An early bird
No Comments »15th May, 2007; Category: General
It has been a long time since my last article about idioms. It is time to get back on track, to let the cat out of the bag and to turn over a new leaf before my readers think I’ve abandoned them with egg on their faces and that I’ve cooked my own goose.
This week’s idiom: An early bird.
Meaning:
If someone is “an early bird” they get up early in the morning, or they are very early for an appointment.
Origins:
I cannot find any references as to the exact origins of this phrase. It quite likely comes from the proverb “The early bird catcheth the worm” quoted in John Ray’s A Collection of English Proverbs published in 1670. This proverb seems a logical statement due to the habit of many birds to rise early, to be very active even well before dawn and thus anyone who is an early riser is said to be “an early bird.”
Example:
“In order to be the first in line, you will have to be an early bird.”
Links:
- Idioms – a series of articles about idioms from the archives on my writing blog.
Australian Magpie
Australian Magpies often begin their beautiful carolling well before sunrise. They certainly are one of “the early birds” in Australia.
Waterbirds at Goolwa South Australia
2 Comments »13th May, 2007; Category: Darters and Cormorants, Ducks Geese and Swans, Gulls and Terns, Pelicans, Plovers Dotterels and Lapwings, Waterbirds
Australian Pelican
On our recent visit to Goolwa in South Australia we went for a drive along the River Murray to the barrage near the mouth of the river. This barrage keeps the salt water from entering the river system at high tide.
This area is usually quite a good place for birding, though on this occasion there seemed to be just the usual birds one would expect. Nothing really exciting or out of the ordinary. Still, good birding days are usually like this. They make the really special days extraordinary.
Little Pied Cormorant
Along this stretch of the river we saw plenty of Australian Pelicans, White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis, Great Egrets, White-faced Herons, Pacific Black Ducks, Grey Teal, Little Pied Cormorants, Magpie Larks and Silver Gulls. Several Purple Swamphens stalked through the reeds while on the grassy areas a number of Masked Lapwings guarded their positions. Black Swans gracefully glided through the shallows and Singing Honeyeaters were the dominant species in the thick bushy areas along the sand dunes.
Laughing Kookaburras
Laughing Kookaburra
We had a delight a few nights ago. Just on sunset we had two Laughing Kookaburras come to visit our garden. We would not have been aware of their presence but for their raucous calling quite close to the house.
Laughing Kookaburras are not a resident species in our garden but they are occasional visitors, and most welcome visitors at that. This species is widespread in small numbers in our district, especially along the River Murray (5km to the east) and the throughout the Mt Lofty Ranges (40 – 60 km to the west).
I didn’t get a photo of these special visitors to our garden. They didn’t stay long enough. It was probably too dark for a good shot anyway. The photo shown above was taken last year in the Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney.
Great Birding Moments # 30 Superb Blue Wren
Superb Blue Wren (male)
On a recent picnic in the Newland Head Conservation Park near Victor Harbor we had the delight of a family of Superb Blue Wrens hopping around on the gravel near our feet. There seemed to be about six or seven females and non-coloured males accompanied by one male in full breeding plumage.
As the light catches the iridescent colours on the male it is always a Great Birding Moment. The brilliant colour is almost enough to make one gasp in amazement. The fact that they are happy to feed on the ground only a few metres away is an added bonus.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
For more photos click here.
For more Great Birding Moments click here.
Crescent Honeyeater
3 Comments »10th May, 2007; Category: Honeyeaters
Crescent Honeyeater
On a recent visit to Newland Head Conservation Park near Victor Harbor in South Australia we stopped in the picnic ground for morning tea. Near the picnic table there was a tap. Someone – probably the park ranger – had constructed a small concrete bowl under the tap. This tap provided a vital water source for the local birds. As I had my cuppa I watched expectantly for any birds to use this drinking spot.
I was not disappointed. After only a few minutes a Crescent Honeyeater came to drink from the water. This species of honeyeater is locally abundant in some parts of its range. It is not normally found in the drier areas like at home in Murray Bridge. It seems reasonably common in the Mt Lofty Ranges in South Australia. It is also found throughout coastal SE Australia, the islands of Bass Strait and throughout Tasmania.
It was a pleasant surprise to see this species, one that I have not had regular sightings of anywhere.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Related articles:
- Picnic at Newland Head Conservation Park – from my travel blog.
This post was updated in July 2015.