Local wetlands

After last night's storm, today dawned calm and sunny. But this was only to be a lull, as another front is forecast for tonight.

I decided to make the most of it and head to two local wetlands. The water was very high at Greenfields Wetlands so there were not many birds.  A Little Grassbird was very confiding though, alternating between feeding and singing in a bush right by the road.

This Purple Swamphen had a small family of chicks with it, but they all disappeared as soon as I touched the camera!

At Whites Road, the water was a little lower.  The Black Swans were feeding in one corner, with a single Australian Ibis and 100's of Black-tailed Nativehens in another.

On the way home I saw this White-faced Heron busily feeding in an old overgrown paddock.  He slowly stalked back and forth until he found lunch!

Short walk at Laratinga Wetlands

As we were in Mount Barker today, we decided to have pop into Laratinga Wetlands for a short walk.  The water was high here too, but there were still plenty of birds around.

Purple Swamphens were everywhere, and the sun caught this Dusky Moorhen turning it purple too,......something I haven't seen before.

There were a few Australian Shovelers here and many White-faced Herons.

I was hoping to luck into a Spotless Crake that has been seen here, but it wasn't to be.  Only the spotted version was playing ball today.

On the way back I noticed a couple of Common Bronzewings scratching in the leaf litter, a lone Black-fronted Plover, and a co-operative Little Grassbird.