Today I went to Victor Harbor and Goolwa. After seeing some great video of the birds at Nangawooka Flora Reserve, it was high on my list of places to visit.
There was quite a bit of activity there, particularly amongst the parrots, with plenty of squabbling, and some nest hole prospecting going on. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Adelaide Rosella, Rainbow Lorikeet and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo were all snapped in quick succession.
The small birds were a bit less cooperative, but I did grab some shots of Brush Wattlebird and House Sparrow.
I then headed top Basham Beach to see if there were any whales there. On the way, at a small roadside pool I saw White-faced Heron and some White-headed Stilts. No whales at Basham, but I did catch up with some at the surfing beach at Middleton.
Next stop was Goolwa, but the tide was in so there were no waders to be seen. The usual Purple Swamphens, Dusky Moorhens and Willie Wagtails were around the picnic areas.
On the way out to the boat ramp, there was a family of Black-shouldered Kites in the Pines. and at the ramp were Little Pied Cormorants and a confiding Great Egret.
Heading back, I stopped of at the barrage, and tried my hand with some flight shots. Firstly with a Caspian Tern and then with the Great Crested Terns. I am so glad I am not shooting film! These are the best from around 200 frames.
Last shots of the day were of a much more sedate Australian Pelican...
I took a couple of hours out today, and drove down to Goolwa which sits at the northern end of the Coorong National Park. On the way, I always call in to Old Noarlunga, a small village on the Onkaparinga River. At a little park here there is a roost of Rufous Night-herons. (Herons are my favourite bird family). They roost in some old pines, but when I arrived today the place had been invaded by a noisy flock of Little Corellas. They were all over the park, all over the pines, and I couldn't see any Night-herons.
After a good hard search I eventually found two, high up in separate pines. No good for photos, but just as I was leaving another flew in, and settled fairly low down enabling me to get a some photos. They really are stunning with their long white plumes.
Back on the road to Goolwa I spotted a bird that I didn't recognise on the verge. I did a quick u-turn and drove past again. The ID still did not click, and the bird flew up as I passed. So, another u-turn and I pulled up opposite. Luckily it was on a roadside bush. It was a Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, and I managed to get half a dozen quick shots before it flew off.
I drove straight through Goolwa to the national park as the tide was falling and the birds would get too far away for photos. There were a good selection of waders (shorebirds) but only Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints were within range.
There is a barrage across the River Murray here to keep fresh water levels up and sea water out and from here there were a few terns fishing, including Crested and Caspian. I caught a lucky shot of a Crested Tern shaking itself after diving for a fish, and also saw Caspian Terns hovering, which I hadn't noticed before.
On the way back into Goolwa I stopped at a bird hide - I don't usually stop here the pans are usually dried out, but there was water there today. A quick look showed more Sharpies, and an Australian Spotted Crake - not a great shot, but the best I could get through the vegetation. Back at the car, this young Magpie was waiting for any crumbs I might drop.
