212) More from Bowra

Australian Ringneck Parrot

Yes, the parrots really do glow when they're in the right light--they're downright luminous.  If only we could see how they see each other! There are four subspecies, the birds in this area are in the Mallee group, and have that pretty red frontal band and just a little yellow on the back of their necks. 

Six Brown-headed honeyeaters jonesing for a bath when the early morning sun hits the billabong, using the bush as protective cover before darting out into the open where they're vulnerable.  These birds are prettier than their name would suggest, with a pretty green back that shows up in the sunlight.

Babblers!  We adore all four of the different species, because they are all such characters--birds with attitude.  These are the Chestnut-Crowned Babblers.  Active, social birds, they bop around as a group, noisily going about their business nattering to each other all the while.  It was hard for Dirk to get more than one in the picture frame, because they're so quick moving between here and there, but these are 3 of this group of 8.  Each bird is busily poking around, finding a bug, or stick to take back to the communal nest, and watching each others' backs.

Here's a frisky Grey-crowned Babbler.  They're gregarious and noisy and move about in groups of 4-12 birds, normally consisting of a primary breeding pair and the rest being helper birds.  Because they make us smile to hear them yakking at each other, we even have their duet (female 'yah' and male 'ahoo') as our phone ringtone.  Ya-hoo!Ya-hoo!Ya-hoo!

A well-fed echidna strolling around the impoundment!   Amazing animals, she was snuffling about, using electrosensors on her snout to locate ants to zap up with her long tongue.  Along with the platypus, echidnas are monotremes--mammals that lay eggs.  The puggle (baby) suckles milk while in the mother's pouch. Male echidnas have spurs on their ankle, but they are not venemous like platypus.

A come-thither look from a beautiful Black-fronted dotterel.  We still can't get over seeing these 'waders' inland on freshwater locales in the deserts of Australia.










We were happy to see three Black-tailed Native Hens in residence at the lagoon near our tent.  How about that Green and red beak and yellow eye?!   Each morning, we would look to see if all three were still there--one was kind of a loner, often trailing after the other two.  We heard there previously were four, but one had disappeared, and a feral cat is the likely suspect.