Well I guess someone has to get this party started! Slow start to the year. Have had a couple of trips, but not many species. Pelagic season was going to start today, but sadly had to be cancelled due to high wind forecast. So I am home processing January's so far.
1st bird is a lifer for me - probaly heard often, but never seen until now. Short walk to Snug Falls and Dru Point on the way home,
1. Olive Whistler (Tas. ssp.) - 1st photo is an EBC, has an Acacia (wattle) flower in the way, 2nd photo shows more clearly, but sadly one of Dev's branches in the way! The only bird from Snug Falls walk!
Tasmanian Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea apatetes) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
Tasmanian Olive Whistler (Pachycephala olivacea apatetes) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
On to Dru Point Bicentennial Park. Again just a few species, will go back earlier in the day at some stage, there are usually a good number of species here.
2. Masked Lapwing (Tas. ssp.) - this one is a young bird, hatched this season.
Southern Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles novaehollandiae) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
3. Yellow Wattlebird - (endemic) - this one a recently fledged "branchling" can fly but still reliant on parents for food. You can see the wattles starting to erupt on the side of the neck. Hopefully a better photo of an adult at some stage.
Yellow Wattlebird (Anthochaera paradoxa) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
4. Common (European) Starling - another recently fledged bird, brown colouring and lacking much of it's tail feathers.
Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
5. Galah - a georgous couple enjoying each others company.
Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
6. Tasmanian Native-hen (endemic) - another bird I see often. Might gfet a better pic later.
Tasmanian Native-hen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
Folloing day saw my son and I visit Risdon Brook Dam. Again not many species, but they all count!
7. White-faced Heron - was able to get quite close to this one.
White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
8. Grey Fantail (Tas. ssp) - had an adult and juvenile on the same branch, but didn't manage to get them both in one photo.
Tasmanian Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa albiscapa) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
Tasmanian Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa albiscapa) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
9. Dusky Woodswallow - another common summer bird for us down here.
Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
10. Grey Butcherbird.
Tasmanian Grey Butcherbird (Cracticus torquatus cinereus) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
11. Black Swan.
Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) by Dale Watson, on Flickr
That is about it for now, might be back a little later with a couple more.
Nice photos to start the year with Dale. Congratulations on the lifer, always exciting! I will join soon, going away for a week tomorrow so hopefully there might be a side of birding here and there. :)
Thanks for sharing and starting the 'party', Dale!
Super cute dusky woodswallow - and interesting to see all the young birds starting off the year too!
Congrats on the Lifer! Love seeing your endemic species. Makes me want to go down there this year.
Thanks all. It has been a bit of slow start this year.
Went for 2 short walks in the south, again not too many species, but building slowly.
1st an improvement on last years EBC shot, better than my previous effort with this species! HUUUUUGE crop.
12. Tree Martin, Tas. ssp. - these are so fast and hard to get focus on.
Next in line is an EBC, but clear enough to ID. Dark wet forest, bit grainy. Hoping to improve later. A few of these about, but hard to keep still long enough.
13. Tasmanian Scrubwren - endemic.
Now the bird I went looking for, have had good success on this track (same as Scrubwren), but this was my closest encounter to date. I stopped at a creek to refill my water bottle, naturally put the camera down in a safe spot, when this one was heard behind me, Turned slowly to find it only a couple of metres away. Brilliant views. Ended up pretty happy, picked up the camera and spent the next 20 minutes taking a few (hundred) photos. Although wary, it did not move far.
14. Superb Lyrebird.
Another day another species.
15. Laughing Kookaburra - a lovely pair.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Yes the Martins are very hard to get in flight.
Very, very jealous of your superb Lyrebird photos
Awesome on the lyrebird. I always try and record their calls, as you never know what they are going to come out with, but also because its so hard to photograph them as close as you did. Well done on not scaring it off!
Great pics Dale, what a stunning little bird the Tasmanian Scrubwren is. And the Lyrebird encounter, how fantastic!
A great start to the year, Dale... I concur, stunning Lyrebird shots! Congrats on the lifer as well. Thank you for being the conduit for the Login issue, seems to be working well now.
Great start Dale. I love the Tassie Scrubwren, and nice shots of the Lyrebird too!
Thanks all.
A few now from around home and close by.
16. Little Wattlebird - was doing some stuff in the shed, when this one started calling - was persistant for over an hour - great to have in the front yard.
17. Swamp Harrier - was inside doing stuff, when my son yells for me to bring the camera out. Another great bird to have circling over our semi-urban yard.These are quite large crops.
18. Welcome Swallow - at my friends place near home. Been trying to get a decent flight shot for a while - so far this is my best - sadly hard to keep focus on these, so it is not so sharp. 2nd photo is one of this years bubs - parents were swooping it trying to get it to fly.
