Grey Teal, Laratinga Wetlands

Grey Teal

Grey Teal are one of the more numerous ducks found in Australia. They can sometimes number in the thousands on a lake, swamp or reservoir. They are often seen in close association with Pacific Black Ducks, another very common Australian duck.

The photos I am sharing today were taken recently in the Laratinga Wetlands near Mt Barker in the Mt Lofty Ranges of South Australia. These wetlands are about a half hour drive from my home in Murray Bridge, and also a half hour drive from our capital city Adelaide.

The walking tracks around the wetlands are popular with both locals and visitors. Many people visit daily for picnics, walking, running, cycling, photography, birding or just plain relaxing.

For more articles about Australian birds, as well as many more photos of birds, check out my other site, Trevor's Birding.

Grey Teal

Australian Wood Ducks

Australian Wood Duck

On my recent visit to the Laratinga Wetlands in Mt Barker, South Australia I took these photos of several Australian Wood Ducks. In the photo above the male is perched nicely on a tree stump in the water, the stump framing the photo in a pleasant way. On this particular visit I did not see all that many of this species. On other occasions it can be present in large numbers. In some places throughout its distribution one can see this species in large, loose flocks sometimes numbering in the hundreds. They not only frequent wetlands like Laratinga, but can be found in pastures, paddocks, ovals, playing fields and around lakes and dams.

Please note that this is not the same as the Wood Duck found in America, which is quite a different species.

To read more about Australian birds, and to see more photos of them, I invite you to go to my other site Trevor's Birding.

Male Australian Wood Duck

Female Australian Wood Duck (left) and male (right)

Common Bronzewing pigeon

Common Bronzewing pigeon

I am always fascinated by the colours displayed on the feathers of some of our Australian pigeons. When the sunlight catches the feathers at just the correct angle, the feathers come alive with a rainbow of iridescence. The wing feathers of our Common Bronzewing is a classic example of this, as shown in today's photos.

A month or so ago I spent a few hours watching birds and taking photos of them at the Laratinga Wetlands near Mt Barker in South Australia. These wetlands are frequently visited by local and interstate birders because the birdlife is usually prolific. Because the walking tracks around the ponds are used daily by hundreds of walkers, joggers and cyclists as well, the birds are used to human activity and are easy to approach for photography.

You can read more about Australian birds and see more of my photos on my other site - Trevor's Birding here.

Common Bronzewing pigeon

Happy 10th Birthday to this bird site

Australian Ringneck Parrot

This bird site is ten years old today.

Happy 10th birthday to Trevor's Twitching of Australian Birds!

Or should that read: "Happy Bird-day"?

The very first article I published here all those years ago was really just testing the water, but once done I was hooked. I continued over the years, sometimes sporadically here and more often on my other sites which I wrote about here.

In all I have written over 4000 articles on these sites covering birds, animals, travel in various countries, writing, poetry, stories and much more. Many thousands of readers have also made comments on the various sites, and they have a combined tally of over a million pageviews over those ten years. Readers have come from over 200 countries and territories.

So - how did I celebrate this sites significant milestone? In hospital having minor surgery. I hope that this surgery will deal with my back problems and enable me to get out and take more bird photos to share here, and on my other sites, so stay tuned for the next ten years!

In the meantime, please stop by and leave a comment; I'd be mighty pleased.

As a special treat today I am sharing a set of favourite photos, instead of just the usual one or two. For more reading and photos about Australian birds go to Trevor's Birding.

Happy birding.

Trevor

Australian King Parrot

Diamond Firetail Finch

Collared Sparrowhawk

 

Red-capped Robin

Have you read these?

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

As a reader of this site about Australian birds you may not be aware of other sites that I write for. So indulge me a little while I do a little cross-promotion.

This site - Trevor's Twitching - is only about the wild Australian birds I have seen and photographed in the natural environment. In a week's time it celebrates its 10th birthday. There was a time a few years ago when I was completing my Master of Arts Creative Writing degree when I didn't add much here, but now I have more time to devote to posting new photos and articles.

