Eagle View, Tolderol, Lake Alexandrina, Milang, Finniss Swamp, Winery Road Flora Reserve, Hindmarsh Island (Murry Mouth) and Dead Cow Point, South Australia.

Out and about with Sue, Dave and Deb.

Australia, Day Eighty One.

Ebird List for Tolderol.

Ebird List for Murry Mouth.

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius).

Deb and I were again out and feeding early so that we could meet Sue and Dave down at Tolderol, around the farm I had Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Galah's (Eolophus roseicapilla), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) and Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica).

Pied Cormorant (Phalacrocorax varius).

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).

Once we were sorted we set off South to Tolderol wetlands, on the way adding Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis), Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius), Australian Ringneck (Barnardius zonarius), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) and Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

We arrived at Tolderol a bit early so had a quick drive around the site, on the way into the gates we picked up Brown Songlark (Cincloramphus cruralis), White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae) and Brown Falcon (Falco berigora).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) and Black Swans (Cygnus atratus).

Once through the gate we drove out to a point overlooking Lake Alexandriana where we had several species do flyby's including Pied (Phalacrocorax varius) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus) and Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis).

As we continued on around the loop we also saw Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis), Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Black-shouldered (Elanus axillaris) and Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) and Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis).

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We returned to the gate and a short while later met Sue and Dave who took us straight out to a spot where they had seen Lewin's Rail (Lewinia pectoralis) in the passed, they had bought walkie talkies with them so we had one each and parked at a point on a narrow track facing Sue and Dave's car and waited.

Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris).

Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris).

Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris).

Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris).

Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris).

Leopard Orchid (Diuris pardina).

Leopard Orchid  (Diuris pardina).

Leopard Orchid  (Diuris pardina).

After a while they said that they had a rail near their vehicle and then it ran across the track giving us brief views and then a little while later walked along side our vehicle giving me a good sighting but not Deb.

Dave looking thoughtful.

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During the rest of the visit we recorded Great Crested (Podiceps cristatus) and Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Red-capped Plover (Charadrius ruficapillus), Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus), Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) and White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae).

Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia).

Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia).

Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia).

We moved on and headed to a couple of spots along the shore of Lake Alexandrina where we tried with out any luck in find Latham's Snipe (Gallinago hardwickii) but as we searched we found Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), Australian Shelduck, Whistling Kite, Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Australasian Swamphen, Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), Masked Lapwing and White-faced Heron.

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Great Crested (Thalasseus bergii) and Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Further on we popped into Finniss swamp where we saw Great White Egret (Ardea alba), Straw-necked Ibis, Grey and Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa) and Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea).

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

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Grey Teal (Anas gracilis) and Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae).

Our next stop was at a roadside spot called Winery Road Flora Reserve where we found some smart looking Orchids, one of which I think is Leopard Orchid (Diuris pardina) and the other is possibly Little Donkey Orchid (Diuris palustris), we also saw another couple of plant species and Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Parvipsitta porphyrocephala).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

Out on Hindmarsh Island we called at the Murry River Mouth where we walked out on the beach, there were big numbers of birds out there, most were Great Crested and Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) as well as a small number of Whiskered Terns, along with Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris), Red-necked Avocet (Recurvirostra novaehollandiae), Red-capped Plover, Grey Teal, Great Cormorant, Australian Pelican, Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens) and as we walked back to the car we had a couple of Brown Quail (Synoicus ypsilophorus).

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo).

End of the day at Dead Cow Point, Nicer place than it sounds.

On our way off the Island we stopped and watched a flock of Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae) and checked out Dead Cow Point which is the point at which the Barrage Deb, Ian and I visited a few days earlier reaches the opposite shore, here we watched Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), Australian Pelican, Hoary-headed (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) and Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) and New Zealand Fur Seals (Arctocephalus forsteri).

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans).

After a great day we said goodbye to Sue and Dave before heading back up to Eagle View where the Tree Martins were still collecting the Eggshells.