19. Forest Raven - had an appointment in Hobart - about 30 minutes from home, so I decided to call by the Waterworks Reserve on the way - not a lot about, but a couple for the list.
20. Australian Wood Duck (AKA Maned Duck) -not quite the backdrop I was wanting, but they will do for now.
21. Brown Thornbill - after my appointment called into Dru Point on the way home. Not alot about, but some nice birds which were hard to photograph in harsh light or shadows.
22. Pallid Cuckoo - this is only my second sighting of this species, and I mis-identified it as a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike on the back of the camera light was brighyt on the screen to see much detail. Although not great photos, I was happy when I looked at them on the PC.
23. Australian Pelican - a long way off with a heat shimmer to make getting crisp shots hard work. Heavily cropped. These will do for now, may upgrade at some stage.
24. Silver Gull - these are always easy, but I hope to get a nice flight shot from a Pelagic trip at some stage.
25. Tawny Frogmouth - these 2 are this years young, and are still beiing supported by parents. This was my main target species for the day - they are almost always present, but are soemtimes hard to locate. A few of Dev's twigs in the way in some shots. If you have ever wondered what the inside of a Tawny Frogmouth looks like - the first shot someone is tired and yawned for me.
That is the last from this day, but one more to add.
26. Black-faced Cormorant - went fishing Friday with my best mate, and this little dude stayed with us for a while, gotta love that eye colour.
Before I close this post, a couple of flying creatures, which are not birds. I have started trying to get some macros, but it is hard without a specific lens for the purpose. These shot with my zoom lens.
Bumble Bee - appears to have a decent load of pollen.
Honey Bee gathering pollen.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Marvellous shots and great variety Dale.
The bill of the Forest Raven is so much thicker than that of the Torresian Crow.
I like the Little Wattlebird shot, such a typical pose for them. Me being picky I would have cloned out the leaves on the RHS, but thats just me.
The bee and flower shots are beautiful
Great flight shots Dale. Do love the Tawny Frogmouths.
Wouldn't a macro lens be fun! Nice shots of the bumblebee.
Lovely set of shots, Dale... especially the Bumble Bee. One trip to Tassie, my husband wore a bright blue jacket... imagine our surprise when a large yellow striped Bee crawled completely inside the black-lined pocket to check it out. Eventually, it came out and flew off. I do love the Tawny Frogmouths.
Love your pics Dale, that bumblebee pic came out great, even without a macro lens. And yes those green eyes on the cormorant are stunning aren't they? How lucky to have such a cool companion on your fishing trip :-).
Impressive yawn on the frogmouth, and interesting to see a Pallid cuckoo - a new one for me.
Cool bees too, perhaps he would have buzzed off if you crept in close with a macro lens!
Thanks all.
Birding has again been patchy for me. Have had 2 Pelagic trips cancelled due to foul weather.
And now finally I get on a boat - 3rd time lucky. I will only apologise once for the number of photos - SORRY, but it is hard to choose.
Here we go - 4th February, from Eaglehawk Neck. Weather was foul for most of they day - between the showers, it rained. Overcast and gloomy until we headed back in - some blue sky. Not ideal for photography, so some nice photos could have been better - exposure problems mainly. So ther will likley be additional photos as the year goes on.
33 species for the day - sadly I did not capture them all!
3 lifers (should have been 4), but only 2 will count here - a South Polar Skua made a brief and rapid pass, 1st photo, and I can personally verify the species (1st photo of the day). ID was confirmed before I took my shot by one of Australia's leading seabird experts.
South Polar Skua - 1st lifer for the day.
Now the count starts.
27. Australasian Gannet.
28. White-faced Storm Petrel - love all the storm petrels, hard to capture, but rewarding when you do.
29. Grey-backed Storm Petrel.
30. Wilson's Storm Petrel.
31. (Indian) Yellow-nosed Albatross.
32. Southern Royal Albatross - fact sheet for Royal Albatross only. You may note the white leading edge to the wings - can be confused with other Great Albatross if your photo shows a bit of upper and underwing - will point out shortly.
33. Northern Royal Albatross - 1st photo shows the apparrent "white" leading edge, but it is just the border of upper and lower wing colouring, it is not as wide or obvious. The last photo - I particularly like the mood of this shot gloomy dark clouds, with glistening grey water.
34. Fluttering Shearwater - 2nd lifer for the day, an unusual sighting in Tassie.
35. Flesh-footed Shearwater - 3rd lifer for the day! You can clearly see how it came by it's name. Also differs from other shearwaters, having a "pinkish" bill with a dark tip. Another not often seen bird down here.
