Sulphur Crested Cockatoos up close
Over recent days I have been sharing some photos of some of the birds seen on a recent visit to Lane Cove National Park. Today it’s the turn of several Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.
One of the birds flew in and settled on our picnic table within minutes of us starting lunch (see photo below). When it didn’t get any handouts from us, it flew over to join another few birds feeding on a clematis bush in full flower.
I love taking photos of this species, one which is widespread across much of eastern Australia. On the other hand, I realise that not all people share my love of this species. In numbers they can be a pest species. They can easily cause havoc on trees, stripping the leaves off branches. People who own houses with plenty of timber in the structure have experienced the destructive nature of these birds.
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Further reading:
Pardalotes up close
No Comments »23rd January, 2014; Category: Bird baths, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Pardalotes, Photos
Striated Pardalote (juvenile)
Yesterday I was in the garden looking at one of the bushes coming into flower. Without any warning, two juvenile Striated Pardalotes landed on the fence not much more than a metre from where I stood. They looked me over for about 30 seconds before flying off.
Of course, like so many other encounters with birds, I didn’t have my camera with me because I had gone into the garden to check on the swimming pool, not thinking of seeing any birds up close.
Instead, I have posted a photo of the same species taken at one of our bird baths some time ago.
Willie Wagtail up close
Willie Wagtail
We have a resident breeding pair of Willie Wagtails in our garden. They are a constant delight as they flit around looking for insects to snap up for a tasty snack. They will often come quite close to us when we are working in the garden or sitting relaxing on the back veranda.
Due to higher than normal rainfall over the last nine months I’ve had to mow our grass quite a few times with our ride-on mower. As I move around mowing the Willie Wagtails follow the mower, snapping up insects disturbed by the machine. Sometimes I feared I’d actually drive over one of them because they were getting quite close.
The Willie Wagtails frequently come to our various bird baths for either a drink or to bathe. This always gives more opportunities to experience close encounters with this species. It also affords excellent opportunities for close up photography, such as the shot shown above.
Hi there honey – encounters with honeyeaters
No Comments »7th September, 2005; Category: General
We are not short of honeyeaters in Murray Bridge. They are common everywhere in this district and are probably the most common bird in most people’s gardens. Other species may outnumber them along the river or in the farming areas. For example, Straw-Necked Ibis numbers along the dairying flats are very numerous. I have seen flocks of over 400 on many occasions. Flocks of Galahs of that size are also evident, especially where wheat is cultivated. Along the parks and trees lining the River Murray large flocks of Little Corella can also be seen on occasions.
In the gardens, however, the honeyeater species tend to dominate. We do have some Noisy Miners in the area but they are not (yet) the dominent species they seem to be in other parts of Australia. In the Murray Bridge district New Holland Honeyeaters probably outnumber all other species of honeyeater. 
Red Wattlebirds are also very common as are White-Plumed Honeyeaters.
Last Monday we went to visit my wife’s mother. She lives in a retirement village, Murraylands. Part of the complex opposite her unit is a plantation of native Australian plants, established 20 years ago and maintained by the local members of the Australian Plant Society. The local group is in recess due to lack of members, Corinne (my wife) is the immediate past-president and I am also a past-president.
While Corinne was collecting cuttings for propogation I was taking photographs of various flowers for her. (I have included several photos at the end of this posting.) There were many birds in the locality, including a number of White Plumed Honeyeaters. Two of them came close to investigate what I was doing, so I took several photographs. I was basically shooting into the sun so the photos are not candidates for “Best of Show” in an exhibition. They turned out quite dark so I have enhanced them to show them here. I only include them here because of the unusual stance of the birds.
The first photo (above) shows one bird looking straight down at me. The eyes are what caught my attention. It’s a rather bizarre view of a bird. The second photo shows the other bird’s response to the focussing beep on my camera. It obviously heard the soft beep as I focussed. Pity about the lack of colour.
The native plant garden at Murraylands Homes is about an acre in size. It includes a wide range of Australian plants, including eucalypts, wattles, grevilleas, correas, eremophilas, callistemons and many others. Below I have included a selection of the shots I took.
Correa reflexa “Sellick’s Beach”
Grevillea “Winpara sunrise”
Alyogyne huegelli (Native hibiscus)
Some Birds of the Lane Cove National Park
Pied Currawong, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
Over recent days I have posted some photos and articles about some of the birds I saw and photographed last month on a visit to the Lane Cove National Park in Sydney. I have visited this park on many occasions over recent years because it is only about a ten-minute drive from my son’s home.
Today I wish to post a compilation of some of my other photos taken on that visit in October. The first photo (above) is of a handsome looking Pied Currawong. This is a common and sometimes noisy bird in the park. Because of its loud, forest-penetrating call and its large size, it is quite conspicuous. At home in Murray Bridge, SA, I have the Grey Currawong as a regular visitor to my garden. Although it is also a prominent bird, it lacks the stark colours of the Pied variety.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney.
The quiet and unassuming Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is another bird I have often seen in the national park. It quietly goes about its life without too much noise and fuss. Its quiet and lovely churring call is diagnostic. Although it is mostly coloured plain grey, in certain light conditions it can appear almost bluish. As a child growing up in rural South Australia I seem to remember that this species was called a ‘blue jay’ while the White-winged Chough was a ‘black jay.’ That makes a lot of sense. The Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike is another regular visitor to my home garden.
Dusky Moorhen, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
On my visit to the Lane Cove National Park last month I was surprised by the lack of water birds along the river. I saw a solitary Little Egret, several Pacific Black Ducks and about three Dusky Moorhens, one being shown in the photo above. I also saw several groups of Australian Wood Ducks along with a few ducklings but nothing else. No cormorants, coots, Purple Swamphens or other species of duck.
Australian Magpie (Black-backed), Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
Throughout the Lane Cove National Park, one can also observe the black-backed sub-species of the Australian Magpie. This is the common magpie around the Sydney area. At home in Murray Bridge SA, I have the White-backed Magpie as a resident breeding species in my garden. While there are magpies throughout the Sydney region, they are nowhere near as common as I am used to in the rural areas of South Australia. That is a pity because so many people are missing out on hearing the beautiful song of the magpie.
Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
My last photo today is of one of the most loved Australian Birds, the Laughing Kookaburra. Instantly recognised by most people, enjoyed by many upon hearing its hearty laughter, it is one of our iconic, much-loved national symbols.
What most people do not realise is that this seemingly delightful bird species has a darker side to it. On more than one occasion I have seen kookaburras take sausages off of a hot barbecue plate, snatch food from the picnic table at my side, defecate on a picnic table from a branch above, and generally harass picnickers for free handouts of human food.
Please don’t feed them deliberately as human food is actually detrimental to their health. Please do not feed any of our native birds and animals; it is not good for them.
I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Good birding.
Trevor
P.S.: I would love to hear from my readers about their close encounters with our bird species. Use the comments section below.