I also have another birding site called Trevor's Birding (click here). That site is also about birds found and photographed here in Australia but it is much more. I include many more photos than on that site, articles about birding and equipment reviews, links to other birding sites, reviews of books and DVDs about birds and articles and photos of non-Australian birds. On a global scale it is a very popular site.

Trevor's Travels is the second site I write for and maintain. On this site I write about my travels in various countries as well as here in Australia. The other countries include Thailand, Nepal, Ethiopia, Morocco and Spain. Photos of these places feature prominently.

My third site is quite different. Trevor's Writing is about my writing life. Included on this site is some of my fiction, poetry, short stories, writing hints and ideas as well as reviews of books I have read. On this site I hope to announce details of some eBooks which I plan to publish in the very near future.

Yet another site I maintain and also do some writing for is our church site, the Murray Bridge Church of Christ in South Australia. I probably only write about 25% of the material on this site.

Don't forget that you can also follow me on Twitter (@TrevorHampel) and on Facebook as well.


Links:

• Trevor's Birding
•  Trevor's Travels
•  Trevor's Writing
•  Murray Bridge Church of Christ, South Australia

 

Eurasian Coot, Laratinga Wetlands, South Australia

Eurasian Coot at Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

On a recent visit to the Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker I photographed many birds. One of the first I saw was the Eurasian Coot (shown above) swimming towards me on one of the ponds. The wetlands are made up of a series of ponds and serve as the filter for the sewage treatment works for the town.

The ponds are well maintained and the surrounding parklands have been beautifully landscaped with Australian native trees, bushes and other plants. The local authorities have even installed a picnic ground, complete with shelter sheds, tables and seats, barbecues and toilets. Hundreds of people use the area every day for such activities as walking, picnicking, running, cycling and, of course, bird watching.

On the day I visited recently it was early on a frosty morning and the water was still mirror smooth, as shown in the photo below.

For more stories about and photos of Australian birds check out my other site called Trevor's Birding. 

Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

Purple Sawmphen at Laratinga Wetlands South Australia

Purple Swamphen at Laratinga Wetlands, South Australia

 On a recent visit to the Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker in South Australia I took these photos of a Purple Swamphen preening itself in the early morning sun. It was a chilly and frosty morning and the water in the wetlands ponds was as smooth  as a mirror. I will show photos of that on another occasion.

I love the look that the bird gave me in the photo below. It is almost as if it is saying, "How does that look?"

To see more Australian bird photos and to read more stories about our birds, check out my other site Trevor's Birding . 

Purple Swamphen, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

Watch out - Darter on the road

Australian Darter

Last Friday I took my wife on a drive through the countryside here in South Australia. We had been to Adelaide for an early appointment so we decided to take an alternative route home and have lunch at Mannum which is a half hour drive north of our home in Murray Bridge.

As we were coming down the hill into the small township of Palmer I suddenly had to brake and swerve to miss an Australian Darter sitting in the middle of the lane we were travelling in. I was also conscious of the car close behind me as well. Both of us missed the bird and on checking the rear view mirror I was relieved to see the bird flying off.

Darters are usually seen in or very near water. What on earth was it doing sitting in the middle of a road? Of course I didn't have time to take a photo and there was no safe stopping area either. Besides, this was the first trip I had taken in many years where I totally forgot to take my camera.

The photo above was taken several years ago on the banks of the Murray River which flows through my home town of Murray Bridge in South Australia.

Changes to this site

I have recently made a few changes to this site which should help you, my readers. I have added some extras on the side-bar on the right.

Search

Readers can now do a search of all of this site using the search facility. Just type in a topic and it will automatically do a search of all articles in the archives.

Subscribe

Readers can also subscribe to all posts on this site, as well as comments made by readers. This will always keep you up to date on what is happening here.

Membership

By clicking on the "join this site" button you can become a member of the site.

Why not do it now?

