A King amongst Parrots
King Parrot, male and female, Floriade 2007, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #6
The King Parrot would have to be one of Australia’s most beautiful birds. It is a bird of the eastern states of Australia, so I do not get to see it all that often.
The pair shown in the photo above was taken on the lawns during our visit to Floriade 2007 in Canberra. They patiently kept on eating while I took several photos.
Floriade 2007, Canberra
Further reading:
A very obliging bird is the Reedwarbler
Clamorous Reed-Warbler, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #5
In my experience the Clamorous Reedwarbler of Australia is not an easy bird to photograph. They tend to skulk around in the reeds on the edges of lakes, creeks, rivers, swamps and ponds. My usual experience with this species is to see them dart rapidly from one clump of reeds to another. When they do show themselves in the open, the pose is kept for about two seconds – if you are lucky.
I had previously obtained a really nice shot of this species at the Cleland Wildlife Park near Adelaide. That shot was of a captive bird in a walk-through aviary. It was used to hundreds of people within a metre or two every day of the year.
While we were enjoying an ice cream during our visit to Floriade 2007 in Canberra I heard a reedwarbler in the reeds nearby. I casually walked to the water’s edge, prepared the camera and waited about ten seconds. Out popped the bird, posed long enough for me to focus and then flew off.
I guess he was a little cheesed off with everyone taking thousands of photos of flowers.
He just wanted his moment of glory too.
Now if only I could get a photo of another secretive reed-dwelling bird, the Little Grassbird.
Floriade 2007, Canberra
Birds of Floriade 2007 Canberra
2 Comments »18th October, 2007; Category: Trip reports
Floriade 2007, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #4
We had two main motivations for including Canberra in this holiday trip. The first was to include a visit to Floriade, the second, a visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens. On our first afternoon in the nation’s capital we went to Floriade 2007.
Floriade 2007, Canberra
This is an annual flower festival held in Commonwealth Park just a short distance from the CBD. It features tens of thousands of flowering bulbs; tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, dutch iris, narcissus and ranunculus. Other plants include daisies, pansies, violas and poppies. It is a time of sensory overload. And it is a photographer’s paradise. I must admit I went a little crazy with the camera, but I’m also very pleased with the results.
Floriade 2007, Canberra
As the initial thrill of so much to photograph wore off I was able to concentrate on the birdlife of the park. Black Swans were accompanied by two cygnets in the nearby lake. Australian Wood Ducks and Pacific Black Ducks were both in the water and the on the lawns nearby. Superb Fairy-wrens seemed to be everywhere, despite the thronging crowds of people. Dusky Moorhens and Eurasian Coots patrolled the waterways, and weren’t shy at coming up close and personal when we sat on a park bench to enjoy an ice-cream.
Black Swan with cygnets, Canberra
Birds of Lake Burley Griffin
1 Comment »17th October, 2007; Category: Trip reports
Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #3
On our first day in Canberra we found a lovely spot on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin for lunch. This artificial lake in the heart of Canberra is a magnificent setting for this beautiful city, our national capital. From our picnic spot we could see the giant fountain shooting water high into the air, the National Library building and the old and new Houses of Parliament. A little further along the shores of the lake we could both see and hear the National Carillon playing, the tunes drifting over the lake towards us as we ate our lunch.
I only had a limited time to watch birds while having lunch. My list is rather short as a result. Local birders will probably laugh at this very short list. I am sure that the lake is home to many more species. While we had lunch Red Wattlebirds and White-plumed Honeyeaters were noisy in the trees nearby. A Willie Wagtail and some Superb Fairy-wrens could be heard in nearby bushes and several Galahs flew overhead.
A Black Swan and several cygnets were swimming in the lake nearby along with a small group of Australian Wood Ducks. Two Pacific Black Ducks flew along the shore heading south. I could hear some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos screeching from nearby trees. Several Australian Magpies searched the extensive lawns for their lunch. Occasionally two or three Silver Gulls flew over the lake.
National Library of Australia, Canberra
I don’t have any photos of birds to show you today. All of the birds I saw while having lunch were too far away to photograph.
Bush birds at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #2
Yesterday I wrote about my first visit to the Jerrabomberra Wetlands in Canberra. The water birds were a little quiet and I only saw a handful of species. The bush birds around the wetlands were quite another matter. A range of trees and bushes have been planted around the ponds and these are now creating a buffer zone between the water and the road and car-park.
This zone has a very presentable number of birds occupying this little niche, which is no more than about twenty metres wide at any one point. Probably the most prominent species is the Superb Fairy-wren; they are everywhere and very tame. The same could be said for the Grey Fantails; there must be about 6 to 8 present in the section I checked out. Infuriatingly, not one of them was prepared to pose for my camera.
Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Canberra
Yellow-rumped Thornbills were feeding young in a well camouflaged nest. I also saw a Yellow Thornbill in the same tree. According to a local birder I met also at the nest, this species is uncommon in the Canberra area. Local knowledge is always good to tap into.
Yellow-rumped Thornbill nest, Canberra
I saw a large flock of House Sparrows near the car-park. After not seeing any in Sydney I was beginning to think they had all disappeared. The same with the Common Starlings – I saw a few in Sydney and only a few around Canberra. A single Goldfinch flew overhead and landed in a tree nearby. In the flowering bushes near a hide I saw one New Holland Honeyeater. A small flock of Red-browed Finches seemed to be following me around, but they too, were a little camera shy. The only parrot I saw during my brief stay was a single Crimson Rosella feeding on the grass.
Crimson Rosella, Canberra