Lets get serious, Elefromoz 2021 West Aus BY

[elefromoz]

I dropped back into Bibra Lake to seek out a 'lifer' that's hiding out there, but no luck today. A couple of new ones anyway

 

39. Purple Swamphen 12/1/21. Those feet are so big its easy to crop them off

 

40. Red Capped Parrot. I was pleased to get this one, its endemic to WA and tends to be a little shy. A beautiful Parrot sporting all the colours of the rainbow

 

[elefromoz]

A kilometer downriver from Alfred Cove is Pt Walter. Theres a nice sandbar there that’s probably about half a kilometer long, walking on it is Tide dependent, but at low Tide you can walk out to the end.

Pt Walter Sandbar  14/1/21

 

Every Summer the Council fences off the end “island” to limit disturbance to the Fairy Terns which migrate here to nest. It works pretty well, but…as always there's some who will always just do as they wish.

 

 

 Yesterday morning I set off to see the Fairy Terns before they leave again suddenly. Lots of people out on the water, kayakers, kiters, swimmers etc when the Police Boat turns up ordering everyone out of the water as there’s been a Shark attack just up river. Never a Shark sighting in my life, now twice in a week! I was on land so carried on happily.

41. Red Necked Stint

 

 

42. Red Capped Plover

 

 

 

43. Greater Crested Tern

 

 

 

Along with the fencing, little “huts’ have been installed for the Fairy Terns to offer some shelter and protection during breeding. While its not a perfect solution, it’s a good compromise. You can the little Fairy Terns on the shoreline.

 

44. Fairy Tern

 

I left the sandbar and went and sat on the jetty watching Helicopters, Police cars, Police boats, media etc etc. I quickly heard a ruckus overhead, an Adult Hobby flew over with some sort of Tern or Gull in its talons and its juvenile frantically following trying to snatch a feed. 

45. Australian Hobby

 

 

 

 

 

[Peter Connan]

Great birds!

 

Staying on land seems a clever thing to do right now...

[shazdwn]

Wow, great hobby sequence 

[Soukous]

looks like you had a great time

[Galana]

Terrific Hobby sequence. Can you ID the prey and count it?

 

If your Great Knot is anything like our "Knot" or sometimes "Red Knot" (C. canutus) your ID is sound to me.

[Zim Girl]

Great capture of the Hobby!

[PeterHG]

That looks like a lovely area to go walking and birding. Great Bee-eater shot!

[michael-ibk]

Wow, you are really moving fast this year! Great photos, I especially love the Fairy-Wren. Such a magnificent little chap, I need to see one. The Hobby is awesome too!

[Dave Williams]

I'm so envious of your weather right now! Excellent Hobby sequence!

[TonyQ]

What a great Hobby sequence!

[elefromoz]

Thanks @Peter Connan @shazdwn @Soukous@Zim Girl @PeterHG @michael-ibk@TonyQ

 

On 1/15/2021 at 6:40 PM, Galana said:

If your Great Knot is anything like our "Knot" or sometimes "Red Knot" (C. canutus) your ID is sound to me.

Thanks, that'll do me, otherwise,  if its not a Knot I'll not count it.

 

On 1/19/2021 at 1:28 AM, Dave Williams said:

I'm so envious of your weather right now!

Yes I can imagine, and I really must stop whining about the heat. Im sure with your cold weather and no hope of escape and everything else, it must be tough trying to keep the spirits up.

 

46. Little Eagle, Forest Highway   This would be the trickiest of our Raptors for me to get, so I'll settle for this. The following photos all taken 16/1/21

 

Wonnerup wetlands (next 3 at this location). Theres a very nice Hide here,  today not much birdlife, but enough to keep me ticking over

 

47. Straw Necked Ibis   

 

48. Welcome Swallow

 

49. Black Fronted Dotteril

 

This next one is a great little bird to have in the Garden, there used to be flocks of them but  with suburban infill in this coastal town, over the years they've been pushed out. I'm trying to plant up native species that will attract and favour them over some of the more aggressive Honeyeater species. This one the rather dull female, but I was very excited to see her pop in.