Popular posts

Lower down on the side-bar I have listed the most popular posts on this site since it started nearly ten years ago. These links take you quickly to those posts.

Comments

The comments part of this site is not new,  but I would love to hear your comments on the photos, or on what I have written.

Trevor

Australian Galah sunning itself

Female Australian Galah sunning itself

The Australian parrot known as the Galah is one of many beautifully colourful birds we have in Australia. Also known as the Rose-breasted Cockatoo or just simply as a "cocky" this species is common throughout much of Australia and is easily recognisable by most Australians, even those who have little interest in birds. It is also a commonly kept pet bird and is able to be taught to say a few words.

This particular bird was sunning herself on the trunk of a large old gum tree (eucalypt tree) in the Laratinga Wetlands in Mt Barker, South Australia, a short drive from my home and about a half hour drive from the CBD of Adelaide. Below in another shot, complete with presumably the male cleaning out a hollow getting ready for nesting. I know the bird above is a female; they have red eyes while the males have brown or black eyes.

For more photos and stories about Australian birds go to my other site Trevor's Birding.

Female Galah parrot with the male in the hollow below

Pacific Black Duck

Pacific Black Duck, near Mannum, South Australia

Earlier this year my wife and I went for a drive from our home in Murray Bridge to Mannum in South Australia. Both of these towns are situated on the Murray River, Australia's largest river. After a delicious picnic lunch - bought from a local bakery - we drove along the river towards the town of Bow Hill.

Along the way we stopped at a locality called Younghusband, a small community of houses - many of them holiday homes - and a small general store and caravan park. While having afternoon tea in a picnic area next to the river I photographed the Pacific Black Duck (see above) and the Australian Pelican soaring above the river (see below).

It was lovely day and we saw some wonderful birds.

For more photos and information about Australian birds visit my other site called Trevor's Birding here. Or you might want to read about my travels in Australia and overseas on Trevor's Travels here.

Australian Pelican soaring over the Murray River in South Australia

Whistling Kite over the Murray River

Whistling Kite over the Murray River, South Australia

A few months ago my wife and I went for a day trip to Mannum which is about a half hour's drive from our home in Murray Bridge. We didn't go directly there but took several detours along the way. On arriving in Mannum we went to the local bakery and bought a few delicious items for lunch. We enjoyed our picnic lunch overlooking the nearby bird sanctuary next to the caravan park.

After looking through a few of the local shops we headed off from Mannum, crossing the Murray River on one of the two ferries which take vehicles across this part of Australia's largest river. We then followed the river along to Bow Hill, a farming community upstream. Along the way we stopped in a picnic area for afternoon tea: a cup of tea and the rest of the goodies from the bakery.

While we were sitting at the picnic table I made a list of the birds observed in the vicinity. I also  photographed the Whistling Kite soaring above the river and tree-tops - see the photo above. Just as we were about to leave the PS Proud Mary came steaming past. We must go on one of their cruises one day.

You can read more about Australian birds on my site Trevor's Birding here, and also about my travels here in Australia and overseas on Trevor's Travels here.

PS Proud Mary on the Murray River in South Australia

Crested Pigeon, Peterborough

Crested Pigeon, Victoria Park, Peterborough, South Australia

On a recent visit to family living in Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia I visited the local Victoria Park which is next to the caravan park. I often visit this spot because it has an artificial lake which attracts a range of water birds.

It also boasts a range of dry-land birds which I sometimes don't get to observe where I live. On this occasion there was nothing of particular note, but I did get this nice shot of a Crested Pigeon feeding on the grass in the park. Crested Pigeons are a widespread species in rural Australia, but they are increasingly found in urban settings as well, especially in grassy areas like parks, gardens and ovals.

For more photos and articles about Australian birds visit my other site called Trevor's Birding here.

Mallard Ducks

Mallard Ducks at Victoria Park, Peterborough, South Australia

My wife and I recently visited family in Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. During our stay I drove around town taking a few photos. I always try to find time to visit Victoria Park which is an artificial lake and park next to the swimming pool and caravan park.

