I love the look of this challenge. I am 2 months late but better late than never.
1. Eastern Reef Egret - Lady Musgrove Island Qld - Sept 7 - This was a Lifer for me
2. Black Noddy - Lady Elliot Island - Sept 7 - This was also a lifer for me
3. Apostlebird - Wights Mountain Qld - 13th Sept - On the chook house at my place
4. Australasian Gebe & Chick - Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens - 21st Sept
Welcome, you haven't lost your touch, wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing. Hope your well!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
5. Peregrine Falcon - North Brisbane - October 5th
6. Superb Fairy-wren - Bunya Mountains - 12th October
7. Red-backed Fairy-wren - Bunya Mountains - 12th October
8. Eastern Yellow Robin - Bunya Mountains - 12th October
9. Satin Bowerbird (Male) - Bunya Mountains - 12th October
10. Laughing Kookaburra - Bunya Mountains - 12th October
Wow, absolutely beautiful photos, Dave.
Thanks so much Pip, its Dev btw :)
Pleased to see you joining the challenge, Dev. Beautiful photos and some great birds.
Thanks Sue. I feel I have left my run a little late. lol
11. Eastern Spinebill - Bunya Mountains - 13th Oct
12. Silvereye - Bunya Mountains (Same Tree as the Spinebill)
13. King Parrot (Male) - Wights Mountain (My Place) - 2nd Nov. Just popped in and said hi while eating breakfast. Stayed for a bit then left
14. Scarlet Honeyeater - Samford - 3rd November There were literally dozens of these guys in the trees in main street. Not many females though. Must have been on a blokes weekend. lol
Not late at all, Dev. You have some great birds up your way.
15. Cicadabird Male - Samford - Just opposite the Scarlet Honeyeaters. This was a heavy crop and bad light not a great photo.
This afternoon I got home late from work but decided I would try to get a few species for the challenge. Again not great photos but definately identifieable
16. Common Bronzewing - Wights Mountain
17. Grey Butcherbird - I quite like the look of the tree in this photo as well
18. Little Corella
19. Noisy Miner
20. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo - I went for quantity instead of quality on this one. lol
You are off to a good start, Dev. This challenge does get you to notice everyday birds as well. Looking forward to more.
21. Dollarbirds - North Brisbane - Not a great photo but definately recognisable.
Devster, excellent to have you on the challenge, welcome! Some beautiful photos to get you started! Love the grebe feeding its chick, and the perigrine shot is a cracker! Your "backyard" is very different to mine, so I'm enjoying seeing all these new or unusual birds, and looking forward to seeing lots more.
You are obviously not new to photographing birds... why not tell us a bit about you as a photographer, the gear you shoot on, the type of photography you like etc? Love to hear the stories behind the shots too if you get the time. Cheers
Thats a good idea Alex. I may do that in the general chat forum. I have been a member of BIBY for quite some time, just haven't posted anythiing for a while. In fact it I believe it was your comment in the other Forum that bought me back on.
Awesome. Very pleased to have you with us on this challenge, and your photos are inspiring.
Thank you so Much Alex, I appreciate your kind words.
I took my camera to work today and at Morning tea, managed to get a couple of locals.
22. Pacific Black Duck
23. Australian Wood Duck (Males & Female)
24. Little Black Cormorant - Love their Emerald Green Eyes
25. Australasian Figbird (Young Male) - Hundreds of these around at the moment
26. Australasian Swamphen - I still like Purple Swamphen better
That is what it is all about, getting out there more with the camera :-) I also love the green eyes of the Little Black Cormorant - "emerald" describes it well, its a very stone-like green.
Thank Alex. Certainly does encourage me to get out more and notice every bird call more.
Yesterday after work I went to visit one of my favourite spots at Lake Samsonvale and it did not dissapoint. I managed to get over 20 new species for my list. No lifers but some nice photos as well as some average one as some of the birds were on the other side. I'll do a few now and some more exciting ones a bit later.
27. Helmeted Guineafowl. These guys have been down there for as long as I can remember, They always come to greet you when you arrive.
28. Australian Brush Turkey. Always plenty of these guys around though today they were quite skittish so no real great shots.
29. Torresian Crow - Pretty much the only Crow or Raven we get this far east of the Great Dividing Range
30. Bar-shouldered Dove - Another very skittish bird so not a great shot as it was heavily cropped
Some great birds to come when I get time to upload them
Ok Some from yesterday at Lake Samsonvale.
31. Grey Fantail (Young)
32. Golden-headed Cisticola - Why is there alays a branch or a leaf in the way :(
33. Black-shouldered Kite
34. White-throated Gerygone - This little guy was not shy at all. I love their falling leaf call!
35. Black Swans - So many on the dam yesterday. The most I have even seen here
I call this lot EBC Flybys - Please let me know if there are any you think don't count
36. Cattle Egret
37. Yellow-billed Spoonbill
38. Welcome Swallow
39. Hard Heads
Numbers climbing quickly, Dev, well done. All good. I have a number of EBCs still to post so no problems with yours. It demonstrates the difficulty we all face getting that great shot but the birds are there if you look for them.