50. Western Spinebill, Dunsborough garden.

[elefromoz]

It's Friday, so as promised a couple of Ferals

51. Long Billed Corella (introduced) 14/1/21  Pt Walter 

 

52. Rainbow Lorikeet ( I don't even like including this one, its a menace) 22/1/21  Alfred Cove, but everywhere in plague proportions

 

Moving on to more welcome Birds, all from a couple of quick walks this morning

53. Silvereye. Booragoon Lake  22/1/21

 

54. Red Wattlebird   My garden, a common large Honeyeater

 

55. Brown Honeyeater, Harry Sandon park, a very small Honeyeater with a very loud voice  

 

and my surprise "catch of the day"

56. Brown Goshawk, Harry Sandon Park. Rumour has it they are nesting here in this small park, I hope so. As I always do with Raptors, a very rushed shot, it was perched on a low branch and watched me approach, I knew it wouldn't sit for long, they tend to be a bit nervy. This Park has a fair few walkers and dogs so I wonder if its not a little accustomed to disturbance now.

 

and 'bob(tail) was enjoying the sun too

[Peter Connan]

You are making excellent progress!

[Dave Williams]

3 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

You are making excellent progress!

 

Indeed and a half century already. Well done.

 

[Soukous]

setting the pace, and with birds we don't see very often. More please.

[Galana]

Hear hear. More please. Love the Goshawk. Good luck with them.

[PeterHG]

Wonderful to see more additions from your end of the planet! I am currently reading " The Bird Way" by Jennifer Ackerman, a book about recent ornithological research ( no dry stuff, quite interesting) and I came across this quote: ' Australian birds occupy more ecological niches than birds anywhere on earth. They tend to be longer lived and more intelligent than birds on other continents. Also Australia is where some fundamental aspects of bird being were born. Like song.' 
Like I said, an interesting read....;) 

[Treepol]

@elefromozgreat photo of the Musk Duck, a very tricky bird to photograph as they sit so low in the water. Beautiful Splendid Fairywren and I do like the Red-necked Avocet. Great sightings already for 2021!

[Kitsafari]

what a beautiful hobby! and a lovely shot of the goshawk. 

[TonyQ]

I am really enjoying your Australian birds!

[michael-ibk]

So do I!

[elefromoz]

Thankyou @Peter Connan @Dave Williams @Soukous@Galana@Treepol@Kitsafari@TonyQfor the encouragement, I fear my numbers are simply a result of the freedom I enjoy at the moment, and the weather of course.  Come the northern Spring and whatever that brings, you will all step up the pace and hopefully enjoy some more freedom.

On 1/22/2021 at 8:53 PM, PeterHG said:

I am currently reading " The Bird Way" by Jennifer Ackerman,

Thank you for mentioning that, looks like a fun interesting read.

 

A couple of days back my husband came running in to tell me there was a "different' bird in the Jarrah tree. He was right, a new one in our garden as far as I know

 

Western Wattlebird (endemic) 26/1/21. my Garden

 

A quick walk down the road, although they are usually in the Garden

58. Spotted Dove  Harry Sandon Park

  

 

This morning we went for a walk up the northern suburbs coastline. Before we left home my noisy friends arrived, 3 females in the Jarrah

59. Red Tailed Black Cockatoos, 27/1/21

 

 

 

Bliss, only 27 degrees today. Iluka, I knew I had a good chance for 2 Wrens along this strip of coast but only managed one

 

60. White winged Fairywren, Iluka beach

 

A quick walk along the river when I got home and I came across an Osprey

 

doing his thing

 

A little further along

61. White browed Scrubwren

[Soukous]

24 minutes ago, elefromoz said:

my numbers are simply a result of the freedom I enjoy at the moment,

 

stop rubbing it in 

[michael-ibk]

The Fairywren is a delightful bird!