This park, and the lake in particular, always has some resident birds including a collection of ducks and other water birds. There is currently a loose flock of about 30 ducks of varying breeds, mostly non-native, including the Mallards shown in today's photo. This species is an introduced species in Australia and is common in parks and gardens where there is water. They often interbreed with our native species such as the Pacific Black Duck.

For more photos and articles about Australian birds visit my other site Trevor's Birding here.

Black-tailed Native-hens

Black-tailed Native-hen, Peterborough, South Australia

Black-tailed Native-hens are a widespread and relatively common bird throughout Australia, but only where suitable habitat exists. They prefer wetlands such are dams, lakes, rivers, swamps and only venture short distances from water in order to feed on pastures and grass. Sometimes, when conditions are right and food is plentiful, they can breed up quickly in large numbers in one locality, occasionally flocking together in their thousands.

On the occasion of this photo there were about 80 feeding around the artificial lake called Victoria Park in Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. This lovely park is next to both the swimming pool and the caravan park in the heart of the town.

For more photos and articles about Australian birds, go to my other site Trevor's Birding here.

Trevor's Birding gift ideas

Over the last decade I have taken many photos of birds, both here in Australia and also on overseas holidays. I have often shared some of the best photos here on this site as well as on my other site called Trevor's Birding (click  here).

More recently I have made some of these photos available on various products such coffee mugs (see above for an example), T shirts, aprons, mouse mats, puzzles, clocks, cards and many more.

My site is part of Zazzle group and you can access TrevorsPhotos by clicking here.

More products from Trevor's Birding

Over the last decade I have taken many photos of birds, both here in Australia and also on overseas holidays. I have often shared some of the best photos here on this site as well as on my other site called Trevor's Birding (click here).

More recently I have made some of these photos available on various products such coffee mugs (see above for an example), T shirts, aprons, mouse mats, puzzles, clocks, cards and many more.

My site is part of Zazzle group and you can access TrevorsPhotos by clicking here.

Emus at Monarto Zoo, South Australia

An Emu family at Monarto Zoo, South Australia

A few weeks ago some friends of ours took us to the open range zoo at Monarto, just a ten minute drive from my home in Murray Bridge,  South Australia. After a lovely lunch together we all hopped on one of the buses which travel at regular intervals through the animal enclosures so one can get a close up view of the animals.

One of the enclosures contains a large number of Emus. The photo above shows just one family group, the dad and three striped chicks. After the female lays the eggs, the male incubates them and once hatched, looks after the chicks for up to 18 months. The female is free to head off and mate with other males during this time. The female rarely has anything to do with their offspring.

The cheetahs in the adjacent enclosure take a great interest in the Emus. They are constantly frustrated by the fact that they can see them, but cannot catch them due to the high fence between them.

To see more photos of Australian birds, and to see more photos of them go to my other site called Trevor's Birding here.

More great gift ideas from Trevor's Birding

Over the last decade I have taken many photos of birds, both here in Australia and also on overseas holidays. I have often shared some of the best photos here on this site as well as on my other site called Trevor's Birding (click here).

More recently I have made some of these photos available on various products such coffee mugs (see above for an example), T shirts, aprons, mouse mats, puzzles, clocks, cards and many more.

My site is part of Zazzle group and you can access TrevorsPhotos by clicking here.

Black-shouldered Kite

Black-shouldered Kite

The Black-shouldered Kite is a common small hawk found in many parts of Australia. They are very common in the area where I live in Murray Bridge in South Australia.

Driving through the countryside these birds are often seen perched on a dead branch, on top of a telephone or electricity pole surveying the ground below. Once they see a mouse, a small bird or even an insect such as a grasshopper, they will suddenly drop to ground to catch their prey.

It is also common to see this species hovering on the breeze - just like a kite, until they drop to the ground to catch their next meal.

To see more of my photos of Australian birds and to read about them go to my other site called Trevor's Birding here.