Not an exciting one this time, but I found it interesting to see the different race of the Australian Magpie on our trip into NSW earlier this year. Have got a photo of the Black-backed and the White-backed - this is the one we see all the time.
Congrats on the azure kingfisher, and such a clear, sharp pose too. I only ever see them flitting away from my clumsy footfalls, snapped twigs etc. I also like the swamp harrier detail; do they hang around long enough for photos often?
Michael, the day we visited the WTP, we saw at least 5 or 6 Swamp Harriers hunting, so it was the first time I have had time to take some photos close by.
Thanks still buzzing about seeing the Azure!
Anyway back for some quick stops locally. Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna and the Cardinia Aqueduct Trail and one from my backyard.
Thanks Sue, the pace will slowly die down. Have a trip planned for NZ for our easter holidays. Keen to do a bit of birding back in my home country since I've only taken up birding in the last couple of years. I know this forum is for Australian birds, but will put them up on Flickr when the time comes and if I get the opportunity to go birding.
Thanks Dale and Tommy for the nice comments.
On Thursday I went for a wander at Reef Island, which is on the Bass Coast - heading towards Phillip Island.
125. Silver Gull
126. Crested Tern
127. Ruddy Turnstone
128. Pacific Golden Plover
129. Double-banded Plover
130. Striated Fieldwren - No factsheet
A couple of extras.
Nankeen Kestrel with a little skink/lizard
And I was very excited to have Sulphur-crested Cockatoos visit our backyard last week, first and only time they have. My son has been asking when they will visit again.
Wow some more fantastic photos Abby. Love all the shorebirds, and your Striated Field-wren is outstanding.
When you post your New Zealand birds, can I ask you put some in the best photos thread? I would love to see them, as would others I think and won't have that pleasure if they are on Flickr.
Whilst this is an Australian site, we are still interested in what other countries have.
Wow, what a lot of amazing photos! Your BIF are amazing, that Brown Goshawk is stunning, and love the flight of Curlew too, how cool to see so many. Beautiful portrait of the Brown Thornbill too. I also really like it that we have so many regional differences, and what is common for you might be a true rarity for me, and birds that I don't look at twice are super exciting for others :-)
Yes, I'd love to see some cool NZ birds too, maybe start a NZ Birds post for that trip in Best Photos :-)
I agree with Dale, the NZ shots would be interesting. Not sure how close you will be or the timing but Miranda Shorebird Centre might still be full of shorebirds. I'd also love to msee those Wrybills again.
Beautiful sharp shots again, Abby. Nailed that brown goshawk, with the light bouncing right back at you from its eye. Agree with the group shot of curlews; my local lake only ever has one at a time.
Thanks everyone, what a great group we have! Luck plays a big part in my photos!
Sue thanks for mentioning Miranda Shorebird Centre, I wasn't aware of it. Whether we can get there is a different story, but will keep it in mind. Going to try for a day trip out to Kapiti Island - its free of pests. (My family in NZ are always up for a walk, so that should help seeing some birds)
Had a wonderful trip to Braeside this past week with Danika. Saw a great selection of ducks. So a couple of replacement shots as well as a new ones for this year.
134. Dusky Moorhen
135. Little Black Cormorant
Replacement 42 - Pink-eared Duck
Replacement 41 - Australasian Shoveler
Replacement 36 - Australasian Grebe
From Cardinia Aqueduct Trail
136. Eastern Yellow Robin
137. Laughing Kookaburra
And going for a walk in Pakenham this morning I got another Lifer at the Creekwood Wetland.
Abby, you are killing it with your photos! So many amazing shots here!! Well done! Really love your shorebird photos, so many great ones but who can go past the Eastern Curlews in flight as such a large group?? Incredible sighting and really well captured.
I definitely need to get down to Reef Island again for the Golden Plovers and Double-Banded Plovers, and how great finding a Spotless Crake locally! That's incredible. And Stockyard Point is also on the list...so many places still to go!
