I "got lost " today after leaving a job interview and ended up by a catchment area.... and what do you know... I had my camera with me ! (I seem to be doing that a lot lately, I think my bird obsession is taking over LOL)
The most surprising thing for me was to see Black Swans, as I didn't think we had them around here. Couldn't get close today ... but I'll be back.
I've always loved Cattle Egret, especially when they have their breeding colours
Not sure whether this is a great egret or not but I am thinking it is. it was fairly tall.
Little Pied Cormorant coming in to land.
Great set, Birdie. I love the Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage and with a cow in the shot, too. I think the Egret may be an Intermediate.
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
Thanks George, funny you should drop in as I was just revisiting your pics from Bowra, and I was looking at the info I had googled on it. Great that it has been purchased for conservation. I have not had an interest in going bush at all for years, but I am finding as my interest in birding grows, so does the urge to get out there and see more remote locations and species. Currently I am reading The Big Twitch and I am finding it very amusing. I don't think I will ever be regarded as a twitcher but the more I know... the more I want to know LOL
cheers
birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Bowra is a great birding location. I would strongly recommend that you visit the place. Take lots of memory cards, though. I filled seven 2GB CF cards in six days !
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
Ha ha that wouldn't be hard for me either George. I find I fill a 4GB card quite regularly!! Would you need a 4WD to go out there though? Afraid we don't have one of those... strictly urban dwellers unfortunately
Sunshine Coast Queensland
George could it be a non breeding Great Egret? How can you tell ? I have read in my Simpson and Day that the legs stick further out past the tail but I can't make it out either way.
This is really my first experience with egrets so I am interested in knowing more.
Here is a blurry flight shot
Thanks George
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Birdie, I don't have my book with me at the moment, but from memory the colour of the beak is a way of distinguishing Intermediate Egrets from Great Egrets (if they're not standing next to eachother so you can't use hight as a guide).
I think:
The breeding Intermediate Egret has a pinkish beak with and slightly greenish facial skin. The non-breeding Intermediate Egret has a yellow beak.
The breeding Great Egret has a blackish beak, and the non-breeding Great Egret has a plain yellow beak.
So in breeding season the two egrets are easy to distinguish (black vs pinkish beak). However, when they're not breeding, both have yellow beaks. I think the distinguishing features then are the colour / extent of facial and neck skin, and the extent of the kink in the neck.
I saw a lovely Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage the other day.
Andy.
In my previous post I mentioned "neck skin" - I meant the gape skin coming off the beak. Not the neck skin.
Thanks Andy, I suppose now would be the breeding season making this an Intermediate then?
Looking forward to going birding with you as you have superior knowledge to me and it always makes it better to go with someone who knows heaps :')
Hope the weather clears up by then.
Sunshine Coast Queensland
My understanding is that if it was an Int. Egret in breeding plumage, it would have a definitely pinkish-coloured beak (like the Int. Egret I saw the other day). But yours appears to have a yellow beak so I'm finding it difficult to tell if it's a Great or an Int.
It's a nice white birdy :-)
Yes I'm so excited about going to Noosa, and it will be great if you are able to join me for a birdy walk. It's lovely to share sightings with someone who is equally excited about birds, and you have good local knowledge of the area - just what I'm after!
Andy.
Hey birdie I hope the job you were going for was 'bird photographer'!
Andy: 'It's a nice white birdy :-)' - this is really funny - it reminds me of when I was learning to dive and we all came up saying "I saw this beautiful blue fish and this really nice yellow fish."
OMG Birdgirl... yeah I wish !!!
I can't believe this now.... I thought my inbox had gone very quiet so now I am getting no updates... even on my own posts!!! I just can't win... still at least I didn't get the spam one it appears ??
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Great photos Birdie what a good thing you got lost.Hope you got the job. Love the shot with the cows. The little pied looks like he about to hit the post what an awesome photo.
Sorry for not replying sooner Birdie. My technique is to check whether the gape extends behind the eye = Great or if it finishes roughly in line with the eye = Intermediate.
Check out Bob's site for reference.
.
http://ptiloris.smugmug.com/ID-Guides/Egrets-an-Identification-Guide/9070813_4zXsg#604036934_rq9h7
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
Thanks Cathshane, and georeg that is great thanks for the link. I see what you mean now.
Sunshine Coast Queensland