Local Birds

I have done a couple of quick birding walks in the last couple of days.  The first one was to the Greenfields Wetlands.  On the way to the hide there were lots of Welcome Swallows on the fence, and amongst them was this lone Tree Martin.  

There were lots of birds seen from the hide, but they were all too far away to photograph.   Back along Magazine Road, more good birds, but nothing close. Australian Shelducks are regular here, but the Freckled Ducks and Australian Shoveler less so. This photo gives an idea of the distance away. 

Using the car as a hide, a Black Swan came a bit closer.  I saw this Little Pied Cormorant resting in the sun so manoeuvred as close as I dare.  I noticed a movement, and out popped an Australian Reed-warbler.

Checking the pools along the side of the expressway, there were a couple of White-headed Stilts. (I couldn't decide between the two photos, so included them both.) 

More movement in the reeds, this time a Little Grassbird, but much further away, and then this non-breeding plumaged Little Grebe popped up right in front of me.

Yesterday, When I walked Kobe around the wetlands, I saw lots of Purple-crowned Lorikeets, but only had my "point and shoot" with me and they were way out of range. So this morning I was armed with my DSLR and 100-400mm lens.  Guess what....not a Purple-crowned Lorikeet in sight!!  Never mind, there is always tomorrow.

There were plenty more common birds around, and this Red Wattlebird was too intend on calling to worry about me and Kobe, as were this pair of Musk Lorikeets.

Other birds seen on the way round included Crested Pigeon, Magpielark, White-plumed Honeyeater, White Ibis, White-faced Heron and New Holland Honeyeater.

River Torrens Linear Park

Yesterday I walked part of the River Torrens Linear Park. This park stretches from Gulf St. Vincent right through the City of Adelaide to the hills, and apart from a couple of short stretches is continuous. It has a footpath and cycleway running its complete length. There is a weir close to the sea designed to maintain the water level in the river. In the summer the river can dry out in places. There is also a boom to stop rubbish and debris flowing into the Gulf which the birds find convenient to rest on. The sea end is being redeveloped and now has a stretch of the coastal path and cycleway and some new pelican sculptures. There were also lots of real pelicans there as well. There were plenty of flowering eucalypts along the walk, some with very interesting bark. One species of eucalypt with white flowers was very popular with the birds and had lots of Rainbow and Musk Lorikeets and also Little Wattlebirds feeding on the nectar. Amongst the many birds along the river bank were Maned Ducks, Masked Lapwings and Spotted Doves. Finally, back at the beach there were a group of Silver Gulls squabbling over a baby octopus.