Great to meet you there! Congrats on the lifers :-) The Pectoral Sandpiper was a lifer for me too, and I think a bit special for everyone.... (Just in case anyone is confused, its the second from the right in that photo). Love your comparison shot of the Common Greenshank and the Marsh Sandpiper - its very helpful, and actually helped me distinguish some Greenshanks from Marsh Sandpipers in my own pics (as the Greenshanks were lifers for me too :-)
Love your Brown Falcon BIF! And can't quite believe you caught the cisticola in flight - I think you are the fastest draw in the West(ern Treatment Plant) lol
Wonderful set of shots, Abby. I especially love the comparison of the Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper but the incoming Cisticola is a beauty. I cannot believe hos still you managed to hold your camera considering the wind at times.
Such good photography Abby, love your shots!! That comparison shot is awesome, its fantastic to see those 2 waders side by side instead of flipping between pages in my bird book! There's so little to tell between them. It was so nice seeing the Curlew Sandpipers and others waders starting to come into breeding colours.
Beautiful set of shots, Abby. I am amazed that you managed to get a Southern Emu-wren and a Rufous Fantail to sit still long enough and in decent light. Do you now have amatching pair of Emu-wrens in that this is a female?
Nice clear shot of the striated thornbill; I might refer to it to clarify an ID of one I think I have. Some of your photos are genuine laugh out loud moments for me; the cisticolas and the miner leaping. Your sense of humour coming through in the selection process?
Great to meet you and the rest at WTP (and thanks for the lift!). Your photos leave mine in the dust, especially that amazing BIF Golden Headed Cisticola shot! Nicely done :)
A lot of brilliant photos here, I especially love the Southern Emu Wren.
What a great new bunch of photos Abby! I love the White-browed Scrubwren poses, if they come out into the open they can be really fun!
Looks like an amazing day at Mushroom Reef, love the Sooty Oystercatcher shots, they're a bit more elusive than the Pied, and I'm so glad you found the Hooded Plovers, so cute!
Great shots from Lysterfield, I'm afraid mine will be pretty similar but I can't compare to that fabulous close up of the Muscovy male - what a hideous face!!! Love it!
Another week gone, and some more birds to see. At the end of last week I thought I had lost a day worth of photos from my SD card, but found a program to recover them, so phew!
Went for a walk out at Nar Nar Goon North.
162. Varied Sittella - this one was down nearly at eye level, usually I see them higher up in trees. They don't stay still, do they!
163. Fan-tailed Cuckoo - didn't hear this one today, just lucked it that it was near the path.
A couple of extras from here.
Golden Whistler
Kookaburra with lunch, pretty impressed with the size of the yabbie.
Thursday I went for a walk up in the Sherbrooke Forest (in the Dandenongs)
I saw a total of 5 Lyrebirds which was amazing, unfortunately I couldn't get a decent shot of a male.
164. Superb Lyrebird
165. Silvereye
Got a couple of replacement shots here too.
Australian King Parrot (149)
Crimson Rosella (71) - different race to what I have shown previously.
Then yesterday, we went down for a wander at Stockyard Point. It was very neat to see some of the birds in more of their breeding plumage.
166. Pacific Gull
167. Gull-billed Tern
168. Australian Tern (no fact sheet)
Couple of photos to show breeding colours coming through.
Red-necked Stint (114)
Curlew Sandpipers (142)
And I just liked this shot of a Double-banded Plover (129)
Lastly tonight we went for a walk along a local creek with my camera, and saw a pair of Gang Gangs.
169. Gang Gang Cockatoo
And I noticed someone else looking at something, and it was a rather big spider in its web. I think an orb spider.
Fantastic photos Abby, love the shorebirds and the Gang-gang, but they are all great. Glad you were able to recover the photos from you card. Had a similar experience a week or so ago, thought i had lost heaps, but realised my shutter count had clicked over 9999, and so the camera created a new folder, starting a 001 again. It is a horroble feeling to think you might lose photos with little chance of getting anything close again.
