, bear, bear!” I stand and watch the ‘really not bears’ as they stoically munch on eucalyptus leaves and fire off a couple of frames. Sometimes the images that can be taken in a zoo are invaluable additions for later projects.

A koala chews on eucalyptus leaves that would be inedible even toxic to any other species of marsupial

Half a vegemite sandwich and an ice cream later a little hand tugs mine and a voice whispers, “ Pop, kangaroo”. She is almost right, as a pair of yellow footed rock wallabies emerge from behind a tree in an open enclosure a few metres away. One of the little marsupials has a joey in its pouch; a difficult image for any photographer to catch in the wild.

A young yellow footed rock wallaby peering out from the safety of its mother’s pouch

The nocturnal house proves to be a real challenge. Try telling a toddler to be quiet as she goes through a dark tunnel lined with glass exhibits featuring bats and other night time wildlife. Near the entrance there are some aquariums which she finds quite fascinating (translate as…actually stops moving for a few seconds) giving me the opportunity to photograph some purple spotted gudgeons, one of our threatened native fish species. Yet another example of the pictorial opportunities that only captive animals can provide the amateur photographer.

Purple spotted gudgeon are found in South Australia’s freshwater streams and lakes

Ironically, our final wildlife moment is not one that the Royal Zoological Society can claim credit for. Just as we are leaving and wandering past the hippos, Nan’s favourite exotic animal, we hear a family excitedly chattering about a spider. And there, strung in front of the hippo pool is last night’s tattered web of a sizeable orb weaver with the resident arachnid devouring a hapless dragonfly. Quinn says “yuck”, Nan scoops her up and I click away merrily wishing that I had brought the DSLR instead of popping the point and shoot in my pocket to ensure hands free, child minding capabilities.

A large orb weaver makes short work of an unfortunate dragonfly

By now the temperature is getting into the mid thirties and it is time to leave. She does not want to go. “More animals Pop.” A good sign for the future.

Cheers

Baz (and Quinn)

Tags: koala, orb weaver, parrots, purple spotted gudgeon, Quinn, South Australian wildlife, wildlife photography, yellow Footed Rock Wallaby

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Categories Adelaide's parklands, Inverterbrates, Marsupials, Quinn, Wildlife parks and Zoos

Wynne Vale Dam Walk

17 Feb

The sulphur crested cockatoos are perched up high in the river gums that surround the dam. Their loud and raucous calls fill the air and drown out the sounds of the other birds that live and feed around the water’s edge. Every few minutes some of the large, white parrots fly down into the acacia bushes that grow along the pathway in search of food. They tear off some of the brown, elongated pods and fly back into the higher branches where they manipulate them with their feet and beaks to extract the seeds.

Acacia pods with seeds exposed

Sulphur crested cockatoo eating acacia seeds

Wynne Vale Dam is just a fifteen minute bike ride north of Tea Tree Plaza along the Dry Creek trail which can be easily accessed from the bridge over Ladywood Road near the Modbury Hotel. It is a great way to break up the shopping chores or get some exercise after lunching at one of the nearby hotels and restaurants. The small lake is part of a stormwater reclamation and creek improvement project and is surrounded by a track with viewing platforms, interpretive signs and a sizeable earthen dam on the southern edge.

Wynne Vale Dam from the viewing platform

After watching the birds feeding for a few minutes I climb back on my bike and cycle round to the other side of the dam. Leaving the pathway I shift the mountain bike into low gear and pedal along an exposed stretch of the embankment bumping over a tangle of roots that radiate from a stand of partly submerged trees. Their skeletal trunks and branches are the perfect vantage points for a white faced heron to scope out its prey and a freshwater turtle to bask in a patch of early morning sunshine. White faced herons are quite common along the banks but the turtle is a more unusual sighting.

