I love all the N/parks and Reserves around here there's always something new to see,I was up at Lake Lonsdale the other day and saw a family of White winged Trillers, mom dad and at least 3 young this was a first for me so it was a buzz just to see them, I was working so no time to get any photos of them, yesterday I went back and of course I couldn't find them again but as I was looking out over the lake a little rocket shot past me and landed in a tree some 10m away it was a Rainbow Bee Eater another first as I looked around I realised there was about 8 - 10 of them, this time I got photos !
It's always a buzz to see species you haven't seen before, sparrow. I often wonder how many new species visit my area on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges without my being around to see them. It pays to be alert because, after all, that's what the world needs. Lerts.
Lucky you, I whish I'd see something new and exciting. I have to get a lot braver now, being on my own .I'm a bit scared to go to areas where not many people go. The other places where many people go have hardly any birds left
I'll just have to get over it
M-L
Or carefully select some trustworthy, bird-crazy friends for excursions into the wilds, Araminta.
I find I don't like other people with me, they always seem to want to chat. This distracts me from my inner reflections and my main focus birding. (maybe it's just me) Plus more people hanging around yabbering scare birds away.
ML I'm sure there are plenty of places you can visit where you would be safe. I am planning a trip to Canberra on the train. I have heard the Jerrabomberra wetland area is good. (eh Rawshorty) and that is right between the airport and the train station.
Last weekend I trained it up to Newcastle to visit Hexam swamp and Kooragang wetlands. There is a very safe place to visit at Sandgate which is a fenced off and managed wetland area with cafe and helpful rangers and staff which is great for a safe day outing where you can park your car etc. (the Kooragang wetland area is mostly safe too. You can take your car (or a hire car) to some area's and walk around from there. It is quite a large area to cover on foot. I did 24km and only covered about half of it. (I did walk from hexam station and then to Sandgate station on the way back which was quite a few km)
I feel sure that Victoria has a few of these type of area's that are safe for a Sony totin' bird whisperer. I am always searching for new places to go with my computer.
I love finding new birds, discovering birds in places I thought were just 'ordinary' places.
White-Winged Trillers are cute little guys.
White wing trillers have turned up at my place for the first time this year. They were breeding in a paddock where the woodsparrows nest, both black-faced and white-browed. I think I saw a bee-eater once, just a flash of colour that had the shape of a kingfisher. It is great when new birds moveinto your area, makes you think things must be improving. Not so good when species dissapear.
I heard the Trillers before I saw them the male was standing on a dry bush going nuts singing his head off then I saw the rest fly up to him and they were gone but I could still hear him.
I thought the bee eater was a kingfisher at first untill I looked though the lens and got a better look (the eyes are getting old) as soon as I realised what he was he was off I cursed myself for missing the shot then I saw the others and started snapping away.
Yesterday I went back to Lake Lonsdale and got two more first's " well sort of " an in flight photo of a Whistling Kite I have others but this is the first in flight photo and a photo of a juvenile bee eater plain brown and a bit smaller than dad.
Then this mornning I got my first photo of a Brown Goshawk who tried to eat one of the White-browed Woodswallows I was photographing ,he missed and turned and gave me the dirtiest look !
Any photos you'd like to share ??
M-L
Hi ML, I haven't loaded any photos onto the internet for over a year since some of my footy photos were pinched and ended up in a Melbourne weekend newspaper belonging to a rival publication, caused a bit of a hoohar !
But since you asked so nicely I'll sort out a few and put them on over the next couple of days ( if I can remmber how !!!! )
I know the feeling, I had some of my ideas stolen. I found them later , they had been submitted as research, word by word. Even harder to prove. Now I'm much more careful what information I hand out.
You can always send them to me vrivately
M-L