Gorgepus photos, Abby especially the Sitella and Pacific Gull but also love the Curlew Sandpiper in breeding plumage and the Double-banded Plover ... then come the Gang-gangs!
As I am awful at Tern ID, could you please tell me how to tell the (Common) Gull-billed Tern from the Australian (Gull-billed) Tern? There seems to be little info available although I was able to count them as two separate species.
That kookaburra catch is impressive, Abby. The male gang-gang's head has really caught the light, too. The orb-weaver looks like the golden orb-weaver we get around here.
Some lovly shots there - gorgeous parrot portraits, and love the shorebirds in their new suits. I must try to get to Stockton up at Newcastle and see if I can catch them on the way north .Yep, I'd go golden orb-weaving spider too. Gee those Pacific Gulls have got amazing beaks - reckon they could open a can with that.
Sue, in regards to the Terns I rely on ABID to tell me the difference. There is something about their bills, as I understand the Australian Tern have a curve down bill. The Gull-billed Terns their bill is shorter. Maybe someone else might have more information to help. :)
Only have a couple to add for this week. Went looking for a Glossy Black Cockatoo, but unfortunately didn't see one. But there were plenty of honeyeaters and Pardalotes busy flying around.
170. Spotted Pardalote
171. Striated Pardalote
Also just adding my Tawny Frogmouth (6) saw these while waiting to pick my son up from his school. I haven't seen them there again since.
Thanks guys.
Not an exciting one this time, but I found it interesting to see the different race of the Australian Magpie on our trip into NSW earlier this year. Have got a photo of the Black-backed and the White-backed - this is the one we see all the time.
121. Australian Magpie
Congrats on the azure kingfisher, and such a clear, sharp pose too. I only ever see them flitting away from my clumsy footfalls, snapped twigs etc. I also like the swamp harrier detail; do they hang around long enough for photos often?
Love that Azure Kingfisher, what a stunning bird captured so very well.
Michael, the day we visited the WTP, we saw at least 5 or 6 Swamp Harriers hunting, so it was the first time I have had time to take some photos close by.
Thanks still buzzing about seeing the Azure!
Anyway back for some quick stops locally. Beaconsfield Flora and Fauna and the Cardinia Aqueduct Trail and one from my backyard.
122. Brown Thornbill
123. Common Starling
124. Bell Miner
Wow, Abby, some stunning shots there especially love the nose diving Bell Miner. You are setting quite a pace!
Stunning Abby, that Thornbill is fantastic, and the Bell Miner is beautiful. Some great clear crisp photos.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Really nice photos Abby. I absolutely love that Bell Miner.
Thanks Sue, the pace will slowly die down. Have a trip planned for NZ for our easter holidays. Keen to do a bit of birding back in my home country since I've only taken up birding in the last couple of years. I know this forum is for Australian birds, but will put them up on Flickr when the time comes and if I get the opportunity to go birding.
Thanks Dale and Tommy for the nice comments.
On Thursday I went for a wander at Reef Island, which is on the Bass Coast - heading towards Phillip Island.
125. Silver Gull
126. Crested Tern
127. Ruddy Turnstone
128. Pacific Golden Plover
129. Double-banded Plover
130. Striated Fieldwren - No factsheet
A couple of extras.
Nankeen Kestrel with a little skink/lizard
And I was very excited to have Sulphur-crested Cockatoos visit our backyard last week, first and only time they have. My son has been asking when they will visit again.
Wow some more fantastic photos Abby. Love all the shorebirds, and your Striated Field-wren is outstanding.
When you post your New Zealand birds, can I ask you put some in the best photos thread? I would love to see them, as would others I think and won't have that pleasure if they are on Flickr.
Whilst this is an Australian site, we are still interested in what other countries have.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
No work for me this week, so I guess more birding! (only within school hours though, still plenty of time)
Today I went to Stockyard Point, but it is really better going when high tide is over 2.8m it was only 2.4m today.
