Eagle View, Lake Alexandrina, Milang, Tolderol and near Milang, South Australia*.

Around the farm and further South.

Australia, Day Eighty One.

Ebird List for the Pools along Lake Alexandrina.

Ebird List for Tolderol.

Looking brighter down towards Lake Alexandrena where we were going today.

I was awake early and working on some photos by 06:00 to the sound of the local Australian Magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) calling from the Eucalyptus trees on the boundary line as well as Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Little Raven (Corvus mellori) and whilst we were getting ready to go we had several Elegant Parrots (Neophema elegans) fly over.

Some of the 40 or so Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

On the way down to our first stop we dropped the dogs off at Deb's Mum's and then took the Old Bull Creek Road to Strathalbyn, on the way we picked up Australian Magpies, Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Musk Lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna), Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus), Little Raven, Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Western Whistler (Pachycephala fuliginosa), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Common Brown (Heteronympha merope), Rabbit (Conejo / Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus).

Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

We went through Strath and then onto Finniss where we had so lunch in the Café before heading to Milang and then along the coast of Lake Alexandrina checking the pools along the way where there were good numbers of birds including Great White Egret (Ardea alba), White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica), Black-tailed Nativehen (Tribonyx ventralis), Black Swan (Cygnus atratus), Australian Shelduck (Tadorna tadornoides), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Grey (Anas gracilis) and Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea), Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx lucidus), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus), Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae), Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia), Whiskered (Chlidonias hybrida) and Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii), Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Little Pied (Microcarbo melanoleucos), Great (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Little Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax sulcirostris), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), Whistling Kite (Haliastur sphenurus), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Yellow-rumped Thornbill (Acanthiza chrysorrhoa), White-winged Triller (Lalage tricolor), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca), Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis), Little Grassbird (Poodytes gramineus), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) and most surprisingly a flock of 41 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus).

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris).

Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa).

Our next stop was at Tolderol Wetlands where we drove most of the tracks, it was generally quiet, however we did find several more species for the day list Brown Falcon (Falco berigora), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons), Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Australian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus australis), Australasian Pipit (Anthus novaeseelandiae), European Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) and Shingleback Lizard (Tiliqua rugosa).

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) immature.

Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) immature.

Noisy Miners (Manorina melanocephala) Adult on right.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) ♀.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) immature.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) ♂.

From Tolderol we headed back to Milang where we went to the Bakery and sat outside at a bench near the wetlands along the railway line, we were soon joined by some of the local Noisy Miners (Manorina melanocephala) and Australian Magpies.

Australasian Swamphens (Porphyrio melanotus) in a large Lignum Bush.

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes).

Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus), Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) and Greenshank (Tringa nebularia).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus), Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus) and Greenshank (Tringa nebularia).

After we finished the coffee we headed towards Clayton Bay checking the pools on the way where we saw many of the species seen earlier, we added Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia), Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) and Cape Barren Geese (Cereopsis novaehollandiae).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes), Red-kneed Dotterel (Erythrogonys cinctus) and Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) and Pied Stilt (Himantopus leucocephalus).

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

Eagle View, Goolwa beach and Waitpinga Beach, South Australia*.

Rough weather day to start but bright down the beach later.

Australia, Day Eighty.

Ebird List for Waitpinga Beach.

A soggy start to the day.

Today I woke to heavy, low cloud and drizzle so started by working on the laptop and birding through the window.

Australian Pelicans (Pelecanus conspicillatus) at the Murry Mouth.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) adult.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) adult.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) 1st winter.

Sitting there I heard and saw Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Red (Anthochaera carunculata) and Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla),  

Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus).

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia).

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).

At around 09:30 Ian said do you fancy a trip down to Goolwa beach for some Birding, Fishing and Cockling to which I said yes so we were soon off.

Fishing on Goolwa Beach.

Goolwa Beach.

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus).

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus).

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus).

Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus).

On the way we saw Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus), Australian (Threskiornis molucca) and Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena) and Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus).

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris).

