Hi Everyone,
I'm enjoying all of your photos. I can't believe its the end of January already! I have just added up I saw 110 lifers last year. I know I won't see that many this year. :)
Going to start with birds from my local area - which is slightly east of Melbourne.
1. Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo (Enjoy seeing them in our neighbours Banksia)
2. Scarlet Robin
3.Dusky Moorhen
4. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
5. White-browed Scrubwren
6. Yellow-faced Honeyeater
7. Grey Fantail
8. Striated Thornbill
9. Sacred Kingfisher
10. Long-billed Corella
Yes the year has flown by so quick already. Great start Abby. Particularly love the Scarlet Robin as we don't get them up here. The LBC and YSC portrait shots are also very nice
What a start. 110 lifers in a year, that's special as well. I particularly like the Striated Thornbill, but they all all great.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Well done Abby, that's incredible and yes going to be hard to beat isn't it??
I love the birds of your local area, how cool to see a Scarlet Robin, they are quite rare around my place.
Awesome shot of the kingfisher and dragonfly! Interesting thought on the list of lifers, diminishing returns. Nice close-up potrait of the corella, although I think the ID is wrong, as the bird looks a lot like my high school librarian.
Hahaha Michael! Thanks for your kind comments everyone.
Here is some more birds from my local area, except my first lifer for the year, which was on the otherside of Melbourne while waiting for family to arrive at the airport.
11. Black Swan
12. Australian Reed-Warbler
13. Rainbow Lorikeet (Posing nicely on our backyard fence)
14. Musk Lorikeet
15. Little Lorikeet (Lifer) Very excited to see these!
16. Purple Swamphen / Australasian Swamphen
17. Pacific Black Duck
18. Noisy Miner
19. Red Wattlebird
20. Chestnut Teal
Another 10 birds from my local area.
21. Magpie Lark
22. Grey Butcherbird (Juv)
23. Eastern Rosella (Maybe a young one..)
24. Australian King Parrot (Backyard visitor)
25. Spotless Crake - no fact sheet - I always forget how small these guys are. Awesome to see.
26. Latham's Snipe - this was on my 4th or 5th go looking for it. Over the moon that i got some decent shots of it too!
27. Common Starling
28. Galah (Backyard visitor)
29. Crested Pigeon (Backyard visitor)
30. Eurasian Coot
Wow some awesome birds there!
The Crakes illude me most of the time and I have not seen a Snipe for some years.
How do you get Little Lorikeets to not be at the top of the tallest tree?? I only ever have butt shots of them lol.
Love the portrait shot of the Swamphen
Congrats on the little lorrikeets (I didn't know they existed), great shots.
Impressive commitment on getting the snipe - I only seem to see them flying away from me in a panic - did you lie in wait, fully camouflaged?
Perseverance pays off (Snipe). Another batch of quality birds captured magnificently. You also have some great backyard birds. Like Dev, the portrait of the Swamphen stands out for me, but it is hard to choose.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Great collection Abby, but how sweet are those Little Lorikeets?!! Would be a lifer for me too.
Yes Dev, I did get a lot of shots of the Little Lorikeets way at the top of the trees, before finding this pair down at a more reasonable height for photos! Haha no camo needed this time Michael, just a bit of patience and being in the right spot at the right time.
Another ten birds from my local area.
31. Laughing Kookaburra
32. Varied Sittella
33. Eastern Spinebill
34. Common Bronzewing
35. Satin Flycatcher
36. Peregrine Falcon - neat to see - usually see them more around when they are nesting
37. Brown Thornbill
38. Red-browed Finch
39. White-throated Treecreeper
40. Rufous Fantail - Do love seeing these guys down here at this time of year.
Wow Abby, another great set of birds... hard to choose a favourite! Three different Lorikeets is pretty impressive in one day and then you offer the Spotless Crake, Latham's Snipe and the Rufous Fantail. Terrific start.
