Tag Archives: winery

Mildura to Trentham Estate Winery….part 2…..Around the Winery

18 Jun

Moored at the winery

 

Dear Reader:

We arrived at Trentham Estate Winery around 1.00 pm. After tying up and sprucing up, as we are eating at the winery, we wander ashore to indulge in a little pre-lunch wine tasting. Our meal is served under a large marquis with wonderful views of the river and surrounding countryside.

 

Coffee by the river

 

A sipbefore lunch

 

The Duck Breast in a Hoisin sauce is moist and cooked to perfection and coffee, dessert and good company make the afternoon fly. However, before the light disappears I take a walk upstream to explore the properties and bushland alongside the winery.

 

Peaceful Dove by the water

As I edge along the bank I notice Anhingas, Black Ducks (not the source of lunch) and some unusual doves. I wait behind a large river gum and manage to snag a shot of these smallish, striped birds which turn out to be Peaceful Doves.

 

Grey Butcherbird

 

Laughing Kookaburra

 

Further along the pathway I hear the first few notes of a Kookaburra’s call. The bird is perched on a dead tree branch and the Nikon P900’s telephoto is stretched close to maximum extension. In a thorny bush below the tree, I can just make out the outline of a Grey Butcherbird. Despite waiting for the bird to emerge I settle for an image taken through the branches; not a portrait shot but certainly a realistic one.

 

Yellow Rosella

 

Male and female Red-rumped Parrots

 

Parrots are feeding high in the trees which makes focussing difficult. There seems to be two distinct groups. Scanning the branches, I recognise Yellow Rosellas and Red-rumped Parrots. Both are beautiful birds which I rarely see in SA. 

 

Boatel coming in to dock

The light is beginning to fade and it’s time to get back to the boat. When I reach the mooring I can hardly miss the opulent vessel parked a little further on. It is called ‘Boatel’ for obvious reasons and is a luxury version of our houseboat constructed by the same company ‘All Seasons’.

However, our craft has luxury enough for this photographer and I am about to sit back and relax with a cup of coffee and a piece of cake.

Until my next blog, enjoy our wonderful wildlife and countryside.

Cheers

Baz

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

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Trentham winery

https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g255355-d1752428-Reviews-Trentham_Estate_Winery_Restaurant-Mildura_Victoria.html

 

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Houseboat Day 5…..At Caudo Winery

2 Jul

Dear Reader:

The gum tree alongside the boat is massive. Its branches extend well over the bank and river. These River Gums are a sanctuary for many species that live along the Murray providing homes for myriad invertebrates, birds, reptiles and even mammals such as bats and possums. At the moment, I can see a Yellow Rosella perched high in the canopy. A long shot but certainly gettable with my Nikon P900.

Yellow Rosella

We have tied up the houseboat at Caudo Winery after a lovely cruise along the river which was quite productive when it came to wildlife; as I mentioned in my last post. The winery is a perfect pause for lunch and wine tasting on a river trip from Morgan, and the staff are both helpful and knowledgeable.

Houseboat and winery outdoor area

After a sip of a local white, I am ostensibly a non-drinker but love a little taste to simply enjoy the flavours, I decided to take an exploratory wander around the grounds. Another Red Gum, even larger than the first, towers over an open paddock on the property’s edge. Peering through the long lens I can make out a Corella nesting in a dead branch. While I am watching the Corella’s mate flies in and they exchange places.

Short-beaked Corella in nesting hole

Turning my attention from the larger animals I start to hunt around under the half-shed bark and understory by the base of the gum trees; always a good place to find insects, spiders and reptiles. I am not disappointed, discovering some beetles and small coppery skink that I have yet to identify.

Pie Dish Beetle species
Unknown skink species

My stroll is brought to a pleasant end when a couple the houseboat crew send me a quick text about pizzas hot from the oven being served in the next few minutes. Pizzas, fine wines, good company a bit of wildlife….a pretty good afternoon on the Murray River.

Cheers

Baz

This is an easy trip which is quite suitable for families and seniors with all facilities on board, only a driver’s license required to drive and boat training provided by the company prior to departure.

