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I and the Bird #49: The Wordchaser

No Comments »18th May, 2007; Category: Birds, Blogs, Carnivals, I and the Bird

I am constantly amazed and inspired by the creativity of those who volunteer to host carnivals. A carnival to which I frequently contribute is I and the Bird. The latest edition has just been posted over at Via Negativa. In Dave Bonta’s words:

Welcome to the 49th edition of I and the Bird, the carnival for bloggers who love birds. I’m calling this edition — with a nod to my fellow Pennsylvanian Rob Fergus — the Wordchaser. I’m less of a birder than a bird appreciator (for street cred, I can only point to my vice-presidency in the local Audubon chapter), but I chase down poems the way a life-lister chases birds.

Dave has taken some of the words of the contributors to this carnival and produced a poem. Plenty of interesting reading and photos in the links. It is worth a visit.

Links:

Cattle Egret, Adelaide Zoo

Cattle Egret, Adelaide Zoo

The above photo has nothing to do with this post. It’s just a lovely photo that I wanted to share with you. Click on the photo to enlarge the image. To see more of my bird photos go to my photo gallery here.

Whistling Kite at Swanport Reserve, Murray Bridge

4 Comments »17th May, 2007; Category: Camera, Eagles Hawks and Kites, Photos, Raptors
Whistling Kite

Whistling Kite

A few days ago we had a picnic lunch at Swanport Reserve. This reserve is about a ten minute drive from home. It is about five kilometres south of the CBD of Murray Bridge. This pleasant reserve is a favourite of many locals for ‘picnics, barbecues, fishing and it has become one of my favourite birding spots.

Whistling Kite

Whistling Kite

This is one very reliable place to see Whistling Kites, as shown in the photos on this page. Come to think of it, Whistling Kites are found all along the River Murray. They are also present throughout most of Australia in suitable habitat. Their preferred habitat seems to be near watercourses, lakes, estuaries, swamps and open forests. Its distinctive (and diagnostic?) whistling call is a common sound in rural areas of Australia. Here I must give a note of warning: Black Kites sometimes give a similar whistling call, albeit somewhat more muted and not as frequent nor as shrill.

Whistling Kite

Whistling Kite

I am still having some trouble taking photos of flying birds. The one above of a soaring Whistling Kite is not as sharp as I would like, but it is the best of a bad lot. Significant though is the diagnostic underwing patterns of the feathers, and so it is worth showing. One day I need to spend a few hours practising taking photos of moving birds. If any of my readers have hints on doing this, please leave a comment.

Click on the photo to enlarge the images.

Birds in the News #82 and #83

No Comments »16th May, 2007; Category: Birds in the News

I slipped up last week and didn’t get to link to Birds in the News #82. I was a tad busy and preoccupied with other things. So today we have a double treat. Lots of good reading and plenty of links to articles about birds in the news.

Links:

  • Birds in the News #82
  • Birds in the News #83
  • Birds in the News – a list of links from my archives.

An early bird

No Comments »15th May, 2007; Category: General

It has been a long time since my last article about idioms. It is time to get back on track, to let the cat out of the bag and to turn over a new leaf before my readers think I’ve abandoned them with egg on their faces and that I’ve cooked my own goose.

This week’s idiom: An early bird.

Meaning:

If someone is “an early bird” they get up early in the morning, or they are very early for an appointment.

Origins:

I cannot find any references as to the exact origins of this phrase. It quite likely comes from the proverb “The early bird catcheth the worm” quoted in John Ray’s A Collection of English Proverbs published in 1670. This proverb seems a logical statement due to the habit of many birds to rise early, to be very active even well before dawn and thus anyone who is an early riser is said to be “an early bird.”

Example:

“In order to be the first in line, you will have to be an early bird.”

Links:

  • Idioms – a series of articles about idioms from the archives on my writing blog.
Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpies often begin their beautiful carolling well before sunrise. They certainly are one of “the early birds” in Australia.

Waterbirds at Goolwa South Australia

2 Comments »13th May, 2007; Category: Darters and Cormorants, Ducks Geese and Swans, Gulls and Terns, Pelicans, Plovers Dotterels and Lapwings, Waterbirds
Australian Pelican

Australian Pelican

On our recent visit to Goolwa in South Australia we went for a drive along the River Murray to the barrage near the mouth of the river. This barrage keeps the salt water from entering the river system at high tide.

This area is usually quite a good place for birding, though on this occasion there seemed to be just the usual birds one would expect. Nothing really exciting or out of the ordinary. Still, good birding days are usually like this. They make the really special days extraordinary.

Little Pied Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant

Along this stretch of the river we saw plenty of Australian Pelicans, White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Great Egrets, White-faced Herons, Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Teal, Little Pied Cormorants, Magpie Larks and Silver Gulls. Several Purple Swamphens stalked through the reeds while on the grassy areas a number of Masked Lapwings guarded their positions. Black Swans gracefully glided through the shallows and Singing Honeyeaters were the dominant species in the thick bushy areas along the sand dunes.

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