Thanks Alex. Forgot to post it this one from January in the local park. Just a replacement shot for #13 White-throated Treecreeper. Actually not a lot better but does show that lovely buff spot of the female... probably a young one as the rump shows some rufous. I gave up staking out the little waterhole as there were hardly any birds around but stacks of midgies and mosquitos as the tide was out.
Took advantage of the op to send my camera and lens for service. With the lens repaired and perfectly matched to the cleaned and re-calibrated camera, I am hoping for great things once I get out again. Knew something was off with the set-up when in Mudgee.
Finally ready to add a few more. Some could be better but you take what you can at the moment.
I managed to get out to the Olympic Park precinct and find a few birds just before the eye operation but had no time for processing until now (with my one lens glasses). It was an overcast morning but few people were about so I had the place almost to myself.
76 Australian Raven. Posing on the fence as I walked up and I was quite pleased with this result as the lustre is evident on the feathers and black birds are as difficult as white ones to capture well.
77 juvenile Brown Goshawk. I was very pleased to spot this one which was revealed by the Noisy Miner chatter before it flew to another tree when pestered by a Raven. The light was awful but with no one else around it hung about until I repostioned myself and managed a few shots. Perhaps it was awaiting breakfast delivery from a parent. The stare was quite imposing! Apparently this is a young male which are smaller than the females.
78 Grey Butcherbird... a couple were flying around and feasting on cicadas but this was the only shot I managed before it was off again. Beautiful songbirds. I hear them all the time at home but currently they are not coming to visit the birdbath.
79 Spotted Dove... another one common at home but missing at present. This was one of pair who were decidedly amorous in a tree just outside the bird hide at the waterbird refuge. Gorgeous colours and patterning on them when you get close.
80 Striated Heron --- again awful light so EBC. Generally, I find this bird waiting at the water outlet with an egret or heron for company but it was disturbed by someone and flew across the bay in front of me so I was lucky to get anything... highly cropped. This is the last from my walk around OP as not a lot of birds were evident.
81 Yellow Thornbill... a visit to my daughter on the Central Coast allowed for a brief stopover at the Ourimbah rest area and astroll down the path. Plenty of birds about but in the heat, they were staying close in the bush. This one was obliging but back-lit. The second shot is to demonstrate the use of those twigs and branches to observe safely and play peek-a-boo!
82 Brown Gerygone... another from Ourimbah. The bush was full of little birds and it would be a great walk when I have more time as the path is bitumen and there is plenty of water about. The honeysuckle is flowering and attracted an Eastern Spinebill (no photo) but the privet should flower shortly, so perhaps that will bring some Honeyeaters. Hopefully, I can get back there.
83 Noisy Miner --- took this one at home to try out the repaired lens and recalibrated camera. Quite pleased with the result on another overcast day. Sydney is no longer in drought and today is quite hot.
That is it for the moment although I have other photos to post as replacements or in general photos and some Royal Spoonbill 'chicks'... Spoonbills.
Beautiful shots there Sue. I don't see any Yellow Thornills in our local area. They're very cute. Love the Peekaboo shot. I also love the Brown Goshawk shot with that imposing Stare.
Glad to hear your back into it Sue. Love the Yellow Thornbill and the Grey Buthcherbord with a feed. Looks like some solitude is coming our way, maybe the birds will be kind to us, and show us their tail feathers!
Thanks, yes those Yellow Thornbills are really cute but I do like all those little birds. I have found that they will often investigate you if you hang about for a while.
A few replacement shots because I like them better. It was quite overcast when I went for my walk around the Olympic Park precinct --- which seems so long ago now! There is now plenty of time to sort and edit my pictures while isolated.
44 Pacific Black Duck --- without a hole in the lower bill so no tongue protruding! I like the mood. The other shot was unusual as the bird was doing quite well but this one was lovely to see against the water
49 Masked Lapwing --- because I like the atmosphere of this shot.
55 Red-browed Finch --- it is just a better picture and so typical of them in amongst the grasses. This was taken at Ourimbah in March. There were numerous ones present but they would wait until I was just close enough and fly off further down the path. Typical finch behaviour !
Love your photos Sue. Like you, I also really like the little birds. They often swarm by my place, 4 or 5 species all in together, sweeping through the leaves on the tops of the trees. I'm rarely fast enough to get a decent photo but I'm still happy to just watch them. You seem to have got them worked out though, anticipating at what point they might just stop briefly and look at the camera??
It is challenging but a burst of shots sometimes helps. I zoom out to keep them in focus and zoom in at the last moment otherwise I lose them as they move. Practice your skills around your wonderful backyard and it will get easier.
Hi Sue, I had a question to ask you (and anyone else here?) around cameras.
I bought a Nikon D3500 a year or so ago but I have realised that I'm not really that much into photography. Mainly as I'm not interested in spending any time editing a photo on a computer, I just want to be outside in nature and take pics of things I like. I would like a better zoom though, so I can get pics of birds that are further away. I have a 70-300mm zoom lens. I have read about the Nikon Coolpix P900. In hindsight, I think this might have been a better option for me than a DSLR and a zoom lens given I don't want to do any photo editing. I have also found occasions where it would be good to be able to get close up pics - stick insects and bugs and things :-). But with the 70-300mm lens that doesn't always turn out great.
Would you have any camera recommendations based on this?
I do still need to learn many of the functions on my camera to use in the field, I'm just not interested in doing anything with software later. I spend way too much time on a computer for work, and as I tell my son (now 5, had his isolation birthday at home last week!), I need more 'outsideness' :-)
This question has been discussed before under Sue's Small Year Challenge 2019. Alex or Dale both use the P900 and have commented about it. My only suggestion is that the viewfinder on the P900 is awful and I could not use it.
As to photo editing, work on your camera skills and there may be little editing apart from cropping or adjusting the light. I used to photograph everything that moved but realised that you need to be close for a decent shot. 300mm zoom is good but 400mm just gives that little bit more and is ideal for birds. Use a smaller lens for the macros. The main thing to take away is to just get out and about and enjoy yourself and don't be overly fussed about the editing.
Thank Sue, I checked out those other posts. Will make an effort to get to know my camera better.... and may invest in macro and a 400mm lens at some point. I had a lovely morning cuppa with the birds today, 13 species in less than 10 minutes and one new one to add to my list here :-)
Escaped Sydney at last and the limited number of birds visiting my backyard! Enjoyed a fantastic morning in Warren, NSW today and have some great new birds to add when I get back home. I am stuck photographing the back of the camera with the I-pad for ID confirmation but would not load those pics here. Cannot wait, so will name a couple to come with photos next week.
So excited as I think I saw a pair of Black Falcons but need confirmation as opinion divided. The young Spotted Harrier is still great but pales in comparison. Cockatiel, Little Grassbird, Weebill, Red-capped Robin and a Budgerigar also put in an appearance. I am so relaxed and satisfied... now doubt at all that I have really missed this!
Looking forward to seeing you photos Sue, it's nice to get out again. I've got a few to add, bit finding time to sort them out is an issue at the moment.
A few from the great escape... we went west as far as Bourke and loved every minute of it! Still pocessing but here are a few with which to start.
84 Azure Kingfisher at Mudgee... would have been better but my phone rang at that crucial moment! Still a lovely bird to see.
85 Straw-necked Ibis amongst a group of Australian White Ibis... also seen at Mudgee as we passed through for a cuppa. This was a very brief stop as my husband had a coffee while I walked around the water. However it was wonderful to be out there on my own.
The following are all from Warren in NSW where we spent 3 nights. The wetlands near the water Treatment Plant had much more water than on previous visits and the surrounding area had a lot of standing water. There must have been recent rain and some good falls. Sadly the Goan Waterhole at Trangie was choked with weed so no luck there. I walked and walked to complete full circuits of both areas of wetland as well as checking out the restricted area of the Water Treatment works from the path. After being cooped up for so long the walking was great but exhausting. I'll try to post some pictures of the area to show how scenic it was.
86 Pink-eared Duck ... nowhere near the number or variety of ducks at this time of the year but I always like to see these ones.
