Trevor's Birding

One bird that finally sat still – Eastern Spinebill

1 Comment »5th December, 2007; Category: Bird Behaviour, Honeyeaters, Photos

Eastern Spinebill

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #12

The Eastern Spinebill is one of Australia’s more colourful honeyeaters. We do not have this species in our garden in Murray Bridge, so I have to travel up into the Adelaide Hills, or interstate, to see this lovely bird.

It is a relatively common species in its range which extends along the coastal regions of eastern and south eastern Australia, from near Brisbane through to north of Adelaide. Its preferred habitat includes gardens, forests, heathlands and woodlands.

This particular species has caused me some angst over the last two years. Although I’ve seen it quite a few times, I haven’t been able to get any individuals to sit still long enough for me to focus the camera. Until my recent visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens, that is. It’s quite a long drive to find one cooperative bird. Never mind, get it I did. It’s an even longer drive to see its cousin, the Western Spinebill in Western Australia. That one will have to wait a little while to appear in my camera lens.

Click on the image to enlarge the photo.

Further reading:

To access the archived articles about honeyeaters click here.
Great birding moments – a list of articles about some of my great experiences in birding.

I and the bird #63

No Comments »4th December, 2007; Category: Carnivals, I and the Bird

The latest edition of the carnival called I and the Bird #63 has been posted over at The Greenbelt.

It contains plenty of links to birding blogs worth reading.

This time I actually remembered to sent a link of my own before the deadline.

I must be getting organized again.

Close Encounters of the Bird Kind

3 Comments »3rd December, 2007; Category: Bird Behaviour, Honeyeaters, Trip reports

Red Wattlebird

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report # 11

In the afternoon of the day we went to visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra we had a short break. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d been walking for hours and we were a little leg weary. We stopped at a convenient picnic table to have a light snack and a drink.

WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d hardly sat down when a Red Wattlebird decided we might be an easy touch for a snack of his own. Like so many birds in Australian parks and picnic grounds, this individual knew that humans meant food. So he came and sat on the table next to us.

He didnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t seem at all threatened by my camera whirring and clicking less than a metre away. It is times like this that I love having a camera in my hand all ready to shoot.

Red Wattlebird

Lunch time visitors

1 Comment »2nd December, 2007; Category: Bird Behaviour, Magpies and Currawongs, Ravens and Crows, Trip reports

Australian Magpie (Black-backed race)

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #10

During our visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra earlier this year we took a little time out from our wanderings around the gardens in order to have a picnic lunch. For places where people gather to eat, you can be almost assured of plenty of birds who gather ready to get a handout of food.

On this occasion we were not disappointed. As soon as we sat down we had the company of several Australian Magpies. They were quite bold and would have landed on our picnic table and helped themselves if we hadnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t discouraged them.

White-winged Chough

They were soon joined by a family of White-winged Choughs with their beady red eyes. Again they were quite bold, hopping around our feet and under the table and on the fence a metre behind us.

Australian Raven

A little later on an Australian Raven elegantly walked across the path towards us, checking out why we were getting so much attention. A tiny White-browed Scrubwren joined in the fun, but he was far too quick for my camera.

Pied Currawongs

No Comments »1st December, 2007; Category: Magpies and Currawongs, Trip reports

Pied Currawong

2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #9

Some of the more common birds I observed during my recent visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra were Pied Currawongs. Along with the Australian Magpie they seemed to be spread throughout the gardens and surrounding forest area.

Many people come to visit the gardens every day. The resident magpies and currawongs have therefore become quite used to humans being around. It fact, both species are relatively tame and will come quite close, especially when food is at hand. I guess they get quite a few handouts from the garden visitors.

I am quite taken by that bright yellow eye. It seems to almost have a sinister feel to it. In fact, seeing that eye staring at me, if I were a little child eating an icecream I would be very worried about that huge beak!

Pied Currawong