Scarlet Robin in the Mt Lofty Ranges
10 Comments »4th October, 2008; Category: Birds in the News, Birds on Television, Flycatchers, Robins
Male Scarlet Robin
Last night a local television channel (ABCTV1) showed a special item on the endangered Scarlet Robin in the Mt Lofty Ranges here in South Australia. I can recall only ever seeing this Robin once in the Adelaide Hills. The photo above does not do the species justice; it is a beautiful bird. It is not at all common here in in our state.
The main thrust if the short documentary was to highlight the plight of this lovely bird, and many other species of small bush birds. With the massive clearances made over the last 150 years for agriculture there is little room left for this little bird, and many others like it. One of the speakers claimed that only 7% of original bushland was still available for such birds as the Scarlet Robin. It is facing extinction in this part of Australia.
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments: Scarlet Robin
- My first visit to Round Hill Nature Reserve
- Top 5 Great Birding Moments
- Birds in Backyards: Scarlet Robin – read this article for more information about this species
The Magnificent Osprey
I don’t often get the chance to observe the magnificent Osprey. When I do, it is always a special moment. I guess most birders feel the same way about this wonderful bird.
Therefore it was with great delight that I saw a special article in today’s state wide newspaper here in South Australia – The Advertiser – about this lovely bird, complete with a great photograph.
For those who do not have access to our daily paper, the photo and accompanying article can be seen by clicking here. It’s worth a quick visit – even if you only take a look at the great photo. [UPDATE: sorry – this link no longer works. Nov 2013]
Happy birding.
Because the link to the photo I wrote about no longer works, I’ve included one I took some time ago while on a holiday on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. It’s not a great photo but it shows the Osprey in flight.
Osprey
How much can a koala bear?
For those of my readers with access to today’s Adelaide Advertiser newspaper, there is an amusing sequence of photos of a ‘crow’ (probably a LIttle Raven) harassing a koala.
I’ve seen this type of thing with other species, including an Australian Magpie. On another occasion I witnessed a honeyeater pulling out tufts of fur from a sleeping koala, obviously to line a nest.
The photos have been posted here, but the link may not work after a few days – I’m not sure how long such items remain on the site.
Feral Pigeons cause a lousy outcome
No Comments »15th March, 2008; Category: Bird Behaviour, Birds in the News, Murray Bridge, Pigeons and Doves
Our local Police Station here in Murray Bridge has had to close its doors this week. They have had a lice infestation caused by too many Feral Pigeons (Rock Doves) nesting and roosting on the premises. The station was closed so that fumigation could be undertaken. A temporary station was set up nearby in a portable building.
With the late heatwave we have been having over the last two weeks, this would have been quite uncomfortable for the local constabulary. Still, on the comfort scale, oppressive heat in the workplace is probably a few notches higher that constant itching.
Rock Doves, Northbridge, Sydney
New bird found in Nepal
In January 2006 I spent nearly four weeks in Nepal. Part of this time was spent on a trek towards Mt Everest. After that I visited Chitwan National Park. The remainder of the time was spent in and around Kathmandu. While I didn’t deliberately visit Nepal to go birding, I did get quite a nice list of new birds to add to my life list. I was pleased to actually see a number of “target birds” (i.e. birds I really wanted to see). One I especially enjoyed seeing was the Himalayan Monal.
Himalayan Monal, Nepal
More recently I was intrigued to read that a new bird has recently been found in Nepal. You can read about it here. It is a sub-species of the Rufous-vented Prinia. This new bird will be known as the Nepal Rufous-vented Prinia.
Further reading:
- Trevor’s Travels – read all about my adventures in Nepal on my Travel Blog.
Near the village of Monjo, Nepal