87 Apostlebird... love these birds which are often in loud groups so surprising to get one on its own
88 Australian Ringneck (Mallee Ringneck)... parrots everywhere being very quiet and enjoying the grass seed which was abundant
89 Australian Wood Duck with ducklings ... plenty of ducklings providing food for the raptors but surprisingly these ducks were not abundant. It was mainly Grey Teal and Pacific Black Ducks with numerous ducklings fleeing for cover as I walked past.
90 Black Falcon... going with the majority verdict here from my ID post. I thought in the field that this was a Black Falcon as it was identical to pictures on my app and everything seemed right but it is always a tricky ID that generates comment. Stoked to see a pair which hung about for a day or so to feed on the young birds...this one appeared to be eating a Swamphen chick in one picture. The aberrant white feather made it easy to track a particular bird.
91 Double-barred Finch... dreadful shot so hope to replace in the future.
92 Great Cormorant... another awful shot but they flew overhead and I never saw them land.
93 Grey Teal... plenty of these ducks on the ponds with their ducklings
94 Grey Fantail... surprised I had not already counted this one. Loved the shot of it singing away.
95 dark morph Little Eagle... seen these before but I have a soft spot for raptors so was quite excited by this one as well. It was sitting quietly in a tree and I spotted it by chance. Walking around the tree gave me various views but none clear of shadows and leaves. I waited ages for it to finally show me those stout legs just before lift off but then it flew behind every tree possible until out of range!
96 Little Friarbird... a group seemed to be feeding almost exclusively in the mistletoe laden trees but no cooperation for a photo.
97 Little Grassbird... not calling much but a lot of moving around the reed bed and popping up for a look around.
young Little Grassbird... don't often see the young ones so thought I would include it here... really cute.
98 Nankeen Kestrel... very distant as it moved each time I got close
99 Red-winged Parrot... a stunning parrot to see in the wild, big and vibrant. They were part of a mixed group dining on the abundant grass seed but in a different area to the Ringnecks.
100 Restless Flycatcher... at least four of them were calling and lifting their crest for the photo. This lot were not making that weird grinding noise that you hear but the ones in Bourke were doing so as they hovered. I had forgotten how peculier it sounds.
101 immature Rufous Whistler... the rufous edges to the feathers show it is not mature yet so not sure if a male or a female although the amount of streaking might suggest a female. I'll post a male from Bourke once I finish processing pictures.
102 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater... another bird with an unusual song. It sounds to me like they are practising the tune while doing their make-up... that pink lipstick is striking. Obviuosly feeding on tose little red berries which I should be able to identify but cannot at the moment. Normally they are numerous in this area but on this occasion they were in small numbers. Perhaps more flowers are required.
103 immature Spotted Harrier... another raptor that made my day as it flew right over my head and circled around. I was standing near the car park when it came over and had some clear views of it. Quite exciting!
104 Tree Martin... difficult to get a good clear shot as they move around so much and are usually backlit. However, i thought this shot showed the identifying characteristics wuite well even if the tail is lost.
105 Whistling Kite... a raptor that I see quite often when travelling but not while in lockdown in my backyard so thrilled.
106 Grey-crowned Babbler... not the best shot as the crown is not displayed but the yellow eye is clear as is the marking underneath. Another bird that likes to travel in a group. They are fun to watch as they turn over bark and soil searching for that elusive grub.
Plenty more photos to come as Bourke was quite productive and Warren is still incomplete. Hope you enjoy them as much I did getting out there and on the road. We did about 2800 kms in 10 days and travelled numerous back roads, had water across the road, visited outback National Parks, saw hundreds of wild goats but had only one roo on the road and encountered a couple of beautiful looking horses just trotting down the dirt road towards us. I think that my batteries are now recharged as my own backyard birds only amounted to 19 species.
WOW! What an amazing set. Some wonderrful shots there Sue. Love those bright blue skies as well.The Little Eagle & Little Grassbird would be lifers for me. Looking forward to seeing more
A few replacement shots before I add more new ones.
20 Australian Reed-warbler from Warren. Much better light in this shot. These birds were very vocal and quite active within the reed bed, popping up to look around quite often and flying from one area some distance to another. Pretty happy with this shot as it shows that golden colour quite well.
28 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike from Warren. A pair were feeding beside one of the paths and the crisp cool mornings and clear skies made for great light. Sometimes difficult to get the dark eye in that black face.
41 Jacky Winter... first shot from Bourke and second from the nearby Toorale National Park. Jacky Winters were common in Bourke so a walk down to the river revealed numerous little birds flitting from the wire to grab something off the ground. The second shot is better because of the light but the first shot is the typical pose of this adorable little robin and shows those characteristic white tail feathers.
Thanks Dev. We were blessed with superb weather and thoses clear skies were magic after an overcast Sydney. It was a sudden decision to head off when lock down eased and my physio took a break from exercise classes for a week. The window opened and we were off with a day's notice. Booked 3 nights in 3 places and avoided loads of people by heading out west.
There were limited places to eat but we had cooking facilities so not an issue. So we spent a bit of money to help the local economy but not as much as we wished. Plenty of coffees with a snack rather than full meals. We did choose to use drive through on the way home and sit in the car to eat as there were too many people in Maccas at Lithgow and it did not feel comfortable.
The trip reinforced that I am a birder before a photographer but here are a few scenes I managed with the long lens and then the phone. The wetlands at Warren were beautiful.
A few more from Warren and a drive past Macquarie Marshes.
a replacement 81... Yellow Thornbill at Warren without that branch but still a shadow!
107 Red-capped Robin... the female is from Warren and the male was seen on the road to Bourke. They were flitting across the road so we stopped for a while and the male came in to visit.
108 Weebill... love these little ones with their stubby bills and identifiable call. They were numerous around the wetlands at Warren.
109 White-winged Fairywren at Warren... a delight to see this male in full colour and posing so nicely on the wire. They can be very difficult to photograph well as the blue seems to make focusing difficult.
110 Magpie Goose... distant shot so just for the count as I hope to do better. Macquarie Marshes as we drove to the viewing platform.
111 Australian Hobby.... a truly awful shot as I just got the camera up in time but ID confirmed and I hope to replace it in future. Seen at the viewing platform at Macquarie marshes.
112 Zebra Finch... seen when we stopped for the male Red-capped Robin. Dusty dirt road but plenty of seed for them on the green sides. Females followed by a lovely male. No one else was on the road with us so very easy to stop and enjoy a non-dusty cuppa.
More photos still to come but culling, editing and down-sizing before upload all take time!
Ok now you are just making me jealous Sue. Some wonderful shots there. That Blue on the WWFW is just amazing! I do love the moon and early morning shots as well. Gives me itchy feet.
A few more from Bourke and surrounding areas, like Toorale National Park. Some good shots and some not so good which I may get to replace sometime when we get out and about again.
113 Black Kite... average shot so I hope to do better as they look good in flight
114 Blue-faced Honeyeater... not quite blue coloured yet so a young one which had been checking out the light for bugs
115 Blue Bonnet (yellow vent)... super happy with these as I have only seen them a couple of times. They flew in as I walked early one morning as did the Mulga and Ringneck Parrots --- the hoses had been on and water was laying about so various parrots took advantage of it. A fantastic morning with good light as well as birds. Adult and young one I believe.
116 Budgerigar... flew in very late in the day so light awful but I think I recovered enough,
117 Cockatiel .. too late and too distant but good to see a male and a female together
118 Common Blackbird... shy bird which did not want to be photographed
119 Masked Woodswallow... the only one I saw amongst all the White-browed Woodswallows
120 Mulga Parrot... always a little gem as the colours just glow. I took a stack of pictures showing various poses so might also post in Best pics.
