Yellow Billed Spoonbill nesting
Yellow Billed Spoonbill (nesting)
Wandering along the river bank near the caravan park in Swan Hill I observed several birds high up in a eucalypt tree on the opposite bank. With my camera I was able to zoom in reasonably close and see that it was a pair of Yellow Billed Spoonbills nesting high up in the tree.
The nest, clearly visible, was at least 15 metres up above the ground. From memory, this is the first time I have observed this species actually breeding. For more interesting observations of Australian birds, go to another of my blogs over at Trevor’s Birding (click here).
The Giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
Australians have a love affair with all things big – no, make that HUGE. There is a big apple, banana, bottle, bull, cow, crocodile, galah, guitar, gumboot, kangaroo, koala, lobster, orange, pelican, penguin, pineapple and rocking horse. That is just a selection; there are dozens more.
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
At Swan Hill we have the giant Murray Cod. This fish is much prized by anglers. Sadly there are very few left in the river system these days, though a large individual can sometimes be caught. The river system has been so tampered with through damming, irrigation and pollution that this magnificent creature is struggling for its very survival.
The giant Murray Cod, Swan Hill
Murray River at Swan Hill, Victoria
Murray River at Swan HIll, Victoria September 2007
Our holiday in Victoria
September 2007
During our short stay in Swan Hill last year we stayed in a cabin in one of the local caravan parks. This park fronts the Murray River, Australia’s longest river. In the morning I wandered along down to the river bank. What I saw reinforced the poor state of our major river system as a result of the prolonged drought. The low water level can be clearly seen in this series of photos. You can see where the water is normally, and how far down it was last September. I believe that the situation has not improved much since. We are hoping for extensive and significant rainfall during this winter as well as above average snow falls in the Snowy Mountains.
Murray River, Swan Hill, Victoria, September 2007
Murray River, Swan Hill, Victoria, September 2007
A visit to Loxton, South Australia
River Murray at Loxton, South Australia
Last week I drove to my old home town of Loxton in the Riverland district of South Australia. I grew up on a farm a few miles south east of the town and later moved into the town itself for a few years. I attended the local Loxton High School in the early 1960s. I visit the town from time to time to visit family. My parents used to live there (until they passed away) and now a brother of mine and two sisters-in-law still live there.
Australian Pelican, River Murray, Loxton
Last week I attended the funeral of the mother of a school friend of mine. After the funeral I visited one of my sisters-in-law for the afternoon. Before heading home I did a little birding down by the River Murray.
River Murray at Loxton, South Australia
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Next time I visit I must take more photos around this beautiful river town.
Storm Clouds over Mannum, South Australia
Storm clouds over Mannum, South Australia
Last Tuesday afternoon I drove to Mannum for a meeting. This lovely little town on the banks of the River Murray is about a half hour drive north of our home in Murray Bridge. A local community group called The Friends of the Mannum Walking Trails has asked me to write a pamphlet giving visitors to Mannum a guide to bird watching in and around the town.
Storm clouds over Mannum, South Australia
It was a good meeting and we were able to deal with the business in a reasonable time. This allowed me about an hour to do a little birding and photography before heading home again. On the northern outskirts of the town there is a bird sanctuary right next to the caravan park. This is usually an excellent birding spot with a good variety of water birds. On this occasion I was a little disappointed and there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen.
Storm clouds over Mannum, South Australia
My attention quickly shifted from the birds to the clouds. All afternoon a series of spectacular storm clouds built up over and near the town. These clouds became the focus of my camera.
Storm clouds over Mannum, South Australia
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.