Tawny Frogmouths at the Australian Reptile Park
No Comments »30th July, 2014; Category: Aviaries, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Owls Frogmouths and Nightjars, Zoos
Tawny Frogmouth
On our recent visit to the Australian Wildlife Park near Gosford north of Sydney, I was pleased that a part of their collection of animals included birds. In fact, some of the birds were in walk-through aviaries. Such cages are good opportunities to get good photos of species it would be hard to obtain with animals in the wild.
One of the aviaries featured owls and frogmouths. I’ll show the owls in another post in a few days’ time.
Tawny Frogmouths, as shown in today’s post (above and below) are one of my favourite birds. Ever since a family Easter camp in the 1986 at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park in north-west Victoria we have loved these birds. On that occasion one decided to roost on a branch above our tent and call for quite a while during the night. Once we worked out what it was, the constant oom-oom-oom call soothingly put us to sleep.
We have occasionally heard and seen this species in our garden at home in Murray Bridge, South Australia. Because of its soft call we do not hear it if the television is going in the evening. Perhaps that is a good reason for occasionally switching it off.
Tawny Frogmouth
A colourful visitor to our garden
Adelaide Rosella
Last week while we were having breakfast in our sun room, we had a very colourful visitor. This Adelaide Rosella, a sub-species of the more common Crimson Rosella, came to check out our bird bath. Sadly, I had neglected to top it up over the last week or so and we’d had some windy and sunny days and it was dry. The rosella stayed for only a few moments before flying off.
Adelaide Rosellas are common in the Mt Lofty Ranges some 50km to the west, and through the mid-north of South Australia. Here where I live in Murray Bridge 80km west of Adelaide, they are widespread but not common.
The red on the feathers varies from almost a deep crimson, as in the Crimson Rosella, through to a very washed out orange. Further upstream along the River Murray, another sub-species, the Yellow Rosella is quite common.
Further reading:
- Yellow Rosellas
- Road trip to Sydney
- Birdcage Rest Area NSW
- Crimson Rosellas in Murray Bridge
- Adelaide Rosellas in our garden
Adelaide Rosella
Unusual visitors – Goldfinches
I was collecting the daily newspaper from the driveway yesterday when my attention was attracted to an unusual bird call in the tree next to our driveway. Unusual for our garden, that is. European Goldfinches are widespread in various parts of southern Australia. There is a small population near the railway station here in Murray Bridge, 80km SE of Adelaide. It’s just that they are not even regular visitors to our garden, so the call attracted my attention. In fact, I think we’ve only ever had them here in our garden on two or three other occasions in 30 years.
The two birds didn’t stay long – just long enough to confirm the sighting through my binoculars. So – you will have to put up with an old photo taken in our garden some years ago.
European Goldfinch
The dainty Silvereye
Silvereye
Silvereyes are small, dainty birds about the size of a House Sparrow. They are relatively common and widespread throughout its range in eastern and southern Australia.
I can’t call this species a resident species in our garden here in Murray Bridge, but it is a frequent visitor throughout the year. In recent weeks several of them have become regular visitors to our bird baths during the extremely hot weather we have experienced. (Many records have recently been broken regarding high temperatures.)
While I have called it a dainty bird with a delicate demeanour and a soft alluring call, there is a darker side to this bird according to some people. They have a liking for fruit ripening on trees and vines. Their sharp beak is ideal for piercing grapes, apricots, peaches , berries and other fruits, leaving the fruit spoiled as a result. That is why I have gone to much trouble – and expense – to cover our fruit trees with bird netting. My strategy seems to be working – so far.
Silvereye
Silvereye
Pardalotes up close
No Comments »23rd January, 2014; Category: Bird baths, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Pardalotes, Photos
Striated Pardalote (juvenile)
Yesterday I was in the garden looking at one of the bushes coming into flower. Without any warning, two juvenile Striated Pardalotes landed on the fence not much more than a metre from where I stood. They looked me over for about 30 seconds before flying off.
Of course, like so many other encounters with birds, I didn’t have my camera with me because I had gone into the garden to check on the swimming pool, not thinking of seeing any birds up close.
Instead, I have posted a photo of the same species taken at one of our bird baths some time ago.