White Faced Heron
I have many birds on my list of favourites. I guess that they really can’t be ALL favourites. A better way of expressing it would be to say that I really enjoy seeing this species or that species.
White Faced Heron
On the list of birds I really enjoy seeing and watching is the White Faced Heron. This bird is such an elegant, neat and beautiful bird that I delight in every sighting of this species. On a recent trip to visit my daughter in Clare in the mid-north of South Australia we came home via Kapunda, an old historic copper mining town now farming centre. It was time for a cuppa, so we pulled off the main road through the town and found a delightful little park. Birding was a secondary aim but this little interlude was rather special.
White Faced Heron
A single White Faced Heron was stalking elegantly through the sticks and mud and debris at one end of the small artificial lake in the park. As I cautiously approached for a close up shot it flew to a nearby bridge across the lake, alighting on the hand rail. I was delighted with the resultant photo.
White Faced Herons are found throughout Australia where there is suitable habitat. They are mostly found in shallow wetlands, swamps, farm dams, tidal mudflats, grasslands and are sometimes seen visiting garden fishponds. On one occasion we even had one visit our swimming pool… er… “swamp” – it had frogs in it at the time.
Favourite Birding Spot #5 St Kilda
1 Comment »9th September, 2006; Category: Favourite Birding Spots, Herons and Egrets, Migratory birds, Pelicans, Seabirds, Shorebirds, Spoonbills, Stilts and Avocets, Waterbirds
Black-Winged Stilt
I have only recently visited St Kilda and Barker Inlet north of Adelaide for the first time, but already it is becoming a favourite birding spot of mine. Access to the area is very easy being just a few kilometers off the main highway heading north from Adelaide (the Port Wakefield road). There is a large car parking area, a large lawned picnic area, an interesting Adventure Playground (for the ankle biters – teens might even like it), a fast food outlet, boat ramp and a well kept clean public toilet block.
At low tide the tidal mudflats stretch for many kilometres along the coast. On top of the rock wall protecting the boat channel out to deeper water is an excellent walking path. This enables one to walk far out from the beach, perhaps nearly a kilometre. This allows one to get close to the birds feeding on the mudflats.
On my few visits I have observed many Black Winged Stilts (see photo above), Sooty and Pied Oystercatchers, Australian Pelicans, White Ibis, Great and Little Egrets, Black Swans and Royal Spoonbills. On my visits I have seen, far out from the shore, what looked like thousands of Grey Teal. I also recorded several Chestnut-Breasted Shelducks.
An added bonus for the birder at St Kilda is the Mangrove Boardwalk nearby. I have written about this here. Of course, my visits have been in early spring. I dare say, as the weeks progress, many migratory waders will arrive here for the summer months.
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Updated Nov 2013.