Thursday, September 21, 2017

Port Wakefield

Yesterday I headed north to check out Bald Hill Beach for migrant waders. Unfortunately, the armaments testing range was active so the road was closed.  Plan B was to visit the boat ramp and seasonal wetland at nearby Port Wakefield.

The tide was just ebbing as I got there, and I soon found a Common Sandpiper fossiking along the exposed mangrove margins.  There was also a single Black-tailed Nativehen there - not something I expected - they usually prefer fresh water. There was a Spotted Dove perched on the railing, and as I was leaving I heard the strident call of a Sacred Kingfisher perched in the mangroves. In the town were plenty of White Ibis, and a single Masked Lapwing.






At first glance, the wetlands was fairly quiet, so I settled myself down in the samphire and waited.  Soon, an immature then an adult Red-necked Avocet came within range, followed by White-headed Stilt and Red-kneed Dotterel.




Then some smaller waders appeared from the other direction, a migrant Red-necked Stint, and a pair of resident Red-capped Plovers, first the bright male, and then the female.



I headed back through the backroads of the Adelaide Plains, stopping for a couple of Brown Falcons, an older lighter bird, and then a darker bird that I thought might have been a Black Falcon.  At another stop I heard and soon tracked down a Brown Treecreeper.



I also spotted my first Bearded Dragon of the summer, warming on a concrete fence post.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Local Birding

Earlier this week, I took my camera with me on Kobe's walk in the wetlands,.  I photographed three different heron species, Pacific (also called White-necked) Heron, Great Egret and White-faced Heron.



Yesterday I had a couple of hours birding the backroads between St Kilda and Port Gawler.  It was very windy, so most of the birds kept well hidden.   Mr and Mrs House Sparrow were busy, so hardly noticed me when I stopped the car.


This Singing Honeyeater was perched strategically in the lee of a bush.

The Silver Gulls were enjoying a puddle in the car park.


There were a few waders, but no summer migrants yet.  Sooty Oystercatcher, Masked Lapwing and a young White-headed Stilt were all I managed to photograph before the heavens opened and I headed for home.