121 Pale-headed Rosella... awful light and backlit so apologies for the funny blue tinge to the picture
122 Peaceful Dove.. would not stay still so average shot
123 Red-tailed Black-cockatoo... a pair flew in very late for a drink and back to the tree top as I came across for a picture
124 White-browed Woodswallow... sky and trees full of these birds every evening
125 Yellow-throated Miner... always poses well and never camera shy
126 Spotted Bowerbird... just the opposite, this bird was camera shy and stayed behind all those leaves
127 Emu... saw a mob of 9 birds while driving but a lot of dust in the air so pretty hazy shot
128 Fairy Martin... best I could capture as they flew in and out of an old homestead verandah
129 Yellow-billed spoonbill... a hurried shot as we stopped on a causeway when we saw the trees full of these birds
130 White-necked Heron... spooked the bird and it kept flying in circles over our heads. This one is for Dale!
A few more still to come. No info sheets for Masked Woodswallow, Red-tailed Black-cockatoo or Spotted Bowerbird.
Your going great guns, some lovely birds and great photos.
Sometimes you need to try different spelling/punctuation for the fact sheets, they can be a bit clunky, but are probably based on some official bird listing somewhere. So here are the few you were missing (hope you don't mind).
Final few birds from the trip but most are not great photos. I am following Alex's original concept of every bird I see but hope to replace them with better later in the year.
131 White-winged Triller at Bourke. Male and female around but those sticks ruin this shot and then they were a bit far away.
132 Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo was also at Bourke but my photos are back-lit or distant so went with distant for the colour and ID
133 Glossy Black-cockatoo a real surprise to see and hear this one in Bourke as so far west but clearly identifiable despite the sticks.
134 Crested Bellbird... a pair dashed into the bush from the road as we drove by; a hasty reverse to try for a photo but this was the best I could manage with the dust haze and car going. I believe the crest is just visible and nothing else looks like it. This was the road from Louth to Bourke where we saw hundreds of goats beside the road.
135 Pied Butcherbird.. an immature bird. These birds have such a beautiful and distinctive song. We had moved on to Coonabarabran and saw it in some town on the way.
136 Pied Currawong.. in the riverside park at Coonabarabran. I had gone there to locate the Fantail Cuckoo that was calling constantly. Located 3 Cuckoos and then this fellow posed.
137 Rainbow Lorikeet... in the riverside park at Coonabarabran. It appeared to be licking the bark but i could not see why except for moisture on a cold morning.
138 Noisy Friarbird.. living up to its name in the Pilliga Scrub but very high up in the tree and back-lit. We had completed a hot dry walk through a very poorly marked track to a dam but the birds were not cooperating that day.
139 Olive-backed Oriole... this bird was in the Warrumbungles where we went for a picnic lunch one day.
140 Wedgetail Eagle... very distant but clea ID. As we drove into the Warrumbungles, one came very close but there was nowhere safe to stop so I missed that shot. Plenty of room for improvement!
141 Red Wattlebird.. I saw this one in Mudgee and forgot about it.
142 Shining Bronze-cuckoo... in the Warrumbungles, plenty of Fantail Cuckoos calling and then this little one appeared. I had just positioned myself for the perfect shot with no backlight when a car spooked it. Could not find it again so this was the best i could manage.
143 Domestic Goose (Greylag perhaps?)... a flock of a dozen (greys and white) live at the riverside park in Coonabarabran. Figure this is my one domestic fowl post as we did one last year. They are no one's pets and they live wild.
That is it for the birds from our trip. Now I just need to improve on a number of them!
For some reason I missed this post Sue. You're getting some good numbers despite the restrictions. I know how hard some of these are to get so you did well. The Horsefields is cute
Thanks, Dev but I am very impressed with your trip pictures... waht a great set of birds and fantastic photos!
My husband's baby needed a run so I was allowed to take the camera along for the ride. A few pleasant surprises at the Ourimbah rest area but a tall tree so highly cropped shots for the moment.
Firstly a replacement for 138, a portrait shot of a Noisy Friarbird amongst the Coral Tree flowers.
Number 144.... Scarlet Honeyeater. The Coral Tree was attracting numerous birds but theywere very small and high and flitting constantly so this was the best I could manage. It was wonderful to see and hear them again and I enjoyed my walk immensely.
number 145... Varied Triller. Very surprised to see this pair so near Sydney and note it was reported on Ebird by a fellow observer. The female has the barring while the male's chest is unbarred. They have a distinctive call and were very vocal.
Number 146... Eastern Spinebill, not the best shot but realised I had not listed one as yet. Considering the difficulties in getting out and about, it seemed best to include it but fingers crossed for a closer bird in good light sometime soon.
Nothing more at present but I hope to get out again soon. Keep safe, stay strong and enjoy whatever birds you manage to see.
Wow that was a productive coral tree :-) Love the skeksi (I mean, friarbird :-) ) and the Varied Triller is a surprise. I've never seen a scarlet honeyeater - something to look forward to, such stunning birds.
Thanks guys. The Coral tree was a splendid specimen. I will return to this spot soon as I keep missing the Regent Bowerbirds! I now know where to look so will head off early one morning. About an hour north of Sydney on a freeway but I need to line up a companion so not walking there alone.
Alex, listen to the call of a Scarlet HE so you'll know it as they will be in Sydney. I have often seen them at Warriewood.
I will, Sue, thanks. I'm also feeling companionable again :-) so please drop me a line if you'd like someone to stake out the coral tree with (or any other birding mission really). I'm also taking my boys camping in the Capertee (Coorongooba) 1-5 Oct in case you fancy a bit of camping/birding :-)
Thanks all for the feedback. Flowers are beautiful if you can find them ... just returned from a road trip and blossoms were difficult to locate. Sorry, Karen as I just mucked up your counts. I was a bit slow to process and hope to have a few more next week as off again with my son this time.
Starting with birds from the Capertee Valley, a place well worth visiting ... even if the Turquoise Parrot avoided my camera (and car). However, it is vicious on tyres as I arrived back at the motel with a nail in the tyre and as I managed to park with it on the bottom, I had an impressive flat tyre at dusk! This is the third Capertee trip in various people's cars where we have had a nail in the tyre and the road is truly appalling. Just as well there are birds and spectacular scenery.
147 Brown Falcon ... a fairly reliable bird which hunts over the fields on the way into Glen Davis
148 a pair of Hooded robins, male on the left. A bit distant but great to see the pair for comparison
149 Striped Honeyeater... definitely an EBC as it would not come out of the leaves or come closer. Greta to hear them although I'll not remember the call.
Moving to Warren (in NSW of course!)
150 Australasian Shoveler... one either side of the Pink-eared Ducks and quite distant but in poor light on other occasions so another EBC
151 Hoary-headed Grebe... gorgeous little bird that was displaying breeding plumage quite nicely
152 Latham's Snipe... a really pleasant surprise to see this one feeding in front of the bird hide at 9:30am. It sat there for a number of minutes before striding slowly back into the reeds. A couple of days later, it was feeding again in the same spot for a longer period in the late afternoon. Sadly, I miss the Painted Snipe at Narrabri a few days later.
153 Peregrine Falcon... another exciting sight. I thought it would be the Hobby seen earlier. Came in so fast hunting over the large ponds before settling on a dead tree giving me time to get closer and take a few photos. I was all set for the lift-off but as usual they manage to put something in the way!
154 Rufous Songlark... these were singing constantly and flitting from tree to post making it difficult to get a decent photo in varying light conditions. I had given up and was walking back when this one called from nearby.
155 Western Gerygone... another very vocal little bird. Small and grey but a lovely red eye.
While at Warren, we went to Monkeygar Crossing on Gibson Way where you can see over the Macquarie Marshes and was pleasantly surprised by a flight of Australian Shelducks following a Swamp Harrier. I might also mention that we were able to visit Burrima which was open for 2 days to the public and has a 1.8km boardwalk through the Macquarie Marshes... looks like a promising venture and I would love to go back when it is officially open.
156 Swamp Harrier... wonderful to watch a pair soaring over the marshes. A bit distant but that white rump is so identifiable and when it came closer, i only had views from behind.
157 Australian Shelduck... female and then the male ... quite distant so EBC and I had not realised they were the flight I had seen come in behind the Harrier. A beautiful bird if you can see it closer and I think that the female is the more attractive.
We then moved on the Narrabri and spent a day in the cool up Mt Kaputar before venturing around the lake in town in very hot conditions. A lot of Mt Kaputar was burnt badly and much work has gone into repairing the damage but it will take a long time. Dawson Springs was the only area unscathed so we saw a few birds despite the lack of feed.