Once we were on the beach we headed down to the Murry River Mouth and then turned around and came back to a spot where Ian set up two rods and did some fishing whilst I took some photos of the birds on the beach and fly past, these included Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus), Silver (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus), Whiskered (Chlidonias hybrida), Great Crested (Thalasseus bergii), Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) and a single Australian Fairy Tern (Sternula nereis), Pied (Phalacrocorax varius) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Pied (Haematopus longirostris) and Sooty Oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) and Grey Teal (Anas gracilis).

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) adult.

Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) adult.

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) adult.

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) 1st winter.

On the way off the beach we stopped a few times and Ian did some Cockling and collected his allowance before we headed around Victor Harbour and out to Waitpinga Beach, on the way we added Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea), Nankeen Kestrel (Falco cenchroides), Swamp Harrier (Circus approximans), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Common Brown (Heteronympha merope).

Ian getting some Cockles.

We parked and crossed the bridge onto the beach getting some shots of a very well-behaved Little Raven on the way, as we walked I added Singing Honeyeater (Gavicalis virescens), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax), White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus) as well as more Silver (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) and Pacific Gulls (Larus pacificus), Whiskered (Chlidonias hybrida), Great Crested (Thalasseus bergii) and Caspian (Hydroprogne caspia) before we returned to the car.

Little Raven (Corvus mellori).

Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii).

Great Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii).

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia).

Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae) eating a Porcupine Fish.

As we were leaving we had 3 Elegant Parrots (Neophema elegans) and a Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera) fly up from the roadside and during the rest of the drive back to the farm we saw Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis), Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus) and Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor).

Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus).

Hooded Plover (Thinornis cucullatus).

Waitpinga Beach.

Waitpinga Beach.

Back at the farm before dark I picked up Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus),

Eagle View, South Australia*.

Around the farm.

Australia, Day Seventy Nine.

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae).

Deb was off out to a market before dawn and Ian was heading for a Clay shooting day, as the weather was not going to be brilliant I decided to stay put and get on with a bit more catching up on the laptop.

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla).

Whilst birding through the windows I saw Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Common Brown (Heteronympha merope).

Eagle View, South Australia*.

A day around the farm.

Australia, Day Seventy Eight.

Looking down the Valley to the Coorong.

I was up at around 06:00 and sorting a few bits on the laptop in front of the big windows of the cottage and started the day list off with Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera), New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), White-browed Scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis), Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

After Breakfast, I went out to the cow fields with Ian on the Gator, we passed the two dams where I added Australian Wood Duck (Chenonetta jubata), Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), Australasian Grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa), Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) and Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos).

Other species seen whilst out included Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Grey Shrikethrush (Colluricincla harmonica), Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), Eurasian Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) along with Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), Common Brown (Heteronympha merope), Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Small White (Pieris rapae) and Australian Emperor (Anax papuensis).

Back at the farm I continued to watch was passing as I worked on the Laptop, new species included Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) and a Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) which was being mobbed by a big gang of Little Ravens.

Later Deb, Ian and I picked fruit and Rhubarb ready for Deb to take it to the markets over the weekend.

Belair CP and Near Parra Winna CP, South Australia*.

A visit to see the Square-tailed Kite.

Australia, Day Seventy Seven.

Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura).

Deb and I headed out Early as we were going to monitor the Kites again, the weather was set to come in and turn nasty by early afternoon, we arrived at the Belair site and put the chairs, the birds were missing which was not surprising as the wind was very strong and conditions were quite unpleasant.

Square-tailed Kite (Lophoictinia isura).

Eventually the female flew in and spent some time clinging to a branch near the nest and then continued to collect a branch or two, whilst we were there we also saw Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus), Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla), Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans), Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris), Common Bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera), Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa), Yellow-faced Honeyeater (Caligavis chrysops), Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris), Striated Pardalote (Pardalotus striatus), Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus), Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), Red Wattlebird (Anthochaera carunculata), Weebill (Smicrornis brevirostris), Striated Thornbill (Acanthiza lineata), Black-faced Cuckooshrike (Coracina novaehollandiae), White-throated Treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaea), Little Raven (Corvus mellori), Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula), Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus), Grey Currawong (Strepera versicolor), Common Brown (Heteronympha merope) and Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae).

We were lucky and managed to do the monitoring in full before the rain arrived just as we reached the car, we decided to just pop into the nest near Parra Winna to check on the chicks which we were pleased to see were all looking fine so we returned to the farm in the rain.