Sue's Big Year 2022

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sue818
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Sue's Big Year 2022

A couple just so I have made a start and the table can start filling. 

1   Spotted Dove... startle easily, so the best I could manage peeking over my fence to the next one (not quite tall enough to get the tail).

2   Noisy Miner... a couple because I like the look on its face... great eyes.

Still stuck at home but hoping to get out soon.

dannyka6
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Sorry you're stuck at home, but it's always interesting to notice what birds come into your backyard - sometimes it's surprising! 

I love the 2nd Noisy Miner shot, it's giving you real puppy dog eyes!! They do have expressive eyes.

Alex Rogers
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Hooray, you are on the board - with real backyard birds :-) Hope you can get further afield soon :-) 

dwatsonbb
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Nice start, some great photos, even if they are common to you. I actually have to travel to see both (about an hour or so), but worth it to pick them up, and a few more.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Thank you both. Hoping something else comes to visit soon but the tree is still recovering and I don't survey the front yard often enough... should stake out the bird bath.

Everyone is much better so hoping we can get out soon... Covid was not what we planned for the New Year.

TommyGee
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Sue, so sorry to hear that you and yours have been laid low. Hope your recovery continues apace.

That Noisy Miner really does have the sad puppy eyes!

sue818
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Thanks, Tommy. My husband and I have recovered and are now cleared to go out even though my son is still confined. Itching to get out walking again with my camera and commune with nature.

That is great description of the eyes!

dwatsonbb
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Looking forward to seeing some more Sue, glad all is ok.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Thanks Dale. I just need the weather to improve in Sydney... threatening rain, hot and very humid makes for unpleasant birding. 

AbbyGrace
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Nice shots Sue. 

sue818
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I did manage to get out a couple of times but mostly in high humidity and threatening weather with sun and cloud not making for brilliant photography... anyway that is my excuse!

This lot are from an early morning walk at Mason Park Wetlands in Sydney... the light was not too bad but humidity was very high and uncomfortable. La Nina is certainly here! A lot of work has been done in cleaning up the wetland area and the paths around are very good. You can often get some nice shots as the light is behind you.

3   Australasian Figbird... seen as I walked from carpark to wetalnds but too high for a better shot.

4   White-faced Heron... I love the moodiness of this shot as the bird was fishing off the edge of the path. Beautiful light shows a grey bird off really well. If I had not been running late, I would have waited for the fish! With the new lens, I had to back up to get the whole bird into the frame... a new experience.

5   Common Myna... you cannot go past those eyes!  Attractive in its own way.

6   Crested Pigeon... a distant shot as a group sat in the tree and sunned themselves. I'd have preferred to show the irridescent panels but i love the hairdo.

7   Royal Spoonbill... awful shot but the best I could manage after weaving through the tress and leaning over carefully without falling into the mud and water. There was only the one bird and it was in an awkward spot... room for improvement.

8   Rock Dove... quite liked this flight shot as a little different

9   Black-fronted Dotterel... love this one looking back at me in beautiful light. Beautiful little birds with those red eye rings. it was right beside the path and paused long enough for the shot.

10   Silver Gull... a young one also just beside the path and sounded off to mum/dad as i stopped. Love the light although a bit bright on one side.

11   Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike... awful backlight but I was very happy to see this one on my walk from the carpark to the wetlands.

I believe I saw a Nutmeg Mannikin but missed the shot as it landed in long grass and dropped down ... plenty of moving stems but bird lost to sight. I hpe to return and find it as they are known to frequent the area and the grass is seeding well.

A final shot of another beautiful flying creature... one of the many large Butterflies floating around the grasses (name:Monarch... cannot believe that I forgot the name!).

sue818
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I also visited the Olympic Park precinct in similar weather... high humidity, stifling heat, cloudy then sunny... water colour varied dramatically from one area to another. At the Triangular Pond, the water always seems murky but at the Bird Refuge, it is flushed regularly and seems much cleaner. However, it was wonderful getting out and walking around before coming home exhausted.

