Lazy Lizards
2 Comments »6th December, 2007; Category: Animals
Eastern Bearded Dragon
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report
During our wanderings of the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra we saw many species of Australian plants in flower. I also observed a nice range of birds that inhabit the gardens.
Eastern Bearded Dragon
What I didn’t expect to see were reptiles, which is a little silly because there must be a very large population of geckos, skinks, lizards and even snakes. The gardens are an ideal habitat for reptiles, with plenty of dense shrubby undergrowth vegetation for them to hide. Around lunch time the sun was becoming quite warm and the lizards came out for a laze in the warmth.
We are quite familiar with the Bearded Dragons which are resident in our own garden in Murray Bridge. This was the first time I can recall ever seeing a Gippsland Water Dragon (shown below). This individual was sunning itself on a large boulder just above a large rock pool featured in one part of the garden.
Gippsland Water Dragon
Links:
- Australian National Botanic Gardens
- Water dragons in the gardens
- Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the Botanic Gardens
One bird that finally sat still – Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Spinebill
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report #12
The Eastern Spinebill is one of Australia’s more colourful honeyeaters. We do not have this species in our garden in Murray Bridge, so I have to travel up into the Adelaide Hills, or interstate, to see this lovely bird.
It is a relatively common species in its range which extends along the coastal regions of eastern and south eastern Australia, from near Brisbane through to north of Adelaide. Its preferred habitat includes gardens, forests, heathlands and woodlands.
This particular species has caused me some angst over the last two years. Although I’ve seen it quite a few times, I haven’t been able to get any individuals to sit still long enough for me to focus the camera. Until my recent visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens, that is. It’s quite a long drive to find one cooperative bird. Never mind, get it I did. It’s an even longer drive to see its cousin, the Western Spinebill in Western Australia. That one will have to wait a little while to appear in my camera lens.
Click on the image to enlarge the photo.
Further reading:
- To access the archived articles about honeyeaters click here.
- Great birding moments – a list of articles about some of my great experiences in birding.
I and the bird #63
The latest edition of the carnival called I and the Bird #63 has been posted over at The Greenbelt.
It contains plenty of links to birding blogs worth reading.
This time I actually remembered to sent a link of my own before the deadline.
I must be getting organized again.
Close Encounters of the Bird Kind
Red Wattlebird
2007 Australian Capital Territory trip report # 11
In the afternoon of the day we went to visit the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra we had a short break. We’d been walking for hours and we were a little leg weary. We stopped at a convenient picnic table to have a light snack and a drink.
We’d hardly sat down when a Red Wattlebird decided we might be an easy touch for a snack of his own. Like so many birds in Australian parks and picnic grounds, this individual knew that humans meant food. So he came and sat on the table next to us.
He didn’t seem at all threatened by my camera whirring and clicking less than a metre away. It is times like this that I love having a camera in my hand all ready to shoot.
Red Wattlebird
Lunch time visitors
1 Comment »2nd December, 2007; Category: Bird Behaviour, Magpies and Currawongs, Ravens and Crows, Trip reports
Australian Magpie (Black-backed race)
During our visit to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra earlier this year we took a little time out from our wanderings around the gardens in order to have a picnic lunch. For places where people gather to eat, you can be almost assured of plenty of birds who gather ready to get a handout of food.
On this occasion we were not disappointed. As soon as we sat down we had the company of several Australian Magpies. They were quite bold and would have landed on our picnic table and helped themselves if we hadn’t discouraged them.
White-winged Chough
They were soon joined by a family of White-winged Choughs with their beady red eyes. Again they were quite bold, hopping around our feet and under the table and on the fence a metre behind us.
Australian Raven
A little later on an Australian Raven elegantly walked across the path towards us, checking out why we were getting so much attention. A tiny White-browed Scrubwren joined in the fun, but he was far too quick for my camera.