Birding in the Blue Mountains
No Comments »13th November, 2006; Category: General
We have a growing number of excellent birding web sites in Australia. Many of them show off photos of the wonderful array of birds found in this country. Others are dedicated to regions and the birds of that area.
A new site that has recently appeared is called Birding in the greater Blue Mountains. The Blue Mountains are about an hour’s drive west of Sydney and contain many wonderful birding spots. If you are planning a visit to this region this site would be an excellent starting point in your planning stages.
Link:
- Birding in the Greater Blue Mountains in NSW Australia.
Great Birding Moments # 20 Budgerigars
One of Australia’s most beautiful birds would have to be the tiny parrot called the Budgerigar. This species is popular the world over as a cage or aviary bird because they are endearing and easily kept pets as well as beautiful. In captivity there are many colour variations, but I love the natural colours. Why mess with perfection?
Over the years I have observed Budgerigars in the wild on only a handful of occasions, and only once in our garden. The most memorable occasion was during a holiday in Victoria. We were visiting a Nature Reserve south west of Mildura in the far north west of Victoria. We were slowly driving along the dirt track through the park looking for a shady tree for our lunch break. I had to stop the car because there were several hundred Budgerigars feeding on the grass on either side of the track. To see this wonderful bird in its natural environment is a special treat. I did not get a photo at the time, but more recently I took the photo below in the walk through aviary at Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide, South Australia.
Budgerigars, Cleland Wildlife Park
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments – read more of my interesting birding experiences, with photos, in this series of articles.
Update: this photo above – and many other photos featured on this site – can now be purchased on a range of merchandise such as T-shirts, aprons, wall plaques, clocks and mugs. Go to my Trevor’s Photos site here.
I and the Bird #36
The latest edition of I and the Bird #36 has just been posted over at Words and Pictures. Plenty of good sites to visit, articles to read and pictures of birds to look at.
As usual my contribution is featured, along with many others from around the world.
Link:
- I and the Bird #36 – the latest carnival of birds.
- Words and Pictures – host of this week’s carnival.
Rainbow Lorikeets
David Kleinert Photography
I’ve recently discovered a wonderful photography site.
David Kleinert Photography is an Australian photographer whose site shows off his considerable skills in this art. He includes many bird shots but also of interest are the many photos of Australian flowers, animals, reptiles, scenery, amphibians and much more.
Each photo has a short description and visitors are able to comment. The site is a little different to get used to. By clicking on the photo one is taken to the previous photo, click on that and you go to the next previous photo and so on. My suggestion is to go instead to the archives and click on the category you wish to view.
Bird Word: breeding plumage
- Breeding plumage: feathers that are usually more brightly coloured than non-breeding feathers and which appear during the breeding season.
Just when beginner birders think they have a handle on identifying the birds common around their home and immediate district, along comes the breeding season. Here in Australia that is often late winter, through spring and into summer, from August through to about February, though this differs greatly between species. Some species seem to be able to breed around the year, and do so.
The problem this poses for the newbie birder is that some species take on quite different plumage patterns. The male Superb Blue Wren, for example, takes on a brilliant coat of colours during breeding.
It’s all rather confusing, actually.
Just another reason to have at least one good field guide, and to study it carefully.
For more in this series of articles check out the Glossary of Bird Words here.