Khancoban.NSW

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heva1
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Khancoban.NSW

Hi all, just back from a week in Khancoban NSW. Snowy mountains but guess what? no snow, just 40 degree heat. Luckily camped by large ponds to cool off and a spillway to more ponds and a water treatment area perfect for my birding walks. The area is rich in birdlife, I can thouroughly reccomend to anyone 'birdy'. My partner also happy as ponds next to an airstrip and weather perfect for microlighting all weekend, happy campers all round... hot but happy!
Tassie, I have to admit... after all the ribbing I gave you... I had to put the red wine in the esky to cool down!
So you may need to sit down ,and have a cuppa, while I share some of the birdlife I saw.....
whistling kite Faraway.. Wedge tail eagle faraway ..white necked heron whitefaced heron white winged choughs White-eye yellow faced honey-eater yellow rumped thornbill
ok... posting these first so I don't get 'timed out'

heva1
heva1's picture

white throated tree creeper male superb fairy wren and female Sacred kingfisher gets lucky Red kneed dotterell Nankeen Kestrel

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

heva1
heva1's picture

little pied cormorant Great cormorant European goldfinch (imm) European goldfinch adult Black fronted dotterel

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

heva1
heva1's picture

Australian spotted crake immature European goldfinch
Happy to be corrected on any ID's. and posting seperately in ID section with a couple I can't ID.

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

heva1
heva1's picture

And finally .... (thank goodness I hear you say!!) some pics I had my biggest advenure of the holiday getting.... in the ponds/paddocks area in Khancoban... wowed by a rainbow bee-eater... fascinated by it's catching and 'stunning' it's prey by knocking it on the branch before swallowing... so engrossed was I that I didn't realize the biggest bull you have ever seen... it's harem and it's offsprings had edged closer to me and 'boxed me in' ... hearing heavy breathing behind me I turned around to find myself staring into the eyes of a huge curious bull or was that annoyance?... I desperately tried to remember what you are supposed to do when confronted by a bull... stare back? don't stare? walk slowly backwards? stay very still? I couldn't remember whether the tactics were for snakes or lions or bulls... so .. given that I was blocked in by a fence on one side and the intimidators on the other two I decided to causually stroll away ..humming nonchalantly as was possible with sweat pouring off me and adrenaline pumping... I made it back to the car on the dirt road and made my getaway! the pics were worth it I think.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4283823035_8a23998827.jpg[/img]
Hope you enjoy my collection :)

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

heva1
heva1's picture

whoops don't know what happened there...

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Amateur

Lovely series of shots and a good variety, I know where my next trip will be. Love the Rainbow Bee-Eaters and the Goldfinches! 2 of the prettiest birds.

Goshawk
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Great photos, great story about the bull maybe next time use the crocidile dundee tactics, enjoyed the post heaps,

birdie
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LMAO Hev!!! :'D

Great post and thanks for the entertaining story! I know how you can get so engrossed like that, I am sure we all do! Your stay must have been like a "birdy" Xmas, with that great variety. I would so love to see a RBE. They are stunning aren't they? I notice your pics are very sharp too.... do you have a stabiliser on your lens? Tripod? Or do you just not shake like me?

Your wrens are beautiful too.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

heva1
heva1's picture

Thanks Goshawk, will consider crocodile dundee tactics next time!
Birdie, I have a stabilizer on my lens which I definately need...particularly for early morning sessions after a few beers the night before!
I do have a tripod and monopod but interestingly all but the Whistling kite and WFH were taken handheld as I didn't have time to set up with the tripod (listening to partner saying "they're not hanging around to open christmas presents") If possible I try to brace myself against a tree or lie down on the ground (have many a bull ant bite from that!)if no trees around I can always find a large obliging bull :)
and yes I was in birdnerd heaven! not many people get excited about camping near a sewage treatment site eh?

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

george
george's picture

very nice i am an arm chair birder.i know what you mean about the dang ant's.

guzzi
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Hi Hev, sounds like a great holiday, next time you'll kneed to remember Crocadile Dundee, lucky you weren't hurt at all.

Cheers
John

Amateur

Hmm, I don't seem to remember Crocodile Dundee encountering a bull, someone enlighten me? The worst I've ever had are some ants crawl on me while sitting down and observing, I'm not sure what I would do if I turned around to see a very large angry bull looking at me!

heva1
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Hi amateur, nice avator. How was your holiday? If u do encounter a bull ... this one responded to humming 'always look on the bright side of life' from the movie 'life of Brian' a very funny movie... but might be before your time!

