Archive for September, 2007

When asked to name a favourite bird it is very hard picking just one or two species; I like so many different kinds of birds. Instead, I decided to list 26 Favourite Birds, one for each letter of the alphabet. I’ve also included a reason for my selection.

Birds I like:

1. Apostlebirds – I love the way they work together as a family.
2. Babblers – I love these clowns of the bird world.
3. Chats – these beautiful little birds add a splash of colour to the Australian bush.
4. Doves – especially the Peaceful Dove for its quiet, hypnotic call.
5. Egrets – they are so graceful, so elegant, so patient and so white.
6. Firetail Finches – so much stunning beauty packed in such a tiny body.
7. Gannets – their amazing diving abilities while fishing wins them my Gold Medal every time.
8. Harriers – their slow, patient searching for their next meal is so graceful.
9. Ibis – seeing flocks of hundreds heading home to roost in the setting sun is an inspiring sight.
10. Jacky Winters – their graceful flitting from a fence post to catch an insect on the wing deserves a place in poetry.
11. Kingfishers – like a bright iridescent blue dart piercing the pond’s stillness.
12. Lapwings – handsomely dressed like gentlemen going to the ball.
13. Mistletoebirds – a splash of red in the drab leaves of a gum tree in the Australian bush.
14. Nightjars – secretive by day but bold by night.
15. Owls – deadly in their silent approach to prey.
16. Pardalotes – such friendly and approachable residents of our garden.
17. Quail – such beautiful, cryptic markings.
18. Rainbow Bee-eaters – so many colours on just one bird.
19. Sittellas – how do they hop along the underside of a branch?
20. Terns – the masters of the wind and always such clean looking birds.
21. Variegated Wrens – such brilliant colours.
22. Whistlers – their powerful songs lift one’s spirits.
23. Yellow Robin – a friendly ray of sunshine lighting up the bush.
24. Zebra Finch – such cheerful little birds.

Okay – so I missed U and X.

I can’t think of any Australian birds starting with those letters.

Can anyone enlighten me?