158 Brown-headed Honeyeater at Dawson Spring on Mt Kaputar... horribly backlit but only there fleetingly as the pair flew on. I think that these guys like to hang upside down!
159 White-eared Honeyeater, also at Dawson Spring. A brief glimpse again so another EBC.
160 House Sparrow... realised that I had not taken a photo previously so took this male in late afternoon light.
161 Musk Lorikeet.... only two trees were flowering so it concentrated these fellows quite nicely. This beautiful pink flowering gum was shorter and prettier than the other gum so I staked it out and waited for the birds to visit. They were flying between the two trees so it was only a matter of time amidst a lot of noise. Very happy with the shot as it shows the features quite well.
We tired of the heat and headed for the cool of Orange although going from over 30 to 16 degrees C was a shock! We decided to visit the botanical gardens in Orange as I had not been there. A lovely place and worth visiting again early in the morning but mid-week (not Saturday morning as we did).
162 Crimson Rosella... a beautiful adult followed by an immature having a bath. I like colouration of the young one but the adult is so rich. Unfortunately, this adult was a bit shy and kept moving into the shade.
163 Striated Thornbill... definitely an EBC as it would not keep still long enough for a decent picture. this was a very busy bird going up tree trunks and flying off to another tree very quickly.
I have a few pictures to load in the general forum when I get some time ... plenty of youngsters about and some lovely Sacred Kingfishers. I may also have a few new birds from next week's trip. Stay safe friends and enjoy the birds.
There does not appear to be a fact sheet for Western Gerygone so I will message Holly who has someone working on it.
Wow what a great set of birds there Sue. A few we don't get visiting our area. I found quite a lot of fact sheets not there when I was putting my birds in as well.
Thanks, Dev but I am still itching to do a trip as you did. Looking forward to seeing more photos from you. I am trying to find a few lifers but they are elusive ... the Turquoise Parrot flew in front of the car, the Superb Parrot stayed in bed, the Painted Honeyeater stayed hidden and a swooping Magpie cut short my investigation of the reed bed in Narrabri or I might have found that Painted Snipe. Hopeful that my son's younger set of eyes next week will assist as long as we do some touristy stuff as well.
Some great birds and shots, Sue - looks like a good trip :-) I laughed at the somewhat dishevelled Crimson Rosella jnr! The snipe, grebe and peregrine are all fantastic shots - nice work.
Thanks Karen, I'll check my spreadsheet ... I was in a hurry so probably overlooked. No worries as I saw a new bird yesterday in Lake Cargelligo. Wonderful of you to keep tabs on us, thanks again.
We are about 1.5 hours from Capertee. If I go there I could go as a day trip, but may find somewhere to stay overnight. Any recommendations for birdwatching places and/or accommodation?
I will check my spelling in future as that was why I missed the double-up. Cannot seem to open the website and upload picture from laptop at the moment although this link appears to be still open on the I pad.
A replacement for double-up on150 is this Diamond Dove ... an EBC so hope to get a better shot. This was taken in theToorale NP on road between Bourke and Louth. I had little time as recent rains made the dirt road conditions a bit iffy and the next section had only been re-opened recently so a bit cautious with time. So I did not go hunting up the group of doves when they flew off.
The following are also replacement shots for earlier photos as I prefer these ones.
124 White-browed Woodswallow from the Pilliga Scrub near Coonabarabran ... in the rain... a favourite shot... dirt/mud roads were especially bad as we headed out of the scrub to Baradine. These birds were hawking across the road as we headed out of Dandry Gorge after viewing the Sculptures in the Scrub (well worth a visit) .
127 Emu in Toorale NP out of Bourke... a very hot day and this bird approached close to the car so I could lean across the passenger for this shot
159 White-eared Honeyeater in the Flora Reserve out of Gilgandra... a spot I had not visited before but also extremely hot conditions with stinging flies but some beautiful wildflowers. I think this bird's head is covered in some of the pollen.
I'll post some new ones later on as the internet went down and I lost all of this and plenty of text earlier.
A few more from my recent week away with my son who needed the break after working from home for some months... his father then had a break from us both!
The countryside is amazing ... lush with fields of green, yellow and purple and so high in some places. Plenty of wheat close to harvest so hope the current rain eases in time.
164 Australian Bustard... a pair strolling along the roadside as we left Bourke. They are moving south as summer approaches and are a wonderful bird to see especially the male display.
The rest of these are from Lake Cargelligo which would be lovely in good weather but we arrived in the midst of a heavy downpour and storms kept rolling in for a couple of days. The sun appeared on the last day but winds were then an issue so we went for a drive to check out Chat Alley.. too windy. Then I took a wrong turn and ventured through Round Hill Nature Reserve, unsealed red earth through the mallee ... a hairy drive which had the adrenalin pumping. I cannot understand how we could be driving up a hill but have lakes of rainwater both sides of the road and mud everywhere else, why did it not drain down the hill? I had gone without any recovery gear! I was never so relieved to reach bitumen as on that day. Most of the following are from the Waste Water wetlands.
165 White-fronted Chat, male with the black cowl and a duller female. There were a party of 6-8 foraging in the samphire and heath ... a very small bird which usually stays low to the ground and pops up occasionally to the top of a bush... very easily missed.
166 Australian Spotted Crake... not a great shot but the best I could do in the inclement conditions... overcast skies with rolling storms and sticky mud restricted me to the bird hide where the reeds were very high although I did climb onto a drainage pipe to see over them for this one.
167 Glossy Ibis... another not great shot for the same reasons as above
168 Red-capped Plover... conditions were better the following day so I was rewarded with this one. Love this little birds but did not get too close as a number were about and thre may have been a nest.
169 Whiskered Tern... must have been 40 or 50 of these birds fishing the ponds and this shot took some time to capture as they are so fast. This shot is for you, Dale. Also, on a number of occasions, a flock of birds flew overhead while making squawking sounds which I did not recognise... finally I managed a good look and realised they were Whiskered Terns. While fishing they did not appear to make these sounds. They seemed to be announcing their arrival or departure.
170 White-breasted Woodswallow... not sure if this was one of a pair looking to nest as one bird stayed put and the other came and went. This was taken at the site of another bird hide which was on the lake itself but the wind kept numbers down. Various other birds put in an appearance but nothing new to the list. Sacred Kingfishers were paired up as were the Cockatiels so the birds seem to appreciate the breaking of the drought.
Some great shots Sue - looks like a good trip despite the weather. I'd be very excited to see those bustard and emu so close up - but the white-browed woodswallow in the rain is my favourite shot - lovely. I also struggled with taking photos of the whiskered terns last week - you got a nice result! I've been struggling with my camera - its not focussing well (very slow / inaccurate), keeps giving error messages and resetting to some kind of limp along mode. A bit of research online seems to indicate problems with the lens/camera contacts is likely, so I'll try a thorough clean (guilty - poor camera is filthy) and see if that works .
Thanks, Alex, it was a wonderful short trip but better weather would hopefully mean more birds. Still looking for a Superb Parrot and missed the Major Mitchells which were in the area. We visited the Warrumbungles, Pilliga Scrub, The Newey in Cobar and the Japanese Gardens in Cowra travelling Mudgee, Coonabarabran, Bourke, Cobar, Lake Cargelligo and Cowra before heading home. Back roads were generally the chosen option so I saw some new areas and a variety of birds including another Latham's Snipe and Peregrine Falcon.
I'll send you details of the great place where I sent my Nikon camera and Tamron lens as they cleaned and recalibrated both items with lens under warranty conditions. Well worth the postage costs.
Thanks Alex. Forgot to post it this one from January in the local park. Just a replacement shot for #13 White-throated Treecreeper. Actually not a lot better but does show that lovely buff spot of the female... probably a young one as the rump shows some rufous. I gave up staking out the little waterhole as there were hardly any birds around but stacks of midgies and mosquitos as the tide was out.
Took advantage of the op to send my camera and lens for service. With the lens repaired and perfectly matched to the cleaned and re-calibrated camera, I am hoping for great things once I get out again. Knew something was off with the set-up when in Mudgee.
