White-faced Heron

Walking along the Wangi-Wangi foreshore, this White-faced Heron was just as intent on me as I was on him.  Keeping my distance, I didn't want to intimidate him, nor spoil the opportunity to get a few pics.

at this point we parted company; you go your way, I'll go mine

Along the foreshore where the heron walked, I sat on this seat to cool in the shade for a short while and noted the little white shell under the large Casuarina (she-oak) tree,  to my left.  You can just make it out, sitting there (if you know where to look)

wonder which bird it belonged?

Life partners...

very cautious, but while I keep my distance, and they both keep their eyes upon me, all is good.

With such a hot start to spring, spring rushed into summer all so quickly, and the crepe myrtle flowering period has all but been and gone, already.   As Autumn moves along to Winter generally, is when I expect to see the Rosellas come in to feed on those spent flowerheads.  By then, they have gone brown and a little crispy even.

Maybe food has been a little light-on throughout summer and this pair have ventured in to make an early start.  They've got it good for some time now since there are nine of these shrubs for them to feed on.

Birds in Backyards fact sheet on the Eastern Rosella is here

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

a bird with many names, the Pacific Koel (Cuckoo)

Just a few mornings ago, the unmistakable call of the Koel - sometimes referred to as Eastern Koel, mostly known as the Common Koel, but also now crowned, the Pacific Koel!  Some will also refer to this bird as the Stormbird, or the Rainbird.

While I've often heard, and seen them flying through the bushland corridor, 7.30 a.m. on this morning, I could see a glossy black male momentarily perched up in the uppermost branches of this Angophora tree.  It was surprising that it didn't take off really, so I'm especially happy to have gotten these record shots.

From BirdLife Australia "usually arriving in September, this bird flies to Australia from New Guinea, Indonesia and possibly the Philippines, remaining until March or April, when they return to their non-breeding grounds."

those red eyes are pretty amazing aren't they?

and this is what makes for early risers in the neighbourhoods they frequent!

I hope you'll go to Graeme Chapman's (ornithologist) page and hear the varying raucous sounds of the Koels.  They're common-place bird-calls around here for months.

Juvenile Koel, October 2013


and if you hadn't seen this post from March 2012 you will see one juvenile Koel that had been reared by a Little Wattlebird

Galah

William Hatfield wrote in I find Australia (1937), "galahs at sunset are sure indication of water.  They never make 'dry camps'."

not coloured up properly yet; this pair were checking out along the retainer wall, at waters edge

 Casuarina over Bonnells Bay, late in the day.  I saw the occasional fish jumping too...I suspect they were mullet but that's just a guess.  Why do fish jump?  Australian Museum has an answer here if you're wondering.  I like the second analogy best.

this youngster was continually trying to beckon it's parent/s to come feed me!

I left later, having missed out on a decent sunset over the water, my first intention for being there, but I have a couple in archives for you.  Glad the galahs kept me occupied in the meantime; a little bit of pink and grey feathers was a nice change.

Superb Fairy Wren - "the blue boy" paid a visit

Quite a number of these delightful (I think my favourites) little wrens, venture in from the bush corridor behind.

To have the male fly into this crepe-myrtle had me really hoping to find him in the lens before he moved on!  They seem to do a chatty/musical mine-sweep through the gardens, and then ....gone!

I just got lucky to have nabbed him; it doesn't always happen that way.  I just think they're adorable, although he looks a little stern almost, or is he just deep in thought?

that was yesterday ...

 and I got lucky again today, just once

You can hear one if you visit this Birds in Backyards fact sheet; look to the panel at right for mp3

Noisy Miner, Little Wattlebird, and... a short video

...while Mum had her back turned, little one (just pretending),  took a running jump

That was a really dumb thing to do (says Mum, on the right)

I didn't mean to ... I just slipped 

just wait till your father gets home

 Little Wattlebird

made it to the bird-bath

not liking the imposters

microphone on the camera picks up the traffic noise too unfortunately, but I didn't really want to mute the sounds of the birds that were much closer than the traffic

Bird Medley

 Little Corella, this morning when I was walking early; glad I took my camera!

young Magpie scouts the garden, sometimes with its parents, daily.  During the heat of the day, the three of them will often sit quietly for two or three hours under the dense shade of a Michelia shrub.  I've got two water containers under there for them also.

not easy to get a photo of the Eastern Rosella; they're very timid and flighty.  It hadn't realized when it flew in while other birds had been at the water dish, that I was sitting near the back door with my camera...

Noisy Miner

 spotted me!

Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday

Little Corella

Yesterday afternoon, the sun was warm/hot but I took a walk around the Casuarina (She-Oak) lined, Wangi-Wangi foreshore....to see what I could find.  For today, I'll share the Little Corellas that I came across.

 

 

 

 

 the variety of rustic colours intruiges me

 

 

 

 these Corellas were having a siesta in the uppermost branches of an old Casuarina tree 

 

 

...till they saw me that is

 



  



Fact-sheet on the Little Corella here from Birds in Backyards site

 

Sharing with Nature Notes Tuesday


and also Wild Bird Wednesday