36. Buller's Shearwater - the light does not does this bird justice.
37. Short-tailed Shearwater.
38. White-chinned Petrel. On the way home the cloud started to clear.
39. Grey-faced Petrel - no fact sheet.
40. Shy Albatross - this is taken at 100mm, thats how close they come - slight crop. 1st photo has a bonus White-chinned Petrel.
41. Buller's Albatross - not happy with the exposure on these, but they clearly show ID features - Black bill with yellow upper and lower borders.
42. Kelp Gull.
43. (Greater) Crested Tern These on the shore near the jetty.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
A few more from closer to home. Nothing special, just building species.
44. Striated Pardalote - possibly a young bird without full adult plumage?
45. Common Bronzewing.
46. Pacific Black Duck.
47. Superb Fairy-wren. Male in eclipse plumage and a female.
48. Australian Pied Oystercatcher.
49. Chestnut Teal, male and female.
50. Australasian (Purple) Swamphen.
51. European Goldfinch - showing what that yellow wing patch looks like from underneath.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Loving all those storm-petrels, Dale! Beautiful little birds. I can't believe you're still getting lifers on pelagics - must be quite a buzz. I have to agree the third shot of the Northern Royal Albatross is a killer - the white head against the moody sky and glassy rolling seas. 'One for the pool room'? So many birds from one trip - I wonder what your shot count was before culling and editing...
A lovely pair of chestnut teals in the right light, too!
Thanks Michael. Still a few lifers I can get, just need to be able to capture some of the little (and big) blighters with the camera. Don't count birds until I have a photo that I am convinced of the ID (from the photo).
I average around 500 photos for a pelagic, but this being the start of a new list, the total went to 854 (and I thought I was careful about choosing targets). Some days I refuse to take a photo of the really common species, unless it jumps out as being a chance of a super good photo.
Out of internet range from tomorrow for a couple of weeks, so looking forward to catching everyone's photos on my return.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Wow some great pics there Dale. I'm very jealous of the Pelagics. I would love to come down again this year and do another one.
I too Love the Teal shot and the Fairy-wren in eclipse.
You are right that Albatross shot with the glassy water and the white bird against the dark background is an absolute cracker!
Wow, such great shots of birds in flight! Love the close up of the Buller's Albatross. Definitely third time lucky.....
More wonderful and exciting shots, Dale! I vote you King of the Pelagics with so many fantastic birds up close and in flight against wonderful sky or ocean. Lots of them would be lifers for me and I cannot choose a favourite. I am very eager to see more.
Dale I do love your Coastal/Marine Bird shots, bar a couple all would be lifers for me. I also do love seeing Pardalotes, it looks like a young one to me.
We were away on another cruise for a bit, so apologies if I have missed any posts, trying to catch up now.
Thanks also for your kind comments.
I have many photos to post, but not many that will count as whilst they are gettable in Australia. I am unable to guarentee they were taken in Australian Waters. So 2 posts (those that count and those that don't).
52 Rainbow Lorikeet - these are introduced (believed escaped pets?) and highly invasive at home, to the point that it is probably too late to do much. A very beautiful bird - these taken away from home.
53. Pied Currawong (Lifer), not found in Tasmania - very similar to our Grey Currawongs (ours are almost black, but lack the white on the wings).
54. Spotted Dove - I commented on I think Abby's thread about how I don't like to take birds on a wire photos, but this one was just so obliging, how could I resist!
55. Australian Magpie.
56. Australian White Ibis.
57. Osprey (Lifer) - sadly this one was resting and did not change position in the 15 or so minutes as we passed it. Fact Sheet for Eastern Osprey - I believe Eastern and Western have now been "lumped".
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
And now for some birds which won't count on my list sadly. A few more lifers. I won't post too many here, but hopefully put some over in best photos next week.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater - was a "sighted lifer" on my last Pelagic, but no photo. I now have about 300 photos taken in the Coral Sea almost definetly in international waters.
At or about the same time, there were several of the next species - again alot of photos, not a lifer but still happy to see again.
Red-footed Booby - still showing some remnant breeding "flush" around the face. A very gettable bird in northern pelagic waters I believe. Last photo is literally a "crappy"shot!
We landed in Port Denarau (Fiji) for a day. First bird I though was a Common Myna, but no, it turned out to be another Lifer!
Jungle Myna - introduced species (only 1 photo, because at the time I didn't think it was special). I thought it may be a young Common Myna.
Common Myna for comparison. (also in Port Denarau)
Black-naped Tern (Lifer) - again available in Australia. These were on the break water as we "water shuttled" back to the ship. Very heay crop. The last photo in the Fiji series will show our home for 11 nights in the background.
