Dear Reader: The predatory bird circles high in the morning sky then swoops down low to within a hundred metres of me. A Wedge-tailed Eagle, Australia’s largest bird of prey. Wedge-tailed Eagle hunting I am heading for the Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park, a twenty minute drive from Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley and around 90 kms from Adelaide. Kaiser Stuhl was a popular winery, now incorporated into Penfolds, that flourished in the region for over half a century. The name comes from a prominent hill in the Barossa. Indigenous people referred to the area as Patpoori which means little grass t ..read more

Dear Reader: David notices a pair of brightly coloured Mulga Ringneck parrots landing in a tree by the roadside. I pull the car over and power down the window to allow both of us to capture some images. Mallee Ringneck On this initial foray into the bushland around Frahns Farm, in the Monarto area, we are exploring the roads surrounding a fenced off region which is being revegetated. We have travelled north along Frahns Farm Road after leaving the old Princes Highway then headed west along Disher Hill Road before returning south to the highway along Wattle Road. At the crossroads of Theile ..read more

Dear Reader: The scenery on my drive between Meadows and Ashbourne varies between open pasture to Creekside scrubland with both kangaroos and cows enjoying the fertile landscape. Rural setting with old farmhouse ruin, stock and bush background My destinations are the town of Ashbourne and the nearby Bullock Hill Conservation Park. I have driven along several of the roads I am about to explore during the cooler months when the weather was not as conducive to photography and I promised myself a summer visit and a meal at the Green Man Hotel. Track into the park Green Man Hotel in Ashbourne ..read more

Dear Reader: I hear movement in the long grass. Fifty metres away a Western Grey Kangaroo twitches its ears and looks back at me before slowly hopping into the scrub. Western Grey Kangaroo I am exploring Meadows Creek from three roads that intersect the creek from Brookman Rd, which starts at the top of Willunga Hill and terminates at Meadows. The first is Adams Gully Road. Adams Gully Road ford Here, the creek’s bank is obscured by scrub and grass. I wade through the tangle of dry stalks and spot a Common Brown Butterfly amongst a mat of fallen grass. Common Brown butterfly Nearby, a le ..read more

Dear Reader: There’s a small mob of Western Grey Kangaroos feeding close to the path where I am starting my walk. Leaning against a tree, I steady the camera. The roos detect either sound or scent and bound away into the thicker scrub. Up Up and Away I am taking a walk around the South Para Reservoir near Williamstown about an hour’s drive from Adelaide’s CBD. The road winds through the Adelaide hills and encompasses a range of environments from rural to wilderness. Unfortunately, it is a bit of a grey day. Not brilliant for photography.   South Para Reservoir The track leads dow ..read more

Dear Reader: I swim under the jetty, dive and steady myself ready to photograph the jumble of complex animals and algae encrusting one of the jetty poles. Marine organism encrusting a jetty pole Port Victoria jetty As I swim to the next pole, I decide to concentrate my photography on the more discrete types of marine animals amongst the colourful clutter. On this pole the most obvious inhabitant is a white colonial sea squirt. Colonial sea squirt The next pole I investigate has a dominant growth of green algae ,called Cualerpa, radiating from its wooden base. I find a Golf Ball Sponge ne ..read more

Dear Reader: A small bird with vivid spots and dashes paddles out from the reed bed. A Spotted Crake, the first one I have ever seen. Spotted Crake feeding   For the next ten minutes I watch several of the striking birds as they dip into the water in search of aquatic plants and animals such as worms, crustaceans, molluscs, spiders and even small fish and tadpoles. Spotted Crake habitat Leaving the crakes I walk a further hundred metres to another pool before I hear the melodic call of a reed warbler. There are reeds, small bushes and a variety of grasses bordering the water. I can st ..read more

Dear Reader: With the arrival of summer, grasses turn to gold with remnant shadings of green while pale gums add a subtle contrast to the landscape. As the countryside flashes past on my way to the campground I notice a field of freshly baled hay. A flock of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos forages for any remaining seed heads. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos My destination is Chalk’s Campground, just past the Warren Reservoir on the road between Williamstown and Gumeracha. I am not intending to camp here; however, the interface between human habitation, rural zones and wilderness areas is an excellent ..read more

A pair of New Holland Honeyeaters Dear Reader: There is white water swirling around the boulders in the river and a family of Pacific Black Ducks are huddling to one side where the water is calmer. Perched amongst the branches of an overhanging eucalyptus tree I make out the shape of several New Holland Honeyeaters and hear the distinctive call of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos as they fly overhead. Breakfast at the Tearooms I am sitting on the back decking of the Glacier Rock Tea Rooms  having just devoured a serve of the delicious waffles topped with berries, cream and ice cream; with a ..read more

Endangered Giants In addition to my love of southern Australia’s unique wildlife I am also drawn to the fascinating habitats and creatures of southern Africa; Botswana and Zambia in particular. Occasionally I will post a brief story about these regions. Dear Reader: White Rhinos are an endangered species and the opportunity to see them in a wild environment is one not to be missed. The rhino reserve outside Livingstone in Zambia offered us the unique experience of trekking through a bushland habitat while our guide explained many things about its plants and animals with a special emphasis on t ..read more