Red bird day at Woodgate

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birdie
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Red bird day at Woodgate

Last night we had a night of storms and this morning there was a different array of birds for me to see.
Here are a couple



And the Eastern Greys were as wet as a shag this morning and making the best of the fresh grass...

I am just getting to know where are the best bird spots and we have to go home tomorrow :'(

Windhover
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Nice shots of that male Mistletoebird! WOW! Cool. The other's a King Parrot. :)

birdie
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Sorry I forgot to put the IDs in!! The King parrot ws in a family group of 3, two males & a female. It is fairly rare in my experience to see them feeding naturally on the ground from seeds so I was pretty happy. That is only the 2nd mistletoe that I have seen, and he was gorging himself on this red berry bush next to the wetland swamp. Saw a few mangrove HEs too and I think a whistler of some sort.. unless the HE sings a pretty song. One bird I am seeing heaps of is the little Friarbird, at least I think that is what I am seeing.
Re the King Parrot...... that is the first time I have ever noticed the cute little yellow socks :)

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Araminta
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Birdie, the King Parrot is the most common bird in my garden. They often come in large numbers, and they do walk on the ground , often side by side with the Rosellas. Although the Rosellas pick the seeds up with their feet sometimes.That looks pretty cute.I, just like you, have NOT seen them with those yellow socks!! (May be Target had them on sale?) What's the little one eating? It's beautiful, never seen one.

M-L

birdie
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They are really cute those socks aren't they? Maybe they had secret santa like we did last night and he drew the short straw! The Mistletoe bird was in a low tree full of those red berries, but I have no idea what they are.At first I was confused as to whether i had actually seen the bird or was it just the berries!

Sunshine Coast Queensland

GregL
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Ummm...
The red berries are mistletoe berries. This is how mistletoe gets spread throughout the forest. The mistletoe bird is the only bird that poos longways on a branch, so it leaves the seed sticking to the branch. (very sticky seeds after passing through a mistletoe bird.)

birdie
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I had no idea it was called Mistletoe .... but I guess I knew that was what it eats LOL
Thanks Greg...... so it is a naughty little bird? from an environmental point of view.

@Araminta..... where I live I have heaps of King Parrots too, but they hang out high in the canopy and unlike the Pale Headed Rosellas they don't seem to hit the ground in our area at all unfortunately.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Araminta
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May be the King Parrots walk on the ground, because they have learned it,the people next door feed them on the ground? Could that be the case? Greg, if the birds stick their poo to the branche,how does it spread? Or is that a stupid question?

M-L

Windhover
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Here is some info on mistletoe plants.

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~rbg/mistletoe_ds.htm

GregL
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Mistletoe is regarded as a pest, it does weaken trees. It is a parasite that germinates on the branch of a tree, then taps into the sap of the tree. Some trees can be mostly mistletoe.
It relies on the mistletoe bird because if the seeds fall on the ground they are wasted. I sometimes find the seeds stuck to apple trees in my garden, but they need a specific host tree to germinate. There are many different species for different trees and shrubs.

birdie
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Greg is it a native plant of Australia? I don't really understand the pest status and I have been looking at the pics I took to see if I can distinguish the pest from the host. not having much luck yet.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

GregL
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Birdie, mistletoe is the favourite food of mistletoe birds.according to the biby site they are not adapted to eat other fruit.
Mistletoe are natives and not officially a pest. I don't mind having them if it means having mistletoe birds around, but many people don't like to see them on their trees. sometimes they will kill a tree. I suppose its like christmas beetles or spitfire larvae, they are part of nature but annoying when they kill your tree.

birdie
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Ok I understand. From my perspective t his morning, it was a delightful tree with its red berries and the prettiest little red and white bird LOL

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Seriously nice shots Birdie, the only time I see those little Red mothers is when they are 50ft up in a tree canopy.

birdie
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Thanks Tassie, this week has been an overwhelming one for my senses .... the perfect holiday for me as it was birding every morning... and lunchtime...... and again in the afternoon :')
Hubby seems to think that I have been a bit obsessive about things...... can't see it myself LMAO
back home now and have had the best week .
Have about 300 midgie bites to prove it.... looks like I have had chicken pox but it was worth every bite :)

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Tassie

Ahhhh, give him time Birdie, he'll be out there clicking away with you....Lmao.

Araminta
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Birdie, if he has lunch on the table, when you fly in, so you can fly out quickly, what more could you ask for??

M-L

birdie
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Tassie.... yeah and I am going to take up Lawn Bowls this week ...... NOT
Araminta.... I was using lunchtime in a descriptive sense only..... I rarely had time to stop for lunch :') and it would be strictly self service if I did LOL

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
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Ha ha ha .... just googled King Parrot with yellow socks in response to people asking about the colours on my post under bird of the week ... and yep...found one lol..... the only one I could find was my own post from 2010

cheeky

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Owen1
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Beaut shots, especially that Mistletoebird.

Cheers, Owen.

Karen
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What a lovely bird is that Mistletoe bird.  I see a fair bit of mistletoe growing around the place, even had some on a tree here once, but I think the gardener from the kindy over the back must have removed it.  Great pics, and I love the king parrot showing his yellow socks.  And thanks for adding the little wallaby.  I love seeing them when we are out and about.  They are a big part of our country's heritage.

Karen
Brisbane southside.

birdie
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Thanks Karen .. those were the days when I actually got out and saw lots of interesting stuff. Hopefully I will be able to do so again soon, would love to go back to Woodgate and also the Bunya Mountains.

I have not been able to find another pic anywhere of a King oarrot with those yellow socks so I am going to contact an ornotholgist as it has me really puzzled

Sunshine Coast Queensland

Karen
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Would love to hear whatever you find out.  I love researching.  Must be the scorpion in me :)

Karen
Brisbane southside.

clif2
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Beautiful photos Birdie, you would have been thrilled to get such good quality photos, I have only ever had a glimpse of the male MB so it's nice to see good clear shots of them. Woodgate is a really laid back place, It takes several days just to ease into the place. It is sad you had to come back so soon.

Regards

               Shane

birdie
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I had a week there Shane, and spent most of that birdwatching so I was happy. 

Sunshine Coast Queensland

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