Afternoon walk at Apex Park

This afternoon I walked at Apex Park, West Beach.   Last time I was here (10+ years ago) it was just a few ponds.  It has been developed and has shaded seating areas, a playground, BMX track, tennis courts and stairs and a ramp to connect to the River Torrens Linear Park.

At the top of the stairs are the Winaityinaityi Story Poles, a sculpture by Allan Sumner.   It shows birds that are important to the Kaurna people including Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Wedge-tailed Eagle (hidden), Australian Magpie, Pelican and Laughing Kookaburra.

In the ponds by the playground are some more sculptures depicting birds.  I think they are meant to show Purple Swamphen, Buff-banded Rail and Black-fronted Dotterel, but i could be way out!!

There were some "real" birds here as well, Pacific Black Ducks, Purple Swamphen, and two Royal Spoonbills, that took flight as I took one pace to close to them.

Finally, i love the bark on some of our eucalypts.  I think this one is Spotted Gum.

(All photos taken with my phone).  

Short stop at Oaklands Wetland

We had time for a very short visit to Oaklands Wetland yesterday. The first thing we spotted was this turtle spp. happily sunning itself.

There was a very confiding Royal Spoonbill, happy to let people get within a few metres. I love the markings on it's bill.

Other regulars here were Little Pied Cormorant and Australian Little Grebe.

Oaklands Wetlands

This morning, I had a quick look around Oaklands Wetlands a few kilometers southwest of Adelaide CBD.

It is a nice place, but I imagine it gets very busy at weekends. The birds here are used to people so it was pretty easy to get some nice photos.

There were only common birds there, but I  enjoyed getting up close and personal with some of them.

The only ducks were Pacific Black and Maned ducks

Other waterbirds included Common Coot and Australian Little Grebe

Of course, Pelicans made use of the water, as did a Royal Spoonbill, whilst the Little Pied Cormorants used the not so natural perches

Finally, I was checking the nest boxes for possums etc, but this was the only one that was occupied

Greenfields Wetlands

Just before Christmas, I went to Whites Road to look for a reported Painted Snipe, but the pools were almost dried up, and no sign of the bird.   This Great Egret - in full breeding plumage - was on another pool as was the Black Swan family

 

I moved on to Greenfields Wetland where the problem was just the opposite - too much water!   Again in full breeding plumage, this Royal Spoonbill spent all its time chasing anything that was white, including ibis' and even stilts!

 

A couple of waders managed to find shallow water, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, a summer visitor from Siberia, and a resident Red-kneed Dotterel.

 

Black-tailed Nativehen is an irruptive species that follows the water, and there were lots of them running around here.

 

Further along, another Great Egret, and both small grebes, firstly Australian Little Grebe and then Hoary-headed Grebe.

 

 

Kaurna Wetlands Park

This morning Maryann and I took our regular walk around "our" wetlands. It has been drying out quickly, but a few heavy showers yesterday have really filled it up again. Passing one partly hidden pool, we spotted some Australian White Ibis and Royal Spoonbills. These are the first Spoonbills I have seen here this summer.

Spring Evening at Kaurna Wetlands Park

After a stressful day at work yesterday, it was turning into a lovely evening as I walked home through the local wetlands. So I decided to grab my camera and see what I could find. I am so lucky to have this wetland park right on my doorstep. It is certainly becoming my "local patch" and I also tend to think of it as an extension to my garden (yard). The southern and eastern tracks were very quiet, a few wattlebirds and honeyeaters in the trees, and unusually, no lorikeets. I did notice there were fewer flowering eucalypts so they have probably moved on to find new sources of nectar. The northern end opens out into the wetland proper, and it was brimming with life!!. At one spot close to the path there were two Royal Spoonbills (only the second group I have seen here), some White-faced Herons, Great Egrets and a very smart White-headed Stilt. Using trees for cover, I slowly inched forward and got into position for a nice close-up of the Spoonbills, only to have them spooked by a family out with their dog. I did get a couple of nice flight shots so it wasn't all bad.

As I carried on towards home I unwittingly disturbed a young Pacific Black Duck family. On the last pool were a couple of Black-tailed Nativehens. Due to the good winter rains this year, these birds are in plague proportions around Adelaide at the moment.

After dinner, I noticed light streaming through a window at home. It was this wonderful full moon. I must try and get some photos of the moon in other phases.........hmm I can feel another post coming on.........