Kangaroo Island ~ Part One

We arrived on Kangaroo Island Tuesday afternoon. Traveling from one end of the island to the other, we found it insanely gorgeous, with a few long stretches of mediocrity. We love our campsite.

Koala walking by our campsite.

And Purple-crowned Lorikeets flying just overhead. This is a very cool place.

It has been hot. Yesterday, although the top of 30 was predicted it reached about 40. Now it is 5:30am I am having coffee and it is a delightful. The air cooled down making for a lovely night’s sleep. I am so grateful for how the temperatures can cool down after being so stiflingly hot in the day.

Quick-ish cool-ish story of a lifer and how the pieces do fit together sometimes. Yesterday, with our trusty Dolby/Clarke book leading the way, we headed into Flinders Chase NP to look for the Western Whipbird. I paid the cover charge for two days (whipped out that senior’s card!) and chatted with the very nice ‘park lady.’ She highly recommended Chris Baxter’s book, “Birds of Kangaroo Island” and I grabbed one, a very good book. I do recommend it. SO… if I had not been chatting with the nice lady, I would not have bought the book. As Lynn and I drove down to the Weir’s Cove Track road (as per Dolby/Clarke) she was reading to me about the Whipbird, and she showed me a photo that clearly showed the underside of its tail. It has very distictive ‘scalloped’ white spots, sort of cuckoo-like under its long tail.
   

The photo from Chris Baxter's book that I looked at just before we beheld the bird (used without permission but I am plugging his book. Buy it!).

We began looking amongst the bush and listening. We hadn’t gone more than 100 meters when we saw a basically nondescript, grey-brown bird low in a bush with its back to us. We were both on it. And then it turned and I saw the underside of that tail clear as day. Then it immediately disappeared into the vegetation never to be seen again. Lynn later heard it (or another) call, but we could not relocate it. If I had not just been looking at that photo of the under-tail, I would not have been sure that I had the bird. I am very grateful!

Today we birded quite a bit. We went back to the end of the Weir's Cove Track Rd. but saw no more Whipbirds, but the ‘jumbo size’ island subspecies of Southern Emu-wren were cooperative. 

     

Right behind where I am taking this photo is where we saw the Western Whipbird.

Mr. Southern Emu-wren. They are larger than the ones I have seen on the mainland.

Ms Southern Emu-wren

Our other main targets around the island: Rock Parrot, Elegant Parrot and Glossy-black Cockatoo have continued to elude us. However, we did add the tickable, although just slightly less thrilling Aussie lifers of Indian Peafowl and Wild Turkey. 

   

Did not get a photo of the Indian Peafowl, but here is our Aussie Lifer Wild Turkey! There was Lifer Pie in the form of ice cream on a stick. It was indulgent and delicious! 

These are the Remarkable Rocks (yes that is the name). They are cool. 

And who doesn't love seals... This is a Fur Seal. There are lots.

Happy New Year! I am truly grateful!

Birds. Peace. Love. Earth. Laughter. Music.