RV Australia Fly-in Goolwa

This morning I drove down to Goolwa (about an hour south of Adelaide) for the RV Australia Fly-in.  

These planes are sold in kit form and shipped to and assembled by the customer.  The company was started by Richard VanGrunsven in a shed in Oregon as a "one-man band" in 1972.  The RV- type numbers refer to his initials. Over 10,000 RV-
aircraft have been assembled all over the world, and the company is now wholly owned by it's 70+ employees. There were examples of many of the aircraft in the range on the ground at Goolwa.

The earliest models were the RV-3 (19-8732) and RV-4 VH-DAX

Some types are available in both tail-dragger and tricycle variants like these RV-6 (VH-YUY) and RV-6A (VH-RHV), and RV-7 (VH-VSR) and RV-7A (VH-XJL)

Later models are the RV-8 (VH-VRV), RV-10 (VH-XIO), RV-12 (19-8207) and RV-14A (VH-VFB)

Victor Harbor and Goolwa

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...

Skywatch Friday - Rainbows over Goolwa

Double rainbow over the River Murray looking towards Goolwa, South Australia

 

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!!

 

Birding around Adelaide

Some good friends of mine have been staying for a few days, so I've been showing them some of the birding spots around Adelaide. We took another trip down to Goolwa, where we birded along the barrage road, on the beach and from the bird hide. Most of the birds were the same as on my last visit, but we did see Red-Avocet and Pink-eared Duck which were both new birds for my friends. Lunch, as usual in Goolwa, was fish and chips by the river. This time we watched the Milang to Goolwa boat race, and were kept company by a flock of Little Corellas. There were Plenty of birds on the river, and I snapped a Whiskered Tern, a Great Cormorant (with a fishing weight tangled on it, and the ever present Australian Pelican. Next day we went up through the Adelaide Hills to Laratinga Wetlands at Mount Barker. We had lunch on the way at a small park in Nairne. There were lots of pale blue dragonflies here, and an interesting rock with a snake carved onto it. There was also a Coot family with some very late chicks. When we got to Laratinga, it was in great shape with lots of mud for waders and crakes. We saw Black-fronted Plovers, Yellow-billed Spoonbills, Australian White Ibis and this very inquisitive young Superb Fairywren. In a couple of hours here we counted over twenty Spotted Crakes and a single Baillons Crake.