Birds of confusion: Silvereyes
1 Comment »9th May, 2007; Category: Silvereyes
Silvereye
In recent weeks we have had a few Silvereyes come to visit our garden. This species is not a regular visitor to our place, and many months can elapse between visits. The bird shown in the photo above visited us several months ago. Since that time I have heard or seen several Silvereyes on four or five occasions. This is the usual colouration for this species here in Murray Bridge.
Silvereye
Just to confuse me, the bird featured in this second photo, and in the third photo below, seems much darker in colour on the back. These two photos were taken in the Newland Head Conservation Park near Victor Harbor, about 80km south of Adelaide. At first glance, they seem to be two quite different species.The difference could be explained by the fact the the first one was taken in full sunlight, while the other two were in full shade. But things are not as simple as that when looking at Silvereyes in Australia.
Studying the various fieldguides and HANZAB* the issue is quite confusing with many different races with slight colour variations. I’m not going to confuse the issue further be trying to write about which I know very little.
Silvereye
Distribution:
Silvereyes are found throughout New Zealand, some Pacific Islands, eastern Australia, all of Victoria and Tasmania and southern South Australia and western Australia. Those in Tasmania breed there in summer before migrating in large numbers to the mainland for winter. There is also some significant migration of the species throughout mainland Australia.
Habitat:
Silvereyes prefer most types of vegetation that provide some protective cover. This can include scrubs, shrublands, heath, mangroves, woodlands and forests. They often occur in parks, gardens, orchards and vineyards. I have personally encountered them most often in dense coastal scrubland.
Food:
Silvereyes eat a wide variety of fruits and insects, food scraps, flowers and seeds. They can become a pest species in gardens, vineyards and orchards when they eat the fruit. They will forage from the ground up to the canopy of trees. Foraging occurs in small groups through to large, loose flocks.
Breeding:
Silvereyes build a neat, loosely woven nest using spider’s web, grass, bark, twigs, plants stems, moss and fibrous rootlets. When available they will also use wool, horsehair, cotton, string and even cloth. They usually lay three or four eggs (sometimes two) which are oval shaped and pale blue or bluish-green. Breeding has been recorded in all months in Australia but most commonly they breed in spring through summer (September to January). The eggs hatch in about 12 days and the young fledge after about another 12 days.
Reference:
*HANZAB= Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds
Top 5 Great Birding Moments
52 Comments »8th May, 2007; Category: Great Birding Moments
Red Capped Robin
Over the years I have had many occasions when I have experienced what I have called Great Birding Moments. These are reasonably frequent here in Australia because we have such a wonderful range of very colourful birds to observe. The above photo of the stunningly beautiful Red Capped Robin took quite a deal of effort to obtain. This male bird was quite happy flitting around in an orchard looking for his lunch. I tried for about twenty minutes to zoom in on where he was sitting. Actually, this species very rarely sits for very long; they are always very active. Eventually he became so curious about my antics that he took pity on me and landed – ever so briefly – on a branch no more than about two metres away. Patience was definitely a virtue that day – and it scored me a great photograph. (Click on the photo to enlarge the image).
Great Birding Moments
On this blog I have written a series of articles called Great Birding Moments, all of them similar to the one mentioned above. Some of them – most of them actually – resulted in some amazing photos. Others are examples of being in the right place at the right time and with a camera at the ready. Still other examples are as a result of patient waiting or a deliberate policy to seek out a particular bird.
For new readers of this blog I have selected what I consider my Top 5 Great Birding Moments:
Great Birding Moment #5 – Crested Pigeon (click to view)
Crested Pigeons are resident in our garden here in South Australia. At first glance they seem quite a dull grey colour, but up close the iridescent colours on their wings shines brilliantly in the sun light.
Great Birding Moment #6 – New Holland Honeyeater (click to view)
New Holland Honeyeaters are also a resident species in our garden. They are noisy, gregarious and can be bossy towards other bird species. We enjoy watching them bathing in the bird baths we have in the garden.
Great Birding Moment #10 Noisy Miners (click to view)
Noisy Miners are another Australian species of Honeyeaters. In some parts of the country they are very common but we rarely have them in our garden. The photo featured in this article was taken in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. The photos illustrate that it was another case of being in the right place at the right time with a camera at the ready.
Great Birding Moments #13 Sulphur Crested Cockatoos (click to view)
This series of photos was as a result of a chance encounter with a small flock of Cockatoos in some street trees in suburban Adelaide. I had just left my wife in the nearby Burnside Hospital for an operation, drove around the corner and there they were. They made no attempt to fly away as I came to within a few metres of the tree they were in.
Great Birding Moments # 26 Red Browed Finch (click to view)
This birding moment was not hard to get. It was taken inside a walk-through aviary at the Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide, South Australia. What is special about this birding moment is the fact that the photo turned out so beautifully. It just illustrates one of the truly beautiful finches that we have here in Australia. Some people are lucky enough to have this species in their garden.
More Great Birding Moments
If you enjoyed looking at these articles you can access the whole list of Great Birding Moments here. To see more bird photos go to my photo gallery here.
Special Note: This article was written especially for the Top 5 Group Writing Project being conducted on ProBlogger being run by Darren Rowse.
UPDATE: I written two more articles inspired by Darren’s writing project. On my writing blog I have written an article called “Top 5 Writing Hints” and on my travel blog I have written about my “Top 5 Scenery Photos.”
Update: this photo above – and many other photos featured on this site – can now be purchased on a range of merchandise such as T-shirts, aprons, wall plaques, clocks and mugs. Go to my Trevor’s Photos site here.
Great Birding Moments # 29 Crested Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
Sometimes things just go right.
I have spent many frustrating hours chasing – or waiting – for birds to sit just right for a photograph. Just the right pose, at the right angle, with the right light and everything in focus. It doesn’t always happen. Quite often in fact.
So when it all comes together and all the conditions are right AND the photo turns out nicely, it is a bonus. It becomes one of those Great Birding Moments. The pigeon in the photo above came for a drink at the bird bath. It must have seen me moving in the sun-room preparing to take its photo. It almost looks as if it was trying to pose for me. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments – and archive of wonderful birding moments.
- Pigeons and Doves – more articles about pigeons and doves.
Birds in the News #81
No Comments »7th May, 2007; Category: Birds in the News
The latest edition of Birds in the News #81 has been posted. This issue has plenty of links to articles of interest to birders and conservationists alike.
The post is headed by a stunning photo of two Burrowing Owls.
Link:
Willie Wagtail
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
To see more of my bird photos go to my Photo Gallery here.
Bird Strikes on Windows
A major problem for many people is bird strikes on windows. Actually – it’s a bigger problem for the birds as it is a major contributor of death in birds. Large apartment and office buildings are a major hazard for birds, but the common or garden variety home can also be a source of danger for our birds.
Every few weeks we are aware of another unfortunate bird crashing into one of our windows. Here is a photo of one New Holland Honeyeater who was only stunned by its encounter with one of our windows. After sitting stunned for a few minutes it flew off happily – well, perhaps with a bit of a head ache.
New Holland Honeyeater
I came across a web site recently that gives a range of ideas for preventing bird strikes on windows. I’m not sure if any of these actually work, but they are worth a try. If they only save the occasional bird it is worth pursuing.
Disclaimer: The site is a commercial site and I have no financial interests in the products, nor have I tried any of them.