Eastern Rosella
On our visit last week to the Wittunga Botanic Gardens in the Adelaide Hills, I observed quite an interesting range of birds in the gardens and near the lake. There were plenty of Pacific Black Ducks and Wood Ducks, all clamoring for a piece of the action if any people came along – whether or not they looked like have a picnic. Ducks are ever hopeful of some food handouts.
I saw Eurasian Coots and Dusky Moorhens on the water and two Little Pied Cormorants perching on dead branches sticking out over the water of the lake. Two – perhaps a pair – of Masked Lapwings patrolled sections of the lawned areas used by picnickers. Welcome Swallows swooped low over the water and nearby bushy area. The trees were abuzz with Rainbow Lorikeets in a feeding frenzy. I also saw several Musk Lorikeets, a smaller parrot than the Rainbows but just as noisy. As for the larger parrot species I noticed several Galahs feeding on the lawns while a single Corella, I presume it was a Little Corella, flew overhead at one stage. I didn’t get a close enough look to be certain.
Eastern Rosella
One species I was delighted to be able to see and photograph was the Eastern Rosella. In South Australia this species is mainly confined to the South East region of the state and to parts of the suburbs of Adelaide and the Adelaide Hills. The above photo shows up its brilliant colours. This is one occasion when I didn’t have to chase the bird in question, as it seemed happy to pose for me on the edge of the path.
Two days after taking the above photo, I was surprised to see a single Eastern Rosella at the Murraylands Homes for the Aged in Murray Bridge. I was there visiting my mother-in-law. This is the first time I have recorded this species anywhere near here. My closest other sightings are at least 60km to the west. By its behaviour it could well have been an escapee from someone’s aviary.
Related articles:
Great Birding Moments
10 Comments »30th June, 2006; Category:
I have gathered together here the titles of articles I have written about some great birding moments I have enjoyed over the years.
To access each article, just click on the title below:
- Spotted Nightjar
- Pied Currawong
- Mistletoebird
- Willie Wagtail
- Crested Pigeon
- New Holland Honeyeater
- Koala
- Silver Gull
- Brown-headed Honeyeater
- Noisy Miner
- Grey Fantail
- White Faced Heron
- Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
- Cockatoo Close Encounter
- Long Billed Corellas
- Cockatoo Valley
- Musk Lorikeets
- Golden Headed Cisticola
- King Parrot
- Budgerigars
- Splendid Wren
- Scarlet Robin
- Eurasian Coot nesting
- Caspian Terns
- Superb Blue Wrens
- Red Browed Finch
- Wood Duck ducklings
- Painted Button-Quail
- Crested Pigeon
- Superb Blue-wren
- Glossy Ibis at last
- My first Powerful Owl
- Collared Sparrowhawk
- Superb Fairy-wren
- Female Superb Fairy-wren
- [coming soon]
- [coming soon]
A Visit to Monarto Zoo
We had my wife’s ten year old niece staying with us over the weekend. On the holiday Monday we decided to take her to the local open range zoo at Monarto. This zoo is about a ten minute drive from our home in Murray Bridge, South Australia.
Near the entrance gates I saw two Peaceful Doves sitting on a fence. Two Common Bronzewing Pigeons flew over the road a little further on. As we waited in line to pay at the gate I observed a Red Wattlebird and several Australian Magpies. Thoughout our visit I saw many more magpies. In the car park I saw two Grey Currawongs and Mallee Ringneck Parrot near the Meerkat enclosure.
We only had a ten minute wait before our tour bus left. Unlike some open range zoos where you drive yourself, this zoo has a regular guided bus tour through the park. On busy days like Monday the buses often leave every ten or fifteen minutes. The tour takes about 80 minutes and covers a large part of the zoo property.
During the tour I saw Galahs, Magpie Larks, Masked Lapwings, Willie Wagtails and Little Ravens. Several times we saw flocks of White Winged Choughs. Rocky Gully Creek flows through the middle of the park. For most of the year this is a dry creek bed but seeing we have had some rain recently sections of it have some pools at present. In the largest pool I saw Pacific Black Ducks, Wood Ducks and several Black Fronted Dotterels. Welcome Swallows swoooped low over the water.
After our bus tour we went for a walk along the self-guided walking trail called the Emu Trail. We saw no emus, but had good views of Yellow Rumped Thornbills and a Grey Fantail. Two Adelaide Rosellas flew quickly past and we had fleeting glimpses of a Singing Honeyeater.
