Last Saturday my wife and I visited Monarto Conservation Park. This park is about 15 minutes drive from our home here in Murray Bridge South Australia. The park is some 65 km south east of Adelaide. The park consists of a variety of habitats but is predominently mallee. From a slight rise part way along the only walking trail one can look over a sea of mallee trees.

Plants of the Park
In between thick stands of mallee trees (Eucalyptus diversifolia) there are open heath like patches of vegetation. It is like a natural garden and when the plants are in flower it is really delightful. There is a wide variety of plants present including Daisies, Correas, Acacias, Astrolomas, Baeckia, Leucopogons, Boronias and several types of native orchids. The park promises to be absolutely filled with flowers later in the year. (For more information on the plants check my wife’s blog by clicking here.)

Birds of the Park

Over the years our visits have shown a great variation in the birdlife. Sometimes there is hardly a whisper of birdsong and one has to work hard to list even 15 different species. At other times, usually when the plants are in flower, the chorus of birds is – well, not quite deafening, but noisy – and birds seem to be everywhere. My total species list is around the 50 mark which is quite good for this type of country.

Quiet Day

Saturday as one of those quiet days, despite many plants being in flower. I saw or heard a total of 19 species, with some noteable dips. Not seeing a Southern Scrub Robin was the major dip.

Here is a list of the species I recorded, in the order of seeing or hearing them:

Yellow Rumped Thornbill, Little Raven, Grey Currawong, Red Wattlebird, Spotted Pardalote, Australian Magpie, White Browed Babbler, Welcome Swallow, Purple Crowned Lorikeet, Nankeen Kestral, Weebill, Grey Shrike Thrush, Mallee Ringneck Parrot, Brown Headed Honeyeater, Striated Pardalote, Willie Wagtail, Ped Rumped Parrot and Peaceful Dove.