Loja Wildlife, Granada Province, Spain.: Eagle View and Laratinga Wetlands, South Australia.

Thursday 26 October 2023

Eagle View and Laratinga Wetlands, South Australia.

Around the Farm and out to Mount Barker.

Australia, Day Forty Nine.

On the way in.

Today was pretty much spent around the Laratinga Wetlands near Mount Barker, I parked and walked in over the two bridges and passed the BBQ, seating areas and sheds which as usual were all clean and unvandalized up to the top main pool at the eastern end of the wetland.

Hardhead (Aythya australis).

Grey Teal (Anas gracilis).

Australian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis), eclipse male.

Australian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis), female left and eclipse male right.

I checked both pools from the bank between them and out on the boardwalk, species seen included Australian Shoveler (Spatula rhynchotis), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Hardhead (Aythya australis), Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), the first of a very good number of Australian Crakes (Porzana fluminea), Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis), Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans) and Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata).

Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata).

Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus).

Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa).

Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa).

Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) male.

Further around the larger pools I added Freckled Duck (Stictonetta naevosa), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Grey (Anas gracilis) and Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) and Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans).

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus).

Around the smaller pools which were more reed covered there were Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus), Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) and Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca).

Australian Crake (Porzana fluminea).

Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla).

Spotless Crake (Zapornia tabuensis).

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis).

At the furthest point to the West of the reserve I sat and checked a small area of reeds and soon found the first of two Spotless Crakes (Zapornia tabuensis) and a very smart Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis).

Hardhead (Aythya australis).

Black Swan (Cygnus atratus).

Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus).

Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles).

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans).

Other species seen before I headed back to Eagle View were Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Black-fronted Dotterel (Elseyornis melanops), Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Australian Ibis (Threskiornis molucca), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) and Little Raven (Corvus mellori).