Yes diminishing returns when it comes to lifers for me but getting a good photo or seeing something again after a long time is rewarding.
Love the Rufous Fantail and Peregrene Falcon, but the Varied Sittella and White-throated Treecreeper are up high on the list to. Some more fantastic photos - more please!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
wow what an amazing set. The Satin Flycatcher would be a lifer for me. So many really nice photos there, its hard to choose a favourite. I see my stick has made an appearance in the Red-browed finch shot. lol
Thanks Sue and Dale.
So mid to late Jan we had a week where we took our caravan for a trip. Went as far as Sydney (First time for our son and opportunity to catch up with my brother who was there for training)
So we stayed at Glenrowan, Vic and Gambells Rest Campground in Morton National Park (a must visit) on our way to Sydney and then had 3 nights on the outskirts of Sydney. (I have included a couple of landscapes I hope you don't mind)
I have a few birds from this. Then will do another post for our trip home.
41. New Holland Honeyeater - morning light
42. Noisy Friarbird
43. Rainbow Bee-eater
44. White-browed Babbler
45. Satin Bowerbird
46. Olive-backed Oriole
47. Australian Figbird - this is truely a EBC shot - I am kicking myself with this one.
48. Australasian Darter
49. Australian Pied Oystercatcher
50. White-faced Heron
51. Masked Lapwing
52. Australian Brush-Turkey (Lifer) - saw these at Manly
A couple of extra non bird photos.
Eastern Water Skink at Morton National Park, NSW.
Bonnie View Lookout, Morton National Park, NSW.
Got to love a Opera House photo.
We took the ferry to Manly, which I really enjoyed. Below is Hornby Lighthouse.
And one view of Manly from the ferry.
Awesome pics Abby, I particularly love the Rufous Fantail, stunning pic of a stunning little bird. And would love to see a Peregrine falcon not flying ridiculously high above me, that would be a first for me.
Well done, Abby, another nice set. Love the Bee-eater with the dragonfly, so hard to get that shot.
Again some more outstanding birds. Love the Babbler and the Bee-eater with its catch. A few extra photos to add to the story will always be welcome by me.
That skink shot is extra cool too.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Yes some great shots again Abby. The Babbker would be a lifer for me. It was unusual to see that the Brush-turkey was a lifer for you as I thought they were everywhere
The white-browed babbler is a new one for me, I am assuming that was within the Morton National park or still in Vic?
There is a lot for the camera to choose between when focusing in the figbird shot. Someone showed me how to remove unwanted people from a photo on their phone the other day, we need a similar function for sticks, twigs and leaves.
Thanks everyone. Michael the White-browed Babbler was taken at Glenrowan in Vic. Dev we don't get the Brush-Turkeys in victoria, well as far as I'm aware.
We had a night at Orange and then at Ben Halls Campground - Weddin Mountains National Park. (I would go back to both for at least 2 nights next time)
53. White-winged Chough
54. Square-tailed Kite - lifer - not the best shot, was flying rather fast.
55. Australian Hobby - love it when they stay perched on the powerline
56. Dollarbird
57. Yellow Thornbill
58. Speckled Warbler - Lifer
59. Grey-crowned Babbler
60. Apostlebird
61. Yellow-rumped Thornbill
62. Australian Ringneck
63. Turquoise Parrot
64. Rufous Songlark - Lifer
65. Peaceful Dove
66. Jacky Winter
I think I have a couple more, but will add them later when time permits.
Abby, your killing me, all those fantastic photos of great birds. I normally don't like birds on a wire, but if that's where they are, I would take them to. Thanks for sharing your work, and plenty more please!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
My Goodness Abby there are some amazing photos there. I need to get out again to try and catch up. The Turquoise Parrot would be new for me. Hard to pick a favourite out of these great shots but I would say the 3 Choughs on the stick as it really shows their character. The Speckled Warbler and the Turquoise Parrot shots would be up there as well.
