182) Playing a long game

Noisy Pitta

I am beginning to think that bird photography is like Aikido or a Zen koan- or visa versa. It happens when you are looking and not looking, are present but not demanding. Some days it just happens. We were headed back to the car after another dip on getting a good pardalote picture when our local Pitta hopped on a branch in the sun! Now this is a shy bird, known for staying in dense, dark thickets - I have been happy to glimpse him much less get a clear line. He sunned for about 90 secs before heading off into the shadows

Quick now, how do I get this flash turned off?

Today I was headed back to the car to go to the Uni and this Spotted Pardalote (who I had been tracking by his call through the bush for 30 min) suddenly landed on a branch 30 feet away and called and called and called (note the erect posture and raised "mohawk". It is hard to believe such a tiny bird  makes a call you hear 1 km away!). But this photography stuff is a long game - he would not turn to let me get a photo of his spectacular red tail feathers!

Usually -just- too far for a good picture, the Red- Backed fairy Wren  has previously only offered very brief close views. But at Eagleby this beautiful guy came to sit on a  branch for about 60 secs.

Another on my list of distant canopy feeders, I finally found  this Scarlet Honeyeater  lower in the branches.

 At Sundown the banksia were in bloom and there were dozens of New Holland Honeyeaters.

 I know the feeling -a remarkable yawn (!) from a Black Shouldered kite. (really now, do birds yawn?)

The Red Browed finches are about in force. It is great fun to see them out in the clear

181) Locally far away

Although Dirk's quest for the perfect pardalote picture continues, this one's pretty darn good!  The spotted pardalotes weren't calling (how we usually find them), so a big thumb's up to Claire for spotting the spotted pardalote high up in the tree hanging with the other leaves!




We learned from Claire (researching migrants) that these silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) are migrants from Tasmania, coming up to join us in the subtropical climes for the winter.

If you want to know how the Silvereyes (above) get to be so pretty, we learned the secret!  Here's two Silvereyes canoodling on a branch.  First, the guy on the left prepared by fluffing out his head feathers and getting a dreamy-googley-eyed vacant expression on his face that signified "do me, baby!"  The bird on the right complied by preening him.  Next, the bird on the right assumed the wild-haired 'do me baby' expression, and the coiffed bird on the left complied.  It was really quite sweet, seeing them reveling in their morning ablutions so affectionately!  Ok, a little anthropomorphizing was called for in this situation--too cute!

Portrait of a white-plumed honeyeater displaying his namesake.

180.) Glorious randomness

Nancy and I went back out to our little Hinterland Rainforest patch to spy out the Noisy Pitta. He was cooperative and came out from beneath the low shrubs under which he usually hides. We hope he find enough to eat and decides to spend the winter!


Claire ( a fellow birder) snapped this shot of Big lens; small bird, down in Sundown. Quite fun, and unusual to have a robin come this close.

Here he is with minimal cropping!
Red Capped Robin























A local Chestnut Mannikin

A scarlet honey eater - another of the high canopy birds I am still trying to get close to.

This female Spotted Pardalote came to look at me  after I 'pished' (basically a shushing sound) but then stayed on this close branch for minutes displaying body language which I would only call 'curiosity' as the shutter clicked away! Quite endearing.

178.) He's here!

Noisy Pitta

A big hurrah for the Hinterland Regional Park Bushcare Group for creating a haven for a migrating Noisy Pitta!  It's remarkable for us to see this rainforest bird in suburban Mudgeeraba, and it only happened because a group of hard-working people had the vision and dedication to transform a cow pasture of 30 years ago into a range of ecosystems, including a rainforest patch.

Now if we could only get rid of a few thousand suburban houses....

168) Oh Frabjous day!

 We headed back down to Sundown Nat'l Park for the Queens Birthday long weekend. 

This Red Capped Robin was a complete poser who seemed fascinated by the sounds of my camera shutter. I was waiting for him to land on the camera!!

More to come!

167) Local Rarities

Winter has arrived (such as it is in OZ). This means that some hard to find birds have moved down into our "local areas." We have been trying to get a good view of a Rose Robin for a long time. We followed the news of a flurry of sightings in the last month and miraculously located this gorgeous guy at an area new to us. Given their bright colors they can be remarkably hard to see - their all-charcoal grey backs blend into the woods quite well!

We're fond of the Bush Stone-Curlews, they show up in the most unlikely spots, like this one at the ferry terminal parking lot.  They freeze when they know you've spotted them, hoping you'll forget they're there and wander away, putting them out of danger.  At night, their wails carry far and wide, if you're lucky enough to camp near to them (we have been). 

The Golden Whistlers are gorgeous no matter how many times we see them.  And we finally figured out the little gray birds with the yellow under the tail that always befuddled us.  They're the female Golden Whistlers.













Dirk's favourite pardalote pair are still working on the hole for their nest.  They're very industrious little birds, it's still amazing to see that such tiny beings exist.

A charming White-throated Honeyeater. Unfortunately I did not catch the Yellow-faced Honeyeater which was a new one for us.

I was so surprised to see this Black-Shouldered Kite so close at hand, I had to go home and get Dirk's camera to take his photo.  He was still there when I got back, because he was using this tree as a base station for his morning hunt.  Birds of prey, they hover masterfully in the air before diving to take their prey. We marvel at his red eye and snowy white plumage.







Nancy takes a crack at using Dirk's fancy camera to capture a Golden-Headed Cistocola image.  This one's in non-breeding plumage, because of the stripes on his head.  In breeding plumage, well, he has a golden head.  They flit about in the tall grasses, calling then dropping out of sight again.  This one was extremely cooperative, however.  We want to see their cousins, the Zitting Cistocolas, just because we like the name, but they're up north, and may be a difficult find.

Another Nancy photo of a saucy Double-Barred Finch glancing over his shoulder.  This is an amazing site for birds (the Kite, Cisticola, and Finch are all from the same place), moreover because it's a tiny wetland at the edge of the parking lot of a huge stadium next to the train station.  They have plans to build a tavern at this site, in preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

166) Local Pardalote

 I have made a few morning jaunts out to the Hinterland park (about 15 min away) where I heard the contact calls of the Striated Pardalote. These guys are usually WAY up in the canopy feeding on lerps but this pair is excavating a nest tunnel in a stream bank!

 So with enough patience I have been able to get capture some great images as they wing about and then come perch above their excavation. Here he is making their very distinctive (and amazingly piercing) contact call. (see http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Pardalotus-striatus - mid-way down right side of page is a audio player)

Often heard but rarely seen Whip Bird dashed by like a streaking shadow!


















Emerging from 'the dig'. It will be interesting to see how (and if) they progress on this nesting site. This location is in deep shade so I have to be careful not to annoy them with incessant flash pictures. Else they pack up and move on!