White-winged Triller visit
11 Comments »4th September, 2008; Category: Garden birds
This afternoon I had a delightful surprise. We had just arrived back from our lectures in Adelaide and were enjoying a cuppa in the spring sunshine on the front veranda.
An unusual bird flew into the eucalypt tree next to the driveway about twenty metres away. I instantly recognised it as a male White-winged Triller. It sat there for no more than ten seconds before flying away. It must have only spent about thirty seconds in our garden so there was no time to get the camera from the office.
This is one species I would love to get a photo of but so far have drawn a blank. Last year on holiday in NSW I chased one around a few bushes for about twenty minutes, but he refused to show himself in the open.
On checking my database of bird sightings I last recorded this species here in Murray Bridge in 1986, so it has been a long time between sightings. I usually have to travel to see this lovely bird. I hope he liked what he saw and returns – long enough to pose for a photo.
Related articles:
UPDATE : in September 2009 we had another visit from a male Triller. This time I was able to get a photo.
White-winged Triller (male)
Tasmanian Wildlife blog
This article is well overdue. I should have done this ages ago.
There are literally thousands of excellent natural history blogs on the internet these days. Many of them have a focus on just one area – like mine does with birds. Others cover a much broader range of topics.
The Nature of Tasmania is one such blog. It covers many aspects of Tasmania’s natural history – flora, fauna and geology – and much more. If you are only interested in birds it is still worth paying a visit – even if it is just for the wonderful photos. But this blog is far more than just photos…
Spring time birding – where are the cuckoos?
Spring is here at last in Australia. Not sure about the rest of the country, but here in South Australia we are looking forward to some slightly warmer days in the coming weeks and months. August this year has been the second coldest August on record. It has also been reasonably wet – not record breaking, mind you, but a very acceptable change from recent years of drought. As for the cold weather – it was only a few months ago in March that we were complaining about a record heat wave.
A few days ago I reported that the resident Australian Magpies were not only nesting, they were now feeding young in the nest. A few days ago I noticed the Common Starlings also feeding young in the nest (we can really do without that, of course). The local Common Blackbirds are behaving as if they have a nest somewhere, as are several species of Honeyeater. I just don’t have the time to check out all of the bushes and trees on our five acre block. The Skylarks are still calling as are the Rufous Songlarks.
Notable for their absence so far this year are all of the Cuckoos. Neither my wife nor I have heard a single Cuckoo of any description. That is most noteworthy as we have usually heard at least the Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoos by now.
Curious.
I’d welcome comments from my Australian readers. Have you heard and/or seen any Cuckoos recently in your part of the country?