12   Australasian Darter... somewhat distant in high humoidity so the beat i could mangae of a nesting bird...hope to replace as it does not do the bird justice.

13   Australasian Grebe... another small pond where the water is clean and green. There were a pair constantly diving and popping up in a different place but I finally caught one in focus! Love these little ones.

14   Australian Pelican... another balancing act for me to get the shot through the mangroves; leant on a big branch to avoid stepping inot the mud. Just liked the typical pose.

15   Australian Raven... just like the first pose and wondering itf it is a cricket rather than a cicada in the bill

16   Australain White Ibis... white adult and (I think) a younger one working getting dirtier!

More to some but I need a break for lunch

sue818
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17   Chestnut Teal... gorgeous male on one pond followed by a female on a different pond... annoying not to get them together

18   Dusky Moorhen... adult followed by a youngster at that will I or won't I moment. Look at those feet!

19   Eastern Great Egret... beautiful bird coming in to land on the island in Lake Belvedere. I included the second shot as they rarely extend the neck in flight.

20   Eurasian Coot... another couple from the Triangular pond so the water colour is awful in this light... will work on a replacement. Adult followed by a youngster.

21   Grey Butcherbird... has not yet gained adult colouring but was feeding happily around the trees even as it would not come closer.

22   Little Black Cormorant... just caught the landing on Lake Belvedere but hard to get dark on dark well so that beautiful jewel of an eye is not so obvious.

23   Little Pied Cormorant... breeding in a new area just off the viewing island on Lake Belvedere so quite easy to photograph. Like the first shot where it almost seemed to be panting in the heat but really love the second one showing the detailed preening.

24   Masked Lapwing... one from the grass near the lake and a younger one from the bird Refuge area. 

25   Pacific Black Duck... just love the adornment of duckweed from its feeding dips below the surface. Lightened as in the heavy shade so the green has washed out a bit.

26   Black-winged (Pied) Stilt... gorgeous pair, adult and young one at the Bird Refuge... love the candy pink legs. There were also numerous chicks around the precinct in various ponds which was nice to see. You can get quite close to birds if you leave the bird hide and walk down the path beside this pond.

27   Pied Currawong... this one came to check me out as I walked around in the heat

28   Purple Swamphen...awful light again so lots of shadow and again does not do the bird justice

29   Red-browed Finch... a juvenile so no red brow! Cute little thing was feeding on the seeding grasses at the Triangular Pond

30   Red-whiskered Bulbul... a fleeting stop before it was off with a mate to elsewhere. Disappointing as this shot does not do them justice.

31   Superb Fairy-wren... a male followed by a female who were quite curious about my presence but would not come out into the light. They will often come to investigate a sound.

32   Willie Wagtail... flitting madly from place to place and just pausing long enough on top of this dead tree. They look so serious with that eybrow frown.

Bonus shot of the Dragonflies mating... no idea of species. Edit: Australian Emperor

That was it for the two days but really hoping to get out again soon. Abby has set a cracking pace but we are all off to a wonderful start to the year. I hopeto improve a number of shots but decided rather than forget about this photo, I would post and do better later. Much as I would love to get 19 lifers this year... that is extremely unlikely so I'll aim for a couple.

dwatsonbb
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Wow Sue, I thought you photos were fantastic before, but that new lens, and a skilled photographer is paying dividends. Some cracking photos, even the ones your not happy with, I would be proud of. Glad your getting out, and will be looking forward to more. Thanks.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Thanks Dale. It was the light that disappointed me and getting out was wonderful. 

Today, I set off across town to the Cemtennial Parklands where I have not been for some years (lots of tollways) and it was very rewarding. I had forgotten how lovely it was there. Weather held for most of the day but I missed my last target as the rain commenced... seems that I will have to return.