Anyway I still got a couple to add to the list.
131. Eastern Curlew
132. Brown Goshawk
133. Caspian Tern
Lovely! When I made my trip to Stockyard Point, I saw a lone Eastern Curlew zipping by... gone before I could get the camera up.
What a stunning Goshawk :)
Wow, what a lot of amazing photos! Your BIF are amazing, that Brown Goshawk is stunning, and love the flight of Curlew too, how cool to see so many. Beautiful portrait of the Brown Thornbill too. I also really like it that we have so many regional differences, and what is common for you might be a true rarity for me, and birds that I don't look at twice are super exciting for others :-)
Yes, I'd love to see some cool NZ birds too, maybe start a NZ Birds post for that trip in Best Photos :-)
Great BIF shots Abby, agree with Alex you have some amazing skill with those. That Briwn Goshawk is fantastic.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Wow, Abby, love that Goshawk shot!
I agree with Dale, the NZ shots would be interesting. Not sure how close you will be or the timing but Miranda Shorebird Centre might still be full of shorebirds. I'd also love to msee those Wrybills again.
Beautiful sharp shots again, Abby. Nailed that brown goshawk, with the light bouncing right back at you from its eye. Agree with the group shot of curlews; my local lake only ever has one at a time.
Thanks everyone, what a great group we have! Luck plays a big part in my photos!
Sue thanks for mentioning Miranda Shorebird Centre, I wasn't aware of it. Whether we can get there is a different story, but will keep it in mind. Going to try for a day trip out to Kapiti Island - its free of pests. (My family in NZ are always up for a walk, so that should help seeing some birds)
Had a wonderful trip to Braeside this past week with Danika. Saw a great selection of ducks. So a couple of replacement shots as well as a new ones for this year.
134. Dusky Moorhen
135. Little Black Cormorant
Replacement 42 - Pink-eared Duck
Replacement 41 - Australasian Shoveler
Replacement 36 - Australasian Grebe
From Cardinia Aqueduct Trail
136. Eastern Yellow Robin
137. Laughing Kookaburra
And going for a walk in Pakenham this morning I got another Lifer at the Creekwood Wetland.
138. Spotless Crake - no factsheet - EBC shots
Oh Abby, some more fantastic photos, love the Pink Eared Ducks.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Well done on a lifer, Abby and some fantastic shots... the Shoveler and Pink-eared Duck would be my pick.
I must say that's the first pink-eared duck I have seen, where I can actually see the pink ear. By seen...I mean photos... Cute robin pose too.
Congrats on the lifer! And some lovely replacement photos - really like the Shoveler as well as the Pink-eared Duck
Abby, you are killing it with your photos! So many amazing shots here!! Well done! Really love your shorebird photos, so many great ones but who can go past the Eastern Curlews in flight as such a large group?? Incredible sighting and really well captured.
I definitely need to get down to Reef Island again for the Golden Plovers and Double-Banded Plovers, and how great finding a Spotless Crake locally! That's incredible. And Stockyard Point is also on the list...so many places still to go!
Thanks guys. Michael I quite liked the robins pose with its foot, like its a bit "posh".
Getting the shoveler shot tested out my crouching ability haha.
Yesterday we had a fun day at the Western Treatment Plant. Was great to meet Tommy, Alex and Sue.
I got 2 lifers, so that was awesome!
139. Marsh Sandpiper (Lifer)
Here is a comparsion shot between the Common Greenshank (L) and the Marsh Sandpiper (R)
140. Pectoral Sandpiper - No factsheet (Lifer)
(2nd on the Right amongst Sharp-tailed Sandpipers)
141. Red-capped Plover
142. Curlew Sandpiper
143. Little Egret
A couple of replacement or just ones I liked from yesterday
Brown Falcon in flight (66)
Striated Field-wren shot through some grass (130)
Brolga - we saw 7 in total which was very cool! (107)
and last a "Here I come" Golden-headed Cisticolas (105)
Great to meet you there! Congrats on the lifers :-) The Pectoral Sandpiper was a lifer for me too, and I think a bit special for everyone.... (Just in case anyone is confused, its the second from the right in that photo). Love your comparison shot of the Common Greenshank and the Marsh Sandpiper - its very helpful, and actually helped me distinguish some Greenshanks from Marsh Sandpipers in my own pics (as the Greenshanks were lifers for me too :-)
Love your Brown Falcon BIF! And can't quite believe you caught the cisticola in flight - I think you are the fastest draw in the West(ern Treatment Plant) lol
Thanks Alex. I have updated the description, so its not confusing.
