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 headed north to check out Bald Hill Beach for migrant waders. Unfortunately, the armaments testing range was active so the road was closed. Plan B was to visit the boat ramp and seasonal wetland at nearby Port Wakefield.
The tide was just ebbing as I got there, and I soon found a Common Sandpiper fossiking along the exposed mangrove margins. There was also a single Black-tailed Nativehen there - not something I expected - they usually prefer fresh water. There was a Spotted Dove perched on the railing, and as I was leaving I heard the strident call of a Sacred Kingfisher perched in the mangroves. In the town were plenty of White Ibis, and a single Masked Lapwing.
At first glance, the wetlands was fairly quiet, so I settled myself down in the samphire and waited. Soon, an immature then an adult Red-necked Avocet came within range, followed by White-headed Stilt and Red-kneed Dotterel.
Then some smaller waders appeared from the other direction, a migrant Red-necked Stint, and a pair of resident Red-capped Plovers, first the bright male, and then the female.
I headed back through the backroads of the Adelaide Plains, stopping for a couple of Brown Falcons, an older lighter bird, and then a darker bird that I thought might have been a Black Falcon. At another stop I heard and soon tracked down a Brown Treecreeper.
I also spotted my first Bearded Dragon of the summer, warming on a concrete fence post.
Earlier this week, I took my camera with me on Kobe's walk in the wetlands,. I photographed three different heron species, Pacific (also called White-necked) Heron, Great Egret and White-faced Heron.
Yesterday I had a couple of hours birding the backroads between St Kilda and Port Gawler. It was very windy, so most of the birds kept well hidden. Mr and Mrs House Sparrow were busy, so hardly noticed me when I stopped the car.
This Singing Honeyeater was perched strategically in the lee of a bush.
The Silver Gulls were enjoying a puddle in the car park.
There were a few waders, but no summer migrants yet. Sooty Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing and a young White-headed Stilt were all I managed to photograph before the heavens opened and I headed for home.
I spent this morning driving the back roads between Lower Light and Hamley Bridge looking for raptors.
Within 200m of Port Wakefield Road I saw the first of many Spotted Harriers. This one came and checked me out and at one point was too close to photograph.
In the same area were a pair of Black Kites, and one shot was photo-bombed by a Black-shouldered Kite which then thermaled with the other birds.
Other common birds were Australian Kestrel and Brown Falcon
