Elefromoz, her Big Year, Take 2

[TonyQ]

@@elefromoz

Lovely additions to your list - I particularly like the Little Wattlebird.

[elefromoz]

Thanks @@Geoff for the gardening tips,

 

Yes @@xelas, must have run out of colourful name options.

 

Thanks@@TonyQ, Im taking a leaf from your book and doing what you did last year, and kind of concentrating on my "local Birds" a bit more. First off,how many i can count in Perth city. Secondly from Dunsborough which is 3hrs South and where we spend a quite a bit of time.

 

Just to finish off March, a couple of repeats, firstly from Dunsborough.

Rufous Whistler Male, I posted the Female last month. He and the Golden Whistler, #63, were a tree apart, both doing what Whistlers do, and singing like a pair of Choir boys, beautiful to hear.

 

He's getting sick of me taking his photo, yes its me again.

 

and the garden Militia

New Holland Honey Eater enjoying the Beaufortia nectar

 

and my neighbours Birdbath

 

and from Rottnest, Red Necked Avocet

 

Red Necked Stints

 

 

and the Academy award goes to... The Red Capped Plover. we were walking a sand track when he appeared, boldly in front of us, almost challenging us to approach. Suddenly he collapsed into the sand, flapped about and limped away, lop-sided, dragging his wings, stumbled sideways then collapsed again. I was quite fearful for his welfare til I remembered this is his way of drawing us away from his nest. Clever little Bird indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

as soon as we passed, up he jumped and dashed off, satisfied.

 

And my sentimental favourite,

 

67. Carnaby Cockatoo, my Perth garden, 31st March. Parents and Grandparents tell stories of mega flocks of the Birds flying over and "blackening the sky". Nowadays the fight is on to try and save them as their numbers fall by the year, approx 10% give or take. Last years Birdlife WA Cocky count was down to approx 11, 000, sounds a lot but not.

Needless to say, I was pretty chuffed when a small flock of about 30 landed in my garden

 

 

Male (pink eye ring)

 

Female (grey eye ring)

 

 

 

 

This month I have a trip 1700km North, hopefully I'll get lots of Tropical Birds and the Migratory Waders will still be in WA.

[elefromoz]

April saw us flying North to Broome and Derby, both towns have huge tides, 10+meters whilst we were there. They also both have Mangrove, mudflat coastlines but Broome also has beautiful flat, blue beaches, but because of the Irukandji Jellyfish, swimming is prohibited this time of the year. It was stiflingly hot whilst we were there, temperatures into the high 30's with intense humidity that saw you being able to stand in the sun for about 5 minutes before requiring a change of clothes. The heat, Tide times combined with "doing the clutch" on the 4WD conspired against us a bit, but nevertheless I saw a lot of new Birds (easy when you've only been looking for a couple of years).

 

All the following photos are from the Broome-Derby area 20 - 28th April 2017

 

68. Great Bowerbird

 

 

69. Red Winged Parrot

 

70. Little Friarbird

 

 

71. Yellow White Eye

 

72. Peaceful Dove

 

73. Bar Shouldered Dove

 

74. Diamond Dove

 

75. Eastern Reef Heron

 

76. Blue Winged Kookaburra

 

77. White Gaped HoneyEater

 

78. Greater Sand Plover

 

79. Pied Butcherbird, he was our wake-up call each morning at dawn

 

80. Yellow Throated Miner

[elefromoz]

81. White Breasted Woodswallow

 

 

82. Grey Crowned Babbler

 

 

83. Yellow Tinted Honeyeater

 

84. Masked Lapwing

 

85. Black Faced Woodswallow

 

 

86. Gull Billed Tern

 

87. Paperbark Flycatcher

 

 

88. Black Fronted Dotterill and chick

 

89. Brolga, these were on my wish list, our only sighting as it turned out

 

90. Red Headed Honeyeater, a favourite constantly chasing each other through the Mangroves

[elefromoz]

91. Brahminy Kite

 

 

 

92. White Bellied Sea Eagle (juv)

 

and Adult

 

93. Nankeen Kestrel, on a well used perch over-looking the race-course, good for mice I guess

 

94. Black Kite,always there riding the thermals, sometimes in their dozens, haven't seen so many since India

 

Thats it for my Northern Birds for this year.

 

95. Elegant Parrot, Ambergate Reserve, Busselton 13/5/17

 

 

96. Brown Falcon, A/A

 

 

97. Spent a lovely few hours on Mothers Day in wild weather on Dunsboroughs coast watching, and trying to photograph,

Australasian Gannets (juv). The wind was ferocious, intermittent showers, they were so fast, twisting and diving. Exhausting, needed Coffee and Chocolate Cake for afternoon-tea to recover.

 

 

 

and Adult

[elefromoz]

and a few repeats, Female Splendid Wren, Dunsborough 14/5/17

 

and Male, "non-breeding" plumage (fancy me using such clever new terms )

 

and one from the end of my street, Alfred Cove, Eastern Osprey

[elefromoz]

And going waayyy back to May...

98. Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross, cape Naturaliste, SW West Aust.

 

99. Australasian Grebe, August, Lake Gwelup, Perth

 

100. Common Sandpiper, Broome Harbour, September. not rare or super special, but I have been chasing this Bird for ages and never seem to be able to get remotely close enough for a photo.

