30 Jul 2016 Wonthaggi Desal

The fairy wrens are getting ready for Spring and breeding. The boys are in full colour:-

There were lots of Nankeen Kestrels out today, including this juvenile

The lumpy neck on the next bird shows it is a great egret, as against one of the other egret species

10 Jul 2016 Wonthaggi Desal

We regularly see a pair of swamp harriers floating around the wet areas. They are tricky to photograph as they are more timid that kites, but this shot shows the distinctive white flash on the rump

And a white eared honeyeater

25 Jul 2016 Werribee

Werribee water treatment plant is a wonderful spot for all birds, with around 200 or so species. But its a very special place if you like raptors. It is incredibly rich. Today was a brown falcon day - this was the best shot...

It was as chilly winter day, as the next photo shows. The poor zebra finches were frozen, huddled together for warmth!

3 Jul 2016 Werribee

Today was a day for the raptors.

Nankeen (or Australian) Kestrel

A brown falcon (above). And three shots of kites (below). The ones in flight are of a black kite. The one perched is a whistling kite

6 Jun 2016 Fine Feathers tour Port Douglas

2016 was our second trip in successive year to PD and our second day trip with Del Richard and his awesome Fine Feathers full day tour.

Del has been around these parts for decades. He knows where to go, what to see and how to get the birds to appear using electronic or manual bird song imitations, to get the dudes to fly out of the trees and see what is going on. We saw 89 species in a day, many of which were new to us. Below is a short sample of some of the rarer birds:-

Bush stone curlew

Double eyed fig parrot

Dusky honeyeater

Forest kingfisher

Goulds bronze cuckoo

Horsfields bronze cuckoo

Great bowerbird in his bower

Female leaden flycatcher

Lemon bellied flycatcher

Spectacled monarch

A rare white browed crake

Yellow bellied sunbird

Yellow honeyeater

Yellow oriole

4 Jun 2016 Port Douglas

2016 was the second successive year we visited Port Douglas just before the main school holiday season kicks off. Early June can be changeable in terms of the weather but the town is quiet and there are still lots of birds to see.

The footie oval was particularly fruitful. We spent time watch the courting ritual of a pair of bar shouldered doves. Mrs seems pretty unimpressed!

Fig birds were plentiful. The figs had clearly just ripened,  see picture of the female below.

The best way to get around PD was on a hire bike. They had big baskets for all the camera gear. We found ourselves returning to the footie oval twice daily, as there was so much going on. At the top of the one of the floodlight towers was an osprey nest, with two adult ospreys in it.

Rainbow bee eaters might be very common but I love them. So colourful and those long tails are amazing.

In 2015 the most common kingfisher was the Forest - this year we saw far more Sacred Kingfishers...

And most ended in a civilized manner, with a beer on the Inlet, watching the sun go down

22 May 2016 Cape Paterson

We occasionally are treated by a flock of black cockatoos. Its often related to when their favourite snacks are ripe. Today we were lucky...