Day 4: Dutton Bay

Probably just hang out near the cottage after the long drive of the previous day.

Yep, that is what happened.  After a good nights sleep the noise of the birds (and not John Peel's horn)  got me from my bed.  A good haul was achieved, of which the most surprising was two Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoos.  Pied Cormorants were also good.  The mammal list was enlarged by a fox (being seen off by Masked Lapwings) and a pod of at least a dozen dolphins in the bay.

As is often the case in coastal areas there are tractors around the place that are used for hauling boats down to the ramp.  I think this one (a Fordson rather than the traditional Fergie TE20) is past its used by date.

Following breaking our fasts we wandered off to revisit the areas I had been earlier to see what else we could find and to identify the plants.  We were able to identify the area also: it is the Ricky Bates Reserve, named after a custodian of the site, who appears to have passed away and been replaced by a local Landcare group. 

This is basically a sheoke heath (Allocasuarina verticillata) on a Limestone base.

We found some good plants (to save upload times I have decided to have a special plants page and will use hyperlinks to let people see images of species when they wish:

Hardenbergia violaceae 

Templetonia retusa

Wurmbea dioica

Correa pulchella 

Drosera auriculata

Lomandra effusa  

Eucalyptus diversifolia  

Lasiopetalum discolor 

Goodenia sp.

Pomadierris obcordata 

Threlkedia diffusa (a saltbush) 

Acrotriche patula

There was also a very interesting plant which thus far we haven't identified with certainty. has finally (close to a year later) been identified as Grevillea aspera: pretty close to endemic to this area.

The cliffs were also photogenic.

In the afternoon, since it appeared likely to rain we drove to Shelly Beach.  

The only plant in flower there was a lily Burchardia umbellata.  As the rain appeared to be starting we hopped in the car and headed for home, pausing to look down into a swamp (why there is standing water in a limestone area is a question I can't answer!).  There were some good birds there including 8 Australian Shelducks and 2 Caspian Terns.

Nothing much came of the rain so I went back to Ricky Bates Reserve to photograph the Threlkedia.  After finding that I decidable to have a good look for orchids.  I think I found some!  As they still seem to be at bud stage ID is a bit iffy but I will opine that Cyrtostylis robusta (the robut gnat orchid) is looking like a winner!

I haven't commented at all on invertebrates because they haven't been too obvious.  A few mosquitoes were evident at Ricky Bates Reserve but although their bites swelled up they didn't itch.  Back at the house we found quite a lot of case moth larval cases stuck on the water tank.

After the exertions of the day we were having a medicinal glass of red when I noticed a dolfin phin (sic) out in the sea.  We watched it swim around and along the shoreline about 10m out.  As it came past “our” house it must have got on to some good stuff as it sped up dramatically.  

About 30m past our house it disappeared below the ripples.  A truly magic moment, like unto seeing a Rhino from our room at Ngorongoro or Hippos on the lawn in the Serengeti.

The maritime theme continues inside the house with several art works made from shells and driftwood decorating the walls.

There are also quite a few mounted photographs of kids enjoying the beach at sunset: presumably that is in Summer not the current climate.

Other residents watch their large digital TVs.  We didn't watch the TV as they didn't receive ABC or SBS!

Bird of the Day:                                 Australian Shelduck due to good numbers and speccie looking.   [Several others were nominated: Pied Oystercatchers (Colourful, amusing and nice to see from the bed).  Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo (unusually early sighting).]

Plant of the day:                                Correa pulcella: lots of them and very colourful.  [The orchid will get a guernsey once it opens!]

Most interesting thing of the day:    Seeing a dolphin swim by 10m out from the shoreline.

What we learned today:                    Preparing for the plants has paid off!

At Tuesday Eve did cross a Dolphin,

Across the Bay it came;

It ate the food it always ate

Sped up, when meal did same.

(A slight cheat as this combines, as model, parts of two verses of the original.)

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Day 6: Coffin Bay National Park

There, (or possibly here) around Lower Eyre Peninsula.

A large part of the attraction of this trip for me was the chance to visit Coffin Bay National Park which I had seen several times from aircraft between Adelaide and Perth.  It looked to have spectacular scenery, particularly when the 'planes were approaching Adelaide.

