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Ospreys at Marion Bay
Osprey, Marion Bay, South Australia
I have tried many times to photograph birds in flight with limited success. On the second day of our recent short holiday on Yorke Peninsula we were having lunch at Penguin Point near Marion Bay. The wind was blowing a gale so we sat in the car to eat.
As we ate two Ospreys began soaring low overhead on the wind. They came over low enough and often enough for me to get a few reasonable shots of them. This was one bird I wasn’t expecting to see on this trip, and to get a half decent photo or two was a real bonus.
Sometimes you get lucky.
Osprey, Marion Bay, South Australia
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Penguin Point is a well visited tourist destination in the small holiday town on Marion Bay at the southern tip of Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. Just to the south east of the town – perhaps a 5 – 10 minute walk from most places in the town – there is a car park with board walks through the sand dunes leading out to Penguin Point. From the headland one has excellent views over Marion Bay to the north and towards Rhino Head to the south west (see photos below).
While I’ve never seen a penguin here it is entirely possible that Little Penguins do visit this area, and may even nest in the region. I didn’t record many birds on this most recent visit because the wind was near gale force by lunch time and they were all keeping low in the coastal bushes. I did manage several good shots of an Osprey soaring overhead on the wind as well as a Rock Parrot walking along the path in front of me.
Rhino Head near Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Birds near the Barossa Reservoir, South Austalia
Australian Magpie, Barossa Reservoir, South Australia
On our short holiday on Yorke Peninsula last week we stopped briefly at the Barossa Reservoir for lunch. We had enough time for me to take a few photos of the dam and some of the birds seen in the picnic grounds and on the reservoir. I probably heard far more birds than I saw, and certainly didn’t have time to search out more birds.
The Australian Magpie in the photo above sat in the tree above us and sang to us but we didn’t give it a treat from our lunch as it probably expected. The Rock Dove in the photo below was one of several inhabiting the installation halfway around the dam wall. The last photo shows a large group of Eurasian Coots feeding in the shallows of the reservoir near where we had lunch. For a more comprehensive list of birds seen, go to Trevor’s Birding.
Rock Dove, Barossa Reservoir, South Australia
Eurasian Coot, Barossa Reservoir, South Australia
A short holiday on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Penguin Point, Marion Bay, South Australia
Last weekend my wife and I had the opportunity to have a short holiday on Yorke Peninsula here in South Australia. We stayed in a holiday unit in Edithburgh, a popular seaside town near the southern end of the peninsula. It had been quite a few years since our last visit so we eagerly anticipated seeing the rugged coastal scenery. I was looking forward to doing some birding and my wife was keen to reacquaint herself with the native flora of the region.
Sadly the weather conspired against us with bitterly cold wild gale force winds, scudding showers and overcast skies making birding and photography a challenge. Undeterred we soldiered on, having made the booking of the unit. Despite the restrictions caused by the weather we still had a great time, I saw a few good birds and my wife got all excited about the plants and flowers she was seeing. Over the coming few days I will share some of our sightings and the photos I took.
By the way, the caption on the photograph above was taken at Penguin Point at Marion Bay. I didn’t see any penguins, though Little Penguins have been recorded in the area.
Emu at Adelaide Zoo
Emu at Adelaide Zoo
One of the most recognisable of Australian birds would have to be the Emu, shown in the photos here on this post. These photos were taken recently on a visit to my home zoo in Adelaide, some 50 minutes drive from where I live.
This large bird, standing from 1.5 to 2 metres high, is found over most of mainland Australia. They became extinct on the island of Tasmania in the 19th century. While it ranges over most of mainland Australia, its current distribution can be patchy, especially in closely settled areas and regions of intensive farming. It can still be found in good numbers in pastoral lands, forested areas and national parks. In Western Australia the species is migratory, moving towards coastal areas after breeding. They female lays 5 -12 large, dark green eggs on the ground which the male incubates and then cares for the young for up to a year and a half.
Emu eggs at Adelaide Zoo
Emu at Adelaide Zoo