Birding around Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

During our recent holiday in Robe in the south east of South Australia we went for a short drive to Cape Dombey. This is within walking distance of the main street but our cottage was at the other end of town so we drove.

Rock Doves, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Rock Doves, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

The cape consists of some low but spectacular cliffs. We spent about an hour there during a beautiful sunny and calm morning, a complete contrast with the wild weather of the previous three days. I was a little disappointed with the birding while we were there. The most common birds were the Rock Doves roosting on the rock ledges or on top of the cliffs. Occasionally a small flock would fly over towards one of the rocks or small islands just off the coast.

Pied Cormorants, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Pied Cormorants, Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

I also saw a few Little Pied Cormorants and their larger cousins the Pied Cormorants. Some of these were seen flying or swimming out to sea, others, including those in the photo above, were resting on the nearby rocks. On a nearby rock ledge I also saw two Sooty Oystercatchers, but they flew off before I could get a photo of them.

Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Cape Dombey, Robe, South Australia

Other birds in the locality included Welcome Swallows gliding and swooping around the headland and the nearby scrub. In the bushy area in the nearby sandhills I also saw several Singing Honeyeaters, several small flocks of Superb Blue Wrens, a single Grey Shrike Thrush and several Masked Lapwings on the lawns of nearby houses as we returned to the cottage for lunch. I also heard several Little Ravens calling.

Oh – I nearly forgot the occasional small flock of Silver Gulls and a solitary Crested Tern.

Click on the photos to enlarge the image.

 

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