130 Years achieved for Adelaide Zoo
Entrance to Adelaide Zoo
Adelaide Zoo in South Australia is celebrating its 130th birthday today.
This is a wonderful achievement, showing a commitment on the part of South Australians to keep this wonderful establishment going. I should admit here that am a long time Life Member of the Zoo, and visit as much as I can during the year. I am a member because I firmly believe in what the zoo is doing in preserving endangered species. Not only do they have an active breeding programme for such species, there have been a number of recent examples of zoo animals being released into wild populations to boost numbers in the natural environment.
One thing that keeps me returning regularly to visit is the excellent collection of birds. I’ve frequently photographed many of the birds in their collection and featured them here on this site. You can read these articles and see the photos by trolling through my Archives (see link above) or going to the categories on the side bar and clicking on “Adelaide Zoo” or “zoos“.
Meanwhile, below are some bird photos I have taken there recently.
That’s me getting friendly with the zoo “pandas”
Gold and Blue Macaw, Adelaide Zoo
Stone Curlew, Adelaide Zoo
One of the famous and well-loved flamingos at Adelaide Zoo
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
On route from Meknes to Fes on our tour of Morocco we stopped to inspect the ancient Roman ruins of Volubilis. This was a wonderful introduction to the oldest structures my wife and I have ever seen. It was fascinating, made even more significant in that it was one of many UNESCO World heritage Sites we visited during our tour of Morocco and Spain.
Because the ruins are in the countryside with farmland all around, I managed to see a few birds – in between absorbing the experience of seeing these amazing ruins and taking heaps of photos.
One of the first species I saw was this Common Redstart, a new species for me, that is, it was the first time I had seen this species in my life. It posed nicely for me in clear view. On this leg of the trip I didn’t have a field guide to help me identify the birds I saw. I relied on taking reasobale photos of the birds I saw. It was only when I arrived back home in Australia that I was able to find out the names of the birds seen during this part of our holiday. I must say that some have been a little hard tracking down. Most, however, are covered very well by online sites with good photos. It has enabled me to wander down memory lane time and again as I look at my shots, and remember all the highlights of the trip – of which there were many.
Note: this article was updated and new material added on 12th March 2016.
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Common Redstart, Volubilis, Morocco
Ruins of Roman town of Volubilis
Attracting birds to your garden
Flower in our garden
No bird photos to show today, but something just as beautiful. I recently took these photos of some native flowers in our garden. It made me think about ways of attracting birds to your garden. I’ve written articles on this topic before, including this one.
Planting Australian native plants is the best way of attracting – and keeping – birds in your garden. This rule can be applied in most parts of the world; find out what local plant species grow in your area and add them to your garden.
In Australian gardens, plants like grevilleas, hakeas and banksias will not only look delightful when flowering, the honeyeaters, finches and many other species of birds will love them – and you. You can learn more about Australian native plants on my wife’s site here.
Providing clean drinking water is another sure way of attracting birds. In our hot, dry summers the birds will flock to a bird bath, dish or bowl put out for them. Place the water containers near a window or glass door so you can watch the parade of birds without scaring them.
One more tip: keep your cat inside. They are hunters and have no place in the Australian environment.
Flowers in our garden
Flower in our garden
Review: Brushed by Feathers
Cover of brushed by Feathers
Review: Brushed by feathers: a year of birdwatching in the west by Frances Wood (2004, Fulcrum Publishing, Colorado).
What a delightful book. I was given a copy by someone (a friend of a friend) who attended one of my bird talks. I am normally reluctant to let people lend me books to read, no matter how interesting the subject matter because I have so many books and magazines of my own waiting for my attention. Still, out of politeness I accepted this title, and I’m so pleased that I did.
At first I only read a few pages in bed before turning off the light. As I moved further into the text I became hooked – no, spellbound. This is one special book, and all about birds I know nothing about. The author lives on Puget Sound in Washington State near the Pacific Ocean. It is a significant body of water for many water-bird species and the hinterland a passageway for many other migrating species.
The book is an account of a year, month by month, in the birding life of one small area: the author’s small acreage around her home – with occasional trips elsewhere or reminiscing accounts of earlier trips and experiences. From the Barn Swallows nesting under the eaves to various hummingbirds visiting her feeder through to rare encounters, the author takes the reader on a journey of wide-eyed, wondering and fascinated observations of the daily lives of her feathered friends.
Her descriptions of the house and garden, the local environment, weather and daily happenings take the reader into her confidence until we feel almost part of her family. Her lyrical style draws the reader on from bird to beautiful bird, each described with care – as if each was her personal favourite.
The author’s web page can be seen here.
Highly recommended.
Welcome to readers of the Murray Valley Standard
Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Welcome to all of those readers who have come to this site as a result of reading the article in today’s Murray Valley Standard newspaper. I am pleased that you made the effort and hope you enjoy my articles and photos about birds.
This site is about sharing my interest in Australian birds seen in our garden here in Murray Bridge, along the river and other places throughout Australia whenever I get the chance to travel. Some of my articles also include photos of birds seen on various overseas trips, the latest being recently in Ethiopia, Morocco and Spain. Many of these photos will continue to appear over the coming months.
Comments
My sites are all interactive, meaning that readers can leave comments. Just click on the link that says “comments” just under the heading of this article (above and to the right of the photo above). I’ll respond to as many as I can.
If you want to find out more about me, click here (the link takes you to my writing site).
If you want to read about my travels, including overseas, click here. That site also includes many photos.
Australian Pelican, Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Purple Swamphen, Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge, South Australia