Adelaide April 2009

Millicent - Portland
April 16th
Thursday - Day 13

A drizzly night and again quite windy conditions met us on an overcast day. We packed and left around 9.30 a.m., heading first to Mt Gambier and on through Nelson to Portland.
We stopped near one of many large pine plantations to photograph large flocks of yellow tailed black cockatoos but they didn’t stay for long once I got out of the car.

We were unsure of which park to stay at so after getting a map of the town we settled on the Henty Bay Park on the Dutton Way. A bit far out but in okay condition despite being a bit open. We felt the chill of the wind as the temperature rose to around 14 degrees.


We had lunch at the Henty Hotel and then drove to the Gannet Rookery near the Alcoa aluminium plant on the coast. I had a great time taking action shots as the birds rode the winds up towards me and then banked away. While we could see roosting birds they were just too far away to get a clear shot.

Guarding the birds were two maremma dogs inside a large wire fence. The dogs looked pretty sleepy but their reputation for looking after their charges suggests one should keep out of their range.

Lawrence Rocks made a good backdrop and you could make out the gannets on its surface.
It’s too windy to do much so we’re inside the van enjoying the news.

I phoned old friends Des and Janine Pitts and we ended up at their place around 7 p.m. Always good to catch up and reminisce. Both doing okay although Des is finding his carpentry trade evermore taxing on him physically. It was fairly late when we returned to the van and we slept in until around 9.30 a.m.

Bird Sightings

Great cormorant, emu, Australian gannet, Great egret, 84 birds