White faced heron surveys its kill zone

Short necked turtle on a partially submerged tree branch

Just as I start to move off to my next location I catch site of a medium sized bird roosting high in one of the old willows that overhang the water. It is a nankeen night heron. Easily recognised by their cinnamon plumage and shorter powerful, beaks these herons tend to stay hidden during the day feeding in the morning, evening and sometimes at night; a behaviour that is referred to as crepuscular.

In the winter months the water level rises considerably covering the embankment

Nanakeen night herons feed on aquatic invertebrates and small fish

Nankeen night herons feed on aquatic invertebrates and small fish

After photographing the heron I cycle around the lake once more to make sure that I haven’t missed anything too obvious then head back down the western side of the creek. Where the dam ends and the creek re-emerges there is a line of exceptionally tall river gums. And there, right in my line of vision, are two koalas climbing up into the branches. Koalas, nankeen night herons and a turtle on one short ride. Not a bad morning’s work.

A pair of koalas climbing. Probably an adult fmale and mature joey.

A pair of koalas climbing. Probably an adult female and mature joey.

Thanks for reading this post.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Tell a friend who might be interested.

Cheers

Baz

Tags: Australian birds, Australian wetlands, Australian wildlife, nankeen night heron, short necked turtle, South Australian wildlife, sulphur crested cockatoo, water birds, white faced heron, wildlife photography

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Categories Adelaide suburbs, Birds, Creeks and wetlands, Marsupials, Photography

Robe…..raptors, reptiles and rough roads

7 Feb

Dear Reader:

To be entirely honest, the track hadn’t looked too difficult. My tyres were suitably deflated and the little Suzuki had a punchy V6 motor. What the hell! I backed up onto the hard packed dirt road, gunned the motor and headed up the sand dune towards the beach, scaring the daylights out of a pair of emus that had been feeding in the coastal scrub.

A pair of emus feeding in the coastal scrub

Marker posts driven into the sand had indicated the route was suitable for 4WD but I lost a little traction on the climb and one wheel slipped off the trail. The car slid, the sand pushed up hard underneath and there I was, stuck. Over the next half an hour I tried every way I could think of to get free from the sand trap; brush under the wheels, digging out some of the sand wedged under the chassis and swearing in several languages; all to no avail. I wasn’t going anywhere.

The edge of a coastal dune

Feeling rather stupid and just a tad worried, it was 40C and though I had a water bottle and my mobile phone, it was a good hour’s walk back to the main road. Furthermore, I couldn’t remember seeing any signs of habitation when I had driven from Robe into the Little Dip Conservation Park earlier in the day. But my choices were somewhat limited and so, with my camera slung over my shoulder, I started off to get some help.

Numerous frehwater lakes in the the conservaion park provide a haven for wildlife

Within half an hour of trudging along the sandy trail I realised this was going to be a hard walk. Every 30 minutes I found a little shade took a sip out of the bottle and rested for 5. Eventually I reached the junction of the trail and the main road back to town. Sitting quietly in the shade of a park information sign, I sipped on my water bottle and waited for a few minutes in the hope that another vehicle might be heading my way. No such luck, but a rather feisty bearded dragon did saunter across the road and give me a long hard stare before disappearing into the scrub.

Bearded dragons tend to freeze when threatened relying on their camouflage to avoid predators

Suitably unrefreshed and distinctly grumpy, I started along the road back to Robe. Earlier in the day and in stark contrast to my present predicament, I had been enjoying a civilised meal of local crayfish and salad in a boutique restaurant. After a couple of kilometres I noticed a swamp harrier that had settled on a fence line after scanning the fields for prey. The fence ended in a cattle grid near a long driveway that led to a farmhouse that I had not seen earlier. It was one of those typically Australian country homes, old sandstone with return verandahs that spoke of generations of farmers that worked this rugged landscape.

A swamp harrier rests on a fence post

It turned out that I was in luck. The farmer, who was tired of rescuing inexperienced off roaders, kindly offered me a drink and some sandwiches. When I told him I was in the park photographing wildlife for a children’s book on reptiles he shared some of the interesting encounters with native animals he had experienced recently. Ten minutes turned into a couple of hours and because of our mutual interest in natural history, he offered to use the farm truck to haul me off the dune.