Good luck Sue, you'll be back at it in no time at all.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Finally ready to add a few more. Some could be better but you take what you can at the moment.
I managed to get out to the Olympic Park precinct and find a few birds just before the eye operation but had no time for processing until now (with my one lens glasses). It was an overcast morning but few people were about so I had the place almost to myself.
76 Australian Raven. Posing on the fence as I walked up and I was quite pleased with this result as the lustre is evident on the feathers and black birds are as difficult as white ones to capture well.
77 juvenile Brown Goshawk. I was very pleased to spot this one which was revealed by the Noisy Miner chatter before it flew to another tree when pestered by a Raven. The light was awful but with no one else around it hung about until I repostioned myself and managed a few shots. Perhaps it was awaiting breakfast delivery from a parent. The stare was quite imposing! Apparently this is a young male which are smaller than the females.
78 Grey Butcherbird... a couple were flying around and feasting on cicadas but this was the only shot I managed before it was off again. Beautiful songbirds. I hear them all the time at home but currently they are not coming to visit the birdbath.
79 Spotted Dove... another one common at home but missing at present. This was one of pair who were decidedly amorous in a tree just outside the bird hide at the waterbird refuge. Gorgeous colours and patterning on them when you get close.
80 Striated Heron --- again awful light so EBC. Generally, I find this bird waiting at the water outlet with an egret or heron for company but it was disturbed by someone and flew across the bay in front of me so I was lucky to get anything... highly cropped. This is the last from my walk around OP as not a lot of birds were evident.
81 Yellow Thornbill... a visit to my daughter on the Central Coast allowed for a brief stopover at the Ourimbah rest area and astroll down the path. Plenty of birds about but in the heat, they were staying close in the bush. This one was obliging but back-lit. The second shot is to demonstrate the use of those twigs and branches to observe safely and play peek-a-boo!
82 Brown Gerygone... another from Ourimbah. The bush was full of little birds and it would be a great walk when I have more time as the path is bitumen and there is plenty of water about. The honeysuckle is flowering and attracted an Eastern Spinebill (no photo) but the privet should flower shortly, so perhaps that will bring some Honeyeaters. Hopefully, I can get back there.
83 Noisy Miner --- took this one at home to try out the repaired lens and recalibrated camera. Quite pleased with the result on another overcast day. Sydney is no longer in drought and today is quite hot.
That is it for the moment although I have other photos to post as replacements or in general photos and some Royal Spoonbill 'chicks'... Spoonbills.
Beautiful shots there Sue. I don't see any Yellow Thornills in our local area. They're very cute. Love the Peekaboo shot. I also love the Brown Goshawk shot with that imposing Stare.
Glad to hear your back into it Sue. Love the Yellow Thornbill and the Grey Buthcherbord with a feed. Looks like some solitude is coming our way, maybe the birds will be kind to us, and show us their tail feathers!
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks, yes those Yellow Thornbills are really cute but I do like all those little birds. I have found that they will often investigate you if you hang about for a while.
A few replacement shots because I like them better. It was quite overcast when I went for my walk around the Olympic Park precinct --- which seems so long ago now! There is now plenty of time to sort and edit my pictures while isolated.
44 Pacific Black Duck --- without a hole in the lower bill so no tongue protruding! I like the mood. The other shot was unusual as the bird was doing quite well but this one was lovely to see against the water
49 Masked Lapwing --- because I like the atmosphere of this shot.
55 Red-browed Finch --- it is just a better picture and so typical of them in amongst the grasses. This was taken at Ourimbah in March. There were numerous ones present but they would wait until I was just close enough and fly off further down the path. Typical finch behaviour !
Beautiful Sue.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Love your photos Sue. Like you, I also really like the little birds. They often swarm by my place, 4 or 5 species all in together, sweeping through the leaves on the tops of the trees. I'm rarely fast enough to get a decent photo but I'm still happy to just watch them. You seem to have got them worked out though, anticipating at what point they might just stop briefly and look at the camera??
It is challenging but a burst of shots sometimes helps. I zoom out to keep them in focus and zoom in at the last moment otherwise I lose them as they move. Practice your skills around your wonderful backyard and it will get easier.
Hi Sue, I had a question to ask you (and anyone else here?) around cameras.
I bought a Nikon D3500 a year or so ago but I have realised that I'm not really that much into photography. Mainly as I'm not interested in spending any time editing a photo on a computer, I just want to be outside in nature and take pics of things I like. I would like a better zoom though, so I can get pics of birds that are further away. I have a 70-300mm zoom lens. I have read about the Nikon Coolpix P900. In hindsight, I think this might have been a better option for me than a DSLR and a zoom lens given I don't want to do any photo editing. I have also found occasions where it would be good to be able to get close up pics - stick insects and bugs and things :-). But with the 70-300mm lens that doesn't always turn out great.
Would you have any camera recommendations based on this?
I do still need to learn many of the functions on my camera to use in the field, I'm just not interested in doing anything with software later. I spend way too much time on a computer for work, and as I tell my son (now 5, had his isolation birthday at home last week!), I need more 'outsideness' :-)
Hi Karen, good to see you posting.
This question has been discussed before under Sue's Small Year Challenge 2019. Alex or Dale both use the P900 and have commented about it. My only suggestion is that the viewfinder on the P900 is awful and I could not use it.
As to photo editing, work on your camera skills and there may be little editing apart from cropping or adjusting the light. I used to photograph everything that moved but realised that you need to be close for a decent shot. 300mm zoom is good but 400mm just gives that little bit more and is ideal for birds. Use a smaller lens for the macros. The main thing to take away is to just get out and about and enjoy yourself and don't be overly fussed about the editing.
Keep safe.
Thank Sue, I checked out those other posts. Will make an effort to get to know my camera better.... and may invest in macro and a 400mm lens at some point. I had a lovely morning cuppa with the birds today, 13 species in less than 10 minutes and one new one to add to my list here :-)
Escaped Sydney at last and the limited number of birds visiting my backyard! Enjoyed a fantastic morning in Warren, NSW today and have some great new birds to add when I get back home. I am stuck photographing the back of the camera with the I-pad for ID confirmation but would not load those pics here. Cannot wait, so will name a couple to come with photos next week.
So excited as I think I saw a pair of Black Falcons but need confirmation as opinion divided. The young Spotted Harrier is still great but pales in comparison. Cockatiel, Little Grassbird, Weebill, Red-capped Robin and a Budgerigar also put in an appearance. I am so relaxed and satisfied... now doubt at all that I have really missed this!
Looking forward to seeing you photos Sue, it's nice to get out again. I've got a few to add, bit finding time to sort them out is an issue at the moment.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
A few from the great escape... we went west as far as Bourke and loved every minute of it! Still pocessing but here are a few with which to start.
84 Azure Kingfisher at Mudgee... would have been better but my phone rang at that crucial moment! Still a lovely bird to see.
85 Straw-necked Ibis amongst a group of Australian White Ibis... also seen at Mudgee as we passed through for a cuppa. This was a very brief stop as my husband had a coffee while I walked around the water. However it was wonderful to be out there on my own.
The following are all from Warren in NSW where we spent 3 nights. The wetlands near the water Treatment Plant had much more water than on previous visits and the surrounding area had a lot of standing water. There must have been recent rain and some good falls. Sadly the Goan Waterhole at Trangie was choked with weed so no luck there. I walked and walked to complete full circuits of both areas of wetland as well as checking out the restricted area of the Water Treatment works from the path. After being cooped up for so long the walking was great but exhausting. I'll try to post some pictures of the area to show how scenic it was.
86 Pink-eared Duck ... nowhere near the number or variety of ducks at this time of the year but I always like to see these ones.
87 Apostlebird... love these birds which are often in loud groups so surprising to get one on its own
88 Australian Ringneck (Mallee Ringneck)... parrots everywhere being very quiet and enjoying the grass seed which was abundant
89 Australian Wood Duck with ducklings ... plenty of ducklings providing food for the raptors but surprisingly these ducks were not abundant. It was mainly Grey Teal and Pacific Black Ducks with numerous ducklings fleeing for cover as I walked past.
