Great Birding Moments # 25 Superb Blue Wrens
Male Superb Blue Wren
I love seeing the various species of wrens we have here in Australia. Possibly the species most commonly encountered would be the Superb Blue Wren. It is indeed superb. The male in his breeding plumage is magnificent.
This species can be quite tame where they become used to people. In parks, gardens and picnic areas they are quite at home hopping around your feet. They are even bold enough to join you on the picnic table looking for crumbs from your lunch.
On a recent drive along the Murray River upstream from Mannum we stopped to check out a lagoon near the road. I was looking for water birds. I had just pulled up by this post on the side of the road when a male and female Superb Blue Wren decided that they had better investigate what we were up to. They posed beautifully for several minutes, enough time to take some lovely photos.
Click on the photos to enlarge.
Superb Blue Wrens
David Kleinert Photography
I’ve recently discovered a wonderful photography site.
David Kleinert Photography is an Australian photographer whose site shows off his considerable skills in this art. He includes many bird shots but also of interest are the many photos of Australian flowers, animals, reptiles, scenery, amphibians and much more.
Each photo has a short description and visitors are able to comment. The site is a little different to get used to. By clicking on the photo one is taken to the previous photo, click on that and you go to the next previous photo and so on. My suggestion is to go instead to the archives and click on the category you wish to view.
Great Birding Moments #17 Musk Lorikeets
Musk Lorikeet
A few days ago I wrote about a recent visit to a private native garden at Cockatoo Valley, north of Adelaide in South Australia. While visiting that garden I photographed several Musk Lorikeets feeding in a eucalypt tree.
Musk Lorikeet
Lorikeets are not easy to photograph. They tend to feed in the thick foliage and rarely show themselves clearly. When they do show themselves, it is usually as a streak of green or red as they dart overhead, heading like arrows to the next tree for another feed.
The individual shown in the above photos was unusual; it stayed out in the open, within camera zoom range, and in focus for long enough for me to take about a dozen shots.
Sometimes you get lucky.
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments #16 Cockatoo Valley – this article also shows photos of the garden and some of the flowers.
- Rainbow Lorikeets at Wittunga Botanic Gardens – this is one of Australia’s most colourful birds.
- Musk Lorikeets – another encounter with this species, this time in my daughter’s garden in Clare, South Australia.
My Most Popular Bird Photos
The family photo gallery has been up and running now for about four months now and we are getting plenty of views (over 90,000 and counting). During that time some of the photos have proved to be very popular.
For those who may have missed these photos, or who are new visitors to this blog, here are the three most viewed bird photos:
1. Mallee Ringneck 361 views
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
2. Eastern Rosella 323 views
Eastern Rosella
3. Noisy Miner 321 views
Noisy Miner at Swanport Reserve
Gotcha! Photo of the Rainbow Bee-eater
Rainbow Bee eater
The Rainbow Bee-eater is a stunningly beautiful bird. Every spring we are always listening for that first call indicating they have returned for the summer months after spending the winter up north.
Over recent days we have heard several of these delightful birds while working in my wife’s native plant nursery. Sightings of them have been elusive – until late yesterday. Near sunset we heard them calling just outside. I raced out with camera in hand and managed three photos. I was hoping for a photo of one sitting on a dead limb of nearby tree – a typical pose of this species. I had to make do with one sitting on the power line leading to the house.
Related article: