Yellow Billed Spoonbills and the birth of a birder
Yellow Billed Spoonbill
I must admit that the spoonbills are amongst my favourite birds. Every time I see a spoonbill it gives me great pleasure. In fact, this species was in part responsible for me becoming a birder in the first place.
Back in October 1977 I took my family camping to Chambers Gorge in the Flinders Ranges in outback South Australia. This spectacular gorge through the rugged, dry mountains was a delightful place to spend a few days camping with the family. We went for several walks through the gorge. This gorge usually has a few waterholes but the creek only flows for a few hours after heavy rain.
I was amazed at the bird life around the waterholes. I had no idea at the time that many species of water birds inhabit such normally dry areas. Two Yellow Billed Spoonbills were present and they provided us with much interest over the days we spent there. It was the first time I really took a great deal of notice of the bird life of an area. Fortunately I had taken my binoculars with me, and I think I must have also had with me a simple, abridged paperback version of Cayley’s “What Bird is That?” It was the first of many field guides I have bought over the years since.
The photo above was not taken at the time. It was taken last year in the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills.
For more information about Yellow Billed Spoonbills, including a distribution map, click here.ÂÂ
Baby Coots
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
A few months ago I wrote about a short stop we had at Kapunda to have a cup of tea. We were travelling from Clare back home to Murray Bridge. When we stop for a cuppa we always look for promising birding spots. By doing that we’ve seen some excellent birds over the years.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
One of the delights of this particular stop was the family of baby Eurasian Coots that stormed over to where we were having our picnic cuppa. They must have been very used to people because they were quite unconcerned about walking all around us, between our legs and searching around the picnic table for any loose crumbs from our biscuits.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
Such obliging photographic subjects are hard to find in the natural environment. This however, was far from a natural environment. The picnic grounds were next to an artificial lake often frequented by humans. The birds quickly learn that humans are an easy touch for free handouts.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Eurasian Coot feeding juvenile
Related articles:
- White Faced Heron – with photos taken at the same location.
- Picnic at Kapunda – from my travel blog.
Waterbirds at Goolwa South Australia
2 Comments »13th May, 2007; Category: Darters and Cormorants, Ducks Geese and Swans, Gulls and Terns, Pelicans, Plovers Dotterels and Lapwings, Waterbirds
Australian Pelican
On our recent visit to Goolwa in South Australia we went for a drive along the River Murray to the barrage near the mouth of the river. This barrage keeps the salt water from entering the river system at high tide.
This area is usually quite a good place for birding, though on this occasion there seemed to be just the usual birds one would expect. Nothing really exciting or out of the ordinary. Still, good birding days are usually like this. They make the really special days extraordinary.
Little Pied Cormorant
Along this stretch of the river we saw plenty of Australian Pelicans, White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Great Egrets, White-faced Herons, Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Teal, Little Pied Cormorants, Magpie Larks and Silver Gulls. Several Purple Swamphens stalked through the reeds while on the grassy areas a number of Masked Lapwings guarded their positions. Black Swans gracefully glided through the shallows and Singing Honeyeaters were the dominant species in the thick bushy areas along the sand dunes.
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.
Darter
Darter, Cleland Wildlife Park
I took this photo several months ago at the Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide Hills. The Darter is an interesting bird, widespread over much of Australia without being common anywhere. It is occasionally found in Tasmania and New Zealand. It is also present in Africa, southern Asia and Papua New Guinea.
Snake Bird
Another common name for the Darter is Snake Bird. If one approaches one sitting on a log or branch it will writhe its neck in a snake like manner. Like cormorants, the Darter needs to regularly leave the water and sit on a log, rock, branch or navigation piles in order to dry its wings. The one in the photograph above was sitting on a log on the side of the path, only two metres from me. Being a captive bird it was very used to having people quite close.
Habitat preferences:
The Darter can be found in or along rivers, creeks, lakes, swamps, lagoons, reservoirs and estuaries but rarely in open sea. It can be found in both salt and fresh water. In my home district it is found right along the River Murray and although widespread it is present in only small numbers, usually one or two.
For more information:
- Birds in Backyards – facts about the Darter.
- Australia Zoo – look for the down loadable PDF file on this species.