On Sunday I headed down to Tolderol, a reserve on the northern edge of Lake Alexandrina. This summer, Tolderol has been packed full of migrant waders.
The temperature was forecast to hit 44˚C (111˚F) so the plan was for a quick visit. Well, things didn't quite turn out that way as bumped into a few fellow birders there.
Just inside the gate was a Black-shouldered Kite, but all I managed was a quick shot as he flew by
On the pools were waders galore, local residents like Red-capped Plovers and Red-kneed Dotterel.
Summer migrants were here too, with plenty of Curlew Sandpipers, Red-necked Stints and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.
The heat must have affected the White-fronted Chats. Normally very flighty, a number of them sat still for photos.
But the birds we were really after were two rare vagrants to South Australia. Pectoral Sandpiper and Oriental Pratincole. Both had been seen here in the past few weeks. We eventually saw both, but from a distance. I only got very distant and very poor shots of the Pectoral Sandpiper, but better photos of the two Oriental Pratincoles, as well as a poor flight shot later in the day.
Yesterday I made a long overdue return visit to Tolderol Game Reserve, on the edge of Lake Alexandrina.
On the way in, a Kestrel was playing cat and mouse with me, but eventually gave in and sat still to allow me a few photos from the car.
There were a few Black Swans on, and over the Lake.
Small birds were very busy singing and flitting about in the reeds, Superb Fairywren and Golden-headed Cisticola both eventually staying still long enough to get some reasonable shots
There was plenty of raptor activity, mostly Swamp Harriers, but also a Whistling Kite.
Terns were very much in evidence with around 80 Caspian Terns, smaller numbers of Crested and Gull-billed, and probably thousands of Whiskered Terns on the reserve.
I was looking for White-winged Terns in the Whiskered tern roost when they all suddenly flew up. I'm sure there will be one in there somewhere!!
The waders were all pretty distant except for this young White-headed Stilt.
Another sure sign of spring was this Bearded Dragon warming itself on a fence post.
Yesterday I decided to go and check out one of my favorite birding spots, Tolderol Game Reserve. This reserve is on the northern shore of Lake Alexandrina, which, until recently, has been dry for about 2 years. As Tolderol gets its water pumped from the lake, Tolderol had also completely dried out. The lake is now almost full again, (due to floodwater from Queensland flowing down the River Murray), and I was hoping for Tolderol to be wet again.
To get there I headed over the Adelaide Hills and drove through a wonderful Sunrise.
I stopped at Strathalbyn, normally a bustling town, but all was quiet just after dawn. This is a lovely little park in the centre of town, and it's resident Pacific Black Ducks were very quick to investigate me for any food!!
Just outside "Strath" I noticed a movement in a tree, and a quick U-turn later I was watching a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike. This is a fairly common bird in South Australia, but they are not very confiding. I still haven't got any good shots, and this one is the best of a bad bunch.
On the way in to Tolderol, I passed a couple of feral camels. There is a large population of camels in Australia, mainly from escapes and releases from a time before railways criss-crossed Australia and people used camel trains to transport goods to and from outback towns.
Unfortunately, Tolderol hadn't improved, and most of the reeds have died, but on the lake there was plenty of avian activity and there was a group of Whistling Kites and a lone Black-shouldered Kite at the picnic site on the lake shore.
I had been hearing the calls of Golden-headed Cisticola and White-fronted Chat but not seen them, so I sat quietly and waited. As the sun came out a cisticola popped up and I manage a couple of shots whilst slowly stalking closer. I had no joy with the chat until I was on the way out and I surprised this male on a perch by the track.
On the way home, I headed east towards Wellington, and saw this tree full of Galahs.
Just over the river at Wellington is the Pangarinda Arboretum. This small arboretum is always a good spot, and this time there was a wonderful show of Banksias in flower.