90 Black Falcon... going with the majority verdict here from my ID post. I thought in the field that this was a Black Falcon as it was identical to pictures on my app and everything seemed right but it is always a tricky ID that generates comment. Stoked to see a pair which hung about for a day or so to feed on the young birds...this one appeared to be eating a Swamphen chick in one picture. The aberrant white feather made it easy to track a particular bird.
91 Double-barred Finch... dreadful shot so hope to replace in the future.
92 Great Cormorant... another awful shot but they flew overhead and I never saw them land.
93 Grey Teal... plenty of these ducks on the ponds with their ducklings
94 Grey Fantail... surprised I had not already counted this one. Loved the shot of it singing away.
95 dark morph Little Eagle... seen these before but I have a soft spot for raptors so was quite excited by this one as well. It was sitting quietly in a tree and I spotted it by chance. Walking around the tree gave me various views but none clear of shadows and leaves. I waited ages for it to finally show me those stout legs just before lift off but then it flew behind every tree possible until out of range!
96 Little Friarbird... a group seemed to be feeding almost exclusively in the mistletoe laden trees but no cooperation for a photo.
97 Little Grassbird... not calling much but a lot of moving around the reed bed and popping up for a look around.
young Little Grassbird... don't often see the young ones so thought I would include it here... really cute.
98 Nankeen Kestrel... very distant as it moved each time I got close
99 Red-winged Parrot... a stunning parrot to see in the wild, big and vibrant. They were part of a mixed group dining on the abundant grass seed but in a different area to the Ringnecks.
100 Restless Flycatcher... at least four of them were calling and lifting their crest for the photo. This lot were not making that weird grinding noise that you hear but the ones in Bourke were doing so as they hovered. I had forgotten how peculier it sounds.
101 immature Rufous Whistler... the rufous edges to the feathers show it is not mature yet so not sure if a male or a female although the amount of streaking might suggest a female. I'll post a male from Bourke once I finish processing pictures.
102 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater... another bird with an unusual song. It sounds to me like they are practising the tune while doing their make-up... that pink lipstick is striking. Obviuosly feeding on tose little red berries which I should be able to identify but cannot at the moment. Normally they are numerous in this area but on this occasion they were in small numbers. Perhaps more flowers are required.
103 immature Spotted Harrier... another raptor that made my day as it flew right over my head and circled around. I was standing near the car park when it came over and had some clear views of it. Quite exciting!
104 Tree Martin... difficult to get a good clear shot as they move around so much and are usually backlit. However, i thought this shot showed the identifying characteristics wuite well even if the tail is lost.
105 Whistling Kite... a raptor that I see quite often when travelling but not while in lockdown in my backyard so thrilled.
106 Grey-crowned Babbler... not the best shot as the crown is not displayed but the yellow eye is clear as is the marking underneath. Another bird that likes to travel in a group. They are fun to watch as they turn over bark and soil searching for that elusive grub.
Plenty more photos to come as Bourke was quite productive and Warren is still incomplete. Hope you enjoy them as much I did getting out there and on the road. We did about 2800 kms in 10 days and travelled numerous back roads, had water across the road, visited outback National Parks, saw hundreds of wild goats but had only one roo on the road and encountered a couple of beautiful looking horses just trotting down the dirt road towards us. I think that my batteries are now recharged as my own backyard birds only amounted to 19 species.
WOW! What an amazing set. Some wonderrful shots there Sue. Love those bright blue skies as well.The Little Eagle & Little Grassbird would be lifers for me. Looking forward to seeing more
A few replacement shots before I add more new ones.
20 Australian Reed-warbler from Warren. Much better light in this shot. These birds were very vocal and quite active within the reed bed, popping up to look around quite often and flying from one area some distance to another. Pretty happy with this shot as it shows that golden colour quite well.
28 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike from Warren. A pair were feeding beside one of the paths and the crisp cool mornings and clear skies made for great light. Sometimes difficult to get the dark eye in that black face.
41 Jacky Winter... first shot from Bourke and second from the nearby Toorale National Park. Jacky Winters were common in Bourke so a walk down to the river revealed numerous little birds flitting from the wire to grab something off the ground. The second shot is better because of the light but the first shot is the typical pose of this adorable little robin and shows those characteristic white tail feathers.
A few more extra shots
101 male Rufous Whistler from Bourke just for comparison with the previous photo of an immature bird
106 a Grey-crowned Babbler from the Warrumbungles and showing the dark eye of a young one
The light is beautiful on these Sue
Thanks Dev. We were blessed with superb weather and thoses clear skies were magic after an overcast Sydney. It was a sudden decision to head off when lock down eased and my physio took a break from exercise classes for a week. The window opened and we were off with a day's notice. Booked 3 nights in 3 places and avoided loads of people by heading out west.
There were limited places to eat but we had cooking facilities so not an issue. So we spent a bit of money to help the local economy but not as much as we wished. Plenty of coffees with a snack rather than full meals. We did choose to use drive through on the way home and sit in the car to eat as there were too many people in Maccas at Lithgow and it did not feel comfortable.
The trip reinforced that I am a birder before a photographer but here are a few scenes I managed with the long lens and then the phone. The wetlands at Warren were beautiful.
And the phone
A few more from Warren and a drive past Macquarie Marshes.
a replacement 81... Yellow Thornbill at Warren without that branch but still a shadow!
107 Red-capped Robin... the female is from Warren and the male was seen on the road to Bourke. They were flitting across the road so we stopped for a while and the male came in to visit.
108 Weebill... love these little ones with their stubby bills and identifiable call. They were numerous around the wetlands at Warren.
109 White-winged Fairywren at Warren... a delight to see this male in full colour and posing so nicely on the wire. They can be very difficult to photograph well as the blue seems to make focusing difficult.
110 Magpie Goose... distant shot so just for the count as I hope to do better. Macquarie Marshes as we drove to the viewing platform.
111 Australian Hobby.... a truly awful shot as I just got the camera up in time but ID confirmed and I hope to replace it in future. Seen at the viewing platform at Macquarie marshes.
More photos still to come but culling, editing and down-sizing before upload all take time!
Ok now you are just making me jealous Sue. Some wonderful shots there. That Blue on the WWFW is just amazing! I do love the moon and early morning shots as well. Gives me itchy feet.
A few more from Bourke and surrounding areas, like Toorale National Park. Some good shots and some not so good which I may get to replace sometime when we get out and about again.
113 Black Kite... average shot so I hope to do better as they look good in flight
114 Blue-faced Honeyeater... not quite blue coloured yet so a young one which had been checking out the light for bugs
115 Blue Bonnet (yellow vent)... super happy with these as I have only seen them a couple of times. They flew in as I walked early one morning as did the Mulga and Ringneck Parrots --- the hoses had been on and water was laying about so various parrots took advantage of it. A fantastic morning with good light as well as birds. Adult and young one I believe.
116 Budgerigar... flew in very late in the day so light awful but I think I recovered enough,
118 Common Blackbird... shy bird which did not want to be photographed
119 Masked Woodswallow... the only one I saw amongst all the White-browed Woodswallows
120 Mulga Parrot... always a little gem as the colours just glow. I took a stack of pictures showing various poses so might also post in Best pics.
121 Pale-headed Rosella... awful light and backlit so apologies for the funny blue tinge to the picture
122 Peaceful Dove.. would not stay still so average shot
123 Red-tailed Black-cockatoo... a pair flew in very late for a drink and back to the tree top as I came across for a picture
124 White-browed Woodswallow... sky and trees full of these birds every evening
125 Yellow-throated Miner... always poses well and never camera shy
126 Spotted Bowerbird... just the opposite, this bird was camera shy and stayed behind all those leaves
127 Emu... saw a mob of 9 birds while driving but a lot of dust in the air so pretty hazy shot
128 Fairy Martin... best I could capture as they flew in and out of an old homestead verandah
129 Yellow-billed spoonbill... a hurried shot as we stopped on a causeway when we saw the trees full of these birds
130 White-necked Heron... spooked the bird and it kept flying in circles over our heads. This one is for Dale!
A few more still to come. No info sheets for Masked Woodswallow, Red-tailed Black-cockatoo or Spotted Bowerbird.