There were three highlights of the visit as far as I was concerned. I saw a female Red Capped Robin, a species I hadn’t recorded before in the park. The second was seeing the 30+ playful Painted African Dogs cavorting happily all around the bus. The third highlight was the two new “baby” giraffes, one born two days ago and the other three days ago. At over two metres high at birth “baby” seems almost inappropriate.
Australian Shoveler at Clare, South Australia
On Sunday I went for a short walk from my daughter’s home in Clare. At the end of a nearby street I came to an open area surrounding the local sewage treatment plant. I used to visit this area from time to time when we lived in Clare about 25 years ago. I had not visited the area again since.
Sewage Treatment Plant
Sewage treatment plants are very interesting places. They tend to attract quite a variety of birds. These, in turn, attract birders like me. On this occasion I was not disappointed. There were the usual suspects like Masked Lapwings along the edges, Pacific Black Ducks, Grey and Chestnut Teal and several Australasian Grebes. I was not surprised to see about twenty Pink Eared Ducks as well because I have often seen this species on Inchquin Lake a few hundred metres away. I was delighted to see about a dozen Black Swans as I can’t recall having seen them on the lake. Perhaps the lake, with its nearby picnic area on one side and golf course on the other, is too populated and noisy.
Australian Shoveler
One species I hoped to see was the Australian Shoveler. I had not observed this species of duck for over twenty years and only on a handful of occasions at that. I have only ever seen it on one occasion elsewhere so I was very pleased to record it again here. In the past I can only recall seeing up to about five individuals. This time there must have been over thirty present. It made me wonder if this species is a regular visitor, or is it actually a breeding resident species. I must remember to check it out more regularly as I visit my daughter.
Other birds seen
Other birds heard or seen nearby include Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Musk Lorikeet, Galah, Crimson Rosella, Willie Wagtail, Noisy Miner, Red Wattlebird, White Plumed Honeyeater and New Holland Honeyeater. On the nearby Inchquin Lake I observed Blue Billed Ducks, Wood Ducks and four Black Fronted Dotterels.
Birds of Encounter Bay
1 Comment »18th March, 2006; Category: Birds, Camera, Ducks Geese and Swans, General, Lapwings, Parrots and Lorikeets, Photos, Seabirds, Swallows, Waterbirds, Wrens
Rain
We are staying in the caravan park next to Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor. This is just over an hour’s drive south of Adelaide, South Australia. During the night our sleep was disturbed by frequent showers. Rain on the roof of a caravan can be quite disturbing. By breakfast time the rain was quite steady.
A Walk becomes a Sit
My friend Keith and I had intended going for a walk this morning, probably around Granite Island. There is a causeway to the island and from the caravan park it takes several hours. The views are quite spectacular on the seaward side. The large waves crashing over the granite rocks would have made for some great photography. The rain did not ease until late in the morning. Instead of a walk, Keith and I sat in the van talking, having cuppas, eating chocolate cake and hot cross buns and reading the paper.
Afternoon Nap
After lunch Keith and I were so exhausted from the morning’s frenetic activities that we both had to have a nap. Life’s so hard. Later we sat around talking with some of the others we knew who were staying in the same caravan park.
A Bird Walk
Late in the afternoon I went for a birdwatching walk to the beach and along the nearby river. I took my camera with me and was able to take some good shots of several species of birds and also some good shots of several yachts at anchor in the bay. Just a few metres from our van there was a small lagoon, perhaps the size of several tennis courts. This lagoon was well populated with birds feeding in, on or above it.
Lagoon
The most prominent species was Chestnut Teal. There were some 30-40 of them. This was a species I hadn’t managed to get photos of as yet. One photo shows three of these ducks all diving for food simultaneously; all you can see is their tails sticking up in the air. They were accompanied by about 30 Silver Gulls swimming around on the surface of the water. Hawking for insects above the water were numerous Welcome Swallows. Several Magpie Larks and a solitary White Faced Heron patrolled the water’s edge for whatever they could find to eat.
Chestnut Teal
Also on the water’s edge was a single bird I couldn’t positively identify. I wouldn’t let me get close enough for a photo or a good look through my binoculars. By its shape, colour, size and habits it could possibly have been a Sharp Tailed Sandpiper.
River
The Inman River forms the south west boundary of the caravan park and often provides some good bird watching. Several Masked Lapwings, a few more Silver Gulls and two Wood Ducks were seen immediately. Waiting quietly near some bushes on the bank revealed some Pacific Black Ducks, Silvereyes in the bushes and I heard some Superb Blue Wrens in the nearby bushes. A Caspian Tern patrolled up and down the river while a Willie Wagtail flitted around on the lawn nearby.
Masked Lapwing