Birds of Burra Gorge, South Australia
Galah at Burra Gorge, mid north of South Australia
Burra Gorge in the mid north of South Australia is an interesting location for birding. This gorge marks the boundary between the hills further west and the dry plains to the east. It is therefore a transitional zone between the birds of the wetter parts to the west, especially around the Clare Valley about 40km away, and flora and fauna of the saltbush plains immediately to the east.
On my most recent visit last spring, the bird life was not very prominent because it was midday on a rather warm day. It would be good to camp here for several days because I believe I’d get quite a good list of birds, especially first thing in the morning. Several Galahs looked like they were preparing to breed because they were investigating hollows in some of the trees in the picnic ground.
Nearby an Australian Magpie was already sitting on a nest and others were feeding recently fledged young begging to be fed.
Magpie on nest at Burra Gorge, mid north of South Australia
Burra Gorge, mid north of South Australia
Burra Gorge, mid north of South Australia
Apostlebirds, Rankins Springs, NSW
Apostle Birds, Rankins Springs, NSW
On our one night stay at Rankins Springs last year we took out time from travelling home to drive around this mid western town. On previous occasions we had only stopped for a short time for a meal, or a cuppa. This time we made time to have a good look around.
I am particularly interested in the birds of any location I visit (see Trevor’s Birding site). One of the common birds in this area is the Apostle Bird. It is commonly seen in parks and gardens, along road side vegetation and flying across the road as you travel along.
Apostle birds are gregarious, usually moving around feeding in family groups of about a dozen or so, hence their name. They are often seen feeding on the ground. When it comes to nesting time the whole group will help make a bowl shaped mud nest in a convenient tree.
On our wandering around the town we visited several birding spots promoted by the locals for visiting birders. They have even produced a small pamphlet about the local birds, including a map to show where to see birds in the vicinity. Sign posts along the road direct visitors to these good birding sites. One of them was the dam shown below.
Further reading:
- Cocoparra National Park – just south of Rankins Springs
Dam near Rankins Springs, NSW
Rainbow Lorikeets, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
During our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney we found a quiet picnic area so we could eat our lunch. Most visitors to the zoo take advantage of the various restaurants and other food outlets, but we would rather bring our own picnic lunch. We found a lovely grassed area with a few picnic tables and enjoyed a pleasant lunch.
At a table nearby some overseas visitors were enjoying the company of two Rainbow Lorikeets. They had provided some food for the birds who were happily devouring the free meal. While this provided me with a great photo opportunity, I can’t condone the action of these visitors. Human food is never good for our native birds so I would discourage all of my readers to refrain from feeding our birds.
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeet, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Mueller’s Gibbon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Mueller's Gibbon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Mueller’s Bornean Gibbon is one of the smallest of the smallest gibbons.It can be found on the island of Borneo where it is endemic. They are arboreal feeders, primarily fruits of the rainforest. They are diurnal (active during the day) and their early morning calls are loud and piercing. They have very long arms which enable them to swing easily from branch to branch as they move through the rainforest.
We saw these Gibbons during our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year. At the bottom of this post I have included a photo of the sign accompanying this display. I frequently do this to remind me of the particular species I have photographed, especially of those animals or birds with which I am not all that familiar.
Mueller's Gibbon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Mueller's Gibbon, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Rainbow Lorikeets welcome us to Taronga Park Zoo
Rainbow Lorikeets, Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney
When we went to Sydney earlier this year we went with our son and grandson to Taronga Park Zoo. We had just entered the gates when we were welcomed by these two Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on some scraps of bread left on the walkway by someone.
I guess whoever left them the bread didn’t realise that bread is absolutely no good for feeding birds. Not only has it no nutritional value whatsoever for a bird, it can also swell up in the intestines causing blockages.