Your going great guns, some lovely birds and great photos.
Sometimes you need to try different spelling/punctuation for the fact sheets, they can be a bit clunky, but are probably based on some official bird listing somewhere. So here are the few you were missing (hope you don't mind).
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Thanks, Dale. About to add the final few poor photos.
I tried all spellings and even just Bowerbird to get types listed. No luck with these three. Happy for you to add if you can but nothing in your post.
Sue
Final few birds from the trip but most are not great photos. I am following Alex's original concept of every bird I see but hope to replace them with better later in the year.
131 White-winged Triller at Bourke. Male and female around but those sticks ruin this shot and then they were a bit far away.
132 Horsfield's Bronze-cuckoo was also at Bourke but my photos are back-lit or distant so went with distant for the colour and ID
133 Glossy Black-cockatoo a real surprise to see and hear this one in Bourke as so far west but clearly identifiable despite the sticks.
134 Crested Bellbird... a pair dashed into the bush from the road as we drove by; a hasty reverse to try for a photo but this was the best I could manage with the dust haze and car going. I believe the crest is just visible and nothing else looks like it. This was the road from Louth to Bourke where we saw hundreds of goats beside the road.
135 Pied Butcherbird.. an immature bird. These birds have such a beautiful and distinctive song. We had moved on to Coonabarabran and saw it in some town on the way.
136 Pied Currawong.. in the riverside park at Coonabarabran. I had gone there to locate the Fantail Cuckoo that was calling constantly. Located 3 Cuckoos and then this fellow posed.
137 Rainbow Lorikeet... in the riverside park at Coonabarabran. It appeared to be licking the bark but i could not see why except for moisture on a cold morning.
138 Noisy Friarbird.. living up to its name in the Pilliga Scrub but very high up in the tree and back-lit. We had completed a hot dry walk through a very poorly marked track to a dam but the birds were not cooperating that day.
139 Olive-backed Oriole... this bird was in the Warrumbungles where we went for a picnic lunch one day.
140 Wedgetail Eagle... very distant but clea ID. As we drove into the Warrumbungles, one came very close but there was nowhere safe to stop so I missed that shot. Plenty of room for improvement!
141 Red Wattlebird.. I saw this one in Mudgee and forgot about it.
142 Shining Bronze-cuckoo... in the Warrumbungles, plenty of Fantail Cuckoos calling and then this little one appeared. I had just positioned myself for the perfect shot with no backlight when a car spooked it. Could not find it again so this was the best i could manage.
143 Domestic Goose (Greylag perhaps?)... a flock of a dozen (greys and white) live at the riverside park in Coonabarabran. Figure this is my one domestic fowl post as we did one last year. They are no one's pets and they live wild.
That is it for the birds from our trip. Now I just need to improve on a number of them!
Sue, I see what you mean, the links are there, but not the information?
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
For some reason I missed this post Sue. You're getting some good numbers despite the restrictions. I know how hard some of these are to get so you did well. The Horsefields is cute
Thanks, Dev but I am very impressed with your trip pictures... waht a great set of birds and fantastic photos!
My husband's baby needed a run so I was allowed to take the camera along for the ride. A few pleasant surprises at the Ourimbah rest area but a tall tree so highly cropped shots for the moment.
Firstly a replacement for 138, a portrait shot of a Noisy Friarbird amongst the Coral Tree flowers.
Number 144.... Scarlet Honeyeater. The Coral Tree was attracting numerous birds but theywere very small and high and flitting constantly so this was the best I could manage. It was wonderful to see and hear them again and I enjoyed my walk immensely.
number 145... Varied Triller. Very surprised to see this pair so near Sydney and note it was reported on Ebird by a fellow observer. The female has the barring while the male's chest is unbarred. They have a distinctive call and were very vocal.
Number 146... Eastern Spinebill, not the best shot but realised I had not listed one as yet. Considering the difficulties in getting out and about, it seemed best to include it but fingers crossed for a closer bird in good light sometime soon.
Nothing more at present but I hope to get out again soon. Keep safe, stay strong and enjoy whatever birds you manage to see.
Some more nice shots Sue. I do live the close up of the Friarbird. The female Triller looks better looking than the male with that Baring
Wow that was a productive coral tree :-) Love the skeksi (I mean, friarbird :-) ) and the Varied Triller is a surprise. I've never seen a scarlet honeyeater - something to look forward to, such stunning birds.
Thanks guys. The Coral tree was a splendid specimen. I will return to this spot soon as I keep missing the Regent Bowerbirds! I now know where to look so will head off early one morning. About an hour north of Sydney on a freeway but I need to line up a companion so not walking there alone.
Alex, listen to the call of a Scarlet HE so you'll know it as they will be in Sydney. I have often seen them at Warriewood.
I will, Sue, thanks. I'm also feeling companionable again :-) so please drop me a line if you'd like someone to stake out the coral tree with (or any other birding mission really). I'm also taking my boys camping in the Capertee (Coorongooba) 1-5 Oct in case you fancy a bit of camping/birding :-)
Think I also missed a few. Great photos of some fantastic species. Love them all.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Love the Spring photos Sue, aren't the flowers gorgeous, and the birds they attract!
Thanks all for the feedback. Flowers are beautiful if you can find them ... just returned from a road trip and blossoms were difficult to locate. Sorry, Karen as I just mucked up your counts. I was a bit slow to process and hope to have a few more next week as off again with my son this time.
Starting with birds from the Capertee Valley, a place well worth visiting ... even if the Turquoise Parrot avoided my camera (and car). However, it is vicious on tyres as I arrived back at the motel with a nail in the tyre and as I managed to park with it on the bottom, I had an impressive flat tyre at dusk! This is the third Capertee trip in various people's cars where we have had a nail in the tyre and the road is truly appalling. Just as well there are birds and spectacular scenery.
147 Brown Falcon ... a fairly reliable bird which hunts over the fields on the way into Glen Davis
148 a pair of Hooded robins, male on the left. A bit distant but great to see the pair for comparison
149 Striped Honeyeater... definitely an EBC as it would not come out of the leaves or come closer. Greta to hear them although I'll not remember the call.
Moving to Warren (in NSW of course!)
150 Australasian Shoveler... one either side of the Pink-eared Ducks and quite distant but in poor light on other occasions so another EBC
151 Hoary-headed Grebe... gorgeous little bird that was displaying breeding plumage quite nicely
152 Latham's Snipe... a really pleasant surprise to see this one feeding in front of the bird hide at 9:30am. It sat there for a number of minutes before striding slowly back into the reeds. A couple of days later, it was feeding again in the same spot for a longer period in the late afternoon. Sadly, I miss the Painted Snipe at Narrabri a few days later.
153 Peregrine Falcon... another exciting sight. I thought it would be the Hobby seen earlier. Came in so fast hunting over the large ponds before settling on a dead tree giving me time to get closer and take a few photos. I was all set for the lift-off but as usual they manage to put something in the way!
154 Rufous Songlark... these were singing constantly and flitting from tree to post making it difficult to get a decent photo in varying light conditions. I had given up and was walking back when this one called from nearby.
155 Western Gerygone... another very vocal little bird. Small and grey but a lovely red eye.
While at Warren, we went to Monkeygar Crossing on Gibson Way where you can see over the Macquarie Marshes and was pleasantly surprised by a flight of Australian Shelducks following a Swamp Harrier. I might also mention that we were able to visit Burrima which was open for 2 days to the public and has a 1.8km boardwalk through the Macquarie Marshes... looks like a promising venture and I would love to go back when it is officially open.
156 Swamp Harrier... wonderful to watch a pair soaring over the marshes. A bit distant but that white rump is so identifiable and when it came closer, i only had views from behind.
157 Australian Shelduck... female and then the male ... quite distant so EBC and I had not realised they were the flight I had seen come in behind the Harrier. A beautiful bird if you can see it closer and I think that the female is the more attractive.