The kindness of strangers

As we approached my SUV I noticed the curved imprint of a large snake that had taken shelter under the front of the vehicle. Now that would have made a good shot!!

A brown snake flicks out its forked tongue to pick up chemical signals given off by prey.

With the car back on track we sat in the scrub and had a cold drink before I headed back for a shower and a good night’s rest. Offering to pay for my rescue did not seem appropriate. Instead, I promised to send him some copies of the wildlife books I had recently written for his grandchildren and to stop in for coffee the next time I headed down to Robe and the limestone coast.

Many of Robe's restaurants, galleries and B&Bs are based in classic old buildings

Many of Robe’s restaurants, galleries and B&Bs are housed in classic old buildings

Until our next excursion

BAZ

I think the raptor is a swamp harrier; any help on this identification would be appreciated

Tags: Australian wildlife, bearded dragon, brown snake, Emu, Limestone coast, Robe, south australian travel, South Australian wildlife, swamp harrier, wildlife photography

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Categories Birds, Coastal, Coorong, Reptiles

Marion’s Warraparinga wetlands

24 Jan

Dear Reader:

There is a Kookaburra high in the red river gum near the entrance to the Warraparinga wetlands. It chortles out its laughing call alerting just about every wild creature in the area. However, the main purpose of its famous laugh is proclaiming to other kookaburras whose turf it is and how eligible one is for mating. As I sit and listen I cannot help but wonder what the original people who inhabited this land thought about these iconic Australian birds and the other animals that lived here.

A kookaburra sits in the old gum tree (click to enlarge all images in this post)

For tens of thousands of years before European settlement the Kaurna people roamed the Adelaide plains and south coast. They used both forest and grasslands to hunt for kangaroos, possums and birds. The creeks and wetlands provided turtles, yabbies and fish. Reeds and other plants were a source of food, medicinal remedies and the raw materials for weaving and building.

A timeline describing aspects of Kaurna culture

Although Aboriginal peoples used symbols, they never developed writing. Their laws, ideas, family histories and seasonal maps were passed from one generation to the next by a series of stories some of which are referred to as Dreaming Stories and often relate to spirit ancestors. One such story is that of Kulutuwi a young boy who is killed by his stepbrothers and carried to his resting place by his uncle Tjilbruke. It describes how the tears that Tjilbruke shed formed the little creeks along the Fleurieu Peninsula. Warraparinga, which comes from the Kaurna warri parri and means windy place by the river is on Sturt Creek near the start of the Tjilbruke trail in the suburb of Marion. It is a wetland complex and home to the Living Kuarna Cultural Centre which has interpretive displays, an art gallery, performing space and cafe.

The creek flowing freely after summer rain

An acrobatic white plumed honeyeater feeding on small insects

Leaving the kookaburra to its vocal gymnastics, I walk through a sculpture garden and down to the creek which is flowing quite swiftly as it has rained heavily in the last week. The rain has also stimulated some plants to flower and there is a healthy population of insects in the bushes and trees. The typical ‘wick wicky’ call alerts me to several white plumed honeyeaters that are energetically picking off lerps and ants high in the tall eucalyptus trees by the water. I spend a good ten minutes trying to get a definitive shot that shows their hunting strategies.

Galah feeding on the ground

Rose breasted cockatoo or galah performing beak maintenance duties

In the same stand of trees both rosellas and cockatoos are sheltering amongst the foliage. The cockies are particularly interesting as they have been feeding on the ground pulling up tubers and searching for seeds then returning to the trees to wipe their beaks on the branches; whether to clean, sharpen or what?…I am not sure.

