A bird’s eye view

Little Pied Cormorant, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

The Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker in the Mt Lofty Ranges certainly have a large range of water loving birds. Included in this list are several species of cormorants. On my last visit early last week the only cormorant I saw was the Little Pied Cormorant shown in the photo above. It was either taking advantage of the view from the dead branches of a eucalyptus tree or just having a rest.

The feathers of cormorants are not water repellent, so they are often  seen sitting on branches like this, or logs  or rocks or on the bank with wings outstretched for drying. This one must have dried its feathers before I had arrived because at no stage did it spread out its wings while I was watching.

These wetlands boast a large number of water birds. The water comes from waste water in Mt Barker. It is purified through filtering via a series of ponds and reed beds before being reused for irrigation nearby. In addition, it provides an excellent habitat for a wide range of water birds. The tree plantings along the ponds also provide great shelter and food for wrens, honeyeaters, parrots and many other species.

Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia