Possible Galah nesting attempt
8 Comments »18th September, 2009; Category: Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Nests, Parrots and Lorikeets, Photos
Galahs at nesting hollow
The beautiful Galah is a very common bird around where we live in Murray Bridge, South Australia. Flocks of several hundred are a common sight in the summer months.
Over the last few weeks two Galahs have been investigating a hollow in an old growth mallee tree near our house. This hollow is in clear view from where we often have meals on our new back veranda. The tree is about 30 metres away.
I hesitate to call them a “pair” because I haven’t actually seen them mating. I have strong reasons for calling them as such because one is a male and the other is a female and they are displaying typical nesting behaviour. (The female has a red eye, the male a dark brown eye.)
This pair has been hanging around this hollow for several hours every day now for many weeks. Both often go into the hollow to check it out. I can’t tell if they are actually enlarging it or not. They allow us to get quite close to the tree without flying off.
Then last week while we were having lunch they started breaking small leafy twigs off the tree and taking them into the hollow to line their nest. Seems fairly conclusive to me.
The only downside it that we will have to put up with some very noisy little neighbours later in the year. Baby Galahs can be very demanding and very noisy.
I’ve taken quite a few photos. Below is a selection of the best of them. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Galahs at nesting hollow
Galahs at nesting hollow
Galah at nesting hollow
Galahs at nesting hollow
Galahs at nesting hollow
Happy bird-day to my blog
20 Comments »3rd September, 2009; Category: Photos
Australian Pelicans, Mallacoota, Victoria
TODAY MARKS THE FOURTH BIRTHDAY OF THIS BLOG ABOUT AUSTRALIAN BIRDS.
Happy birthday to my blog.
It has just passed the 950th article about Australian birds and is going from strength to strength as far as readership is concerned. Over 600 readers per day, from over 100 countries, and several thousand comments from interested birders worldwide.
Thank you to all of my faithful regular readers. Welcome to all of my new readers.
Thank you also to those who take the time to leave a question or a comment. You are valued. I especially appreciate those who say how much they enjoy this blog.
To celebrate this special occasion I invite readers to leave birthday greetings in the comments section. And while you are here, don’t forget all those other articles reaching back over four years now. Browse through the archives, click on the categories in the side bar or look through the many articles listed in the contents section.
To celebrate I’ve featured some of the best photos from the last year. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Laughing Kookaburra, Lane Cove National Park, Sydney
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Galahs at a hollow
Male Flame Robin, Mt. Macedon, Victoria
Little Penguins, Adelaide Zoo
A Silver Gull eyeing off our lunch
Male Gang-gang Cockatoo, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Birds and Plants of Pangarinda Arboretum
Banksia flower, Pangarinda Arboretum
Last week we had a short picnic at the Pangarinda Arboretum at Wellington East about a half hour drive south of our home here in Murray Bridge, South Australia.
It was a sunny winter’s day and the birds were very active, especially the honeyeaters. I didn’t get much of a chance to take photos of birds because none would sit and pose for me -except for one very cooperative New Holland Honeyeater.
New Holland Honeyeater, Pangarinda Arboretum
So instead of getting upset with the uncooperative birds, I spent most of my time taking photos of the many plants in flower.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Wattle (Acacia) flowers, Pangarinda Arboretum
Hakea flowers, Pangarinda Arboretum
Flowers, Pangarinda Arboretum
My bird photos go near and far
No Comments »10th May, 2009; Category: Photos
It always amazes me how far reaching my blog ventures in the Big World out there. Last time I checked I have readers from over 120 countries. That’s impressive, and not little humbling.
I also get many requests regarding birds and birding, including:
- help with identifying birds
- care of injured or orphaned birds
- where to see birds
- guest speaking engagements (I’ll go anywhere – just provide the airline ticket please; I have a current passport)
- requests to use my photos
The last one is interesting. I’ve have many requests for the use of my photos, including:
- illustrations for school projects
- features in newspapers
- use in magazines
- illustration in pamphlets and posters
And now I’ve been asked if a publisher of children’s books in LITHUANIA can use the photo below of an Australian Magpie in a children’s book about magpies of the world. (Note: this species is not a true magpie).
Amazing where my photos find themselves!
Australian Magpie
White-bellied Sea-eagle, Mallacoota, Victoria
No Comments »16th March, 2009; Category: Eagles Hawks and Kites, Gulls and Terns, Herons and Egrets, Photos, Shorebirds
Mallacoota in the evening light
During our only evening in Mallacoota in January it was warm and calm, ideal for a walk after a lovely dinner in the bistro of the local hotel where we were staying. The inlet was relatively quiet despite the large numbers of people – and their boats – staying in the seaside town for the Christmas holidays.
We found a comfortable seat on a headland overlooking the inlet. It was a good vantage point for some late evening birding, though the fading light made photography a challenge. In the estuary we saw several White-faced Herons, Whimbrels, Common Greenshanks, Pied Oystercatchers and Pacific Gulls, all too far away to get good shots.
Earlier we had seen a White-bellied Sea-eagle cruising overhead, sending some of the local birds into a mild panic. While we were relaxing it flew past again and landed on a tree across the water some two metres away. It was a long shot, even with the camera on the full 12x zoom. I haven’t seen this species all that often and never in a position for a close up photo, so this is the best I could do. The eagle is in the middle of the photo and it looks like it is eating something it had caught.
White-bellied Sea-eagle, Mallacoota