First a replacement:

Replacement 28   Purple Swamphen... showing some beautiful colour

Now to the new ones seen today:

33   Australian Magpie... a younger one about to have a good scratch

34   Domestic Goose... having a rest and never opened those eyes which I expect were a lovely blue

35   Eastern Barn Owl... awful light as it was resting in under the fronds at the top of a palm tree but what a great bird to finally photograph...a lifer as I've never photographed one. The first one I remember was decades ago when I did not have a camera... actually it was sitting on the apex of the roof of my childhood home one night. This really made my day and I must thank the man who directed me to the spot although I did have to search a couple of the 7 palms to find the correct one ( fourth palm but from which end?) as it was well hidden and very high. The TC came out for this one.

36   Fairy Martin... terrible shot against the light as it was so fast and small... surprised I managed anything! They were coming out of a culvert but I had no chance as they went in and out so I stood in the middle of a clear space and waited.

37   Magpie Lark... a male about to take off and follow its mate so a quick snap

38   Pied Cormorant... I just snapped this shot as a flyover with no idea until later that I needed a better shot.. next visit.

39   Tawny Frogmouth... a family posing so nicely in the swamp. Love these guys so it was wonderful to see them so close and on the nest. Another one to make my day. Dad, the two chicks and then mum who was resting away from the nest as dad was on duty.

40   Welcome Swallow... another fast bird but since so many were over the pond I had a chance to get one in focus.

41   Black Swan... lifting its skirts. Thought I'd posted one yesterday so this one has come a little out of order. The bird had just flapped its wings which did not fit in the picture and was still settling.

A bonus shot of the swamp critters... (Grey-headed?) Flying Fox and her pup.

one more bonus shot because it is so cute... Pacific Black Duckling

sue818
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Another from Centennial Park last Friday. 

42   Little Corella... plenty of them on the ground and in the trees and quite vocal. 

A bonus shot that had me a little confused so I sought some clarification from ABID... the pink on the neck did not fit with Little Corella and the bill is not long enough for Long-billed Corella so it appears to be a hybrid of both species. I had not noticed when taking the shot and was the reason I did not post them earlier. 

It was a wonderful day and there were a number of very helpful and knowledgeable people around to give you tips on where to look. If the weather holds, I'll try to get back there this week as so many other birds around.

Dale and Alex, I have also enquired about joining a Pelagic Tour out of Sydney but have no idea when/if that will happen. I think I need to give it a go but really hoping for calm seas.

TommyGee
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Welcome back to the outside world Sue :) some absolutely wonderful photos here. I have to agree with Dale, your new hardware plus your skills make for some great images!

Standouts for me are the Myna, the BF Dotterel (so cute) and the young Moorhen... but the Barn Owls and the Tawnies just steal the show.

sue818
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Thanks Tommy, I think my issues were with the light being so changeable and admittedly, the images have come up quite well after some processing. The Royal Spoonbill was the most disappointing as usually you see them in a shady corner on Lake Belvedere and can get some stunning shots... none present that day. 

dwatsonbb
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Top stuff Sue. Agree the Barn Owl and Tawinoes would be my favourites, but they are all great. The bats are cool (we only have micro-bats) and ducky is so cute.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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I've named the Butterfly and the Dragonfly as I loaded them on I-Naturalist for help... not sure I can learn these names on top of all the birds!

Thanks, Dale. Microbats inhabit the area as well but I did not see any. It is good to see that the Flying Foxes are thriving and I hear very few pups have required rescue despite plenty of breeding... drought broken and no real heat waves. 

AbbyGrace
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What beautiful photos Sue! Very hard to pick a favourite! Those Tawnys though! Adorable.

sue818
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Today I returned to Centennial Park with my husband for a day out and to find those birds that I had missed last week.. successful trip.