Reeds by the banks of a small lake help filter out pollutants

Purple swamp hens are often seen using their huge feet to climb over reeds

Eurasian coots are found in Asia, Australia, Africa and Europe

The trail is well defined and leads me past several different ecosystems. One of these is a chain of ponds that are surrounded by reeds. South Australia’s urban wetlands have been developed to help filter storm water run-off and improve the health of our creeks but they also serve as a wonderful habitat for water birds. Eurasian coots, purple swamp hens and dusky moorhens are all feeding close to the reeds and these birds would have been part of the diet of the Kaurna people who hunted along the nearby Sturt Creek.

The lobby of the Living Kaurna Cultural Centre

Having spent a couple of hours exploring the trails and stopping to capture a representative batch of images, I wind up back at the cultural centre for a well earned cup of coffee and a pastry. In the next room there is a wonderful display of indigenous art and a timeline displaying the history of the Kuarna people. It seems a fitting and reflective way to end my first visit to this rather special park in the heart of Adelaide’ southern suburbs.

Until our next adventure

BAZ

Tags: Aboriginal heritage, Australian birds, cockatoo, european coot, galah, honeyeater, purple swamp hen, South Australian wildlife, water birds, wildlife photography

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Categories Adelaide suburbs, Adelaide's parklands, Birds, Photography

Henley Square……Crabs, Coffee and Coastline

13 Jan

Dear Reader:

The morning is warm and still with hardly a breath of wind. Although the water is not as clear as I would have liked it is worth putting on a mask and flippers to explore the shallows alongside the jetty.

Henley jetty on a summer’s day (click to enlarge all images)

As I swim into the shadows beneath one of the jetty piles I can just make out a school of sizeable bream with a few silver whiting scattered amongst them. They are massing near the wooden posts directly below several fishermen who have empty buckets and a look of ‘no luck today’ on their faces.

School of bream under the jetty

The wind is strengthening a little which often stirs up the sand and makes underwater photography challenging to say the least. It is time to switch to macro settings and look for small organisms on the sandy bottom. Numerous furrows snake across the undulating sand like roads through desert dunes. I follow one trail and probe the end point gently with my dive knife to see if I can reveal the perpetrator…no luck. But my digging does annoy a swimmer crab half buried in the sand only an arm’s length away. The little creature immediately strikes an aggressive pose angling up towards me with nippers spread and ready to attack.

Sand crab, note the swimming paddles on the rear legs and the faint furrow in the sand made by a sea snail

Anemone, sea squirt and green algae attached to a jetty pile

I spend a few more minutes exploring the various organisms that cling to the jetty piles. Satisfied with a few close up shots of anemones and sea squirts, I head for the change rooms and outdoor shower to wash off my gear. And then, the all important decision…. which of the beachside al fresco restaurants for coffee and breakfast? Henley Square at the foot of the jetty is one of Adelaide’s favourite beachside haunts where you will invariably find an eclectic collection of walkers, cyclists, fishers and even the odd naturalist; all enjoying the coastal ambience and quality restaurants.

Cafe culture on a sunny morning

Coastal strip of dune vegetation including the pine used as vantage point by a nankeen kestrel

Refuelled and refreshed by my morning dip I walk south along the bikeway that skirts this section of coastline. Between the beach and the path there is a long stretch of low coastal dunes that have been revegetated over the last decade providing an interesting ecosystem that is home to a variety of plant and animal species.

Nankeen kestrel in flight. one of the more common raptors that feeds mainly on ground dwellers but will attack other birds

Several small groups of sparrows and some honeyeaters are flitting through the foliage but they seem extremely nervous. The reason for their apprehension soon becomes obvious as a nankeen kestrel perches on a tall pine tree to survey its hunting zone. The bird of prey, however, does not go unnoticed by a pair of noisy miners that dive bomb the predator and force it to take to the air again.

