Dear Reader….
……Looking further across the field I notice a long dead tree with a small flock of Australian Magpies perched along a skeletal branch. A rather picturesque and haunting image.
Climbing back into my car I scan the GPS for the next intersecting road which happens to be French’s Road. This in turn leads on to Potts Hill Road where there is a green section indicating a park, wetland or other natural feature.
On the way to the junction, I pass a small dam typical of those found on hills’ properties. Using the extreme range of my P900 I recognise Maned Ducks, Eurasian Coots and a single Hoary-headed Grebe on the water.
For the next kilometre the road has wild roses growing on the verge while curious Angus Cattle meander towards the fence-line. I slow to a stop and enjoy their inquisitive company.
The green outline on the map marks a dip in the road where a creek cuts through the pasture creating a quite different environment characterised by dense scrub and bracken. The sound of wrens and other small birds fills the air and several Adelaide Rosellas land in one of the larger eucalypts.
My final stop on this exploratory drive around the Springton area yields the most interesting images of the day. In a high-fenced paddock, a herd of Red Deer sit quietly in the long grass. Introduced wildlife, they are bred for venison and the velvet on the stags’ antlers.
In stark contrast, a trio of Western Grey Kangaroos; male, female and half-grown joey, huddle together as I move within camera range. Large herbivorous grazers they occupy the same Australian ecological niche that deer inhabit in Europe, Asia and North America. A nice biological footnote to end my day around Springton.
Cheers
Baz
Additional notes
Other significant animals seen, heard but not photographed: Kestrel, Brown Snake
The camera used for this post is a Nikon Coolpix P900
This is an easy drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with public toilets, barbecues, parking and other facilities in Springton. It is dog friendly unless a national or conservation park is signposted.
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
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