Check my birding map for specific location.
I had looked at possible birding sites moving south from Coober Pedy and had found them promising but they were all rest stops and I assume the lists were taken over a good period of time or the lister had explored the area behind. I will stay in the rest areas if they have a nice feel and I think I will be safe. I don't generally wander into the bush alone, the danger is palpable.
And so, I ended up at Glendambo. No two ways about it, the place is run down. That's the nicest way I can say it. However, there was a patch of flood water that attracted a lot of birds, which is where I started birding. Not able to get near as it was close to the highway and on private property, I did manage to photograph Banded Lapwing. Much nicer to look at and to listen to than their Masked cousins, I was delighted to see them.
In the morning, I sat in my van on a track close to where I had seen the lapwing hoping to get more shots. I am always scanning the environment for anything that looks out of place. This is what I found. Bear in mind this is taken with a big zoom lens. Can you see it?
Sometimes you just know you have something good. I reversed, turned round and got as close as I could. I knew it had to be a juvenile as it wasn't moving away from me. I was hoping it would be a Gibberbird or Orange Chat. So, I crept closer to it and got better shots. It was calling to the parents and I turned to see a bright bird calling back from atop a small bush. All the stars aligned, even the sun played fair and I held my finger down until I ran out of memory. And then I left them alone.
I drove down the only back road in Glendambo, a track running to the airstrip. I was pleased I did as not too far down it I found a family of Chiming Wedgebill. I had only seen them fleetingly in Alice Springs and here they were all around me.
Next I heard parrots and found a male Mulga Parrot feeding a youngster. What a gorgeous sight.
No comments:
Post a Comment