Blue bees are a small native species that have a more errtic, zippy flight pattern than common honey bees

Blue bees are a small native species that have a more erratic, zippy flight pattern than common honey bees

A spcies of White butterfly feeding on coastal blooming plants

A species of white butterfly feeding on coastal blooming plants

The temperature is rising and the chance of spotting larger animals diminishing as the day progresses and they seek shelter from the sun. I turn back towards the jetty and focus my attention on the unique coastal plant life and the bees, wasps and butterflies that feed on the various flowering shrubs. Near one of the sandy tracks that lead down to the water a thick stand of acacias, with delicate blue flowering grasses growing amongst them, is attracting native blue bees and several varieties of butterflies. Tricky images to capture as the bees are speedy, erratic little creatures and the butterflies are only landing on the blossoms for a few seconds.

Despite their bulk pelicans are graceful in flight.

Australian pelicans have a wingspan of around 2 metres

By the time get back to the square I am ready to sit under one of the square’s cafe umbrellas and sip a long cool drink while watching the locals enjoying another warm South Aussie day at the beach. It’s hot now and time to drive home and sort my pictures. I slip the camera strap over my shoulder ready to leave as one final image presents itself. An Australian pelican glides in low over the water and gracefully deposits itself on one of the jetty light poles and glances in my direction…..thanks!!

Until we chat again

Baz

Tags: anemone, Australian birds, blue banded bee, nankeen kestrel, sand crab, sea squirt, South Australian birds, South Australian wildlife, swimming crab, underwater photography, white butterfly, wildlife photography

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Categories Adelaide suburbs, Birds, Coastal, Inverterbrates, Photography, Underwater

Wild Dog Walk

2 Jan

Wild Dog Walk

Dear Reader:

The drive from Port Augusta to Whyalla is almost gun barrel straight for much of the seventy kilometre journey. Low scrub and salt bush plains dominate the landscape. Small birds occasionally flit across the road and for the keen observer; kangaroos and emus can be spotted foraging in the bush. But first impressions can be misleading and more careful look at this unique environment reveals a plant ecosystem quite different from the eucalyptus dominated vegetation closer to Adelaide.

Entrance to the park (click to enlarge all images on this post)

The ground is hard pack red earth and salt bush, acacia and eremophilas form the lower layers beneath canopy of western mayall trees with an occasional eucalypt thrown in for good measure. The affect is a subtle interplay of greens and greys that typifies this harsh but beautiful countryside.

Myall and eucalypt canopy with shrubs and saltbush understory

Around 50 kms from Port Augusta and just 10 kms from the outskirts of the steel town of Whyalla, the park is announced by a signpost and bush track that leads off to the right. The trail is part of the Whyalla conservation park and the road leads to a rocky outcrop known as Wild Dog Rocks. A local Aboriginal story relates how a medicine man flung dingos, who had killed a child, off the north eastern edge of the rocks.

Wild Dog Rocks rising from the bush

This story and information about the plants in the area is presented as a series of signs along a short trail that circumnavigates the outcrop. The mayall trees, lichens, various shrubs and grasses are all represented and provide the walker with a better understanding of this rugged ecosystem.

Mayall tree surrounded by salt bush with acacia to the left

Depending on the season a wide variety of wildlife frequents this arid zone. Parrots, honeyeaters, magpies and delicate little finches are just a few of the birds that live in the dense shrubs and grasses. And if one walks carefully, stops frequently to look and listens for a tell tale rustle there are reptiles to be found, ranging from tiny skinks, large monitors and even the occasional brown snake.

Australian magpie proclaiming territory

Despite the complexity and diversity of this ecosystem it remains a harsh and unforgiving environment. There is little food and plants bloom infrequently due to the low rainfall. A visitor needs to be patient to locate the wildlife and as always the early morning and late afternoon are when the animals are more active and far more easily encountered.

Grey kangaroo in saltbush

I set aside three hours to explore this park and stopped several times on the way to the rocky outcrop where I walked a couple of hundred metres into the bush and sat quietly for a few minutes. One the first occasion I flushed out a grey kangaroo that paused for a split second to look at me before bounding through the salt bush into the scrub. The second time I watched some butcher birds and a magpie squabbling loudly over territory.

