
Naturally South Australia
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This blog explores the fascinating wild places and animals that define South Australia. Explore the fascinating wild places and animals that define South Australia.
Naturally South Australia
3d ago
Dear Reader: I can hear small birds in the undergrowth and scan the leaf litter and low bushes with my telephoto. Nothing at first then just a glimpse of a wren but it is a beautiful Milkmaid Lily that Catches my eye. The Giles Conservation Park is a twenty-five minute drive up Magill Road from ..read more
Naturally South Australia
1M ago
Dear Reader: As I walk across the top of the cliffs from the reserve’s entrance, I notice a Rainbow Bee Eater perched on a dead tree branch. The first one I have seen in Australia. My next stop is an observation tower which provides splendid up and downstream views of the Murray River. Murtho forest ..read more
Naturally South Australia
1M ago
Dear Reader: There are Marbled Xenica, Common Brown and Painted Lady butterflies on the Egyptian Rose blossoms along the roadside. Superb Fairy wrens flit amongst the bracken and Grass Trees. I am driving the length of Range Road West between the Cape Jervis turn off and the sealed road to Victor Harbor. This gravel and ..read more
Naturally South Australia
2M ago
Dear Reader: As we walk around the waterhole, I notice a large spider clinging to the corner of a fallen branch. Closer examination reveals it to be the shed carapace of a large Huntsman Spider. We are continuing (see previous post) our walk around the Pangarinda Botanic Park in Wellington East. We have reached a ..read more
Naturally South Australia
3M ago
Dear Reader: There is a beautiful European Goldfinch perched in the top of a Casuarina. Though I came to look at native plants and fauna, this introduced bird is far to pretty to ignore. A little further along the pathway, I notice a low spreading gum with pale roundish leaves and brilliant red flowers. The ..read more
Naturally South Australia
3M ago
Dear Reader: Two Mallee Ringneck Parrots are perched high in a spindly eucalypt. Bracing the camera against a tree, I focus on the nearer bird to better illustrate its glorious colours. The Ferries McDonald Conservation Park is in the Monarto area about an hour’s drive from Adelaide’s CBD. It is a ‘dryland’ park dominated by ..read more
Naturally South Australia
4M ago
Dear Reader: A trio of elegant Mute Swans glide effortlessly across the river. They are accompanied by both male and female Mallards. English Mute Swans are a sharp contrast to the usual Black Swans that I encounter at home in SA. I am taking a rainy day walk around the outer London village of Barnes ..read more
Naturally South Australia
5M ago
Dear Reader: At first glance the little creek appears lifeless but on closer examination I spot a Blue Damselfly and a juvenile Eastern Water Skink on the overgrown stonework. Hahndorf is a tourist town of German heritage about a forty minute drive from Adelaide’s CBD. Best known for handicrafts, galleries, food and souvenirs; it also ..read more
Naturally South Australia
6M ago
A preliminary note: When I am not enjoying the natural wonders of South Australia I sometimes cross state borders and enjoy the wildlife of our close neighbours, Victoria and Tasmania. This post is about one of my favourite Victorian destinations. Dear Reader: There is an old fencepost on the edge of the creek trail. The ..read more
Naturally South Australia
7M ago
Dear Reader: Against a clear blue sky, a Nankeen Kestrel hovers above wheat stubble in search of rodents, lizards and other small animals. I am driving into the village of Bethany in the Barossa Valley about 70 kms from Adelaide. Founded in 1842 by German Lutheran settlers it was originally called Bethanian: German for Bethlehem ..read more