Mawson Lakes' Sanctuary Drive Reserve - Part 2

Post

Subscribe

There is a complex drainage system alongside the path back to my car and a pair of Chestnut Teal is foraging in the shallow water.



This article is a continuation of an earlier one posted in October ( Sanctuary Drive 1 ) Today, I am taking the return path which runs along a canal-like drainage system from the top of the lake back to my starting point. The water levels and wildlife in this system are even more dependent on recent rainfall and seasonality than the main lake.



Eucalypts, wattles and a variety of native shrubs plus smaller ground covers and vines dominate this pathway. They provide perfect cover for a range of different birds including: Fairy Wrens, honeyeaters, Silvereyes, doves and lorikeets.




Several hundred metres along the track there is a bridge which accesses the opposite side of the waterway. At this point, the wide canal has morphed into a narrow creek. I sit quietly on the edge of the bridge searching the water, reeds and undergrowth for wildlife. A lone Australian White Ibis shares my observation point, somewhat indifferent to my presence.





I can hear Reed Warblers and spot dragonflies and damselflies skimming the water. However, it is a tiny Transverse Ladybug that catches my eye as it climbs down the stalk of a reed.



Back on the main track I scan the taller trees for predatory birds and locate a Pied Cormorant on a bare branch where it has an excellent view of the creek. While I am focussing on the cormorant a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and a lone Australian Pelican fly overhead.



My final stop is a shallow pond near the entrance to this wetland complex. There are Dusky Moorhens, Australasian Grebes, Eurasian Coots and Pacific Black Ducks amongst the tangle of reeds and other aquatic plants. One coot is feeding two hungry chicks with bits of weed it has retrieved from the bottom of the pond.



On reflection, this has been a rather spectacular second visit to the Sanctuary Drive Reserve with numerous wildlife encounters. To complete my morning I shall drive over the railway's bridge to Mawson Lakes central and have lunch at the hotel or one of the many other eateries on offer; some of which face onto the main lake. The lake and surrounding pathways, which I have written about in a previous WN article , is quite a reasonable wildlife destination itself.

Additional notes
This is an easy walk and drive which is quite suitable for families and seniors with street parking, barbecues, shelter, a playground and a grassed area. It is dog-friendly.

For more of my Weekend Notes Articles please click on the link below:
More Weekend Notes Articles


#adelaide
#mawson Lakes
#torrens
#outdoor
#wildlife
#nature
#walks
#photgraphy
%wnadelaide