Twemgirl's Big Year 2020

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karentwemlow
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44. Common Blackbird

My first non-native species. Not found at my place. In fact I am yet to see one non-native bird species at my place among the 81 native bird species that have been here. I saw this bird down at the local park, and had no idea what it was. Apparently this is a juvenile Common Blackbird.

dwatsonbb
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Thanks for joining the party, you have some wonder species, and all so close, lucky you. Looking forward to more, thanks.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Welcome to the challenge, Twemgirl. Love the photos, what a wonderful selection and great to see Archie. Travelled through Bilpin last week, saddened by the destruction but pleased to hear you are OK.

If you add a photo file as below then it needs to be less than 500kb. You can use a photo programme to downsize your pics to the required size. However, if you use Flickr or something similar then you can copy the link into the image symbol above (4th box looks like a screen). If using Flickr then medium size of around 800 (800x533) works well. Hope that makes some sense.

karentwemlow
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Thank you Sue. I'm using a laptop that I'm unable to install software onto, so am just doing screen scrapes of my photos until they are under 500kb. Is there a good browser app for downsizing photos, I may be able to use that? I'm no photographer though so if it's a photography contest I'm not gong to do very well!

I am hoping to get out and about this year and get photos of some other birds besides the ones in my backyard. I have a 'big' birthday later this year and a trip to FNQ planned so I'm looking forward to seeing the different birdlife up there. 

But it's way too hot already for me to be out birdwatching today. I'll be out every couple of hours refilling bird baths and may take some blurry pics through the window :-)

sue818
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Try Flickr as an on-line programme with some useful editing if you need it. You can have up to a 1000 pics for free. It is easy to downsize pictures at download then upload or simply link to them. You can then use it from any computer. Google may have something similar but I do not know it. Yes, too hot already!

This is not a photography contest but more an encouraging exercise in getting out there to see the birds... though photos do improve with experience. It is probably also a great exercise in showing what is about when you really go looking. The stats will be interesting as were the 4 months last year. It is about having fun.
 

A trip north will produce some amazing birds. So do enjoy it.

karentwemlow
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Thanks for the tips, I'm checking out Flickr now as I have a Tawny Frogmouth hanging around and got some half decent photos of him (don't you just love the birds that will sit still for a photo!). I do have some other not so bad photos of my regular visitors, but not many from this year, so I'll update pics as I get better ones.

karentwemlow
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45. Tawny Frogmouth

The poor little guy is sitting in a tree above one of our native garden beds in 40 degree heat. I put a tub of water at the base of the tree in case he wants to pop down for a drink and we are keeping an eye on him from a distance.

These birds are just so beautiful. I was lucky enough to be able to release a Tawny Frogmouth fledgeling recently. It was found on the ground in the middle of the day unable to fly and taken to a local vet. The vet checked it over and said it was not injured. I picked it up from the vet and took it back to the property where it was found. We did a mini stakeout at dusk, put him on a low branch and after about half an hour one of the parents came down for it. It was such an awesome experience, I had my 4yo boy with me and we took a picnic dinner to have while we waited.

karentwemlow
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Thank you Dale, yes I am so lucky to live where I live.... but it does mean I don't get out much, I love it too much at home! I'll try to broaden my horizons a little this year though.

Alex Rogers
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Some awesome birds, and a koala as a bonus - how cool :-) Your place looks and sounds wonderful. 

Devster
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Your place certainly looks wonderful Karen. That experience with your boy and the reuniting of the Tawny back to the parents . . . . PRICELESS

karentwemlow
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Thanks and yes it was priceless!

Alex Rogers
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Lovely story re the frogmouth, and cool photos of your current one. 

karentwemlow
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46. Olive-backed Oriole

During a brief spot of birdwatching in my lunch break, I heard an unfamiliar bird call. Followed it and found this guy. This is only the second time I have seen an Olive-backed Oriole at my place.

karentwemlow
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47. Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Another visitor seen during today's brief lunch time birdwatch.

sue818
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Nice ones and love the story. Your place sounds wonderful. Looking forward to more.

karentwemlow
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48. Eastern Yellow Robin

Another regular in my garden, though this photo was taken at the local park this afternoon. Just taught my 4yo to ride a push bike on his own, so had one eye on him and the other on the abundant bird life down there. This is the first of 3 new birds for the year that I saw this afternoon.

karentwemlow
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49. Large-billed Scrubwren

This is a new one for me. Unfortunately was down at the park, not at home, so I won't be adding it to my personal list. But happy to be able to include it here.

karentwemlow
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50. Rufous Fantail

Another new one for me, but also from the local park. And possibly the worst photo posted in this competition so far! However the experts on the Australian Bird Identification FB page were able to ID it. I did know what it was as it was not this blurry in person, but I posted it to the bird ID page to be sure it could be confirmed.

