Travelling South - Quorn and Warren Gorge
Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 1:47PM 
An overcast morning today with low light. Despite this I went to the talus slope to see what was happening. Observed several yellow foots returning to the slope from the water course, however, as the light was dim and nothing really captured my imagination, I just watched rather than take photographs.
Broke camp and decided as it was overcast to drive further along the track to see what was around the next bend, then the next, and still the next bend!
Sighted a wallaroo feeding so grabbed a few snaps. I began thinking it would be nice to see 
some ring-necked parrots; I had heard their calls several times but had not sighted one. Then, as I drove around the bend I saw 5 individuals feeding on grass seeds. Driving quickly off the track, I grabbed my tripod and 500/4 and began madly taking images. After 30 minutes or so the parrots decided to move on, and as I continue the drive, I see another wallarro and then another black phase wallaro, a female grey kangaroo, and then two emus! The last morning and everything is out and about!
Traveling out of the park, I noticed a road kill ahead 
(kangaroo). But more interesting was the wedge-tailed eagle that was feeding on the deceased animal. Wedge tails are quite rare these days and seeing one up close is quite privilege. Unfortunately, privilege or not, this eagle wanted nothing to do with me as it flew quickly away when I approached. I removed the road kill to the edge of the road and a quick search found the eagle "pretending" to hide in a tree about as mile out. I hiked out, but at 1/2 a mile it saw me and scarpered.
Maybe there is something to the pre-visualization thing. In the US, I was thinking of a coyote and one appeared. The same happened with a bobcat in Yellowstone.
Made my way back to Quorn to meet with a local semi-official who had agreed that I could photograph the inside of an old building. The building was a haberdashery shop that had been established in 1916, and had not been renovated since. The old wooden tables, flying fox money belts, wooden chairs and shelving were still in place - like a trip back in time.....
22 mile out of Quorn is Warren Gorge, my second yellow foot location. On a previous trip, I had sighted several adults in the gorge and I was keen to photograph them again.
Unfortunately, I found no yellow foots or evidence that any were in the area. However, I did notice that their favourite food was blooming high on the cliff, therefore, can only assume "why travel when you can eat at home", meaning the wallabies were staying on high ground rather than waste energy coming to gorge floor. Pity, as the afternoon light was exceptionally good as the iron oxides in the gorge wall shone brightly.
I camped at the end of the gorge. In the morning I intend to travel back to Port Augusta to spend an evening and morning photographing birds, before moving on to Hammond Ghost Town and eventually, east to Bordertown and Melbourne.
Reader Comments (2)
Looks like a really cool area. i wonder if the eagle would have come back tot he road kill if you had set up a blind and waited... maybe next time.
Hi Rebecca
Yes your quite correct that the eagle would have returned if I had spent a few hours hanging out. However, as the kill was on the road & there was traffic, the bird would have been quite cautious. I removed the dead animal from the road & dragged it into the scrub where the bird could feast in safety. As a result, my scent was on the carcass and the eagle would have been a bit reluctant to return for sometime. It crossed my mind at stay the day!