Eagle View, Goolwa Barrage and Murry Mouth, Bird Island on Hindmarsh Island, South Australia.

A good day down on the Coorong.

Australia, Day Sixty Four.

 

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) Male.

I did the usual feeding route, on the way around I saw Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus), Galah's (Eolophus roseicapilla), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), Little Raven (Corvus mellori) and Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) Male.

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) Female.

A bit later in the day we drove down toward Goolwa where we stopped at the very good bakery there, during this break we had a visit from a very friendly Magpie scavenger and then on the opposite side of the road a very well behaved pair of Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus).

The Magpie on my Boot.

Ian giving the Magpie a few crumbs.

Deb and the Magpie.

On our way out to our next stop at the Goolwa Barrage we saw Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) and  Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata).

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) flap down.

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) flap up.

Musk Duck (Biziura lobata) flap up.

We arrived in the area near the barrage and parked out at the Beacon 19 Boat Ramp where we had great views of a nice male Musk Duck (Biziura lobata), Black Swans (Cygnus atratus), Pacific Black Ducks (Anas superciliosa), a few Hoary-headed Grebes (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Little Black (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus).

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus).

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae).

We drove back along to the Barrage Car park and then walked through the gardens to the start of the main barrage, on the way we had really good views of a pair Australian Hobby's (Falco longipennis), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) and Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) male.

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Great White Egret (Ardea alba).

Once we were out on the Barrage we saw our first New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) as well as Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis) and masses more Cormorants.

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seal (Arctocephalus forsteri).

New Zealand Fur Seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

At the halfway point along the Barrage we spent quite a while watching quite a few more of the New Zealand Fur Seal which were nice but are also a problem as they are hunting the native Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) and with Predation by introduced species such as cats, foxes, rats and dogs this species numbers have dropped drastically on Kangaroo and Granite Islands.

Just lazing the day away.

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus).

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus).

We returned to the car and headed around to the bridge out on to Hindmarsh Island and made our way out to the Murry Mouth Watch Point, on the way we saw several Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae).

Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae).

Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae).

After Parking Deb and I went for a walk out along the beach to Bird Island, on the way we saw Red-necked Stint (Calidris ruficollis), Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), Silver and Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Great Crested, Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis).

Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis).

Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis).

Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

On the Salt marsh and Dunes that make up Bird Island we were hoping for the Elusive Rock Parrot (Neophema petrophila) and it was and remained so for the whole of my trip.

Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans).

Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans).

We did however get nice views of the more brightly coloured Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Whistling Kite and Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), Little Raven and Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Immature Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

As we started to walk back to Ian we found quite a few waders on a small isolated area of water, most were Red-necked Stints but they also included a single Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) and a few Red-capped Plovers (Charadrius ruficapillus).

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) and Red-necked Stints (Calidris ruficollis).

In the dunes just before we reached Ian we picked up a smart pair of White-fronted Chats (Epthianura albifrons) and accidentally flushed a pair of Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus).

White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons).

White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons).

On our way back we stopped and had a better look at the Cape Barren Geese and added Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) and Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) to the day list.