Local wetlands

After last night's storm, today dawned calm and sunny. But this was only to be a lull, as another front is forecast for tonight.

I decided to make the most of it and head to two local wetlands. The water was very high at Greenfields Wetlands so there were not many birds.  A Little Grassbird was very confiding though, alternating between feeding and singing in a bush right by the road.

This Purple Swamphen had a small family of chicks with it, but they all disappeared as soon as I touched the camera!

At Whites Road, the water was a little lower.  The Black Swans were feeding in one corner, with a single Australian Ibis and 100's of Black-tailed Nativehens in another.

On the way home I saw this White-faced Heron busily feeding in an old overgrown paddock.  He slowly stalked back and forth until he found lunch!

A little local birding

For the first timer in a few months, I managed to get out for a few hours birding earlier this week.  I visited the local wetlands to see if I could catch up with some summer visitors.

First stop was Wicker Road at Port Adelaide.  Not many waterbirds, but in the trees along the road were White-plumed Honeyeater, Red Wattlebird and Singing Honeyeater.

 

 

Along the road was a Kestrel, and a Black-shouldered Kite.  I managed one shot of the Kite as he flew off, but a few minutes later he returned with some unidentified prey in his talons.

At Greenfields, I noticed this Pelican - I'm not sure that he was going to obey the sign though. Nearby were Royal Spoonbills, Masked Lapwing, White-faced Heron and Australian white Ibis.

I decided to head North towards Port Gawler, and clicked Magpielark and Australian Hobby along the way.  White-headed Stilt and Grey Butcherbird were also seen before I caught up with a small party of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and a single Common Greenshank.

Greenfields Wetlands

Just before Christmas, I went to Whites Road to look for a reported Painted Snipe, but the pools were almost dried up, and no sign of the bird.   This Great Egret - in full breeding plumage - was on another pool as was the Black Swan family

 

I moved on to Greenfields Wetland where the problem was just the opposite - too much water!   Again in full breeding plumage, this Royal Spoonbill spent all its time chasing anything that was white, including ibis' and even stilts!

 

A couple of waders managed to find shallow water, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a summer visitor from Siberia, and a resident Red-kneed Dotterel.

 

Black-tailed Nativehen is an irruptive species that follows the water, and there were lots of them running around here.

 

Further along, another Great Egret, and both small grebes, firstly Australian Little Grebe and then Hoary-headed Grebe.

 

 

Local Birds

I have done a couple of quick birding walks in the last couple of days.  The first one was to the Greenfields Wetlands.  On the way to the hide there were lots of Welcome Swallows on the fence, and amongst them was this lone Tree Martin.  

There were lots of birds seen from the hide, but they were all too far away to photograph.   Back along Magazine Road, more good birds, but nothing close. Australian Shelducks are regular here, but the Freckled Ducks and Australian Shoveler less so. This photo gives an idea of the distance away. 

Using the car as a hide, a Black Swan came a bit closer.  I saw this Little Pied Cormorant resting in the sun so manoeuvred as close as I dare.  I noticed a movement, and out popped an Australian Reed-warbler.

Checking the pools along the side of the expressway, there were a couple of White-headed Stilts. (I couldn't decide between the two photos, so included them both.) 

More movement in the reeds, this time a Little Grassbird, but much further away, and then this non-breeding plumaged Little Grebe popped up right in front of me.

Yesterday, When I walked Kobe around the wetlands, I saw lots of Purple-crowned Lorikeets, but only had my "point and shoot" with me and they were way out of range. So this morning I was armed with my DSLR and 100-400mm lens.  Guess what....not a Purple-crowned Lorikeet in sight!!  Never mind, there is always tomorrow.

There were plenty more common birds around, and this Red Wattlebird was too intend on calling to worry about me and Kobe, as were this pair of Musk Lorikeets.

Other birds seen on the way round included Crested Pigeon, Magpielark, White-plumed Honeyeater, White Ibis, White-faced Heron and New Holland Honeyeater.