Hahaha yes I can't believe both of the Cisticolas are in focus, but luck was on my side.
Some more spectacular photos, so glad you all had a great day. Well done.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Wonderful set of shots, Abby. I especially love the comparison of the Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper but the incoming Cisticola is a beauty. I cannot believe hos still you managed to hold your camera considering the wind at times.
Such good photography Abby, love your shots!! That comparison shot is awesome, its fantastic to see those 2 waders side by side instead of flipping between pages in my bird book! There's so little to tell between them. It was so nice seeing the Curlew Sandpipers and others waders starting to come into breeding colours.
Thank you for all your very kind comments.
A few to add from this week, now that we are in March.
144. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo - I'm lucky that we get these occasionally sitting in the trees across the road from our home.
145. Noisy Miner - backyard shots.
146. Black-shouldered Kite - was neat to watch this hunt at Deep Creek Reserve. (Local Reserve)
Today I went for a walk in the Bunyip State Park at the Buttongrass Nature Walk.
147. Southern Emu-wren - 2nd time seeing these, such a neat bird, if they stick around long enough for a photo is an extra bonus.
148. White-eared Honeyeater
Followed this up with a quick walk at Gembrook Park.
149. Australian King Parrot
150. Rufous Fantail - a young one
151. Striated Thornbill
Beautiful set of shots, Abby. I am amazed that you managed to get a Southern Emu-wren and a Rufous Fantail to sit still long enough and in decent light. Do you now have amatching pair of Emu-wrens in that this is a female?
Lovely, the Southern Emu-wren is gorgeous, as is the Rufous Fantail. They are all great, thanks for posting.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks Dale and Sue. Sue, unfortunately couldn't get a shot of the male this time round, but that just means I need to go back. :)
Very nice additions, you keep adding to the places I need to visit :) I'm very keen to find that emu-wren!
Very nice additions, you keep adding to the places I need to visit :) I'm very keen to find that emu-wren!
Nice clear shot of the striated thornbill; I might refer to it to clarify an ID of one I think I have. Some of your photos are genuine laugh out loud moments for me; the cisticolas and the miner leaping. Your sense of humour coming through in the selection process?
Thanks Danika and Michael. Yep Michael those ones made me laugh too.
Very nice catches on the emu-wren (a bogie-bird for me) and the rufous fantail (so hard to photograph!). Great shots :-)
Thanks Alex.
This week, I've got a few more to add to the list.
From the Cardinia Aqueduct Trail
152. White-throated Treecreeper
153. White-browed Scrubwren
From Mushroom Reef - near Flinders on the Mornington Penn.
154. Sooty Oystercatcher
155. Hooded Plover - first time seeing a young one
Then yesterday Danika and I went to Lysterfield Lake.
156. Eastern Rosella - these weren't has flighty as usual
157. Australian Hobby - truely an EBC shot
158. Grey Currawong
159. Golden Whistler
160. Domestic Duck (Muscovy Duck)
161. Masked Lapwing
Another great set of shots, Abby. I love the Hooded Plover but that Duck has such a face!
Gorgeous Abby, the White-browed Scrubwren look a lot like our Tasmanian Scrubwren. The Treecreeper is a stunning shot.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Great to meet you and the rest at WTP (and thanks for the lift!). Your photos leave mine in the dust, especially that amazing BIF Golden Headed Cisticola shot! Nicely done :)
A lot of brilliant photos here, I especially love the Southern Emu Wren.