We then moved on the Narrabri and spent a day in the cool up Mt Kaputar before venturing around the lake in town in very hot conditions. A lot of Mt Kaputar was burnt badly and much work has gone into repairing the damage but it will take a long time. Dawson Springs was the only area unscathed so we saw a few birds despite the lack of feed.
158 Brown-headed Honeyeater at Dawson Spring on Mt Kaputar... horribly backlit but only there fleetingly as the pair flew on. I think that these guys like to hang upside down!
159 White-eared Honeyeater, also at Dawson Spring. A brief glimpse again so another EBC.
160 House Sparrow... realised that I had not taken a photo previously so took this male in late afternoon light.
161 Musk Lorikeet.... only two trees were flowering so it concentrated these fellows quite nicely. This beautiful pink flowering gum was shorter and prettier than the other gum so I staked it out and waited for the birds to visit. They were flying between the two trees so it was only a matter of time amidst a lot of noise. Very happy with the shot as it shows the features quite well.
We tired of the heat and headed for the cool of Orange although going from over 30 to 16 degrees C was a shock! We decided to visit the botanical gardens in Orange as I had not been there. A lovely place and worth visiting again early in the morning but mid-week (not Saturday morning as we did).
162 Crimson Rosella... a beautiful adult followed by an immature having a bath. I like colouration of the young one but the adult is so rich. Unfortunately, this adult was a bit shy and kept moving into the shade.
163 Striated Thornbill... definitely an EBC as it would not keep still long enough for a decent picture. this was a very busy bird going up tree trunks and flying off to another tree very quickly.
I have a few pictures to load in the general forum when I get some time ... plenty of youngsters about and some lovely Sacred Kingfishers. I may also have a few new birds from next week's trip. Stay safe friends and enjoy the birds.
There does not appear to be a fact sheet for Western Gerygone so I will message Holly who has someone working on it.
Wow what a great set of birds there Sue. A few we don't get visiting our area. I found quite a lot of fact sheets not there when I was putting my birds in as well.
Thanks, Dev but I am still itching to do a trip as you did. Looking forward to seeing more photos from you. I am trying to find a few lifers but they are elusive ... the Turquoise Parrot flew in front of the car, the Superb Parrot stayed in bed, the Painted Honeyeater stayed hidden and a swooping Magpie cut short my investigation of the reed bed in Narrabri or I might have found that Painted Snipe. Hopeful that my son's younger set of eyes next week will assist as long as we do some touristy stuff as well.
Love your half drowned looking Crimson Rosella, but they are all nice. Looking forward to some more.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Some great birds and shots, Sue - looks like a good trip :-) I laughed at the somewhat dishevelled Crimson Rosella jnr! The snipe, grebe and peregrine are all fantastic shots - nice work.
Love the photos Sue and another prompt for me to organise my Capertee trip very soon!
I do have the Australasian Shoveler at #16 for you though, so maybe a duplicate?
Thanks Karen, I'll check my spreadsheet ... I was in a hurry so probably overlooked. No worries as I saw a new bird yesterday in Lake Cargelligo. Wonderful of you to keep tabs on us, thanks again.
Ok great, just add that as #168 :-)
We are about 1.5 hours from Capertee. If I go there I could go as a day trip, but may find somewhere to stay overnight. Any recommendations for birdwatching places and/or accommodation?
#150 sorry! Getting mixed up with my numbers, time for coffee I think.
I will check my spelling in future as that was why I missed the double-up. Cannot seem to open the website and upload picture from laptop at the moment although this link appears to be still open on the I pad.
A replacement for double-up on150 is this Diamond Dove ... an EBC so hope to get a better shot. This was taken in theToorale NP on road between Bourke and Louth. I had little time as recent rains made the dirt road conditions a bit iffy and the next section had only been re-opened recently so a bit cautious with time. So I did not go hunting up the group of doves when they flew off.
The following are also replacement shots for earlier photos as I prefer these ones.
124 White-browed Woodswallow from the Pilliga Scrub near Coonabarabran ... in the rain... a favourite shot... dirt/mud roads were especially bad as we headed out of the scrub to Baradine. These birds were hawking across the road as we headed out of Dandry Gorge after viewing the Sculptures in the Scrub (well worth a visit) .
127 Emu in Toorale NP out of Bourke... a very hot day and this bird approached close to the car so I could lean across the passenger for this shot
159 White-eared Honeyeater in the Flora Reserve out of Gilgandra... a spot I had not visited before but also extremely hot conditions with stinging flies but some beautiful wildflowers. I think this bird's head is covered in some of the pollen.
I'll post some new ones later on as the internet went down and I lost all of this and plenty of text earlier.
A few more from my recent week away with my son who needed the break after working from home for some months... his father then had a break from us both!
The countryside is amazing ... lush with fields of green, yellow and purple and so high in some places. Plenty of wheat close to harvest so hope the current rain eases in time.
164 Australian Bustard... a pair strolling along the roadside as we left Bourke. They are moving south as summer approaches and are a wonderful bird to see especially the male display.
The rest of these are from Lake Cargelligo which would be lovely in good weather but we arrived in the midst of a heavy downpour and storms kept rolling in for a couple of days. The sun appeared on the last day but winds were then an issue so we went for a drive to check out Chat Alley.. too windy. Then I took a wrong turn and ventured through Round Hill Nature Reserve, unsealed red earth through the mallee ... a hairy drive which had the adrenalin pumping. I cannot understand how we could be driving up a hill but have lakes of rainwater both sides of the road and mud everywhere else, why did it not drain down the hill? I had gone without any recovery gear! I was never so relieved to reach bitumen as on that day. Most of the following are from the Waste Water wetlands.
165 White-fronted Chat, male with the black cowl and a duller female. There were a party of 6-8 foraging in the samphire and heath ... a very small bird which usually stays low to the ground and pops up occasionally to the top of a bush... very easily missed.
166 Australian Spotted Crake... not a great shot but the best I could do in the inclement conditions... overcast skies with rolling storms and sticky mud restricted me to the bird hide where the reeds were very high although I did climb onto a drainage pipe to see over them for this one.
167 Glossy Ibis... another not great shot for the same reasons as above
168 Red-capped Plover... conditions were better the following day so I was rewarded with this one. Love this little birds but did not get too close as a number were about and thre may have been a nest.
169 Whiskered Tern... must have been 40 or 50 of these birds fishing the ponds and this shot took some time to capture as they are so fast. This shot is for you, Dale. Also, on a number of occasions, a flock of birds flew overhead while making squawking sounds which I did not recognise... finally I managed a good look and realised they were Whiskered Terns. While fishing they did not appear to make these sounds. They seemed to be announcing their arrival or departure.
170 White-breasted Woodswallow... not sure if this was one of a pair looking to nest as one bird stayed put and the other came and went. This was taken at the site of another bird hide which was on the lake itself but the wind kept numbers down. Various other birds put in an appearance but nothing new to the list. Sacred Kingfishers were paired up as were the Cockatiels so the birds seem to appreciate the breaking of the drought.
Some great shots Sue - looks like a good trip despite the weather. I'd be very excited to see those bustard and emu so close up - but the white-browed woodswallow in the rain is my favourite shot - lovely. I also struggled with taking photos of the whiskered terns last week - you got a nice result! I've been struggling with my camera - its not focussing well (very slow / inaccurate), keeps giving error messages and resetting to some kind of limp along mode. A bit of research online seems to indicate problems with the lens/camera contacts is likely, so I'll try a thorough clean (guilty - poor camera is filthy) and see if that works .
Thanks, Alex, it was a wonderful short trip but better weather would hopefully mean more birds. Still looking for a Superb Parrot and missed the Major Mitchells which were in the area. We visited the Warrumbungles, Pilliga Scrub, The Newey in Cobar and the Japanese Gardens in Cowra travelling Mudgee, Coonabarabran, Bourke, Cobar, Lake Cargelligo and Cowra before heading home. Back roads were generally the chosen option so I saw some new areas and a variety of birds including another Latham's Snipe and Peregrine Falcon.
I'll send you details of the great place where I sent my Nikon camera and Tamron lens as they cleaned and recalibrated both items with lens under warranty conditions. Well worth the postage costs.
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