Second pic is one I spotted in my garden the next day.

sue818
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You need to see the Rufous Fantail from the front as well, that checkerboard chest is impressive. Love the Fantail Cuckoo and the Large-billed Scrubwren. Great area around you.

karentwemlow
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Thanks yes I did see the Fantail, they are stunning little birds aren't they? I just didn't manage a very good photo! I have only seen them in photos before today, was really great to see one in nature even if I didn't get a good shot. I know where they are now so I will go back when I'm not so distracted. It's a lovely little nature reserve attached to a park, I think there are even platypus in the creek there too.

karentwemlow
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Oh wow I'm so excited! Just 10 minutes after I posted my last comment about the Rufous Fantail, I saw one in my garden! I managed to get a slightly better photo, still pretty average. But that takes my home species count to 82. Will add my new photo to the Rufous Fantail post. Made my day :-)

Alex Rogers
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It is very exciting seeing new birds, isn't it :-) Love the Rufous Fantail, saw my first and only last year, and got an awful EBC shot myself. Lets hope they hang around longer in our respective patches this year, they are very beautiful birds (no disrespect to the Grey Fantails who I love as well, but don't hold a candle to their Rufous cousins). I was very happy to see Northern Fantails in Darwin last month, but the Rufous is still my favourite. 

Alex Rogers
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What camera / lens are you shooting with Karen? 

karentwemlow
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It's a Nikon D3500. I do have some pretty good photos from it, just not so far this year. The lens is a very cheap 70-300mm, cost me $220. I bought the camera about 18 months ago intending to get into photography, but then I found birds. Now I'm just more interested in them than photography! As long as I can see and ID the birds, I'm happy.

I found a study of fauna in the South East Wollemi National Park from back in 2009. My property is on the border of the study area. They found 150 native birds during that study so I made up an album with all 150 birds and have been adding photos in as I find them. I found 2 additional ones that weren't in the study so I added those. So I now have 82 out of 152, more than half way. It's my life's work to finish the album before I die :-).

It was an awesome study, I'd love to get involved if they do another one.

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/surveys/SouthEasternWollemiNPvertebratefauna.pdf

karentwemlow
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Northern Fantails look beautiful too. We have a trip to Thala Beach Nature Reserve planned for October this year for my birthday. It's just north of Cairns. I'm hoping for some new species there. Do they have the Northern Fantail?

sue818
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Sounds like a great study and your plan is wonderful. Northern Fantail is possible as are numerous other birds. If you are going through Cairns, check out the mudflats near the Esplanade. If tide & light are tight, you an get an amazing array of shorebirds, nice & close.

Alex Rogers
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How wonderful to have such a significant study of the creatures in your area to work with - and your own goal and project sounds like one of my own dream projects. We have looked at the Upper Colo area as well in the search for our own property, and have often camped up there - a lovely part of the world. 

I totally get it that your priority is just recording species in your area in pictures more for the record than photography, and will enjoy your mounting tally accordingly :-) 

dwatsonbb
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I like that you have a goal, to achieve such a list would be exciting. Like you, I am about getting an identifiable photo, and sometimes, in my opinion I get some nice ones as well. Keep posting, and good luck with your list. Thanks.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

karentwemlow
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51. Gang-gang Cockatoo

The Gang-gang Cockatoo is my favourite of all birds. I took this photo this afternoon during a last minute trip to Bilpin Cider. These guys have visited my place a handful of times, but are not particularly common in my area. I particularly love the female and the colours in the chest. I believe this is a young bird.

karentwemlow
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52. Magpie-lark

Another common visitor in my street, though not often on my property. I took this photo at the bike path park across the road from Richmond RAAF base this morning where my son has been practicing his newly found bike riding skills. 

sue818
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I agree, love those Gang-gangs and their sound really is like a creaking door. Nice Magpie-lark as well, male I would think with that white eyebrow. Really enjoying the birds and the stories.

karentwemlow
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53. Common Myna

Never seen these guys at my place luckily. Photo taken on our recent trip to Richmond for bike riding.

karentwemlow
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54. Satin Bowerbird

I head the 'random' warblings and squawks of this one from my kitchen window. Ducked out quickly before a work meeting was about to start, and tracked him down, off in the distance in the bush across the road. Not a great photo but a fairly unmistakable silhouette. 

karentwemlow
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Hey Alex, there are some really awesome spots in Upper Colo, it's only about 5km from me (as the birds fly :-)) as well as Central Colo. Even with the bushfires recently so close, I still cannot imagine not living in the bush, I could never go back to suburbia! I love this place for sale in Central Colo, it looks so awesome, except for the amount of housework that would be needed! I currently live in a 1 bedroom plus loft cottage. I'd probably prefer the idea of a tiny house on bush acreage, maybe on wheels so I can roll myself out next time the fires come through. But this place still looks very impressive I think.

