I visited the “Spirits of the Sky” Flight Show at Healesville Sanctuary on Saturday and managed to get some shots of some amazing birds. This is a Black Breasted Buzzard, which had just been given something to eat. Note its amazing wingspan. It flew right over our heads and delighted the crowd.
I love watching the birdlife in our garden and consider my husband and I to be very blessed indeed. We live in such a beautiful part of Australia.
The Australian King Parrot is a large parrot and the male have a completely red head and the female completely green. Both have red tummies and green backs. You often see them travelling in pairs together. Below is a male and female who came visiting our garden recently to see what food might have been on offer. We do have feeders in different parts of our garden and while I don’t feed them regularly, as I don’t want them to become dependent on us, I do periodically put food out, purely to witness the colour and beauty of these and other birds.
At Lysterfield Lake yesterday, it was very still and calm first thing in the morning. I wandered around to see what might be different – who or what was visiting the lake? I found a Darter bird (sometimes referred to as the Snake bird because of how it snakes its head on its long neck) at the end of the ramp at the lake. This one is a male with the black body.
Later I spied it (or another one) skimming across the lake as I ventured out onto one of the jetties to view the scenery.
A couple of days ago my neighbour rang to say ‘get outside quick and take your camera!’. Out in the gum trees near our fenceline was a couple of Gang-gang Cockatoos and in other trees were their young family. The kiddies flew away as I approached but the parents remained long enough for me to get some shots, this one being the best. The male has the red head. They are on the endangered list in NSW but still considered to be plentiful in our state – although not usually where we live. So I was both surprised and delighted to see them close up!
I’ve been trying to get a shot of one of these for over a year now. The best I got was a distant shot a couple of months ago when I saw one on a path many metres away from me. But today, as I walked back down the pathway to 1000 steps in Upper Ferntree Gully, I was watching for all the small birds I’d been seeing when I saw quite a large bulk moving in the rainforest beside the path. It didn’t take me long to realise it was a lyrebird and I got my camera into position to get photos. The light was dark and I couldn’t find the right setting so, in the end, I resorted to my on camera flash, not something I do often. I thought, well at least I’ll get one bright shot before it takes off. It stayed and kept foraging on the ground and periodically lifted its head to look at me. I got more rear-end shots than head shots but was pleased with what I did get. I know where to go back and look again now!
The lyrebird is famous for being able to imitate the sounds of other birds. I managed to get a couple of recordings last week when I could hear a couple but couldn’t see them. However, they weren’t going through their repertoire as in other times I’ve heard them. This recording is of a single lyrebird.
Well, he wasn’t really. He was busy chewing on grass and watching me as I came closer. But he does look like he’s talking to me doesn’t he? I chose this as my ‘pic of the day’.
This one stayed right on the edge of the path where I was walking and didn’t move away like most of the others did. I watched it carefully, as it did me, and was able to get a good close up, albeit with my longer lens. I wasn’t going to get that close to him. Mind you, he was close enough for me to reach out and pat him – almost!
A photo of a blue banded bee I took led me to a path of discovery. I began researching to find out what kind of bee it was. I've actually learnt lots of things since that day and can now name almost every bird in this region and identify it by its call too. Apart from improving my skills in photography and learning more about my camera, lighting, settings, etc, I've learnt so much more about the environment in which I live. [Read More …]
Recent Comments
Sally K Witt on Unexpected sighting
How exciting!Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry on Red-tailed black cockatoo
Always love the birds and animal shots, Kathie!Kathie Thomas on Kangaroos in the park
They are generally shy of people and when there are a lot of people at the park they retreat into the bush. But when there's...Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry on Kangaroos in the park
Are they shy, or do they hang around people? Is it dangerous to be near them?Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry on Two views of the jetty
Very nice Kathie!