9 DAY FLINDERS RANGES AND GLUEPOT RESERVE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - Easter 2017

9 DAY FLINDERS RANGES AND GLUEPOT RESERVE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP and TOUR - Easter 2017

Presented by Dick Jenkins and Mark Rayner

April 10^th to April 18^th, 2017.

Hi Everyone,

I am pleased to announce another brand new workshop coming in 2017.

If you love bird photography then this is the one for you!

But we're not just taking you birding. We've got some terrific wildlife photography and some amazing landscapes for you as well.

Here is  run-down of what is on offer. We'll be releasing the final details soon but expressions of interest are welcome. If you'd like to register your interest or find out more please give Mark a call on 0459221678.

There are only 8 spots available so get in quick.

Day 1 – 9^th April

Afternoon meet and greet at Adelaide hotel.  We will take this opportunity to run through camera settings and techniques and you'll have a chance to get to know your fellow adventurers and explorers. 

Day 2 – 10^th April

Depart from Adelaide Hotel in our luxury four wheel drives at 8 AM and travel to Monarto Zoo, an amazing open plan zoo, one of the largest in the world, where we will have plenty of opportunities for bird and animal photography, including the elusive Mallee Fowl and many African animals.

In the afternoon we will head to Waikerie in the Murray Riverland country where we will spend the next 4 nights. If time permits we will stop on route at Brookfield Conservation Park for our first taste of some Mallee country birds and scenery. Brookfield was set aside for the preservation of the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat. This will be the start of many opportunities to photograph the beautiful Blue Bonnet with its subtle blue hues. Also an interesting little bird called a Redthroat for obvious reasons, it is otherwise a plain brownish colour.

Day 3 – 11^th April

Today we will travel a bit further to the east to spend some time at Banrock Station Winery and Wetlands where water birds and wine prevail. After a packed lunch and maybe a wine or two we will head back to Waikerie for a 3 hour sunset cruise on the Murray with some amazing cliffs and bird life.

Day 4 – 12^th April

An early start for a full day at Gluepot Reserve, about an hour and a half drive north of Waikerie, where we will stake out some water holes and look for some of the Mallee specialty birds such as: Yellow-plumed Honeyeater, Mallee Ringneck, Black-eared Miner, Southern Scrubrobin, White-browed Treecreeper and Chestnut Quail-thrush to name but a few. The nomadic Budgerigar has been known to turn up from time to time as well. Gluepot is Birdlife Australia’s first publicly funded reserve and is around 50,000 hectares in area.

Day 5 – 13^th April

Off early again for another morning at Gluepot and in the afternoon we will return to visit some local wetlands around Waikerie, where we will search for the cryptic skulkers such as Buff-banded Rail and Australian Spotted Crake.

Day 6 – 14^th April

We drive to the north-west today as we change our location to Rawnsley Park Station in the foothills of the beautiful Flinders Ranges. On route we have the opportunity to visit a friends Friesian Horse Stud and sheep farm near Orroroo. There are some amazing old buildings here as well as a small dam and surrounding bush that should yield a few birds as well.

In the evening we arrive at Rawnsley Park Station where will spend the next 3 nights. Hopefully we can recreate with our cameras what famous Australian water colour artist Sir Hans Heysen saw in the gum trees of this region.

Day 7 – 15^th April

After our travels yesterday, we will spend the day around our accommodation absorbing the amazing scenery and checking out the birdlife. The enigmatic Elegant Parrot will be high on our list.

Day 8 – 16^th April

This morning we will travel to nearby Wilpena Pound where we can view it from the inside, putting this whole awesome landscape into perspective. In the afternoon we will take a drive to Stokes Hill Lookout, part of Willow Springs Station for more stunning scenery and hopefully the sometimes difficult to find Short-tailed Grasswren.

Day 9 – 17^th April

We start our journey back to Adelaide today and on route we will visit the incredible Arid Lands Botanic Gardens at Port Augusta where we will have lunch. Here we have opportunities for a macro photography session as well as some more amazing birds such as: White-winged Fairywren, Rufous Fieldwren, Chirruping Wedgebill and White-browed Babbler. Dinner and overnight Adelaide included.