First a few bonus and replacement shots 

Barn Owl was still in place and I think this shows the position under the palm fronds quite well. Could not resist it.

replacement 8   Rock Dove... because I like the irridesence on display

replacement 12   Australasian Darter... definitely an improved shot of a young bird calling for food

replacement 37   Magpie Lark... just like this shot of a male with breakfast

Now for a few new ones. Fortunately, my patient husband enjoyed his coffee and the weather was perfect.

43   Long-billed Corella... gorgeous birds were busily tearing up the grass and devouring the roots.. cheeky

44   Powerful Owl... found the pair quite easily today as not racing against a storm. They sit in one of the large pines in a grove of trees. High and behind numerous branches but clearly identifiable and a real treat to see. Obviously there is plenty of food around the area for Owls.

45   Sulphur-crested Cockatoo...I just like the slightly different view but may replace later in the year.

Just a few but such nice birds and the parklands are just beautiful to walk around. I might try to get there early one morning rather than after the peak-hour traffic and just see what happens early. 

dwatsonbb
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Again loving all your photos, nice to see the Barn Owl again, and those Powerful Owls, fantastic find.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

Alex Rogers
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Great to see you out and about again Sue. And such a cracking collection of our locals too! Have to say the owls and frogmouths are sentimental favourites - how wonderful to find two owls in Centennial Park! I've never seen a Barn Owl, may have to get pointers from you and go have a look on the weekend :-) And that frogmouth in profile shot - fabulous!

Your lens is working a treat, the detail when the light is right is awesome! You've always taken great shots, looking forward to seeing more, and more of those BIF too  :-) 

AbbyGrace
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How wonderful to see 2 owls Sue! Thanks for sharing.

michaelrt71_1
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Great sets of shots here, Sue. Good news that birds like these can be found in Centennial park. I still can't resist the black duckling!

sue818
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Thank you for the kind feedback. I am enjoying everyone's posts very much... some incredible places and birds out there and we seem to be finding them.

It is wonderful to be out and about again and I am looking forward to a terrific year with some tips already in about where to find two of my bogie birds. A lifer a month would be incredible but who knows... I now have one lifer for the year and the Pelagic tour is booked for March so fingers crossed it goes ahead. Not wanting to challenge your awesome sightings, Dale but I have considered doing it for some time and expect it to be a steep learning curve!

karentwemlow
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Love the owls Sue, how fantastic to be able to see them, great shots. I might have to do a trip in there some time.

dwatsonbb
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I will be pleased for you Sue, you can challenge anything I do, as I keep saying, it's about seeing the awsome birds our country has to offer, and ya WILL see birds that we don't get on our pelagics.

Advice - ask you pharmacist for some Nausicalm (Cyclazine Hydrochloride) not just the tablets on the shelf, they are kept behind the counter, well worth the extra dollars to prevent sea sickness. Also don't go on an empty stomach, keep nibbling through the day (careful nothing tooo fatty), and keep your fluids up both before and during. Most importantly just have fun.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Thanks for the tips, Dale... I'll definitely get those tablets. Really hope it goes ahead and hoping Alex can get on that one. I've only seen a few pelagic birds from a large ship off the Cocos-Keeling Islands and it piqued my interest... then you posted those wonderful shots!

dwatsonbb
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Be warned, it is an addiction!

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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I think it is too late, Dale... I'm already addicted so this just adds another level!

Also I must commend Karen on her White-throated Nightjar photo as my efforts last night at her place were dismal! Does not pay to ignore your own advice and always helps to have the camera switched on!

dannyka6
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Just catching up on your year so far Sue and wow what a month you've had, even with your weather up there! I would absolutely love to catch a Powerful Owl or Barn Owl that's for sure, and love all the water birds around the parks you've been to. It's always great to have some new equipment to be testing out, hope you're really enjoying it! 

Looking forward to hearing how the pelagic goes if you get out on it. 

TommyGee
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Love that Powerful Owl Sue :)

karentwemlow
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sue818 wrote:

I think it is too late, Dale... I'm already addicted so this just adds another level!

Also I must commend Karen on her White-throated Nightjar photo as my efforts last night at her place were dismal! Does not pay to ignore your own advice and always helps to have the camera switched on!

Oh my photos from that night were way more 'Blurdy' than yours! And I think I was out every night for over a week before I got one usable shot. It's actually a lot of fun just watching them, can't believe how close one came to us that night, probably 3m away and very close to the ground. They appear to be enjoying the blue dragonflies.

sue818
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It was wonderful to see them, Karen. It did come so close... if only I'd be more organised!

sue818
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Firstly a couple because I like the unusual poses... full on stare.

Replacement 30 Crested Pigeon from Lyndhurst in NSW

Edit: new 51   Laughing Kookaburra from Mt Tomah... thought I had already posted one

46   Australian Wood Duck... seen at Lake Wallis on our way to Cowra. I'd never been there and think it is worth another visit when the crowds are not there. The light was a bit harsh so I post this just to show the pair.

This unexpected female was found at Round Hill Nature Reserve, a stretch of intact mallee well worth a visit (in dry weather). Beside the railway crossing was a pool of very red earth stained water and two Australian Wood Ducks were resident there... they flew a little distance away and watched until I left before returning. The male was out of the water immediately but the female hung around in my presence for a bit. The colours were magic as the sun was very low.

47   Great Crested Grebe... first three from Lake Wallis where there were numerous birds and some really cute young ones. I walked out on the flosting pier to get the first shot and it was a strange experience but worth it for the shot which shows how stunning this bird can be.

This trio (teenagers) were on the Newey Reservoir in Cobar and are obviously independent as no adults were present. Not quite fully grown and still really cute .

48   Musk Duck... awful light and dirty water spoils the shot somewhat but nice to see this female on Lake Wallis.

49   Wonga Pigeon... stopped at Mount Tomah for a cuppa and this bird walked straight at me before realising I was there.   Gorgeous chubby pigeon.

50   Yellow-rumped Thornbill... at Lyndhurst where we usually stop for lunch and often come across these little ones feeding around the rest area. Like this picture as it shows that yellow rump quite well. 

I have plenty to come as the trip has been wonderfully refreshing and the birding really interesting... leaving me little time to process the pictures. Of this first batch, I like the adult Great Crested Grebe the best, closely followed by the single Wood Duck and the Wonga Pigeon. It makes the effort worthwhile.

We arrived in Cowra in the most horrific storm with water flooding across the main street and cars creating bow waves by going too fast through flooded roads. Fortunately, we have seen no further rain but it has been quite warm on occasion out here in the west of NSW. There is evidence everywhere that the drought is over with fields of tall grass and weeds and few stock grazing. Also evident is the flooding in some places with extensive road damage and potholes still to be repaired apart from the ephemeral swamps full of water and birds. Also noteworthy are the empty caravan parks... cabins booked but van spaces empty and few tents to be seen. The economy out here must be struggling with few travellers on the road.

I hope to find time for another instalment tomorrow as I struggle to keep up with all those wonderful posts you have made in my absence.

dwatsonbb
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Some fantastic upgrades Sue, love the Grebes, and the stare of the Crested Pigeon and Kookaburra, if looks could kill?

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

TommyGee
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Gorgeous photos Sue. Love the Wonga Pigeon! You captured the Grebes perfectly.

AbbyGrace
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Great photos Sue. Lovely to see that the Great Crested Grebes are doing well at the Newey Reservoir, grown a bit since we were there in Jan. Do love your Wonga Pigeon shot.

sue818
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A few more from our trip West... instead of places, I thought that I would group this next lot for educational purposes. so here are the Thornbills we saw plus a couple of others that can also be present just to confuse you:

First a repeat for comparison purposes:

repeat 50...Yellow-rumped Thornbill... these little ones can be traced by the tinkling sounds they make and are often seen feeding on the ground.