Spiny cheeked honeyeater feeding in an eremophila

At Wild Dog Rocks I spent quite a long time watching small birds flitting between some flowering shrubs. Photographing them was challenging to say the least. I noticed that several birds seemed to return frequently to one particular bush allowing me to set up and capture a few long range images. The birds turned out to be spiny cheeked honeyeaters a species I had not seen before.

Sand goanna or Gould’s monitor foraging through understory

With evening approaching I made one last foray into the scrub at the foot of the rocks and sat amongst a stand of mayall trees where there was a clear view of a small clearing. After a few minutes I heard the unmistakable rustle of a larger animal moving across the leaf litter. Suddenly a sand goanna appeared, the metre long monitor lizard was moving slowly with its long forked tongue frequently flicking out as it searched for prey. As the goanna approached dozens of locusts, that had been hidden amongst the undergrowth, took flight before they were added to the lizards eclectic menu.

Almost locust for lunch

From the park to the city of Whyalla is a short drive. Here you can wash off the red dust and enjoy the pleasantries of hotels, regional shopping, restaurants, coastal activities and a fine golf course.

The shapes, colours and textures of the arid zone are summed up in this imge

Have a great start to the New Year and I hope you have the chance to explore this interesting region sometime soon.

Cheers

Baz

Tags: arid zone, Australian birds, Australian magpie, Australian reptiles, gould's monitor, grey kangaroo, myall trees, saltbush, sand goanna, South Australian wildlife, spiny cheeked honeyeater, wildlife photography

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Categories Birds, Outback, Reptiles, York Peninsula

Aldinga Scrub

21 Dec

The tawny frogmouth is absolutely motionless. At first glance, I can’t see the bird even though my guide has pointed out its position. Eventually I locate it amongst the foliage exploiting its extraordinary camouflage and the tactic of remaining statue-still to remain ‘hidden in plain sight’. I am using a long lens which allows me to zoom in close enough to capture the delicate whisker-like structures around its beak; perfect for sensing insects at night. “Sometimes there are two together,” she informs me. “And we’ve had a nest with young.” I make a mental note to ask her to give me a call when that happens; photographing a frogmouth and its chicks would be something special.

A tawny frogmouth exhibits its amazing camouflage (Click to enlarge all images on page)

I am on the edge of the Aldinga scrub; a patch of remnant bushland that hints of what this coastal plain would have looked like before the early settlers arrived with their ploughs and sheep. Aldinga and its coastal neighbour Silver Sands are just an hour’s drive from the centre of Adelaide and a favourite haunt of mine for an entirely different reason. No more than a kilometre away is one of my favourite snorkelling destinations. A reef to dive on, long white beaches for swimming and surfing and a patch of scrub to explore; make this an ideal destination for a day trip from the city.

A half full water hole attracts a wide variety of animals

I continue to walk along the road that borders the scrub. The houses on the urban side of the track blend in well with the bushland ambience. Obviously the residents have chosen this location because of its natural setting and the gardens are filled with a variety of native plants that attract insects and birds. In a huge gum that towers over the track I can hear the raucous screech of a wattle bird high in the canopy. The largest of all the honeyeaters, wattle birds often feed on leaf bugs and nectar from eucalyptus flowers. This one is hopping between the branches calling loudly while foraging amongst the leaves.

A wattle bird wipes its curved beak clean on a branch

A post and wire fence separates the road from the scrub and a host of tiny birds are twittering and flitting between the trees just inside the reserve. I find a likely spot and sit quietly, balancing the camera and lens carefully on my knees. Eventually, one of the tiny birds perches on a bare branch a dozen metres away. I track the fluffy bundle of feathers and take a quick series of shots as it hops and turns before taking flight. Perhaps one frame will freeze its incessant motion and allow me to identify the species. On reviewing the image my best guess is a species of thornbill.