Today was the day we would fit this in to our schedule.  As it was a National Park the small dog would not be welcome so we took her for a walk to Ricky Bates Reserve first.  By being a little more adventurous we found that the area at the end of the road I had assumed was private property not only allowed public access, but also permitted dogs on leash.  (The leash bit reflects a 1080 fox baiting project.) We added several birds to the Dutton Bay list and found more orchids.  At present I am unsure if they are a different species or just  late-emerging specimens of Cyrtostylis robusta.  We also saw another dolphin (actually it could have  been the same one, but you know what I mean) out in the Bay.

On our way to Coffin Bay we found the Grass Trees again and stopped for photos.  Then on through the town to the National Park.  Getting our Park permits was amusing as we wanted to pay with change and the envelope wouldn't seal and the slot through which to post was too narrow for our pile of metal,  So someone will have to scrape it all out of the container.  Tough: if they had someone on duty they wouldn't have had the problem.

In fact we didn't see any trace of a Ranger or other official presence.  Presumably they all lurk in Port Lincoln where cafe lattes are easier to acquire.

We first stopped at the Templetonia Lookout to assess the rather spiffy 360 degree views to Mount Dutton etc in the North

and the sandhills behind Gunyah Beach, and the ocean, to the South,  

We then headed for Avoid Bay 

(and the similarly named Point).  

This was all bitumen and certainly provided some excellent cliff views.  There were many Rock Parrots around and an Osprey was soaring along the clifftops at the Point.

I had thought we would walk a trail from the bitumen road to Gunyah Baech but that turned out to be a 4x4 track so we drove along it until it started to look very sandy and parked.  This had cut about 1.2km off the 8km walk.  (In fact we could have gone for another 2km before it got too sandy, but the walk was very pleasant).

We didn't find many new plants for the day but the flowering of the Templetonia, Pomaderris (white bushes in the background, living up to its reputation as the coming woody weed),

Leucopogon and mallee-form Eucalyptus was excellent. Pigface and other succulents were on the dunes.  A   Wedge-tailed Eagle flew over (surprisingly the first for the trip) and various honeyeaters made a ruckus in the bush.  A group of 3 Emus were booming near the track.

In total we saw 18 species of bird in the Park, adding 3 to the trip list (which now stands at 91sp.)

Getting close to the beach we found some large sandhills on and in which the 4x4 fraternity had been having fun. 

We walked up and along one of the big hills and were intrigued to see how quickly (within 10 minutes) the wind was erasing our footprints in some places.   This is illustrated by the differing heights of the  track markers:

- a third one only had the red bit showing!

On leaving the Park we stopped to have another go at getting our envelope through the slot and while I was losing that battle Frances glanced out of the car and there was another large colony of gnat orchids.  They are giving Pomaderris a run for its money as next WW.

We then cruised the town looking for Oysters.  The first two places we investigated only sold closed ones and I didn't fancy opening them with a knife.  A passing ETSA employee told me a simple way to do it, if we had time:

1.      put them in a freezer overnight; then

2.      shift them to the fridge for about 2 hours; and

3.      they will open themselves.

I mention that for educational purposes only since we found that the butchers shop would open them for us for a quite reasonable fee.  So we did that.  (As an aside, in a conversation in the shop one participant mentioned that they had never used an ATM.  I am astonished!)

Back to the Shack to find a very happy little dog.

Just after typing this I glanced out the window and saw a Pacific Gull rise out of the water and dive back in, completely immersing itself.  It then flew to the beach with prey in beak.  The prey turned out to be a fist-sized octopus which was gobbled before I could photograph the event.  A Pied Oystercatcher ran past quickly, presumably to ensure it didn't beccome dessert.

Bird of the day:                     Emus [Osprey was a contender but Frances barely saw it.]

Flower of the day:                 Templetonia: everywhere in the Park

Interesting sight of the day: The sandhills

What we learnt today:          How to open oysters (without opening an artery). [To believe at least some "4WD drive only" signs was a runner up in this category.]

I looked upon the towering dunes,

And quietly blessed my luck;

I looked upon the carved up track,

And there I was not stuck.

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