Now for some new ones... not always the best shots as heat was intense so they hid in the shade or heat haze and dust caused issues. I got back to the car in Warren one evening to find it was registering 40 degrees C at 6pm despite being in the shade!

Check out colour of eyes and rump as well as the bird, presence and location of striationsor streaking and spots, presence of an eyebrow, tail markings, size of bill and so on. These little ones often come very close just to check you out so be prepared.

52   Yellow Thornbill... seen in the Hiawatha Nature Reserve near West Wyalong. Note the overall yellow with steaking near the eye

53   Striated Thornbill... checking me out in the Conimbla National Park. Not the streaking on forehead and chest and eye colour.

54   Buff-rumped Thornbill... also came to check me out in the Conimbla National Park. Note the scalloping and eye colour although I missed the rump.

55   Chestnut-rumped Thornbill...seen in the Hiawatha Nature reserve near West Wyalong. Had to look closely to differentiate from the next bird. I had parked the car and went walking into the buush a little way as I could hear the birds. Not too bad here but Ido carry a mini-GPS for longer forays as it can be very easy to get lost. No Fact Sheet.

56   Inland Thornbill... seen in the Hiawatha Nature reserve near West Wyalong. I love the comparison with the previous bird as they occupy the same space and were hunting spiders and bugs... eye colour especially important to note

57   Western Gerygone... seen in the Hiawatha Nature reserve near West Wyalong...note the eye colour, eyebrow. This one stayed more distant but worth the comparison shots. No Fact Sheet.

58   Weebill... seen at Warren... note the size of that bill and the overall yellow colour. The call is also very distinctive and they were present with Yellow Thornbills and Western Gerygones. Just too hot to hang about longer for a better shot.

Hope to post a few more as the trip though hot was quite rewarding. Differnet bird in some places to what I expected but good fun and so refreshing for the spirit.

dwatsonbb
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Thanks Sue, appreciate the indicator to distinguish Thornbills, they can be hard to identify sometimes. Some fantastic images of such tiny little specimans. Thanks for sharing, I am enjoying your journey.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

sue818
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Thanks Dale, thought it might be interesting as they can be so similar..

Following on the theme, I am posting the raptors seen on this trip. They were more difficult to find than on previous trips although a few were very obliging and came overhead to check me out. Once again, dust and heat haze added to the problem of a distant shot apart from having to hold a heavy lens steady but worth it for the final result. The underwing patterns are pretty obvious for ID.

Chat Alley area is very overgrown and wet making it dangerous to enter as even along the fenceline is impassible... you cannot see where to put your feet to avoid soggy clay and snakes. I flushed some Brown Quail as no idea they were there and did see a snake later that day crossing from that ditch. It was also very windy so the small birds stayed down low in the bushes.

59   Black Kite... seen at Lake Cargelligo when this came down to see me as I stood on the road admiring the incredible view of the ephemeral wetlands full of water and water birds. The yellow cere is less noticable than normal.

60   Black-shouldered Kite... posed very nicely in the area around Chat Alley as we drove through.Such striking red eyes.  

61   Whistling Kite... another checking me out in Lake Cargelligo. Spots on the wings suggest a young bird.

62   Brown Falcon... another one posing on the fence around the Chat Alley area but very windy and dusty that day.

63   Nankeen Kestrel... a beautiful bird that hovered over my head and demonstrated how those shoulder feathers seem to work. Probably one of the best pictures of the trip.

64   Spotted Harrier... seen on the Mount Hope Road after leaving Chat Alley and heading for Round Hilll Nature Resreve. Probably the worst pictureof the trip as it took me too long to stop, let the dust settle and get the camera out for the bird perched on the road... off it took and flew low over the grass and along the side of a gully making focus difficult to achieve.

65   Little Eagle... seen when we stopped at the railway track as we entered the Round Hill Nature Reserve. I was thinking that the birds were very quiet and then this one took off from a large tree near me which explained a lot. A few reflex shots which fortunately locked on as it flew off. Interesting to compare this underwing to others.

