Wildlife of South Australia's Yorke Peninsula - Part 3. Birds, frogs and crabs a wildlife oasis.

G'day all, what a wet and wild night of rain that was. With downpours lasting hours, I wasn't able to get out the car much. However, one animal I did manage to film during the breaks in the rain were these handsome and beautiful painted burrowing frogs. OK, so I've just spotted a beautiful painted frog, Neobractis pectus, one of South Australia's species of burrowing frogs that's come out after a very heavy shower of rain. So I'll just swap over to the other camera, get a few better shots. Drummed out by the pouring rain, painted burrowing frogs spend long periods buried underground, a survival method evolved to keep cool and moist during hot dry conditions. However, tonight's conditions are just right, creating large pools of water perfect for the male to sit and wait, and hopefully attract a mate. But the odds will be stacked against these frogs, with many pools of water not lasting the distance, drying quicker than the eggs have time to hatch, and the tadpoles metamorphosise into frogs. Under pressure due to habitat loss, the painted burrowing frog is an uncommon species. A pair of Australian Shell Ducks, coming in from their expedition out from sea. Found in all water types, these ducks are widespread throughout the York Peninsula. Hard to see from a distance, but Australian Shell Ducks have a dark green head and upper neck area. These are strikingly coloured ducks, with a standout feature being their chestnut coloured lower neck and chest area. Normally found in large flocks outside of breeding season, this pair has separated to breed. Normally nesting in tree hollows, however, with sizeable tree hollows virtually non-existent on the York Peninsula, this pair will settle to incubate a clutch of eggs in a dark secluded rock crevice, or under a bush away from prying eyes. The agile hunter that is welcome swallow, a bird that flutters, swoops and dives gracefully through the air, catching its prey on the wing. Dusky Wood Swallows are highly communal. Found in groups of varying sizes, and a bird which seems to effortlessly cut through the sky, gliding from tree to tree, plucking insects from the air. Dusky Wood Swallows prefer open eucalypt forests, or Mallee Scrub. Waiting patiently is something I spend a lot of time doing, waiting in anticipation and excitement of what will come by next. I just wish I had eyes in the back of my head sometimes. It pays to continue to check your surroundings, as just like this grey carawong sitting there preening, there's always something close by, or behind you. It also pays to expect the unexpected, as just like these white-browed scrub-wrens, one minute they're there, and before you can focus, they're gone. Finding it fascinating, a number of old-growth dryland tea trees have these conks growing on them. These dry and woody structures are the fruiting bodies of a particular fungi. Walking is something I do a lot when looking for wildlife, and as you can see, the overnight heavy rains have left the field saturated. Their loud deep honking has led me to this windswept field, where this pair of Shellducks are feeding. It's a swampy area, where they are feeding on grasses and insects. Sharing the vast open spaces with these Masked Lapwings, Masked Lapwings prefer the open spaces, and during breeding season become very protective of their territory. Emus are common on the York Peninsula, and in particular at the bottom end. These juvenile emus are rapidly reaching adulthood, but despite their size and their ability to forage for themselves since hatching, the male parent bird is not far away. The juvenile emus are guarded by the male until around 7 months old, however the tight-knit family group may stay together until around 12 months old, before disbanding and going their own way. On the way back to the Karo Rainbow, hopefully a good sign and brings me luck. The rugged and dangerous clifftops at the base of the York Peninsula offer some great vantage points to take in the sea views, and spot some amazing wildlife. A pair of Pacific Gulls. Pacific Gulls are the largest of the Australian Gull species. This pair has found something worthwhile, making an effort to ensure it doesn't sink out of reach. Bottlenose Dolphins are always a joy to see. This pod of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins cruising up and down the coastline, effortlessly and graciously frolicking in the ocean swell. With a name not representing its colours, this striking Purple Rock Crab. Yes, that's right, an Orange Purple Rock Crab, or should I say an Orange variant of the Purple Rock Crab. With their strong vice-lock grip anchoring these crabs to the sharp rocks, the constant surge of the ocean has no impact on the crab, while it forages on algae. I'm always amazed at how nature can produce some amazingly coloured irises of the eye, and this impressive Black Raven is another perfect example. Its glowing white iris in contrast to its glossy black plume is shimmering in the sunlight. Busily gathering material to construct a nest somewhere in the safety of the clifftops. Where there is ocean, there is silver gulls. With mottled brown wing feathers, the juvenile hasn't yet learnt the pecking order and is soon put in place by the adult bird. From the amazing white iris of the Australian Raven, to the remarkable orange-red iris of the Sooty Oyster Catcher, an equally remarkable Longbill. With matching coloured iris, orbital eye ring and bill, Sooty Oyster Catchers prefer rocky coastlines, where they will forage within the intertidal zones, feeding on crustaceans, sea worms and mollusks. With its pink and grey, the Galah is easily identifiable, an Australian species of cockatoo found across the entire Australian continent. These birds taking refuge in the cliff face, where they may possibly nest due to the absence of trees. One could not think of any better real estate due to the expansive sea views. This brings me to the end of this look into just a fraction of the wildlife found on South Australia's York Peninsula. This video is part three, so if you can check out my other videos on the wildlife of South Australia's York Peninsula. And if you like this video, give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you like to see more nature based videos. Thanks for watching.