Rock Parrot, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Rock Parrot, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
While we were at Penguin Point at Marion Bay on Yorke Peninsula just over a week ago I braved the wild gale force winds and went for a short walk along the ridge top. As I was returning a green parrot landed on the well made path. It walked a few metres in front of me then stopped to chew on a flower on the edge of the path. I took a few photos and then attempted to get a little closer, but it flew off into the sand dunes and I didn’t see it again.
Rock Parrot, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
I’d seen over a dozens Rock Parrots in this spot on my last visit some years ago. The sight of so many together was unforgettable. This time I had to be content with a brief view of just one. The poor weather probably had something to do with only seeing one, so I considered myself lucky to have seen any at all.
Rock Parrots are one of a family of parrots known as Neophemas. The group also includes the Blue-winged Parrot, Elegant Parrot, Orange-bellied Parrot (endangered), Turquoise Parrot and Scarlet-chested Parrot. The Rock Parrot is generally a bird of coastal regions, its preferred habitat includes granite outcrops, islands, headlands, coastal dunes, scrubs and grasslands near the coast.
Coast dunes at Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Rock Parrot habitat, Penguin Point, Marion Bay
Birding at Penguin Point, Marion Bay
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
On the second day of our short holiday on Yorke Peninsula last week we drove from Edithburgh to Marion Bay before lunch. The weather was turning bad with strengthening northerly winds ahead of a cooler change from the south.
On arriving at Marion Bay we drove slowly around the older part of town noting things we could remember from holidays there in the 1980s. Little had changed in that part of town but we also noted many new and expensive looking homes in the newer parts of town. We parked at Penguin Point overlooking the bay. As the wind had turned almost gale force we had to stay in the car to eat our lunch as it was too unpleasant outside. It was not good birding weather.
Penguin Point is obviously named after the bird of the same name, probably the Little Penguin which is seen regularly along the coast of South Australia. I can’t find any references in my library but I would expect that some Little Penguins actually nest along this part of the coast. I didn’t see any penguins on my visit but this is not surprising as most Little Penguins spend most of the winter at sea.
While the Little Penguin is the most frequently seen species along the southern coast of Australia, several other species are occasionally recorded, including the Rockhopper Penguin, Fiordland Penguin and the King Penguin.
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
A missed birding opportunity
Over the years I have found that there are three basic types of birding while on holiday trips: planned, opportunistic and downright unlucky.
Planned birding:
When I plan a holiday I will often factor into our itinerary places where I can stop and do some birding. These stops usually coincide with meal breaks, changes of drivers, or overnight stays. I look for places where I have a good chance of seeing a good variety of birds. Sometimes the birds do not cooperate but often I’m rewarded with good sightings and even good photos.
Opportunistic birding
This is far more exciting. You never know what is going to turn up, sometimes in unexpected ways and places. Chance sightings, rare or uncommon species, birds way out of their normal range or birds doing unusual things. Some of my best photos are totally unplanned, making the most of an opportunity presented unexpectedly.
Missed in action
On our short holiday last week on Yorke Peninsula we were almost at our holiday unit. The sun was setting, we had about 8 kilometres to go when my wife exclaimed, “Three quail on the roadside.”
But of course I didn’t see them! Checking the mirror I quickly did a U-turn and head back down the road. They’d gone into the bushes. Drat!
On reflection, the most likely species was Stubble Quail, a common bird in this cereal growing region of the state. Reluctantly I added this sighting to my trip list but felt just a little cheated.
Next time.
Good birding.
Ramsey Way Conservation Park, Yorke Peninsula
Ramsey Way Conservation Park, Yorke Peninsula
On our way to Edithburgh for a short holiday last week we took a short detour on a side road a short distance off the main highway. This dirt road took us through some farming country and passed the small Ramsey Way Conservation Park (see photos above and below).
I’ve done a little research online and can find only two references to this park: the government declaration of the park concerning mining restrictions (2008) and notice of a field trip visit by the Native Orchid Society of South Australia next Sunday (June 5th 2011). It is not even listed yet on the National Parks website list of conservation parks. Now that I know that I would have spent a little more time there doing a bird and plant survey. Still, it was late afternoon and the light was fading quickly, so it would have been an inadequate survey.
I’m sure that a longer survey of the park would reveal a diverse and interesting bird and plant list. This park is one of only a few remnant bush areas in the region and so is a valuable asset regarding the local flora and fauna. My list seems very inadequate, but given the time restraints it is a start:
Bird list:
- Little raven
- White-browed babbler
- Magpie lark
- Australian Magpie
- Willie wagtail
- Yellow-rumped pardalote
- Weebill
- Spiny-cheeked honeyeater
- Grey butcherbird
- Crested pigeon
- Common Bronzewing pigeon
- Silvereye
- Red-rumped parrot
- Nankeen kestrel
Ramsey Way Conservation Park, Yorke Peninsula
Ramsey Way Conservation Park, Yorke Peninsula
Roadside birding, Yorke Peninsula
Native apricot (Pittosporum phylliraeoides) on Yorke Peninsula
After leaving Mulbura Park reserve near Pt Vincent on the Yorke Peninsula we drove on along a dirt road towards a nearby conservation park. I’ll write about that visit tomorrow. At one point my wife asked me to stop to take a photo of the native apricot trees growing on the side of the road.
The native apricot (Pittosporum phylliraeoides) is a widespread tree throughout South Australia but in most areas is not present in large numbers. The road we were on was an exception with many such trees on the roadside verge. Most were in fruit and the bright orange fruit looked spectacular in the late afternoon sun. Every time I see the fruit I’m reminded of that terrible day when I had a brain snap – I tried to eat the fruit. The juice squirted down my throat and I spent the next half hour coughing and spitting trying to rid myself of the astrigent, bitter taste. Don’t try it – the fruit is not edible, I assure you. In fact, a little research has found at least one reference to the seeds being poisonous.
I can’t recall ever seeing any birds eating the fruit, though the flowers do attract a range of nectar loving birds such as honeyeaters. The trees also provide suitable nesting and shelter for a range of species. The birds observed within a short distance of this clump of trees include:
- White-browed Babblers
- Willie Wagtail
- Crested pigeons
- Weebills
- Spiny-cheeked honeyeater
- Silvereyes
- Yellow-rumped Pardalotes
Mind you, we only stopped for a few minutes before driving on, so the list of birds frequenting these trees would be much larger.
Native apricot (Pittosporum phylliraeoides) on Yorke Peninsula