Ok Here are some more EBC photos. I'm very sorry for the poor quality but because I'm so far behid everyone else I'm just taking what I can. Please let me know if any of these don't count.
40. Sacred Kingfisher
Two in one on this one.
41. Glossy Ibis & 42. Red-kneed Dotterel
Another 2 in one.
43. Grey Teal & 44. White-headed Stilt (Formerly Black-winged Stilt)
Another one with multiple Birds but I am going for the 45.Great Egret (Bottom Left)
46. Little Pied Cormorant
47.Great Crested Grebe
How many species can you count here?
I'm counting the 48. Eurasian Coots
2 More to reach my half century. These were taken down at the local shops in the very late afternoon.
49. Rainbow Lorikeet
50. Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Hello Devster - great to see so many new birds! Some are completely new to me like your gerygone - lovely bird and I want to hear that call :-) Your black-shouldered kite photo is a cracker - love the pose, the colours, an the way the light brings out those fierce red eyes - stunning.
Re EBCs - the rule is simple - Every Bird Counts if it is clearly identifiable (from the photo). As a less experienced birdwatcher than you, I often struggle to distinguish between say Sacred and Collared Kingfishers without getting a very good look at them, similarly with Intermediate & Great Egrets. But if you can pick them in those photos, they count.
I'm impressed with your ability to get ANY kind of BIF shots, I've simply been unable to get focus lock on them with my camera.
Great to see your birds, keep them coming.
Hah - listened to that White-fronted Gerygone call on my app - lovely. And very distinctive, that will help me identify them.
Lovely work Dev, that black shouldered kite upthread is a cracker. Beautiful light, really brings out the eyes.
Thanks guys. I went though some photos I took in 1770 and Agnes Waters in September. Also did a trip to Lady Musgrove when we were there
51. Buff-banded Rail - They even had a chick that was soooo cute but man it was a fast little sucker
52. Crested Pigeon - He was woowing a lady friend but she kept playing hard to get (as they do) lol.
53. Bush Stone-curlew - There were a few of these in the place we stayed. They were mostly active at night. Check out the legs on this one. lol
54. Rainbow Bee-eater - This ould have to be one of my favourite pgotos from the trip. Such a stunning bird.
55. Dusky Honeyeater - This tree was loaded with birds, butterflies, bees and other insects
56. Brown Honeyeater - This is from the same tree. I find the Brown honeyeater looks very similar to the Dusky only smaller and has that little patch of skin behind the eye.
57. Royal Spoonbill - This was on the little dam on the property where we stayed. Pity it focussed on the background instead of the bird. It's lucky we are doing EBC
58. Red-tailed Black Cockatoo - There were heaps of these up there destroying the trees. Very loud and destructive, but beautiful to see. What was I saying about branches in the way before??
59. Eatern Osprey - Some more BIF shots, not great but identifiable.
60. White-bellied Sea Eagle - Another EBC BIF shot. lol
Some very cool shots there, and some special birds. Love the Bush Stone-curlew - we have a similar bird in South Africa which I knew as a Dikkop, apparently we have to call them Thick-knee now, same genus Burhinus. We don't get the dusky honeyeater this far South either, as you say they are very similar to the Brown which is common here.
Here are some more from Agnes Waters & 1770
61. Crested Tern (Big one in the middle) Just found our that Greater & Crested are the same bird. DOH! So not a new one for me & 62. Gull-billed Terns (The 3 smaller ones)
63. Grey-tailed Tattlers (with crab)
64. Australian Pelican - Saw this while on the Larc (Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo) The guide said that the Australian Pelican is a true blue aussie as it can hold equivellant to a carton of beer in its Gular (Throat Pouch) and have just enough room left for the ice. He was a real character and he new his birds which many of the guides up there didn't know.
65. Red-Capped Plover - Another photo from the Larc. Such little cuties
66. Little Egret (from Larc)
67. Brown Boobies. I remember the first time I saw one of these the boys asked what I saw and I said I saw Boobies. Should have seen the look on their face. Then I showed them the photo of the Brown Booby. They were somewhat dissapointed lol.
68. Forest Kingfisher. This was at our camp sight. One of my Fav Kingfishers as I love that striking blue
69. Leaden Flycatcher (I was hoping it was a Satin but no luck there) I love these guys call. This is one species I think the female is prettier than the male as they have the orange buff on them.
70. Spotted Pardalote. In the same tree as the Leaden
71. Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
I am getting there but still feel I have left the run too late.
Great shots Devster, and great to see some unusual shore/offshore birds. Your kingfisher photo is a cracker.
Thanks Alex, you're very encouraging
Nice work Dev. Have seen the Spotted Pardlote, was within a meter of me, but no camera, and by the time I reached for the phone - gonsky! Truely nice range of birds, most new to me. Thanks for joining the party.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
I love the flycatcher photo. There's something about a photo of a bird in song that i think is beautiful, almost intimate or something. Really enjoying your pictures Dev, thanks.
Thanks Dale. Gonsky, thats what happens when I just get focus on a LBB. They are then Gonsky.
Thanks Pip. I totally agree about the photos of birds in song.
