Search Results for 'silver gulls'

Kangaroos – and a few birds

1 Comment »13th June, 2011; Category: Animals, Bush birds

Western Grey Kangaroo, Pondalowie Bay, South Australia

Okay – so this site is supposed to be about Australian Birds. Every now and then, however, I come across something interesting to photograph which doesn’t fall into that narrow field. Here is one example.

On our recent short holiday to Yorke Peninsula we visited the lovely and secluded Pondalowie Bay. The weather was quite unpleasant with light showers and almost gale force winds. The birding was consequently very limited. I did see several Pacific Gulls along with a few Silver Gulls and a solitary Sooty Oystercatcher. Two Pelicans braved the wild conditions in the bay and a small number of Crested Terns kept watch from some rocks. A Nankeen Kestrel used the wind to its advantage, soaring on the rushing air to search out a late afternoon snack.

Leaving the shoreline and driving inland a few hundred metres the wind abated somewhat in the lee of the sand dunes and thick coastal vegetation. Here the birding was a little better and I sighted a small list of species, including

Masked Lapwings
Galahs
Willie Wagtails
Grey Currawongs
Silvereyes
Singing Honeyeater (also seen near the water)
Rainbow Lorikeets
Crested Pigeons

And just as we were leaving the camping ground area we sighted a group of five juvenile Western Grey Kangaroos grazing near the road. They are used to vehicles in this area and didn’t stop their grazing as I stopped to take some photos.

Western Grey Kangaroos, Pondalowie Bay, South Australia

Australian Magpie, Pondalowie Bay, South Australia

Birds at Adelaide Writers’ Week 2010

No Comments »8th March, 2010; Category: Birds, Garden birds, General

Adelaide Writers Week 2010

Last week I attended the 2010 Adelaide Writers’ Week. This popular event is an important feature of the Festival of Arts held here every two years. Writers and readers come from all over Australia and attendees are treated to a large contingent of guest speakers, some Australian but many from overseas, with a sprinkling of local talent. Writers for children are conspicuous by their absence.

This event is spread over six days and is held in the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Gardens in the beautiful park-lands of Adelaide, just an easy five minute stroll from the CBD. All sessions are free – except for several evening sessions in the Town Hall. Panel discussions, book launches and meet-the-author sessions are run concurrently in two large marquees set up on the lawn, while a third is the book tent where you can buy the books of guest speakers and get them signed. There is also a catering tent for food and drinks.

Pioneer Women's Memorial Gardens, Adelaide during Writers Week March 2010

While attending three days of this year’s Writers’ Week I was able to position myself during most sessions where I was also able to see out of the tents and observe the passing bird life. Being set in the gardens, and very close to the River Torrens, I was able to get a nice little list of bird seen. Below is an annotated list.

Galah: small groups seen flying over head along the river.

Rainbow Lorikeets: fast flying flocks seen and heard over head and feeding in nearby trees.

Noisy Miner: several heard calling from nearby trees. Interestingly I only saw one bird.

Australian Pelican: two seen gliding low over the river where they presumably landed (the trees obscured my view).

Sulphur-crested Cockatoos: several small flocks of 4-8 flew noisily overhead.

Australian Magpie: two heard carolling in nearby trees and several feeding on nearby lawns.

Silver Gulls: one or two seen often flying over head or along the river.

Australian Wood Duck: flock of about a dozen feeding on the grass within a few metres of the tent, quite unperturbed by the large numbers of people.

Black Swan: One seen sitting on the grass near where I parked the car next to the river (I was lucky enough to get a park each day very close to the venue).

Welcome Swallows: About 5 seen flying over the river.

Crested Pigeon: one seen feeding on the grass near the tents.

Pacific Black Ducks: Two flew between the tents at just over head height, narrowly missing people as they mingled near the Book Tent.

Little Pied Cormorant: one seen flying over the river.

Further reading:

Rainbow Lorikeet

Alexandra Gardens, Ararat, Victoria

2 Comments »1st April, 2009; Category: General

Lake in the Alexandra Gardens, Ararat, western Victoria

On the last day of our holidays in January we travelled from Gisborne just north of Melbourne to home in Murray Bridge. It was a long day of driving and I had few opportunities for birding along the way. we left our friends’ place a little later than I had hoped so we didn’t stop for morning tea. We pushed through to Ararat for lunch.

In Ararat we found a reasonable spot in the Alexandra Gardens. Here I was able to do a few minutes of birding during and after our picnic lunch. On the lake were the usual types of birds one expects in lakes in parks and gardens: Eurasian Coots, Dusky Moorhens, Pacific Black Ducks and Silver Gulls.

Long-billed Corellas, Ararat, western Victoria

Pacific Black Ducks and Dusky Moorhens, Ararat, Victoria

While we were eating a flock of about 40 Long-billed Corellas came noisily wheeling overhead and settled in the tree above us. In the distance I saw a smaller flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos winging their way slowly across town. A Laughing Kookaburra called somewhere near and Masked Lapwings could be heard calling on the adjacent sports grounds.

In the shrubbery near us several Common Blackbirds gave their warning call as I came down the path, New Holland Honeyeaters were busy feeding in the well maintained Australian native plant section of the gardens and several Striated Pardalotes called from the canopy of the trees overhead.

Alexandra Gardens, Ararat, western Victoria

Wrens and Cockatoos: Birding at Eden, NSW

6 Comments »6th March, 2009; Category: Gulls and Terns, Parrots and Lorikeets, Silvereyes, Wrens

Eden, south coast of NSW

One of the frustrations I felt on our holiday in New South Wales earlier this year was the lack of time to do some serious birding as we went along. We were on a tight time schedule because our daughter had to return home to go to work. It was great spending three weeks with our adult daughter, but the birding was limited. Despite that I did get to see a good list of birds and I also found some excellent spots to return to later when we are less rushed.

We travelled down the south coast of New South Wales from Bateman’s Bay to Mallacoota in Victoria. On the way we passed through the beautiful towns of Narooma, Bermagui, and Merimbula, all worthy of a stay for a week, not just a quick drive through.

Upon reaching the port of Eden we did stop for about a half hour. We found a picnic area with a great view out over the beach and bay, as shown in the photos on this page.

Eden, south coast of NSW

From our picnic spot we saw Silver Gulls and Whiskered Terns flying along the beach or just out a short way into the bay. A small flock of Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos flew over head heading for the nearby coastal forest. Red Wattlebirds and Silvereyes were feeding in the bushes near our picnic spot and a family of cheeky Superb Fairy-wrens came close enough for a few good photos. The full coloured male came up close and posed for me.

Superb Fairy-wren, Eden, NSW

On the way through the town I was able to add Galah, House Sparrow and Rock Dove to my list. This area is well worth another, longer, visit sometime in the near future.