Rainbow Lorikeets at Wittunga Botanic Gardens
On our visit to the Wittunga Botanic Gardens last week I was very aware of the large number of Rainbow Lorikeets present. Being aware of this species of parrot is easy – just listen. Their screeching is the most obvious thing about them. Next to that is their arrow-like flying in twos and threes from tree to tree. Even if they settle to eat of the nectar in the flowers of the eucalypt trees they are noisy, their contact screeches can be heard from a distance, especially when ten or twenty are feeding in the same tree.
Rainbow Lorikeets
To get them to sit and pose for the camera is not easy. They are constantly on the move amongst the foliage, often very high up in the tree. Then they are on the move from tree to tree as I’ve already mentioned. Consequently, I was rather pleased to managed the photo above. I watched these two for a few minutes. I think that they were recently fledged young. They did not seem to be feeding and just sat there. I didn’t see any adult actually feeding them, but two other birds did approach nearby several times.
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Wood Ducks in the Wittunga Botanic Gardens
Wood Ducks are common and widespread throughout much of Australia. They are a common sight as the graze near lakes, rivers and dams. They are also very common in parks and gardens where there is a water feature.
Australian Wood Duck (male)
On our visit to the Wittunga Botanic Gardens a few days ago we were approached by quite a few Wood Ducks. I guess they thought that we were going to give them some kind of food handout. They obviously hadn’t seen us eating our lunch before we went on our walk through the park.
Australian Wood Duck (female)
I had seen Wood Ducks on many previous occasions. Not until I started taking these photos did I realise how different the male and female are in this species. They were so accommodating I hardly needed to use the zoom lens on my camera either.
And didn’t they pose beautifully for me?
Great Birding Moments #7 Koala
Last Thursday we travelled to Adelaide to attend the funeral of the mother of a close friend. On our way home we detoured to a part of the Adelaide Hills we hadn’t visited for several years. Near the hills suburb of Blackwood are the Wittunga Botanic Gardens. This is an annex of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens which are within walking distance of the Adelaide CBD.
The Wittunga Botanic Gardens are set in the midst of housing on two sides, a school on another side and a transport corridor for trains on yet another side. The main access road is a busy four lane highway. Despite all of this, it is remarkably peaceful within the gardens themselves. I’ll be posting more reflections on our visit in coming days.
One sighting rather delighted me.
Perched high in a eucalyptus tree – I didn’t take any notice of its species name – was an Australian Magpie. Not something to really rave about as they are quite common in the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas. This magpie was a little different. It was most upset and was screeching its displeasure at the sleeping Koala near the top of the same tree. It flapped its wings and called raucously, but it didn’t actually approach closer to the mammal more than about a metre away. Its concern was shared by a Noisy Miner who made several bombing raids near the head of the drowsy Koala.
While this all happened, the Koala just kept on snoozing. Below is one of the photos I was able to take.
Koala and Magpie
Great Birding Moments #6 New Holland Honeyeaters
New Holland Honeyeater
We have many flowering trees and bushes in our garden on the outskirts of Murray Bridge in South Australia. As a result of all these plants there is a steady supply of food for many species of birds, especially a range of honeyeaters. Over the last 22 years we have recorded the following species of honeyeaters:
- Red Wattlebirds – resident, breeding, very common.
- White Plumed Honeyeaters – resident, breeding, very common.
- Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater – resident, breeding with only several present at any one time.
- Brown Headed Honeyeater – regular visitor, breeding and usually in groups of 8-12.
- Noisy Miner – only one doubtful record many years ago despite being common along the River Murray less than 5km away.
- Striped Honeyeater – occasional visitor, recorded breeding only once which remains probably the most south-westerly record of breeding in Australia.
- White Eared Honeyeater – occasional visitor despite being widespread in this area.
- Yellow Plumed Honeyeater – occasional visitor.
- New Holland Honeyeater – resident, breeding and very common.
- Singing Honeyeater – resident, breeding and common.
New Holland Honeyeaters
The most prominent species has to be the the New Holland Honeyeater. This was not always the case. When we moved here we never saw any New Hollands despite being very common throughout Murray Bridge and the district. After the first few migrated to our garden, the numbers increased rapidly until they are now the dominant species. They are also rather aggressive. (See my posting called “Aggressive bird behaviour in the garden.”)
Distribution and Habitat
New Holland Honeyeaters are widely distributed along coastal south-eastern Australia. They are also found in southern Western Australia and in Tasmania. They prefer gardens, parks, golf courses, orchards, mallee, heathlands, coastal scrubs and eucalypt woodlands. They are often found in association with other honeyeater species towards which it acts aggressively, chasing them away from their preferred flowering plants.
Photo opportunities
I have had many opportunities to photograph this species over the last year. The best is the one featured at the top of this post. I was near the neighbour’s fence looking at the old plough set as a garden ornament. The bird alighted on the handle only three metres away and settled long enough for me to zoom in, focus and shoot. I am very pleased with the result; it couldn’t have posed better if I’d given it instructions.
The photo below is of another bird, and yes, it is up the right way. It’s the bird that’s upside down!
New Holland Honeyeater
Great Birding Moments #5 Crested Pigeon
Crested Pigeon
Earlier this week while driving to the post office to post some letters, I saw about a dozen Crested Pigeons Ocyphaps lophotes sitting on a powerline. This is a relatively common sight here in my home town of Murray Bridge in South Australia. I have seen loose flocks of 20-30 sitting in rows on power lines or on fences. On several occasions I have counted over 40, with 48 being the highest number in one spot.
Resident Breeding Species
The Crested Pigeon is a resident breeding species in our garden on our five acre block of land on the outskirts of Murray Bridge South Australia. On one occasion a pair nested only five metres from our house, in full view from the sun room where we often eat or sit and read or entertain visitors. The nest is a flimsy platform of small twigs. It is amazing how this poor excuse for a nest holds the eggs, let alone contain several growing chicks. But it is simply palatial compared to another common species around here. The nest of the Common Bronzewing Pigeon has so few twigs that I have been able to stand underneath one and count the eggs!
A bird on the move
The Crested Pigeon historically has been a species of the inland parts of Australia. In recent decades, however, it has spread steadily due in part to the increased availability of water on farms. It is very common in the parks and gardens of Adelaide and is increasingly reported in the metropolitan areas of Melbourne. In southern South Australia it was rarely seen in the south east districts, but I have seen it only a few kilometres from the coast near Mt Gambier.
Crested Pigeon
Habitat
It has been a bird of the rural areas of Australia, inhabiting grasslands, pastures, cropping areas, roadsides and farmyards. More recently it has become common in parks and gardens, golf and race courses, sporting grounds and other urban areas, even in our larger cities.
Common Name
I grew up in the Murray Mallee farming district in South Australia. Throughout this area – and in many other parts of Australia, this species is still called a Topknot, noting its erect crest. This confuses it with the Topknot Pigeon of the rainforests and woodlands of eastern Australia.
I must admit that this is one of my favourite species. It seems such an endearing bird and will allow a close approach to within a few metres if done without sudden movements, especially at the nest (which I try to avoid doing too often). Up close, with the sun on the feathers, one can fully appreciate the stunning beauty of the iridescent colours on the wings.
Crested Pigeon