What a great new bunch of photos Abby! I love the White-browed Scrubwren poses, if they come out into the open they can be really fun!
Looks like an amazing day at Mushroom Reef, love the Sooty Oystercatcher shots, they're a bit more elusive than the Pied, and I'm so glad you found the Hooded Plovers, so cute!
Great shots from Lysterfield, I'm afraid mine will be pretty similar but I can't compare to that fabulous close up of the Muscovy male - what a hideous face!!! Love it!
Another week gone, and some more birds to see. At the end of last week I thought I had lost a day worth of photos from my SD card, but found a program to recover them, so phew!
Went for a walk out at Nar Nar Goon North.
162. Varied Sittella - this one was down nearly at eye level, usually I see them higher up in trees. They don't stay still, do they!
163. Fan-tailed Cuckoo - didn't hear this one today, just lucked it that it was near the path.
A couple of extras from here.
Golden Whistler
Kookaburra with lunch, pretty impressed with the size of the yabbie.
Thursday I went for a walk up in the Sherbrooke Forest (in the Dandenongs)
I saw a total of 5 Lyrebirds which was amazing, unfortunately I couldn't get a decent shot of a male.
164. Superb Lyrebird
165. Silvereye
Got a couple of replacement shots here too.
Australian King Parrot (149)
Crimson Rosella (71) - different race to what I have shown previously.
Then yesterday, we went down for a wander at Stockyard Point. It was very neat to see some of the birds in more of their breeding plumage.
166. Pacific Gull
167. Gull-billed Tern
168. Australian Tern (no fact sheet)
Couple of photos to show breeding colours coming through.
Red-necked Stint (114)
Curlew Sandpipers (142)
And I just liked this shot of a Double-banded Plover (129)
Lastly tonight we went for a walk along a local creek with my camera, and saw a pair of Gang Gangs.
169. Gang Gang Cockatoo
And I noticed someone else looking at something, and it was a rather big spider in its web. I think an orb spider.
Fantastic photos Abby, love the shorebirds and the Gang-gang, but they are all great. Glad you were able to recover the photos from you card. Had a similar experience a week or so ago, thought i had lost heaps, but realised my shutter count had clicked over 9999, and so the camera created a new folder, starting a 001 again. It is a horroble feeling to think you might lose photos with little chance of getting anything close again.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Gorgepus photos, Abby especially the Sitella and Pacific Gull but also love the Curlew Sandpiper in breeding plumage and the Double-banded Plover ... then come the Gang-gangs!
As I am awful at Tern ID, could you please tell me how to tell the (Common) Gull-billed Tern from the Australian (Gull-billed) Tern? There seems to be little info available although I was able to count them as two separate species.
That kookaburra catch is impressive, Abby. The male gang-gang's head has really caught the light, too. The orb-weaver looks like the golden orb-weaver we get around here.
Some lovly shots there - gorgeous parrot portraits, and love the shorebirds in their new suits. I must try to get to Stockton up at Newcastle and see if I can catch them on the way north .Yep, I'd go golden orb-weaving spider too. Gee those Pacific Gulls have got amazing beaks - reckon they could open a can with that.
Thanks everyone.
Sue, in regards to the Terns I rely on ABID to tell me the difference. There is something about their bills, as I understand the Australian Tern have a curve down bill. The Gull-billed Terns their bill is shorter. Maybe someone else might have more information to help. :)
Only have a couple to add for this week. Went looking for a Glossy Black Cockatoo, but unfortunately didn't see one. But there were plenty of honeyeaters and Pardalotes busy flying around.
170. Spotted Pardalote
171. Striated Pardalote
Also just adding my Tawny Frogmouth (6) saw these while waiting to pick my son up from his school. I haven't seen them there again since.
Amazing Pardalote shots Abby. That juvenile photo is an absolute stunner, I zoomed in for a closer look and the detail is just incredible.
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