Thornbill species

I am more than pleased with my stroll along the edge of the scrub. The frogmouth, wattle birds and tiny finch-like birds were more than I expected. But as I turn to walk back to the car I hear the familiar thump of a kangaroo’s powerful back legs hitting the hard packed earth of the track. An adult grey kangaroo and its joey bound across the road and pause by the fence-line. I watch them as they survey the obstacle for a few seconds then the joey squeezes between the strands of wire while the adult clears it with a single bound. They stop and look around before disappearing into the thick scrub.

A joey balances on its tail and lifts its back legs before squeezing through the fence

The afternoon light is fading and I have one last stop to make before driving home and it has little to do with wildlife. Opposite the Aldinga pub there is a charming café called the Old Vine. It has a colonial cottage feel about it and the meals are interesting, tasty and sourced from local produce but the main draw card is a citrus tart that is as good as any I have eaten anywhere in the world…and I have sampled quite a few.

Come visit

Merry Xmas

Baz

Tags: austraia, Australian birds, grey kangaroo, south australan food, South Australian birds, South Australian wildlife, tawny frogmouth, thornbill, wattle bird, wildlife photography

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Categories Birds, Fleurieu Peninsula, Marsupials

Ingalalla Falls

13 Dec

Dear Reader;

Ingalalla falls does not actually cascade down the dark boulders to the pools below. This is South Australia where water is scarce and in the summer months rain is a rare blessing. But it is a waterfall and as such attracts a varied collection of wildlife as well as providing a few interesting walks and the perfect setting to enjoy a picnic in the bush.

Yankalilla’s main street with bakery and surrounding hills visible (click on all images to enlarge)

The falls are about 10 kilometres off the main south road near the coastal hamlets of Normanville and Yankalilla. Both towns have superb little bakeries where one can quickly stock up on a range of ‘goodies’. My choice for this expedition included a gourmet chicken, potato and cheese pie with a generous serve of bee-sting cake (a legacy of our early German settlers) to follow.

Ingalalla falls desceding into the creek

Ingalalla falls descending into the creek

The dirt road from Normanville passes through a mixture of open bushland and wheat fields with a superb links golf course near the main highway. And just few kilometres down the track I noticed a boulder with a metal plaque that celebrated the life of a local settler, mariner and pastoralist William Field, adding an unexpected historical perspective to the day.

A little bit of history

Where the native scrub started to merge with pine plantations, a small signposted track leads to a sheltered camping area complete with a simple shelter and scattering of wooden benches and tables. From there, a walking trail follows the little creek to the falls. On the right side of the path a steep hillside covered with bracken, native shrubs and tall stringy barked eucalypts rises abruptly from the creek.

Bushland trail characterised by eucalypts, bracken and low bushes (2)

Walk to the falls showing eucalypts, bracken and low bushes

The rustle of leaves and chirping calls indicated that the thick cover was home to many small bird species but the dense foliage made identifying them somewhat difficult. Eventually, I adopted the sit still and wait strategy which yielded results as a yellow faced honeyeater and grey fantail soon came within camera range.

Grey fantail perching near the creek after eating an insect

Yellow faced honeyeater in thicket

Although it was a mild day for summer, a few insects were active around the creek. Both dragon and damsel flies hovered amongst the reeds and several species of butterflies alternately fed on small flowering shrubs and rested amongst the leaf litter.

Wattle trunk scarred by boring beetles

Meadow argus butterfly camouflaged in leaf litter

The rest of my walk was equally rewarding with a pair of yellow tailed black cockatoos making a sudden appearance in one of the nearby pine trees and a couple of wester grey kangaroos bounding across the track as we drove back to the road with the late afternoon light enhancing the golden wheat fields.

Wheat fields on the edge of the track to Ingalalla

I hope you enjoyed this recollection

Drop me a line with any suggestions, criticisms or compliments

All are welcome

Baz

Tags: Australian birds, Australian wildlife, Fleurieu peninsula, grey fantail, Ingalalla falls, meadow agus butterfly camouflged, Normanville, South Australian wildlife, wildlife photography, Yankalilla, yellow faced honeyeater

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Categories Birds, Creeks and wetlands, Fleurieu Peninsula, Photography

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