Laratinga Wetlands

This morning I went to Laratinga Wetlands in Mount Barker to catch up with a couple of friends, and also to try out the Canon RF1.4 Extender.  The extender worked well with my RF 100-400 mm lens.  The auto focus was slightly slower, and the focus a little softer, both of which are to be expected.

Here are some of the shots I took.  Pacific Black Duck and Grey Teal are both common here

There was also a couple of very confiding Australian Spotted Crakes.   I took plenty of photos of them along with some video.

Browns Road and Laratinga Wetlands

Yesterday I took a drive through the Adelaide Hills to Browns Road at Monarto. This land has recently been added to the Monarto Woodlands Conservation Park.  I've not been here for about 8 years, and was well overdue for a return visit.

It was a very foggy drive, but the sun broke through as I arrived.  it was very quiet, but there were a few birds flitting around.  The only birds I managed decent shots of were Diamond Firetail, Peaceful Dove, White-winged Chough and Grey Currawong.

I called in to Laratinga Wetlands at Mount Barker on the way home, and as usual there were plenty of birds around.  On the ponds were Grey Teal and Freckled Duck with Purple Swamphen and Common Bronzewing on the margins.

On one pool was a mass of ducks in a feeding frenzy. There were Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Teal and Hardheads, but by far the most numerous were Australian Shovelers. 

Laratinga is one of the best spots to get up close and personal with crakes, and I got a selection of shots of one confiding Australian spotted Crake. 

Birding to the south of Adelaide

The other weekend, after hearing reports of an Australian Bustard on Hindmarsh Island, I decided to head south and see if it was still about.

As I crossed the bridge from Goolwa onto the island, it started to rain and there was a spectacular rainbow.

 

 

I criss-crossed the island and did not find the elusive bustard.  There were a few flocks of Elegant Parrots, one of which was happy to perch close to a Nankeen Kestrel.

There were also good numbers of Cape Barren Geese, and a group of Straw-necked Ibis.

Heading back, I checked out the Murray Mouth, but it was high tide so no waders to speak of.  As usual there was a Great Egret standing guard just south of the barrage.

On my way through the hills I called in to Laratinga Wetlands at Mount Barker.  The White-faced Herons were very obliging, as were the Black-fronted Dotterels. 

And, of course, a visit to Laratinga is never complete without an Australian Spotted Crake or two!!

 

Laratinga Wetlands

Yesterday I had a very enjoyable walk at Laratinga Wetlands in Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills.  The water levels are just starting to recede following record breaking rain in January.

All of the usual ducks were there including Grey Teal, Maned duck and Pacific Black Duck.

Coots and Purple Swamphens were a plenty as well.

As usual, Superb Fairywrens were pretty easy to spot, and unusually, the Australian Reed Warblers were also co-operating.

There were a few muddy margins, so the Black-fronted Dotterels were back, and a few Australian Spotted Crakes were darting from cover to cover. 

This is a well grown juvenile Australian Spotted Crake just starting to get his/her colour.

In the last photo are about seven Australian Reed Warblers letting the Swamphen know he is not welcome. They were extremely agitated, behaviour I have not seen before.

Spotted Crake, Take 2!!

I headed back to Laratinga Wetlands early this morning to have a proper look for the Spotless Crake that had been seen recently.

I got there at dawn, and it was cold and foggy. As I got to the right spot, there was a small movement at the bottom of the reeds, I checked my camera and the shutter speed was only 1/5th of a second. Not good!!  I waited, and out popped a Spotted Crake.  So I cranked up the ISO to 3200, and took a couple of pics.

After about 45 minutes, another movement.  Little Grassbird this time. No photos as he stayed just inside the edge of the reeds.  Then right behind him was another movement.  This time it was the Spotless Crake, and I managed a few photos as he crossed from one side to the other, albeit a bit grainy due to the high ISO.

This is an odd time of year in Australia.  Some birds are in eclipse plumage, like this pair of Chestnut Teal. Others are in breeding plumage like this Royal Spoonbill

Once the sun burnt off some of the fog, birds started sunning themselves to warm up.  A group of Tree Martins used a clump of sedge, whilst Galahs and Little Correlas used a gum tree.

There were quite a few waterbirds around, including Common Coot, Pacific Black Duck, Pink-eared Duck and Australian Shoveler.

Overhead were good numbers of Dusky Woodswallows, and there were Superb Fairywrens everywhere mostly also in eclipse plumage. In this plumage, females can be told from males by their red lores and eyering.