Barking owl - crowd pleaser!

This Barking owl turned up at the amenities block at Home Valley Station caravan park while we were there in August. My daughter Hannah wrote in her journal:

Last night during dinner we saw a large bird fly into a tree. It turned out to be a barking owl! It was amazing. We attracted a lot of attention. It was quite weird to be standing there surrounded by people right next to a bathroom. The owl was reddish-brown with a brown striped chest and the underside of its tail. It has white flecked wings. Its head is rather flat with yellow eyes.

Black kite, Home Valley Station, WA

Other hunting and scavenging birds were frequent including Whistling kite and Black kite. At the other end of the food chain it was good for me to finally compare Diamond dove and Peaceful dove "face to face" (I keep getting the names mixed up)!

Diamond dove (foreground) and Peaceful dove (rear)

Bar-shouldered dove not far away as well

Although not in the prolific numbers reported in parts of Australia recently it's always nice to have a budgerigar experience!

And it's always fun meeting new friends!

A somewhat shy Bar-breasted honeyeater, HomeValley Station

 Bird on!

Raptor Domain

Ahhhh KI! where I nearly ticked Boobook, Barn & Barking Owl and Blue-winged kookaburra all in one day - not to mention close views of a wedgie & kestrel!

From the people that brought you the Alice Springs Desert Park bird show comes Kangaroo Island's Raptor Domain. This was a show with an intimate feeling which was really interactive. Anyone that wanted to was able to have close contact with the birds and the presenter was great as well.

Website: Raptor Domain

Ruby, Nankeen Kestrel

Ellen, with Boo, the Southern Boobook.

Kids from our group experience talons, courtesy Casper the Barn Owl.

Ellie, the Barking Owl

Jedda

Like I said, the presenters were excellent (guess who got a Bronx cheer from our mob)!

From the holiday video.....