Glue Pot Bird Reserve: In the Riverland region of South Australia

Driving north from Taylorville, just beyond the Riverland town of Waikerie, you enter fifty four thousand hectares of mallee country known as Birds Australia Glue Pot Reserve. This area gets about 215 millimetres of rain annually (just over ten inches), and when it pours Glue Pot lives up to its reputation - many of the dirt tracks become impassable.

But the day we visited the tracks were dry and it was plain sailing as we drove by endless stands of ancient mallee - the habitat for the 180 species of bird recorded here over nearly ten years. To learn more about them we recommend a visit to Glue Pot's interpretive centre. There, you can tap into the expertise of volunteer experts like Doug Holly and Lizzy Lewis.

“We've got seventeen species of endangered birds on the property and two or three species of endangered bats,” explained Doug.

Inside the centre, the diversity of the mallee is writ large in the photographs of many threatened species and in the intricate glasswork of Riverland lead light artist, Adrian Webb. The portrait gallery of flight and vivid colour is enough to soften the heart of any traveller who viewed the mallee as dull and uninviting scrub.

The gallery and centre is housed in a blend of galvo and glass - a bit more contemporary than the original Glue Pot homestead built at the turn of last century. Now the sheep have moved out and the bird watches have moved in.

Enthusiasts like Doug and Lizzy conduct bird surveys which have made a number of important discoveries. In the mid-sixties it was thought that the black-haired miner had become extinct until it was re-discovered on a nearby property. In 1996 they discovered a colony of black-haired miners so Glue Pot Reserve was established as a major habitat.

Staggered at the concentration of threatened species, committed volunteers took just ten weeks to pledge the $360,000 needed to buy Glue Pot.

It is part of the largest block of intact mallee in Australia and there are five bird hides scattered thoughout the reserve. They've been constructed near water fed troughs that are built high enough to keep the roos and foxes out. They allow the mallee birdlife, like the spiny-cheeked honeyeater, to put on their own special show.

“He's got these very fine spikes on his cheek,” said Doug.

Form the safety of specially constructed hides; you can watch a range of amazing creatures up close - like the red wattlebird. Its name has nothing to do with the local vegetation. It comes from its small red jowls that are a bit like the red fleshy combs you find on backyard chooks.

In a short fifteen-minute period with Doug and Lizzy, we spied numerous mallee birds including the brown-headed honeyeater and his yellow plumed cousin. All had gathering for a drink and a quick dip.

Next to put on a show was the Regent Parrot, which breeds in the redgums along the River Murray, 60 kilometres away. When the young have flown the nest they make their way out here. Under threat from habitat destruction, this expanse of mallee containing some trees dating back a thousand years offers some respite.

The Regent Parrot is a real treat for bird lovers so it’s little wonder people come from all over to visit Gluepot. Camping costs $10 per vehicle. Collect a key and map to Glue Pot at the Waikerie Shell Service Station.

Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve
Camping $10 per vehicle
Key available at Waikerie Shell Service Station

If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au