Last updated on June 29th, 2026 at 10:45 pm

Book

Gower, P. 2012, Fleurieu Birds: What to see and where to see them, Axiom Australia, Stepney (Adelaide)

Description

This is a Field Guide and Location Guide for birds seen in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. It is a directory for casual observers through to serious birdwatchers.

• There are 231 species with a full page each. Included are hundreds of attractive photographs showing birds in their habitat and notes about each species.
• There is a list of a further 41 species, considered to be Rarities and Vagrants.
• There is a list of 22 Seabirds which can be seen off shore.
• There is a description of 42 Parks and Reserves where birds can be seen, with directions.
• There are twelve pages of cross reference lists of birds, which have been seen in each Reserve. Further pages include, identifying and photographing birds, a Parks and Reserves map, and further reading, etc.

Being close to a major population centre has meant that the region has been subject to many ornithological studies. These are often by government authorities and universities, with the assistance of enthusiast birdwatchers. For the enthusiast birdwatcher this is good, although finding results of these studies is not always easy. This is one of the reasons for this book, which aims to draw together some of this information.

( Good Reads | Fleurieu Birds – Peter Gower)

Parts, chapters and sections

• Title page p. 1
• Publishing & Copyright Information p. 2
• Contents & Introduction p. 3
• Identifying birds and Photographing birds p. 4
• Acknowledgements and Abbreviations p. 5
• Species Photos & Information pp. 6-236
• Seabirds p. 237
• Rarities & Vagrants p. 238
• Parks & Reserves Introduction p. 239
• Parks & Reserves List pp. 240, 241
• Parks & Reserves Map p. 242
• Parks & Reserves Photos & Information pp. 243-263
• Birds & Parks, Location charts pp. 264-275
• Reference Books p. 276
• Index of Parks and Reserves p. 277
• Index of Birds by Full names pp. 278, 279
• Index of Birds by Families pp. 280, 281

About the Author

Peter Gower’s interest in birds began as early as he can remember, and by the time he was going to school had explored much of the 750 acre family farm near Tantanoola in the lower south east of South Australia.
His interest in photography began just as early in life. His mother was often taking family photos with a box camera. This fascinated Peter, and when he saw the results, and understood that they came from that black box, he was hooked. His first camera came when he was about 12 yrs old at boarding college in Adelaide. While at college he joined the South Australian Ornithological Association, regularly going on excursions and learning more about birds. After leaving school, he bought an SLR Praktica camera and a 180mm lens, allowing him to start photographing horse competitions. He got a bird banding licence through the CSIRO (the body which administered banding at the time and banded birds for the next ten years.
In 1965 he joined the RAAF and trained as a photographer. Eight months at East Sale on a photo course and two years at Laverton gave Peter more opportunities for bird activities, meeting some of the people involved in bird research and banding activities in Victoria. After six years in the Air Force, marriage and a family followed. Photography full time and part time continued, particularly photographing and reporting on horse events throughout SA. He wrote the horse column in the weekly rural newspaper the Stock Journal for a number of years, supplied photos and articles to Hoofs & Horns magazine and others, plus photographs for a number of books. Peter ceased horse event reportage in 2005, turning to his long time interest, bird watching.

(Fleurieu Birds | from Back Cover)

Where to find

Borrow

The South Australian public library network holds multiple copies. Although not within Alexandrina libraries, it is available as an inter-library loan: See Source at Libraries SA.

buy

Fleurieu Birds is available through the publishing house: The Nokomis Group and other outlets such as the Fleurieu Sustainability Centre.

Additional information

• Birdlife Australia 2026, Birdlife Photography, viewed on 26 June, 2026, <https://www.birdlifephotography.org.au/>.This is the official website of the special interest group of Birdlife Australia.

References

• Axiom Publishing 2018, Peter Gower is taking a photo with professional camera., viewed on 26 June, 2026, <https://shop.axiompublishing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/9781864767735-Peter-Gower-300×210.jpg>. This photo is part of an advertisement for Gower’s book.
• Good Reads 2012, Fleurieu Birds – Peter Gower, viewed on 26 June, 2026, <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31339616-fleurieu-birds>.This page discusses the contents of the book by Peter Gower on the birds and their habitats.
• Libraries SA 2026, Fleurieu Birds: What to see and where to see them, viewed on 26 June, 2026, <https://libraries.sa.gov.au/client/en_AU/sapubliclibraries/search/results?qu=Fleurieu+Birds&te=&dt=list>. This search yields information about the book: Fleurieu Birds (Peter Gower) as well as the council libraries which contain the copies.
• WorldCat 2026, Fleurieu Birds: What to see and where to see them, viewed on 26 June, 2026, <https://search.worldcat.org/title/846519464>. This search yields details about the book by Peter Gower.