These seriously aren't the best photos but I'm happy that I did manage to at least get the bird in the picture. I enjoyed my visit to the wetlands at the Olympic Park today. Saw heaps of birds there: Reed-warblers, brown honeyeaters, red-browed finches, red-rumped parrots, cormorants, pelicans, herons, white-browed scrubwrens, rails, etc. But here are a few I managed to take photos of:
Great Egret + Black-winged stilt
Australian Magpie
Several attempts at the Yellow Thornbill
One big Black Swan family
And I need help IDing these guys:
Sorry about the bad quality
This guy has a bright orange beak. I'm guessing it is some feral species of goose/duck.
Haha, I share your pain with the yellow thornbills. I've really gotta get down there if they have some swans and cygnets there! You wouldn't mind telling me which park in Olympic Park would you? Hopefully I'll get some spare time in the hols to go :)
Ahhh the yellow thornbills are impossible to keep still.
The swan family was found in a small body of water near the waterbird refuge (N13 on the general map) - look out for lots of reed-warblers calling.
It's a nice time to visit the park this holidays. I've heard the Birds Australia Discovery Centre is holding a talk and demonstration on Parrots and nestboxes by Dr. Holly Parsons on the 26th of September. It's also the same day as the Armchair Twitch http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/the-organisation/armchair-twitch.html
Taz
Sorry, I knew I had read somewhere which park you were in and then I re-read the title! As for the reedwarblers they are a noisy bunch aren't they. And it certainly might be intersting to see the administrator of this forum there :)
Haha reedwarblers are tricky fellows, they are indeed a very noisy bunch and sometimes they never reveal themselves from the curtain of reeds.
Yes! It'd be very interesting to meet the admin in the flesh.
Hi Holly.
Taz
To me those birds you are trying to ID are BAr-tailed Godwits or some other largeish wader.
For those heading out to Sydney Olympic Park, don't forget to pop over to Newington Armory and visit the Birds Australia Discovery Centre! While I am not there on weekends there are lots of great volunteers and EagleCam - where you can view live footage of our pair of Sea Eagle chicks.
I am also giving a short talk on the 26th of September on nest boxes and hollows.
Holly
Thanks QLDbird! Bar-tailed Godwits fit the distribution and the image very well. It is also on the area's birdlist so I guess that must be it.
Taz
Wow QLDBird, you can tell that from that photo!! That's pretty amazing :)
I know man. I can't even tell even when using binoculars.
The last image didn't seem to load, I'll try again:
This guy has a bright orange beak. I'm guessing it is some feral species of goose/duck.
Oh yes, hopefully I'll be able to attend your talk Holly! I should be free on the 26th
Taz
Great! I had better write it then hadn't I ;)
I will create a new thread but here is the link anyway
http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=369&extmode=view&extid=1010
Adrian is a great guy and is doing really interesting things for his PhD - his talk will be great
Thanks Amatuer and Tazrandus.
I guess preparing for Boondall Wetlands really helped even though I didn't see any waders. Hmmph..
Love the Swans. The goose is definately a domestic goose.
I had no idea there where this many birds at Olympic Park, the variety of birds in the city always amazes me.
Good variety of birds. There seem to be a lot of swans with cygnets about. I saw some last week.
I wish I could go to the talk - I used to live at Homebush and it would have been so easy!