I went to Ourimbah Creek reserve (Central Coast NSW) which a landcare group is restoring from 1940s farmlands back to rainforest and wetlands.
MIxed feelings about getting my first Regent Bowerbird - great to see one, but disappointed it was so far away and it quickly flew away.. Waited around a while but it did not return.
About 30 minutes later my luck changed and saw a female Regent Bowerbird shaking her tail feathers to dry off after a bath in big plastic drum left for the birds by the land care group.
Excellent WD, i only have a very lousy tick pic of these. Looks like the one at the water drum is a juvi? yellow gape.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Thanks RawShorty.
Not sure - my book says female breeding has the yellow gape.
Great find WD. I bird I would love to see.
Hmmm, that will teach me to make an assumption. Just looked and the female has a yellow eye though.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Lucky find, WD...It's great to get such a close shot!
M.M.
I remember my first sighting of a Regents all alone at Mount Glorious early one Sunday morning. It was so close I couldn't focus.
WD If you ever come up this way PM me and I'll take you to a spot that's good for Regents.
Samford Valley Qld.
WD - I worked at Erina for 6 months from sep '12 to Mar '13; does this plastic drum look familiar?
Reflex - I am about to go away for about 1 week but will PM you when I am back to arrange an outing for the RB, I need better pics.
Peter
How good is that??!!! Restoring farmlands to rainforest & wetland!! Now for a few coal mines!
I'm not sure about the wisdom of the plastic drum for the birds. I once went on holidays leaving a bucket under the edge of the bird bath which had a slow-dripping hose feeding water to it. The bird bath overflowed into the bucket. When I arrived home two weeks later there were three drowned New Holland Honeyeaters in the bucket. It would have been better to have used a shallow bowl rather than a bucket.
WD - your bird does not have the crown spot as in my pic above and very clearly below, I believe that the crown spot indicates age
Peter
Thanks Birdlover, Rick and Reflex.
Rawshorty and Pacman ... thanks for the information about the black marking, I did notice it was absent. Didnt know it indicated a young bird.
Pacman... you got the double at the drum! I will have to go back and see if I can catch the male there too.
Woko ... you are right it is a hazard for the birds, but they have the sticks in it to help the birds get out. I only know that because I met a guy there that was working on the regeneration of the site and we were talking about the birds and the drums and he explained purpose of the sticks.
WD - yes, go back there, my memory suggests that I also got good pics of Satin BB, Spectacled & Black-faced Monarchs, Rufous Fantail, juvenile Dollarbird and Grey Goshawk there
Peter
What a great new tick for you!!! So exciting :) Now you get to have the added bonus of working towards a closer shot :)
Thanks for sharing!
Sticks would certainly be a help, Whistling Duck. I should have thought of that!!