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Amateur

Lol, Monty Python is quite in my range in fact, some of the best movies I've seen. Yeah, We had a great Holiday and so did my yearly list, as did yours I suppose, I've already passed last years total in a few weeks so I'm happy. And yes, The avatar is now my new fav pic, the mother and father swan brought over their three little cygnets for a feed along with themseleves, though they're not very good at eating from your hand, as one would simply bit my fingers so the bread fell off my hand and eat it off the ground. Though I did get some photos of me hand feeding it, might post them up when I've uploaded them.

GeorgeP
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What a great series of shots, Hev. Love that Spotted Crake - it's a ripper.

Cheers,

George
Melbourne, VIC

heva1
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Thanks George. Yes the spotted crake was a bird I had not seen before and was very secretive, just peeking out from the reeds occasionally to get some insects. Had a cute tush flick going on too like a purple swamp hen.

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

Hev, superb series of shots and to see a European Goldfinch was unreal for me.
I posted a while ago asking if anyone has seen any around.
Top shots Hev and as for the Bull.....they are big sooks,its the cows you have to watch but gee I got a good laugh.
Good onya Hev.

Tassie

Hev, superb series of shots and to see a European Goldfinch was unreal for me.
I posted a while ago asking if anyone has seen any around.
Top shots Hev and as for the Bull.....they are big sooks,its the cows you have to watch but gee I got a good laugh.
Good onya Hev.

Amateur

Tassie, I saw a European Goldfinches in Victoria, unfortunately the bush es they hopped into were to thick to get a photograph :(

heva1
heva1's picture

Tassie... there were plenty of cows in his harem too!
Amateur that was the first time I had seen European Goldfinches in Oz,I agree hard to get a shot of them, so quick and reluctant to come out of thick foliage. Also I noticed that there were heaps of immatures but very few adults in the groups....

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

kathiemt
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Wow, what a collection. And how did you ID them all? I have so much to learn about identifying birds.

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

heva1
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Hi Kathiemt, I've only been a bird nerd for about 3 years, and have learned heaps on this forum re. ID's. I'm now reasonably ok at 'categorising' birds I see by size,beak shape, behaviour, colouring etc. so that at least I know where to start my ID in my field guide! I want to be better at recognising bird calls and am in the process of searching out a good 'bird call cd' anyone any suggestions?
and of course if I get really stumped I just ask the more experienced guys on here.
Hey Kathie check out the courses at selby community house. I went to a really good digital slr one there. Might go to Cardinia res. later just off for a swim now (there will only be poms in there on a day like today!)

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

kathiemt
kathiemt's picture

bird nerd. I like that.

Didn't know thast Selby Community House held courses, in fact I didn't know there was a community house. I'll have to look into that. Thanks. Didn't know you could swim at the res either. So much to learn about this area!

Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
 

heva1
heva1's picture

oops... no, sorry ...went for a swim at the belgrave outdoor pool and I was right only 3 of us swimming... all poms!!22 degrees..phewie that's a HOT summers day for a pom:)
If you find the community house there is a nice walking /rec./bushy area there too, good for birds.

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

22 degrees Hev ?? I would have jeans,boots and a jumper on..lol,would not be swimming. :)

heva1
heva1's picture

that's 'cos ur a woose Tassie like those Aussie bulls, I'm a tough Herefordian cow!

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

Tassie

Ahhh thats right Hev there is some tough people come from where you do its the home of the British SAS.
And yep, I am a woose...lol, I love my comforts these days.

heva1
heva1's picture

Hi guys... just thought I'd let you know I asked Holly to delete the 'troublesome thread' which she has kindly done. Thanks Holly :)

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best

birdie
birdie's picture

Hi Hev

I noticed you'd done that, and thank you. it even brought out the worst in me, but only after a period of restraint!!
I get sick of those in the world that have to spoil a good thing. That includes the ones who try to use this forum as an advertising space. We are very lucky that the Museum provides a place to share information and stuff with like-minded people. I have to say that it has been a lifeline to sanity for me at times of intense stress. I find that getting out and bird watching has been a wonderful way to de-stress. Or just looking at what everyone else has been up to if I haven't been anywhere.

Cheers

Birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

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