Great Birding Moments #1 Spotted Nightjar
1 Comment »25th June, 2006; Category: Camera, Great Birding Moments, Owls Frogmouths and Nightjars, Photos
From time to time birders – like anyone passionate about a hobby or interest – experience great defining moments. These special events could include:
- The moment when one sees an elusive species for the very first time.
- When one sees a favourite bird in all its colourful splendour, lit by the bright sunlight and perched picture perfect in full view.
- When a photograph of a bird turns out just right.
- When one has waited or searched patiently for a particular species, only to find it flitting around the car you left hours before your search began. (That happened to me with the Rufous Fantail once.)
- When one has a good view of a rare or hard to find species (like the Lyrebird following me down the track on Royal National Park near Sydney – it may be common to birders in that region but they are only found in the zoo here in South Australia).
My list could go on. One species I’d only had fleeting views of – and then only in the headlights of the car at speed at night – is the Spotted Nightjar. A few weeks ago I found (with some help from a friend) a single Spotted Nightjar roosting on the ground at the Pangarinda Arboretum (Click here for the full story).
Spotted Nightjar
Photo Gallery
Red Capped Robin
At last I have a photo gallery for your enjoyment. From time to time I will add photos to this blog of birds I photograph and places I visit. The above photo of the male Red Capped Robin was taken at the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington, South Australia a few weeks ago.
Related article:
To view my photo gallery click here and come back often to view new photos as they are added over the coming weeks.
Spotted Nightjar
Spotted Nightjar
Yesterday I visited the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington East. This arboretum is about 30km south of Murray Bridge South Australia (or about 90km SE of Adelaide). For the last four weeks a single Spotted Nightjar has been roosting in the one location within the arboretum. It has been observed close up by quite a few people in that time.
Yesterday we were able to approach to within 2 metres to take photos without disturbing the bird. It was amazing to observe the cryptic markings on the feathers making it very hard to see as it roosted in a little hollow it had made next to several tufts of grass. Several days ago one of the volunteers received a shock when he disturbed the bird while weeding around some of the plants growing there. The bird puffed itself up and hissed at him. He thought he was about to be attacked by some strange reptilian creature!
This is one species that I had dismissed as being able to get a good close up photo of. One should never say never.
This post updated on 12th October 2015.
Spotted Nightjar
Red Capped Robin
8 Comments »5th June, 2006; Category: Robins
Red Capped Robin
One of the delights of birding is to have close up views of some of the brilliant birds we have here in Australia. Today it was a male Red Capped Robin that caught my attention. I was quick to whip out the digital camera and begin stalking this brilliant bird. To be able to photograph this species showing its stunning red, white and black feathers in full sunlight is a sheer delight.
After ten minutes of trying to get close enough for a reasonable shot, the bird in question gave in and had pity on me. Either that or it was curious about this odd fellow with the funny thing in his hand. It came and sat on a branch about 2 metres from me! Wonderful.
The location of this close encounter was at the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington East, about 30km south of where I live in Murray Bridge. (The arboretum is about 90km SE of Adelaide.) Volunteers at the arboretum have never recorded this species there over the last 10 years of observations. The neighbours over the fence had never seen the species there either.
Red Capped Robin
Zebra Finch
Above: Photo of a Zebra Finch
We went to visit Pangarinda Arboretum again today. This is a large plantation of Australian native plants just east of Wellington, South Australia. This is about half an hour from Murray Bridge, or just over an hour from Adelaide.
As is my custom these days my attention was divided between watching birds, making a list of birds I see for my database, photographing any birds I see and photographing the many beautiful flowers in this arboretum. Summer is fast coming to an end here in the Murraylands region of South Australia so there are not too many native Australian plants in flower at present, but still enough for me to get some very nice shots.
The birding was also quite good with 23 species recorded. The best sighting of the day was that of Zebra Finches. I have recorded this species here before, but not in such good numbers. They almost outnumbered the commonest bird in the garden, the New Holland Honeyeater. A number of finches, including an obliging male, came close enough for me to get some lovely photos.
