This Tigerair Airbus was actually landing to my left!
There was the usual mix of Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar flights arriving.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Adelaide Airport
We popped down to Adelaide Airport the other day to watch the planes in the windy conditions.
This Tigerair Airbus was actually landing to my left!
There was the usual mix of Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar flights arriving.
This Tigerair Airbus was actually landing to my left!
There was the usual mix of Virgin, Qantas and Jetstar flights arriving.
Monday, October 16, 2017
Painted Snipe at Whites Road Wetland
Late on Sunday news came out of four Painted Snipe (an uncommon summer visitor to South Australia) had been seen at Whites Road Wetland. This is a bird I hadn't seen for many years, so I headed down this morning to try and find them.
Eventually I spotted three Painted Snipe deep in a tangled sedge bed, got the telescope on them for about ten seconds and off they flew!
I searched for a couple of hours, but no joy. The consolation prize was a very confiding Laughing Kookaburra, showing just how well camouflaged this large bird can be.
On the way back to the car I saw a lone Black-fronted Dotterel and some Fairy Martins picking up mud for nest building.
I decided to give the Snipe another try this evening. A repeat performance. Short views and then off they flew, only this time they settled on the far bank. I walked round and found them bathing in the shallows, before they flew again this time across a small channel. A bit of stalking and a few more pics. Success! Not the greatest pics as I was shooting through grass and trees most of the time.
Eventually I spotted three Painted Snipe deep in a tangled sedge bed, got the telescope on them for about ten seconds and off they flew!
I searched for a couple of hours, but no joy. The consolation prize was a very confiding Laughing Kookaburra, showing just how well camouflaged this large bird can be.
On the way back to the car I saw a lone Black-fronted Dotterel and some Fairy Martins picking up mud for nest building.
I decided to give the Snipe another try this evening. A repeat performance. Short views and then off they flew, only this time they settled on the far bank. I walked round and found them bathing in the shallows, before they flew again this time across a small channel. A bit of stalking and a few more pics. Success! Not the greatest pics as I was shooting through grass and trees most of the time.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Pengilly Scrub - almost 2 years on
Today I made a quick visit to Pengilly Scrub on the Adelaide Plains about 20 minutes drive from home. Pengilly Scrub was devastated in the 2015 Pinery Bushfire. Whilst the understory is recovering well, the bigger trees still have a way to go.
The first bird to play was a Dusky Woodswallow, who perched about 15 metres away just above eye level.
There were plenty of Neophema parrots there, but they were very flighty, and I couldn't get very close to them. There were groups of both Blue-winged and Elegant Parrots, and some young ones. The third pic is a young Neophema, and from the amount of yellow on its face I think it is most likely a juvenile Blue-winged Parrot.
Whilst wandering I came across this very agitated Willie Wagtail, and it didn't take much fieldcraft to find his nest complete with a clutch of three eggs.
On the fence line nearby were plenty of Singing Bushlarks.
The first bird to play was a Dusky Woodswallow, who perched about 15 metres away just above eye level.
There were plenty of Neophema parrots there, but they were very flighty, and I couldn't get very close to them. There were groups of both Blue-winged and Elegant Parrots, and some young ones. The third pic is a young Neophema, and from the amount of yellow on its face I think it is most likely a juvenile Blue-winged Parrot.
Whilst wandering I came across this very agitated Willie Wagtail, and it didn't take much fieldcraft to find his nest complete with a clutch of three eggs.
On the fence line nearby were plenty of Singing Bushlarks.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Tolderol
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.
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.
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