Sunrise from our backyard, Burton, South Australia
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Pengilly Scrub and from the garden
Last weekend I managed a couple of hours birding at Pengilly Scrub, near Gawler. I get there a little later than I wanted, so most of the birds had quietened down. One of the first birds I spotted was this male Spotted Harrier which I disturbed from a tree with a large nest. Is it the harriers nest? I'm not sure, but the bird was hanging around the whole time I was there
Birds were busy collecting food, so it has obviously been a great breeding season this year. Brown Treecreepers were common and there were woodswallows everywhere. most common in the air were Masked Woodswallow, but busiest, feeding young on almost every available branch were Dusky Woodswallow
Finally When I got home, I heard this RAAF C-17 Globemaster on a visit to nearby Edinburgh Airbase from it's usual home in Queensland.
Birds were busy collecting food, so it has obviously been a great breeding season this year. Brown Treecreepers were common and there were woodswallows everywhere. most common in the air were Masked Woodswallow, but busiest, feeding young on almost every available branch were Dusky Woodswallow
Finally When I got home, I heard this RAAF C-17 Globemaster on a visit to nearby Edinburgh Airbase from it's usual home in Queensland.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A walk in the Park
Kobe and I walk everyday, and our favourite walk is around the local wetlands park. Now that Kobe is getting better behaved, I can take my camera. Yesterday morning was a beautiful late spring morning with hardly a breath of wind, so I grabbed my camera, a handful of doggy cleanup bags, some dog treats and off we went.
The birds were all in good voice, with the raucous call of Red Wattlebird overpowering most.
The water levels are dropping quickly as we have had the driest spring for a few years. In a shallow pool were of Royal Spoonbills, whilst on a wire overhead was an amorous Crested Pigeon, making no impact whatsoever on the target of his affection.
Halfway round is an open area where Kobe loves to run off the lead.
Heading back, another pool held half a dozen more Royal Spoonbills along with a single Yellow-billed Spoonbill.
Finally, on the last stretch before home, a different sort of bird flew over, Malaysian Airlines Airbus A330s on it's way into Adelaide Airport, and a couple of the more common honeyeaters, White-plumed and New Holland.
The birds were all in good voice, with the raucous call of Red Wattlebird overpowering most.
The water levels are dropping quickly as we have had the driest spring for a few years. In a shallow pool were of Royal Spoonbills, whilst on a wire overhead was an amorous Crested Pigeon, making no impact whatsoever on the target of his affection.
Halfway round is an open area where Kobe loves to run off the lead.
Heading back, another pool held half a dozen more Royal Spoonbills along with a single Yellow-billed Spoonbill.
Finally, on the last stretch before home, a different sort of bird flew over, Malaysian Airlines Airbus A330s on it's way into Adelaide Airport, and a couple of the more common honeyeaters, White-plumed and New Holland.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Cleland Blitz
A couple of weekends ago I took part in the Cleland Blitz, a working bee at Cleland Wildlife Park.
Over a hundred volunteers spent a morning using tons of mulch and sawdust, pulling weeds and generally tidying up areas of the park.
Of course the residents of the park were still there, and we had some close encounters with Red Kangaroos as well as some of the birds in the aviaries like Masked Woodswallow, Brown Quail, Masked Lapwing and Australian Reed Warbler.
The wild birds were taking advantage of the disturbed ground too, with lots of Superb Fairywrens and White-browed Scrubwrens foraging for insects.
Being spring, there were some fluffy ducklings around too. These are Pacific Black Ducks.
Over a hundred volunteers spent a morning using tons of mulch and sawdust, pulling weeds and generally tidying up areas of the park.
Of course the residents of the park were still there, and we had some close encounters with Red Kangaroos as well as some of the birds in the aviaries like Masked Woodswallow, Brown Quail, Masked Lapwing and Australian Reed Warbler.
The wild birds were taking advantage of the disturbed ground too, with lots of Superb Fairywrens and White-browed Scrubwrens foraging for insects.
Being spring, there were some fluffy ducklings around too. These are Pacific Black Ducks.
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