Following on from our Gluepot visit in late March of this year, we crossed the Murray on the free ferry service into Waikerie, still in South Australia, a pretty little town which would make a great base for further exploration of the area.
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| Waikerie Ferry |
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| Ferry name with un-identified picture (not an Australian species) - any ideas? |
I heard the plaintive calls of this bird before I saw it perched conspicuously in the open.
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| Fan-Tailed Cuckoo |
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| The Murray River at Waikerie |
This critter was making itself as inconspicuous as possible after I spotted it out in the open, from a fair distance. It must have felt my footsteps through the ground as I approached to take a photo. This was the best I could do.
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| Echidna |
Our next port of call was Port Augusta from where we planned to explore some of the iconic Flinders Ranges.
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| View from caravan park at Port Augusta - Spencer Gulf and Flinders Ranges |
While we were there we visited the Australian Arid Land Botanic Gardens, a must do for anyone planning to stay more than a day or two.
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| Grey Butcherbird |
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| Sturt's Desert Pea - the quintessential outback flower |
I was able to pick up a lifer, Redthroat, a great little vocaliser but difficult to pinpoint in the vegetation. A record shot was all I could manage.
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| Redthroat - male |
This low growing tree was an ideal place for a break in the warm conditions we were experiencing in the Botanic Gardens.
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| Outside |
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| Inside |
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| Mesas north of Port Augusta |
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| Red cliffs on the Spencer Gulf |
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| White-Backed Swallows |
I got pretty excited when I thought I'd spotted a Blue-Winged Parrot (on my wants list). After a good look through the bins and field guide, Elegant Parrot was the verdict, albeit a species I haven't seen in years and a lovely bird. Another record shot below.
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| Elegant Parrot |
