Belair National Park

On  Saturday I managed a couple of hours birding in Belair National Park.   It was a beautiful late summers morning with clear blue skies and hardly a breeze.  First stop was Playford Lake to check out the ducks.  There are many "mixed-up mallards" here, keen to bully any visitors for bread, but also some of the common local species.

This Hardhead was happy bobbing around, whilst the Pacific Black Duck was having a quick preen.   I love the facial  markings on the female Maned Duck.

There were lots of Dusky Moorhens here too, as well as a single Great Egret slowly wading through the shallows.   Over on the island, an Australian Darter was enjoying the morning sun.

But back to the Pacific Black Ducks.  These two were almost side by side, but the slight difference in angle made a huge difference to the colour of the speculum.

Heading up to Long Gully, some more common birds were out and about, including Crested Pigeon, Australian Magpie, and a pair of Emu's drinking from a puddle by the side of the road before it got too hot.

 

Long Gully itself is always "chock-a-block" with parrots and Saturday was no exception.  Galah's and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in the trees, Rainbow Lorikeets inspecting tree hollows, and Eastern Rosellas and Red-rumped Parrots feeding on the grass.

Belair National Park

On Sunday I went up to Belair National Park. I took my mountain bike a went for a cycle around some trails I had not been on before. I didn't see anything unusual, but did see lots of parrots. This Adelaide Rosella kept it's distance, so not the best of shots. I also saw Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, lots of Rainbow Lorikeets and this Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. There were a lot of pink eucalyptus blooms, and the Rainbow Lorikeets found them irresistible. On the "Koala track" I did see a couple of koalas, but they were way too high up to make an interesting photo. I did spot some New Holland Honeyeaters and this Grey Fantail. Other interesting things were some Yellow Flag Irises, Scarlet Pimpernel, some lovely grasses and lots of yellow daisy-type flowers full of busy bees.

Cobbler Creek Recreation Park

A combination of work, weather and illness has kept me from posting recently, but this morning I managed to get out for a couple of hours. The rail line into the city has been closed for a few weeks so I am taking the bus into work. The bus passes Cobbler Creek Recreation Park, a place I had never been to. It is only ten minutes from home, in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges. It was a lovely crisp, frosty morning, and as I parked the car I was greeted by a pair of Australian Magpies "caroling". As I walked through the park, I noticed a local landmark popping up through the trees. Hollywood Plaza is my local shopping mall. It really shows off how much greenery there is in Adelaide. There were lots of parrots around the park, and many were prospecting nest holes. I didn't get shots of them all, but the Musk Lorikeets and Red-rumped Parrots allowed me close enough for some nice shots. On the way back to the car I heard some Striated Pardalotes calling so headed off the path and finally caught up with them in a eucalypt with a huge Ravens nest in it. Pardalotes are always confiding, and I got a good selection of shots. I couldn't decide between these two so I am including them both in the post. Finally a Monarch butterfly. This migrant is only common here in the winter, and always brightens up a winters day.

Parrots

I will be busy in the garden this weekend, so may not get a chance to get out. So I thought I'd post some pictures from my archives.

I mentioned O'Reilly's in Lamington National Park in the last post, and this reminded me about the close encounters you can get there.

There are many feeding stations there and you can get particularly close to King Parrots and Crimson Rosellas, as well as Satin and Regent Bowerbirds

If you are ever in south-eastern Queensland I would recommend a visit. If you click on the Regent Bowerbird it will take you to O'Reilly's website.