Nankeen Kestrels breeding
Nankeen Kestrel, Murray Bridge
A few days ago I wrote about two juvenile Nankeen Kestrels chasing after one of their parents, begging for food as they flew overhead. I been observing this family of birds ever since and have seen them land frequently on some nearby power poles. From the decorations on the post and cross rail, they use this viewing platform frequently. It gives an excellent view of the road and of the paddocks on either side of the road. It also has a good view of our mallee scrub.I hope they are catching plenty of the local mice.
Earlier last week I was having a mid morning coffee and doing a spot of reading in the lovely winter sun. I heard the plaintive begging call of one of the young and saw that it had landed in the favoured power pole. I had my camera at the ready and stalked through the trees to get a closer view – and hopefully a good photo.
I’m quite pleased with the results, as shown on this post.I didn’t manage to get the adults actually feeding the young because the one I did get was becoming agitated by my presence, so I backed off so it could feed in peace.
Nankeen Kestrel, Murray Bridge
Nankeen Kestrel, Murray Bridge
Kestrel flyover
1 Comment »5th August, 2011; Category: Baby birds, Bird Behaviour, Eagles Hawks and Kites, Garden birds
Nankeen Kestrel, Laratinga wetlands, Mt Barker SA
Earlier this week I took a mid-morning break to have a coffee and to do some reading. It was a beautiful day with bright sunshine, moderate temperature and no clouds. It was the complete opposite of some of the dreary,gloomy, drizzly weather we’ve had this winter. I was enjoying the warmth of the sun, and the coffee wasn’t bad either.
As I read, a bird call nearby attracted my attention from my book. I’d heard this call several times in the previous few days but had not managed to catch sight of the birds. I recognised the call as that of a juvenile Nankeen Kestrel begging for food from the parents. A few seconds later an adult bird flew overhead, closely pursued by two young ones begging as they flew.
They went across our garden so quickly it was only a brief glimpse. They didn’t land nearby so there was no opportunity for a photo or two, so I’ve included a photo of a different bird of the same species taken in nearby Mt Barker some months ago. I have observed that they had been landing regularly on the cross bar of a nearby electricity power pole. Getting close enough without disturbing them can be a challenge as they can see me coming.
I’ll keep trying.
Good birding.
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A missed birding opportunity
A Brown falcon flying away from my camera
Many people have commented on the photos shown here on my birding site. Thankfully, most of the comments are complimentary. When I do public presentations about birds like I did a few nights ago I also get many ooohs and aaahs when I show certain photos. Just to show that not all my photos are fabulous and gasp worthy, today I present one that got away. A missed opportunity.
Last year as I was driving near Palmer on my way to stay with my daughter in Clare, I stopped at a lookout. The view from this vantage point over the River Murray valley is spectacular and so I stopped to take a few photos, not being in a hurry on this occasion. As I pulled up I noticed a Brown Falcon perched on a nearby tree. I whipped out the camera – only to see the bird take flight. I snapped anyway, hoping for a spectacular shot.
It was not to be.
You get that. I guess that for every lovely photo shown here I’d take 4 or 5 or even more that never pass the test and never appear here or anywhere else. Most just get deleted from my computer files. That’s photography for you, especially in the challenging field of nature photography. So to compensate, I’ve included below a shot of a Brown Falcon taken on another occasion at the nearby Monarto Zoo, an open range conservation area near our home. On this occasion the bird posed for me in a most considerate way.
It’s moments like this that make nature photography so worthwhile.
Good birding.
Brown Falcon, Monarto Zoo
Nankeen Kestrel, Corny Point
Nankeen Kestrel, Corny Point, Yorke Peninsula
One of the most common birds of prey seen while driving in rural Australia is the small kite known as the Nankeen Kestrel. In fact, on a recent trip driving from home in South Australia to Sydney, a distance of just over 1300km, I saw more of this species than any other bird of prey. Although I didn’t keep a count, I seemed to see one every few kilometres.
Despite it being so common I have been frustrated in not being able to get a good photo of this species. I’m still frustrated; the photos on this post are far from perfect because they were taken in poor light late in the day and during fine drizzle which accounts for the haziness, but they are better than no photos at all. I’ll just have to keep trying.
The Nankeen Kestrel is widespread in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and occasionally in New Zealand. It is very easy to identify with the diagnostic brown colouring on its back. It is also very easy to see driving along because of its habit of hovering on the air watching for its prey, perhaps a grasshopper, beetle, small lizard or even a mouse.
The individual shown in these photos posed nicely for on a roadside fence post during a shower of rain just as we were leaving the Corny Point Lighthouse on Yorke Peninsula. He appeared to be quite wet and cold from the terrible weather conditions of the day.
Nankeen Kestrel, Corny Point, Yorke Peninsula
Another Osprey
No Comments »11th June, 2011; Category: Eagles Hawks and Kites
Osprey at Inneston, Yorke Peninsula
Yesterday I wrote about seeing two Ospreys soaring over the beach and headland at Marion Bay. This lovely species is one I’ve not seen many times before. This merely reflects the fact I’ve not done enough birding in their preferred habitats: shorelines, estuaries, rivers and lakes.
I short time after seeing the first two I saw another one, this time flying overland at the historic township of Inneston. To see one is good; to see three in a couple of hours was a real buzz, and a highlight of the weekend.
Inneston is now a deserted town. In the early twentieth century is was a bustling mining town with several hundred residents. The nearby lakes were mined for gypsum. When the mine closed the town quickly died. About five of the original homes have been restored and are now used as accommodation by visitors to the Innes National Park.
Lake Inneston, Yorke Peninsula