That speckled warbler is a beautiful looking bird - quite striking from the front. I've never seen or heard one; is it an entertaining 'warble'?
Another 3 lifers, too!
Thanks everyone. Michael the Speckled Warbler has a cool little song. :)
This should be my last installment from our Jan holiday.
67. Diamond Firetail
68. Superb Parrot - this is another EBC shot - just incase I don't see them again this year.
69. Australasian Grebe
70. Blue-faced Honeyeater
71. Painted Button-Quail (Lifer) Not great shots, flushed the first one.
72. White-throated Needletail (Lifer) - another EBC shot.
73. Black-chinned Honeyeater
74. Fuscous Honeyeater
75. Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
Very Nice Abby. The Firetail & Superb Parrot would be lifers for me. I love the Grebe shots!
Some more wonderful birds, Abby. The Turquise Parrot is my favourite but there are some really great birds represented. Looks like an exciting year has begun.
Thanks Dev and Sue.
Here is some more from around Melbourne.
76. Australian Pelican
77. Little Grassbird
78. Golden-headed Cisticola
79. Eastern Yellow Robin
80. Southern Emu-wren
81. Superb Fairy-wren
82. Bell Miner
83. Willie Wagtail
84. Buff-banded Rail - (Photographic Lifer)
85. Pied Currawong
Wow Abbey, yet another amazing set. Going to be hard to keep up with you. Love the first BBR sitting down and the Juvenile Eastern Yellow Robin. The Emu-wren would be a lifer for me.
Thanks Dev, I will start to slow down shortly. :) Then you will most likely overtake me :)
A couple more from a 40min radius from home.
86. Crescent Honeyeater
87. Rose Robin - hoping to get a better shot at some stage.
88. Brown Goshawk
89. White-fronted Chat
90. Australasian Pipit
Wow Abbey, more absolutely stunning birds
Another great set, Abby. You are certainly seeing a great variety around home and capturing them so well. I love the Little Grassbird in flight.
Thanks guys.
I finally made it back to Stockyard Point - first time for this year. Was a rather windy day, hope to get back out there, need to be there for high tide. Had a successful day picking up 2 lifers. :)
91. Cape Barren Goose
92. Red-capped Plover
93. Common Gull-billed Tern
94. Caspian Tern
95. Eastern Curlew
96. Curlew Sandpiper
97. Broad-billed Sandpiper (Lifer)
98. Red Knot (Lifer)
Well done on the lifers Dale. The BB Sandpiper & the Curlew Sandpipers would be lifers for me
Thanks Dev.
A couple of lifers from Nangara Reserve - which is in the Baw Baw Region, but only 40mins from home.
99. Black-faced Monarch (Lifer) - have gone back a couple of times to try to find it and improve my shots, but no luck yet...
100. Large-billed Scrubwren (Lifer)
101. Brown Gerygone (Lifer) first Gerygone I've seen in Australia.'
Now back to more local - only 10 mins away from home.
102. Mistletoebird
103. Gang-Gang Cockatoo
I notice the pacific or kelp gull on the right of the caspian tern shot - I am guessing you are saving that one?
Wow, you are really churning out the lifers, and well done splitting all the knots and sandpipers!
Wow, incredible shots again Abby. I am very jealous of your Gang Gangs. That's a bucket list bird for me.
Wonderful to get lifers, Abby and captured so well. Beautiful shots again.
In order to update the list, I need to know which Gull-billed Tern i.e. Australian GbT or Common GbT. Could you clarify please as both species are listed?
Thanks guys, Sue its a Common Gull-billed Tern. Have edited the name in the post.
A century already, congratulations on some great photos. More lifers to boot. Some fantastic birds in that lot.
Your gulls in the Caspian Tern shot are Pacific Gulls, large bulky bill with red "lipstick" on both upper and lower (but I guess you already knew that).
Looking forward to more.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks Abby, I've updated the stats now. Congrats on reaching a century so early in the year!