Sharon's second time around

[shazdwn]

Thanks @Galana @PeterHG@Tdgraves@TonyQ@elefromoz@KitsafariIt was indeed a good weekend.  

 

Last year I searched and searched for this next bird with no luck (I'm not lucky enough to have them in my backyard like @elefromoz!).  Then last week a tennis playing friend said there was a family living in a tree next to the tennis courts, so we headed there today for a look.  There was a family of four, two adults and two juvenilles by the look.  I will probably get better photos than these now I know where to look, but I'm going to count them now.  

 

10/NT10 - Tawny Frogmouth - Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia 0 16/01/2021

 

Adults

 

Juvenille

[shazdwn]

Then I headed to the botanical gardens to look for the resident owls, but I bombed out so I will add this instead.

 

11/NT11 - Burdekin Duck -  George Brown Botanical Gardents, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia - 16/01/21

Edited January 16, 2021 by shazdwn

[michael-ibk]

Beautiful photos again. The Frogmouths are so cool, such unusual-looking birds. A lot like Potoos. Similarly the Brown Falcon reminds me a lot of some of the Caracara species. 

[Galana]

I would not care that much if 'my' Frogmouths were in the garden or the Tennis Court just as long as I had some. My only claim  on Batrachostomus is the species that carries my name.

[shazdwn]

19 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

Beautiful photos again. The Frogmouths are so cool, such unusual-looking birds. A lot like Potoos. Similarly the Brown Falcon reminds me a lot of some of the Caracara species. 

Yes - as they say in Bali "same same but different"  

 

18 hours ago, Galana said:

My only claim  on Batrachostomus is the species that carries my name.

Ok Mr Google has failed me on this one - what species would that be?

 

[shazdwn]

Time for some seabirds.  First a couple of common ones.

 

12/NT 12 - Crested Tern - Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia  17/01/21

 

[shazdwn]

Ahh the endless chase for the chip (disclaimer, I did not throw the chip!)

 

13/NT13 - Silver Gull (lower bird) - Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia  17/01/21

 

Edited January 17, 2021 by shazdwn

[shazdwn]

This next one is not the most attractive of birds, so I've decided to go with a creative shot!

 

14/NT14 - Australian White Ibis - Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia  17/01/21

Edited January 17, 2021 by shazdwn

[shazdwn]

And one not so common one. This bird is not typically seen on land around here, but I have heard of it being occasionally seen on buoys in the harbour, which is where I found this one while out fishing today.  First time I have seen one in the NT. 

 

15/NT15 - Brown Booby - Darwin Harbour, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia  18/01/21

Edited January 17, 2021 by shazdwn

[Galana]

5 hours ago, shazdwn said:

Ok Mr Google has failed me on this one - what species would that be?

 

Try this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hodgson's_frogmouth

 

Some lovely photos to add to your growing total.

[shazdwn]

@Galanathat is one cool looking frogmouth 

[Galana]

3 hours ago, shazdwn said:

that is one cool looking frogmouth 

It runs in the family.

[PeterHG]

Very nice additions again. That Booby certainly managed to find a matching perch!

[Dave Williams]

Nice shots, and nice additions too! Do you have Lesser and Greater Crested Terns in Australia?

[shazdwn]

9 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Nice shots, and nice additions too! Do you have Lesser and Greater Crested Terns in Australia?

Hi Dave, yes we get both in our area (although for some reason my bird book lists them as just Crested Tern and Lesser Crested Tern - so that's what I went with here).  The Crested Tern (Greater Crested Tern) is much more common.

[Kitsafari]

oooh a booby! no coloured feet though. as brown as they come, but would love to see a booby, one day.

[shazdwn]

This weekend we headed to Katherine, about three hours south of Darwin for a quick getaway.  I was happy that I managed to bag some species that we don't get in Darwin.  

 

16/NT16 - Hooded Parrot - Pine Creek, Northern Territory, Australia - 29/01/21

 

Male

 

 

Female

[shazdwn]

17/NT17 - Apostlebird - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 29/01/21

[shazdwn]

18/NT18 - Black-faced Woodswallow - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 29/01/21

[shazdwn]

19/NT19 - Yellow-throated Miner - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 30/01/21

[shazdwn]

20/NT20 - Crested Pigeon - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 30/01/21

[shazdwn]

21/NT21 - Partridge Pigeon - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 30/01/21

[shazdwn]

22/NT22 - Banded Honeyeater - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 31/01/21

[shazdwn]

This next bird is THE most sought after bird for birders visiting our region.  It is hard to find and even harder to photograph.  It is also my nemesis bird - always seemed to be sighted the week before, or the day before, I go somewhere and I am yet to get a decent photograph of it.  This weekend a group of 6-8 flew into a tree right near I was standing, stayed for about two minutes and left not to be seen again.  And all I got was this VERY heavily cropped EBC.  

 

23/NT23 - Gouldian Finch - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 30/01/21

[shazdwn]

And now a lifer - its range is a bit further to the west but you get the odd individual in the area.  Unfortunately another fleeting view and I got no more than a record shot on a wire!  Still very happy to have found both of these birds.

 

24/NT24 - Yellow-rumped Mannikin - Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia - 30/01/21