Wild Birds of Australia

Lyn2011 wrote in post #19430828
What a beautiful colors has that wren, and then combined with the forsythia it just shines.

Thanks Lynn
We can see that forsythia from our kitchen window and watch the wrens. If things look interesting I wander down to it and mostly they hang about.

ozulrike wrote in post #19430803
And here are some more locals at the Tumbling Waters Holiday Park - the shining flycatchers have built a nest right next to the walk over the croc pond. No eggs yet as the female was still improving the nest. Didn't see the male helping, but maybe they also leave the final home decorations to their female partners

Pippan wrote in post #19430814
I'll have to look out for it. I watched a pair nest last year at Howard Springs and the male helped with building the nest, sitting and with feeding the chicks. I posted photos here way back. Here's another Shining Flycatcher singing for his supper (or his mate), just down the road a bit at Berry Springs yesterday.

Those birds really are attractive.
I love the female on her nest. Very nice indeed.
The male is very striking with his shining coat. I expect that's where they get their name.
3 beautiful photos Ulrike & Pippan

ozulrike wrote in post #19430796
I think the yellow eye ring was highlighted by the fact the face wasn't in full sunlight! Beautiful!

Thanks Ulrike.
It was that yellow eye ring that grabbed my attention as I gazed through the viewfinder. Certainly stands out.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #19430836
Must be, Ray.

I hear them sometimes but like you it’s been ages since I saw one, let alone photograph.


All right, I’m coming clean here. I was actually thinking of cockatoos! Which is fairly stupid as I know cuckoos well. Not that it matters much as you have an endless variety of both. Ánd you have the prettiest wrens as well!

I sometimes watch Duade Paton’s videos on Youtube and can never believe all the species he just randomly runs into on a hike. That never happens to me! Maybe I should migrate to Australia…

well I learnt something in the process
Parrots. We have 56 species. Cockatoos are one member of the family.
This has some beautiful photos https://www.thewildlif​ediaries.com …-of-parrots-in-australia/

Bit more here
https://www.environmen​t.nsw.gov.au …necks%20and%20b​udgerigars.

avondale87 wrote in post #19430854
Those birds really are attractive.
I love the female on her nest. Very nice indeed.
The male is very striking with his shining coat. I expect that's where they get their name.
3 beautiful photos Ulrike & Pippan

Thank you Richard. One of the few bird species where (IMO) the female is prettier than the male.

Yesterday at Berry Springs I was also chasing around this flitty Arafura Fantail. Mostly it was amongst fairly dense and of course dark vegetation and this was the best shot I was able to get. It's my current mission to make a picture with its beautiful tail fanned out. I get a little time for this while our tourists are swimming in the warm mineral spring water.

Pippan wrote in post #19430860
Yesterday at Berry Springs I was also chasing around this flitty Arafura Fantail. Mostly it was amongst fairly dense and of course dark vegetation and this was the best shot I was able to get. It's my current mission to make a picture with its beautiful tail fanned out. I get a little time for this while our tourists are swimming in the warm mineral spring water.

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Nice shot Pippan. Enhanced by the sun shining through the vegetation.

avondale87 wrote in post #19430854
well I learnt something in the process
Parrots. We have 56 species. Cockatoos are one member of the family.
This has some beautiful photos https://www.thewildlif​ediaries.com …-of-parrots-in-australia/

Bit more here
https://www.environmen​t.nsw.gov.au …necks%20and%20b​udgerigars.

56 species of parrots! Amazing…
Thanks for the links, Richard.

Ray.Petri wrote in post #19430919
Nice shot Pippan. Enhanced by the sun shining through the vegetation.

Thanks Ray.

avondale87 wrote in post #19430551
Couple of shots of the male Superb Fairy Wren posing in the Forsythia

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Gallery photo (hosted):
posted by avondale87 originally in forum: Birds

Nice shots Richard …. Makes me realise what missing out on in the southern states now I’ve relocated to Darwin….Having said that we do have some super special wrens but these are that special I doubt I will see them in my life time

clipper_from_oz wrote in post #19431091
Nice shots Richard …. Makes me realise what missing out on in the southern states now I’ve relocated to Darwin….Having said that we do have some super special wrens but these are that special I doubt I will see them in my life time

thanks Clipper
I see your and others images of many beautiful birds up there and admire and at times sigh, but am happy with my wrens to keep me company.
It is strange, to me, they are the predominant bird here at our place. Much more so than plovers, magpies, ravens and now even sparrows, blackbirds and starlings. All latter three were here in droves several years ago. Maybe the magpies, butcherbirds and kookaburras have sent them packing?

These two wrens put on a little display today but did keep their separation up which was strange, and disappointing as they hung about for ages

The Fan-tailed Cuckoo (Cacomantis flabelliformis) was back again and lived upto it's stated habits of alighting on a post, diving down for a grub and return to same post. Fascinating to watch.

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Bush chook (aka Orange-footed Scrubfowl) helping scratch out a hole in a huge mound nest while getting sprayed with dirt from its mate deep in the hole. Not sure which one's the female but she'll lay a large egg (almost a quarter her body mass ) in there and the decomposing leaves will keep it warm. And apart from occasionally checking the nest temperature with their beaks, that's it for parental responsibility. When the chick hatches, it'll be on its own and be able to feed and fly within an hour of hatching.

Red-collared Lorikeets feasting on Peltophorum pterocarpum at Berry Springs yesterday.

King Parrot having breakfast

Finally managed to get a shot of a Mangrove Golden Whistler, in this case, a female. First, I thought it was a lemon-bellied flycatcher, and I am wondering how many of these whistlers I actually might have seen before without recognising
Taken on the Mangrove Boardwalk at East Point, Darwin

Nankeen Night-heron at Tumbling Waters, NT.

Pippan wrote in post #19432049
Nankeen Night-heron at Tumbling Waters, NT.

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That’s a great shot, Pippan. Creamy colours seem to blend to advantage.

Pippan wrote in post #19431360
Bush chook (aka Orange-footed Scrubfowl) helping scratch out a hole in a huge mound nest while getting sprayed with dirt from its mate deep in the hole. Not sure which one's the female but she'll lay a large egg (almost a quarter her body mass ) in there and the decomposing leaves will keep it warm. And apart from occasionally checking the nest temperature with their beaks, that's it for parental responsibility. When the chick hatches, it'll be on its own and be able to feed and fly within an hour of hatching.

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Pippan, this bird looks like it has come from a pre-historic forest - are we in a time warp down there in Oz?