Wandering Tattler (Lifer) - Merlin says this is a Wandering Tattler (the brownish bird with the terns). I am happy to be corrected, either way it will still be a lifer.
This photo shows the break water and the ship. Port Denarau is man made harbour, with lots of resort style accomodation, very tourist oriented.
We left Fiji to stop at Noumea on the way home. A port I don't particulalry enjoy for my own reasons, but the main park is worth a look for some species not in Aus.
Common Waxbill (Lifer) introduced species, also known as the St. Helena Waxbill. Very similar to our Red-browed Finches (I have not seen those either), but lacks the red rump and the eyeliner goes through the eye, not just above. Tiny little creatures, was able to get fairly close.
Dark Brown Honeyeater or Grey-eared Honeyeater (known by both names). I have seen these before. You can hear them everywhere, but trying to find them in the canopy is dificult.
As we left Noumea (following day) 2 more Pelagic species, one I have seen at home (or maybe a different ssp.) and my last Lifer for the trip.
Masked Booby (Lifer), again another species seen on northern pelagic trips. These 2, an adult with what appears to be very worn plumage, and a younger bird (brown head) were feeding on Flying Fish which appeared to come out of the ship's bow wave.
Last species for this trip, hoping your not too bored!
Gould's Petrel - a bird I have had on previous lists from home. Not the greatest photos, but enough for ID. The 1st shows the head and some underwing markers, while the 2nd shows the upper wing in the bird on the left. The other bird is the same species.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Love the holiday snaps, Dale. Always exciting to see birds from other countries. The Red-footed booby is surely showinf off those feet which does not usually happen! Your home for the trip looks pretty nice as well.
As to the bird on a wire, I like that shot as the light is good too. I also don't mind a bird on a barbed wire fence as it is typical.
So many great shots Dale. I liked the Red-footed Booby the best, especially the crap shot. lol. A few there I have never heard of.
Wonderful shots, thanks Dale! I am, for one, more than happy to see birds from anywhere. I am interested in the worn plumage of the adult masked booby - is it indicative of a rough life or is there regrowth every so often? I saw a really scrappy-looking osprey last week and wondered if it could fly and feed as well any more. Your osprey really snubbed you for 15 minutes - rude.
Thanks guys.
Sue, the Red-footed Boobys appeared to be using their feet, wings and head in order to slow themselves down in quite strong winds! Hence displaying them nicely.
Dev, so many birds to see, so little time. Our world is a wonderful place (mostly).
Micheal, worn plumage would be leading into a moult, so regrowth will hopefully follow. Seem to see "worn plumage" quite often with seabirds, and to some extent I think it is seasonal, much like a dog or cat will shed it's winter coat.
Hoping for some more birds soon, in the meantime, happy birding everyone.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Appears I missed a couple from our trip. One not found at home, and one which can be found in Tassie.
58. Pied Cormorant.
59. Noisy Miner.
And on to some more from closer to home. Went on a Field Nats. boat trip, not all about birds, but I did manage a couple for my list. Some "average" photos, but enough for ID (I hope).
60. Fairy Prion - the most common Prion sighted down our way. A photo I hope to improve on.
61. Sooty Shearwater - I will post another Short-tailed Shearwater after this shot hopefully show the different underwing marking, although the Short-tailed seem very light underwing this year.
37. Short-tailed Shearwater - you will note the white/light underwing is more pronounced where the Sooty has less white to the outside of the wing (hope I got that right). You may also note that the feet extend passed the end of the tail - hence the name "Short-tailed".
62. Common Diving Petrel. Photo Lifer. This one has been my pelagic bogey bird, seen often, but always too small, too far away and too fast for me to capture. This day we had maybe 80 or so throughout the day, and they were quite obliging. So a few extra shots. Nickname - the flying spud. Sits on or flys low to the water with very rapid wing beats. One diagnostic feature is "blue feet/legs", which can be hard to pickup in different light. Hopefully you can see the blue leg in the 1st shot, and maybe in one of the others.
Again you may see the blue leg.
63. Pacific Gull - a lovely bird who is not quite into adult plumage.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Comical pied cormorant photo, they look old friends, ready to have an argument. The sooty and short-tailed shearwater differences had me cross-eyed for a while, but the feet extending past the tail got me there in the end - some heavy ID work there, Dale! And yes, I could see the blue in the last shot of the diving petrel - congrats on another lifer!
Wow Dale, those pelagic tours really pay off. Blue feet on the Common Diving Petrel certainly help with ID. I admire your ID skills as I know it took me hours to process and ID the few I saw on my one pelagic tour.