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-central+colo-131371202

karentwemlow
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Thanks Sue, I have no idea re shore birds, being so far from the shore. I wouldn't be able to ID any of them, so that will be a nice learning experience for me. And because of this holiday we have planned, I'm actually looking forward to turning 50 :-).

karentwemlow
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Thanks Dale, yes that whole study was so fascinating to read. They have done 2 of these studies, 10 years apart. I really hope they do another one, especially since the bushfires have damaged part of the Wollemi. I'm not sure how much of the study area was burnt, but I think it would be significant. Perhaps I will contact NPWS with some feedback.

sue818
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Shorebirds are a challenge... best tip is lots of pictures including flight shot if possible as underwing pattern helps. Should be a great trip to celebrate your birthday. You are just getting started.
Bushells Lagoon at Wilberforce might be worth a visit if not too far from you. 

karentwemlow
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Ah yes I've heard a lot about Bushell's Lagoon, it is not too far from me, I'll try to organise a trip out there. 

Alex Rogers
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Karen, thanks, I looked at that house last year when it came on the market - its huge! I'm after much less house (actually no house) and much more land - ideally after 100ha of land, ideally degraded farmland backing onto NP that I can spend the next 20 years restoring, a project for the next phase of life. Anyway, don't want to hijack your post.I'm keen to go to several sites around that Riverstone Area, so if you fancy a birding trip in company, let me know and we can perhaps make a plan together? Sue might be interested too. 

karentwemlow
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That's a great project! After we did the treeplanting with Birdlife last year my husband was inspired to buy some degraded farmland and do the same thing. If I had the money I'd be doing that for sure. 

Yes I'd be happy to do a birding trip at some point too. 

karentwemlow
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55. Laughing Kookaburra

Having a break in between feasting on various creatures in my yard.

karentwemlow
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56. Golden Whistler

Just spotted this little one before he/she flew off. I believe a young one due to the rufous colouring on the wing. One of my favourite birds though I do hope to improve on this photo before the end of the year!

karentwemlow
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57. House Sparrow

After picking up an Eastern Long-Necked Turtle from the vet, not ready for release until the torrential rain stops, had to drop in at the Supermarket at North Richmond to get some mince for it. Saw this little one in the carpark. I don't get these at home, I know they are introduced but they are still just a little bit cute. And the camera lens was fogged up at the time, so a nice blurry pic to share :-)

dwatsonbb
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You were able to get a nice close up, a pity about the lens fog, but it is an EBC - every bird counts. Hope you can keep finding more species. Thanks

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

karentwemlow
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58. Little Raven

Here's another first for me at my place, I had a flock of about 20 of these go by this morning. I thought they were ducks at first, by their sound! Then zoomed in and thought Raven. But they did not sound like the Australian Raven that I'm used to seeing here. Experts on the Bird ID Facebook Page have told me this is a Little Raven. I recorded and shared their call too. This is species 83 for my place and 58 for this year.

I know I'm a fair way behind in the count, but I haven't yet actually done any birdwatching trips, so hopefully I can catch up if I do!

sue818
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I would not worry about being behind in any count. There is still a lot of time to go out and seek new ones. Just enjoy the experience.

karentwemlow
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Thanks, no I'm not worried :-). I do enjoy being able to share my experiences here. You should see the excitement on my husband's face (not) when I tell him I've observed a new species!

sue818
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Mine is not a birder  but is excited for me & a great spotter if I can get him to tag along. 

karentwemlow
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No mine is not either, but he has spotted a few for me as well, just while out on our property. He will come in to tell me if he sees a bird he thinks I might be interested in. He spotted the only Scarlet Robin that we have seen visit so far, and I managed to get a photo which I would have missed if he hadn't come in to tell me about it. He spotted the suffering Tawny on the lawn in 42 degree heat a week or so ago, plus he often spots interesting night creatures when he's walking around with his miner's helmet light on :-). 

karentwemlow
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59. Eastern Whipbird

Another new species for my place! I heard this guy through the window, went for a struggle/walk through the bush across the road following his call (lost my glasses in the process but they were cheap chemist ones so I'm ok with that). The call seemed to be coming from the same area so at first thought maybe it was a Superb Lyrebird as I have had them around. But I finally spotted him, just as he spotted me and took off. Crappy photo but I'm just glad to have evidence and be able to add bird species number 84 to my album :-). It was a nice break from work after starting at 7:30 too.

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