Ron Haines and Sharon Harris are the owners of Birdhaven, a property situated along the River Murray in Mannum, South Australia. The property is a residence and dedicated wildlife sanctuary, and Ron and Sharon are currently revegetating the area with native shrubs and eucalypts. The property is also protected in-perpetuity by a Heritage Agreement established by the Native Vegetation Act, and it is the owners’ intent to maintain it as a wildlife refuge.
The property covers approximately 1 hectare and receives less than 200ml of rain per annum. Excluded from sheep grazing for several years, the land is currently regenerating with the help of supplemental planting. The property features an escarpment which is intersected by a gully with views overlooking the Murray Valley.
Vegetation on the property is dominated by dryland eucalypts interspersed with native grasses and shrubs including Senna. The area leading to the escarpment is largely characterized by native pine and grevillea.
A vast array of wildlife is found on the property including eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), skinks, geckos, snakes and monitors (Varanus spp.). A wide range of birdlife is also present including emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae), spotted (Pardalotus punctatus) and striated (Pardalotus striatus) pardalotes, babblers (Pomatostomus spp.), fantails (Rhipidura spp.), superb (Malurus cyaneus) and variegated (Malurus lamberti) fairy-wrens, peaceful doves (Geopelia placida), singing (Lichenostomus virescens) and spiny-cheeked (Acanthagenys rufogularis) honeyeaters, common bronzewing pigeons (Phaps chalcoptera) and many more.
See more at: https://www.instagram.com/ironhainestwo/ and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-LmmH0Jeo5yVD2x9qfT6aw?app=desktop