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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Houseboat Day 4…….On the way to Caudo Winery

1 Jun

Dear Reader:

A dusty track runs parallel to the river about a hundred metres from the water. I catch the sounds of birds calling on the wind. The twittering of small species such as wrens and finches but also the faint call of a Kookaburra. Tiny Copper-Headed Skinks scurry about in the leaf litter and I sit under the shade of a river gum for a few minutes to photograph them. My P900 is an excellent tool for this task and its versatility is tested as I quickly shift to maximum telephoto to shoot a Western Grey Kangaroo as it bounds through the low scrub.

Boat moored on the bank

Walking trail through scrub

We are now four days into our cruise along the Murray from Morgan and heading towards Caldo Winery. About two kilometres from our destination we tie up along the river-bank for a walk and lunch. I have packed a snack and water bottle then headed out towards a significant bend in the river where I can see a small gully edging close to the water. An ideal place for wildlife as it presents a variety of ecological niches in one concentrated area. 

Dragonfly species near river bank

As I continue along the track it bends closer to the river and the wildlife changes in character. There are large dragonflies hovering around the reeds and landing on the loamy soil. I spot a small group of Nankeen Night Herons in a Willow tree overhanging the water. They are wary and hard to photograph but it is the first time I have seen a group of these nocturnal predators which are usually solitary…..possibly an adult with young??

Adult Laughing Kookaburras near nest site

I take a sit and wait approach when I notice a perfect log to rest on. It overlooks the edge of a steep gully which runs down to the river. By pure luck I have chosen well and over the next twenty minutes I am able to observe a pair of Kookaburras and locate their nesting hole in an aged River Gum.

Kookaburra landing in nesting hole with prey in beak

My walk has taken me a couple of kilometres from the boat and it is time to retrace my steps and head back. Shuffling through a deep patch of leaf litter I am startled by a rustle and sharp hiss off to my right. I freeze monetarily and look around. Not a snake but a large Shingleback Lizard which I have disturbed as it forages amongst the litter.

Shingleback lizard in aggressive pose

Dropping to one knee I attempt to photograph the lizard as it moves through the leaf litter but my sudden movement has irritated it and I am confronted by a full on mouth gape and tongue display.

It is time to call it a day and I shoulder arms and walk briskly back to the Houseboat ready for my duties as rope boy as we set off for the winery……..to be continued

Cheers

Baz

Additional notes

Visit Caudo Winery website

Home

This is an easy trip which is quite suitable for families and seniors with all facilities on board, only a driver’s license required to drive and boat training provided by the company prior to departure.

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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Winery Wildlife

2 May

Winery Wildlife

 Dear Reader:

The male superb blue wren is extremely active as he darts between the bushes foraging for insects and seeds in the undergrowth. The iridescent blue plumage is striking. Nearby, a duller, grey coloured female twitters excitedly as the male approaches. Yet her adoration is a somewhat of a scam as their so-called monogamy is far from the truth. The promiscuous wrens will get a little avian action behind their mates’ backs if the chance arises while maintaining an outward appearance of togetherness.

 

Superb blue wren

 

I am sitting on a balcony overlooking the manicured gardens that grace the Jacobs Creek Winery in the Barossa Valley. After a superb lunch of chilli marinated prawns accompanied by an award winning white wine I am about to wander down the nature trail that leads from the restaurant and wine centre along the creek and into some nearby bushland.

 

Wine centre

 

Balcony view

There are both magpies and cockatoos calling from the lower branches of some magnificent river gums with finches twittering in the thick bushes alongside the trail. But it is a diminutive, silent creature that catches my eye. A delicate jewel spider has spun a web in a wattle bush and the brilliant colours and intricate body patterns of the little arachnid are quite outstanding; even on this relatively cloudy day.

 

Jewel spider

 

 

 

Nature trail

 

Galah

 

Near the small bridge where the trail and creek intersect I notice a group of small birds in a tree some distance away. They look a little like wood swallows but the colour is not right. I am familiar with most of the birds that inhabit this region and do not often come across a species that I don’t quickly recognise. Therefore, I leave this small task to you ‘Dear Reader’. If someone can identify them for me I would be most grateful.

 

Unknown birds

 

Closer shot of unknown bird

Cheers

Baz

 

Additional notes

This is quite an easy walk which is quite suitable for families and seniors with toilets, parking and other facilities nearby.

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