Some more from Agnes Waters and 1770.
72. Shinning Bronze-Cuckoo - Late afternoon so very grainy.
73. White-cheeked Honeyeater
74. White-throated Treecreeper. I was with my girlfriend and I heard this bird so I played the call and it came straight over. She was amazed at how quick it responded.
75. Noisy Friarbird
76. This is a very big EBC. Spangled Drongo. You can tell by the tail silhouette. Can I have this one?
Clearly identifiable as a Spangled Drongo with that silouette and tail so good EBC for me..
Thanks Sue. Hopefully I'll get a better one to upgrade it.
I went to go to Mt Glorious yesterday and I was bitterly dissapointed to see a huge fence around the area as they are upgrading the BBQ's etc. I had to go around but instead of the nice light I had to take photos deep in the rainforest which proved very difficult. I could hear soo many birds but only managed a few photos. Anyway here they are.
77. Yellow-throated Scrubwren (Love their Zoro mask)
78. Eastern Whipbird - A very ellusive bird to get. I had 2 of these foraging a few meters beside me. I stood there as quiet as I could for about 30mins and this is the best I could do as there was so many things in the way.
79. Brown Gerygone - Plenty of these little guys about but getting them to stay still enough for a photo is quite the difficult task. I like the first photo better but I also like the photo of him calling so I put both in.
80. Russet-tailed Thrush - Another hard bird to get as they are often deep in the undergrowth. Interesting I couldn't find this in the factsheet
81. Green Catbird - A very big EBC but you can see what it is. So many of these calling from high in the canopy along with the Wompoo Fruit Dove but alas I was not able to spot any of those.
82. Crimson Rosella - Another EBC high in the Canopy
83. Bell Miner - Plenty of these guys there but I was trying for about 45mins and this was the best I could do. There were high winds and a lot of dust in the air. I also happened to spot a Grey Goshawk as well but it was gone before I managed a photo.
Some of the locals
84. Straw-necked Ibis - In the right light, the back of these guys can look very colourful.
85. Rufous Whistler - At my place the other afternoon
86. Pied Butcherbird - This was one of the many at work. Last years young
That eastern whipbird is a good one. I've only ever had the briefest of glimpses and yet i hear them all the time. It's like they taunt me with their hide and seek skills.
Dev - nice work on that batch. Well done indeed on the whipbird! I was fortunate enough to see a couple this morning after having not seen them for years (although often hearing them) - but they were deep in the shadows/ foliage and I didn't have a chance. I really struggle in woodlands with AF and zoom. Well done on manufacturing & taking so many opportunities!
Going back through my Bunya Mountain photos I found a few I hadn't processed yet. Went there back in October for a photography workship with Michael snedic. It was an amazing weekend with birds everywhere. After a long time without rain, It rained that weekend so all the insects were out and the birds were gorging themselves.
87. Rufous Fantail - These are normally so hard to photograph but this guys were not shy at all. If it wasn't for the Wallaby Poo in front of the bird it would be a great shot!
88. Grey Goshawk. I totally forgotten I had taken this shot. It is a long way away and the birds went ballistic when they saw it. I Even though it is a fair way away I actually don't mind this shot. Bit of a habitat shot.
89. Pied Currawong - This one was perched on someones awning, just checking us out.
90. Rose Robin - Probably one of my favourite shots of this adorable little bird.
91. White-browed Scrubwren - Always on the move and always hard to get. There's that stick again that just has to be in the way :(
92. Lewins Honeyeater - Not much to say, it's a Lewins. One of the bullies of the bush. lol
Lovely shot of the Fantail, Dev. I saw one this weekend, but moving pretty fast in the shadows. Nice catch. Looking at your Goshawk I ws more interested in the tree - what on earth!? Almost like you'd rotated the photo 90 degrees. Then I saw the location, and realised that must be a Bunya Pine - awesome looking tree.
Thanks Alex. Yes it is a Bunya Pine
Nice work Dev, I also like the Fantail. Thought you said you would struggle to catch-up. You on a roll, well done, and keeper coming.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Going through some more old photos I found these I took on the morning of the 18th of September. We were looking for a Fairy Gerygone that had been spotted therre the day before. I dipped out on that but got a few of the locals instead.
93. Grey Shrike-thrush
94. Dusky Moorhen with early morning fog, I don't mind this pic even though it's not really sharp.
95. Red-browed Finch
96. Brown Thornbill - I have so much trouble with these LBBs but given the striated neck which isn't enough for the Striated Thornbill but enough to not be a Gerygone I figured it was a Brown Thornbill, but happy to be corrected. He was very hard to lock focus on in amongst all these branches
Only 4 more for the ton. No experience with Gerygones, looks good for the Brown Thornbill for the reasons you mention.
More great shots, thanks for sharing.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Catching up fast, Dev. Well done and I am enjoying your pictures... my favourites would be the Rose Robin because I love Robins, the Rufous Fantail which I know can be difficult to photograph well as usually in the shadows, and the Dusky Moorhen in the mist which has great atmosphere.
We are getting a nice variety of birds and different takes on picturing them. Makes it interesting.
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