66   Peregrine Falcon... a very distant shot in heat haze at 30+ degrees C in Warren one evening. I waited for about 30 minutes to get a shot as it left the tree only to have a Magpie Lark force it to fly off the tree to the back!!! It cannot be mistaken for anything else but obviously was not in need of another pigeon dinner. 

AbbyGrace
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Wowza Sue! Love both the Thornbill shots and the raptors. Man the Black-shouldered Kite did pose nicely for you, what a stunner!

TommyGee
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Sue, I'm officially bookmarking this thread for all future Thornbill identifications :) an amazing spread of the little birds, I do love the last shot of the Weebil taking flight.

And at the other end of the spectrum, the raptors! More wonderful photos. Your Nankeen Kestrel is gorgeous.

Alex Rogers
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Sue, what a great collection of  Thornbills and Raptors - looks like you are having a very successful trip. Love that Nankeen Kestrel shot, also the Black-shouldered Kite. Think I photographed the same Brown Falcon on the same fencepost last year lol - but hte Little Eagle would be a lifer for me :-) 

Nice work on all the little woodland birds - I know how difficult they are to shoot. Great to have the comparison! I went to double-check the Yellow Thornbill, as the ones I know are much more yellow - of course you are correct, apparently the inland ssp. is much less yellow, so I'e learned something there :-) Still, I've never seen one so brown (or perhaps just misidentified them at the time?) - the coastal ones are really quite bright yellow overall. 

Loved the Wonga too - my bugbear pigeon, I hear them all the time but haven't had a close view for years. I know they are tame campground birds in some places - but they always seem to be in an impenetrable forest when I'm around. Maybe 'cos I keep thinking how good they would be to eat lol

sue818
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Thanks all, it was a wonderful trip. I thought I'd follow Alex's lead with grouping the birds but it is hard to keep track but I'll load some more later today (I hope)... waterbirds next.

Feel free to use the post as you like, Tom. Alex, fair comment, I think it is a trick of the light so I've added a second photo of the same bird showing its colour better as they are still quite yellow to me. Those facial streaks with the colour do tie it down. I was not looking for the Wonga Pigeon... it did not see me and was walking straight at me  so very lucky.

Stacks more to come when I get down to it. We only got home two days ago so plenty of other stuff to do as well. I identify and sort as I travel but don't always have time to process the pictures.

dwatsonbb
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I think raptors are one of my favourite type of birds. Those shots are amazing, and what great range of birds. Magic photos thanks once again.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

Alex Rogers
Alex Rogers's picture

Ya, I'm finally getting to grips with Lightroom, and its going to seriously help with that chore of editing and cataloguing. Still going through the learning curve - but some very useful things like keywording, export presets (eg low-res versions for BiBY). But I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and upgrade my old beast of a PC to a serious laptop that I can take on the road - it would SO help to reduce the chore at the end of a trip if I could at least review and cull duds and rate/tag keepers in the field. But serious laptops are expensive.... actually this whole speciality is expensive lol. Maybe I should shoot funghi instead 

michaelrt71_1
michaelrt71_1's picture

Very much enjoying your trip photos so far, Sue. The great-crested grebes are new to me, stunning looking birds. The raptors collection is educational too. Looking forward to the next batch!

sue818
sue818's picture

Thanks all for the kind comments. I now think it was a silly idea of mine to pick waterbirds for the next group... it has taken ages to sort through all the pictures and choose the best apart from processing them.

I'll start with this one as I saw them everywhere... youngsters and adults which often flew in as a group with much fanfare and set about feeding. Saw them in West Wyalong, Lake Cargelligo and at the Newey reservoir (as opposed to the old reservoir) in Cobar. I'm posting a few of these as cannot choose!

67   Whiskered Tern... two breeding adults followed by youngsters

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