No photo, but was in Newcastle a couple of weeks ago. Walking near the airport while waiting for my flight I came across a million tiny birds and one weird looking thing running off into the bushes. Having done some research I reckon it was a quail of some type. Very stupid looking bird!
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Was its name Dan?
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These shots from BH were taken 8th August, the day before the Western Treatment Plant was closed indefinitely due to Bird Flu.
#Orange Bellied Parrot. This female popped out briefly to confront a mob of birders hoping to get a glimpse of this iconic bird before the iron curtain fell. Lot of them missed it, not my BH though!
#Fairy Terns
#Brolgas. We’re both going to miss these actual big birds, one of the true highlights of any trip to the WTP
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Some of BH’s pics from our trip North West last week.
#Grey-crowned Babler, in nesting mode - Kerang
#Regent Parrots, a tree full - Carwarp
#Spotted Harrier, near Mildura
#White-browed Treecreeper - Yarrara
#Grey Butcherbird hot on the tailfeathers of a retreating Little Eagle - Hattah
#Western Gerygone - Hattah… and a lifer, much to BH’s delight
#A pair of very hungry Magpie chicks - Macs Rd near Mildura
#Rock Doves - Red Cliffs and I do not envy whoever cops the job of cleaning the pigeon ■■■■ off the solar panels at the caravan park we stayed in
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Gotta love that Butcherbird’s attitude ! Thanks for all of your postings - BH’s shots are always a delight .
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BH reckons Willy Wagtails know no fear and she’s seem them attacking Wedgies solo.
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My outstanding birdwatching memory is of little birds chasing a sea eagle. I’ve seen heaps of this (with mainly wedgies but also sea eagles at Walkerville), but it was the location/aspect/proximity that made it special. Was at Broken Head south of Byron on a break back in the Uni days - early/mid 80s. Had a dawn surf and then went for a walk around the goat track around the cliffs to the south. Sun was still lowish, glistening on the water. Suddenly realised there was a Sea Eagle labouring past and only a cricket pitch away - if that - and at our level. It was clasping a fish that looked too big for it: was sinking between wing beats - up, down, up, down. You could hear the swoosh. Just barely scraping along. The fish was a big silvery thing and it was no carrion - still writhing/flexing. All this single minded determination but the eagle was being dog-fought by several small birds. I wasn’t terribly aware of bird species and can’t recall what they were. My mate is a fairly keen bird watcher and would have known, but if he said what they were, I’ve forgotten. It was like a zoom lens close up off a doco - but in the flesh. We watched til it went around the corner out of sight.
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#Glossy Black Cockatoo - Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve - feasting greedily on Sheoak fruit/nuts, note the red feathers in the tail. BH was doing backflips on the weekend after she experienced this extended close encounter with this refugee from the horrific fires that devastated his territory around Mallacoota back in 2019/20. Its male travelling companion was harder to capture on film as he was 20 metres further in but this one was literally a few metres off the track and totally indifferent to our presence. The pair have clearly taken up residence in the region and have no intention of returning east it appears. Apparently the pair have been seen in amongst flocks of Yellow Tail Black Cockatoos that feature in and around the Frankston/Langwarrin region but they were on their own on the weekend.
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