 

101. Blue Billed Duck (M and F) Booragoon Lake, Perth, September

 

102. Australian Wood Duck, Lake Gwelup Perth, August

 

103. Square Tailed Kite, Cape Naturaliste, SW West Aust

 

104. Silver Gull, everywhere, everyday

 

105. Emu, Chittering Valley, September

 

106. Western Thornbill, Chittering Valley, September

 

107. Australasian Shoveller, Booragoon Lake, Perth, September

 

108. Rufous Throated Honeyeater, Broome, NW West Aust, September

 

109. Pheasant Coucal, Broome Golf Course, September, what a clumsy bird, stumbling about in the scrub, shy too, another that thought if he couldn't see us, we couldn't see him.

 

 

110. 111, 112, Great Knot, Pacific Golden Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Broome Harbour September. I'm sure there are many others in the mix, but the Waders defeat me at the moment. Ive counted Ruddy Turnstones previously. It was very exciting seeing 100s, 1000s of Waders flying about Broomes shoreline, arriving for Summer.

 

 

So that has got me started again after a few months of "disconnecting". I have been following everyone else along, here and there, and their impressive numbers. I'll continue to focus on West Australian Birds and see if I can manage 200 by Xmas. I posted a photo of a Great Bower Bird #68, from our last trip to Broome. This time we we lucky enough to find the Bower, a few beautiful "green" things, leaves, glass,  scattered about to attract a mate. He was very secretive and flew away if he thought we were looking, only approached when we turned and walked away.

 

 

And as with all our coastal areas, it seems the Osprey are doing really well, this time in Broome, begging the question, "why do Fish have eye sockets?"

[Galana]

Welcome back.

[TonyQ]

A wonderful selection of birds, and many of them so different to our local birds. The silver gull may be common there, but is very beautiful. The Bower bird is an amazing creature!

[Dave Williams]

A fabulous selection of birds I have never seen or heard of. Looking forward to lots more.

[elefromoz]

113. Mangrove Gerygone, September, Derby Wharf NW West Aust

 

114. Mangrove Fantail, AA

 

115. Striated Heron, AA

 

116.Sacred Kingfisher

 

117. Eastern Curlew, AA

 

118. Double Barred Finch, Derby

 

119. Plumed Whistling Duck, middle of no-where, somewhere between Broome and Derby, Gt Northern Hwy

 

 

120. White Necked Heron, AA, 

 

121. Red Kneed Dotterel (low L) hand corner), hanging with the Ducks, AA

 

122. Royal Spoonbill, AA

 

The Cafe on the Mangrove edge at Derby, has 2  Tawny Frogmouths that have made the roof beams home.The owner told me they are not there every day, every few days they go "missing", just to mix it up a bit I guess. It was fun enjoying breakfast and watching the Tawneys at the same time. Every now and again they'd open a eye for a peek, then go back to sleep.

Its not advisable to wander into the Mangroves though, Saltys frequent the area. This one just a metre off shore.

[Dave Williams]

Some excellent images in your collection. The (Sri Lankan) Frogmouth is one of the weirdest birds I have ever seen.

I guess you have more potential threats to birders than the Crocs too!

[Galana]

Love the Frogmouths. Great selection. You have a great advantage. I doubt there are many folks on here could even think of a challenge to your names. Sacred Kingfisher, Royal Spoonbill, Red-kneed Dotterell.  Keep em coming!

[Peter Connan]

Great selection of very interesting birds!

[elefromoz]

123. Hardhead,  September, Booragoon Lake, Perth

124. White Naped Honeyeater, September, Victoria Dam, Lesmurdie, Perth

 

 

125. Straw-necked Ibis, September, Chittering Valley

126. Yellow Rumped Thornbill, November, Pt Walter Reserve Perth, Yes @Galana we take our "necks, knees, rumps and royalty", very seriously

127. Pacific Gull, Dunsborough, October

128. Western Rosella, September,  Victoria Dam, Lesmurdie, Perth

and juv. in the rain, in case any UK folk think it doesn't rain anywhere else. We had a wet winter this year.

 

And a few repeats of previous "dud" photos,  still not great but show some lovely colours nevertheless

Red Winged Parrot, Broome Sept

Rainbow Bee-eaters A/A

Pink-eared Duck, Booragoon Lake, I think he's just the cutest little Duck

And still the ugliest, Coot chicks

Splendid Fairy Wren, male 

and in all his full coloured glory

Variegated Wren, male

[xelas]

What a great collection of colourful birds! Are they around also in August??

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful birds and photos in this batch!

[TonyQ]

Lots of beautiful birds, though you are mistaken with one of them.

The baby Coot is certainly not ugly!

[lmSA84]

Love the photography and the birds 

[PeterHG]

Wow, that Fairy wren!

[Geoff]

2 hours ago, PeterHG said:

Wow, that Fairy wren!

 

@PeterHG  It's not uncommon to hear audible gasps from overseas visitors the first time they see a male Fairy wren in breeding plumage. 

[PeterHG]

8 hours ago, Geoff said:

 

@PeterHG  It's not uncommon to hear audible gasps from overseas visitors the first time they see a male Fairy wren in breeding plumage. 

@Geoff, I see I must put Australia on my list. It is truly a spectacular bird! Well, judging from this thread there plenty of others, too...

[Galana]

A great collection. Some cracking birds there that could tempt even me down under (if I can find a flight under 12 hours.)

[Dave Williams]

Great collection and very tempting to visit Australia. It's on our list but we keep on putting it off due to the distance and length of time to get there.

[janzin]

I confess I don't usually follow the Big Year posts--there are just too many other posts to follow--but I am excited about this one as I'll be visiting Australia for the first time Sept 2018! Although we will be in the East and nowhere near Perth, its still whetting my appetite. Those Fairy Wrens!! And all the colorful birds you have...I can't wait