Trevor's Birding

The little swallow and the big bunyip

1 Comment »6th December, 2011; Category: Baby birds, Murray Bridge, Swallows

Recently fledged Welcome Swallow

A few weeks ago we had a family reunion barbecue at our home for the occasion of my grandson’s 3rd birthday. He was over here from Sydney. Family also came down from the mid north of South Australia for the get together.

Later in the afternoon we had a picnic at Sturt Reserve near the banks of the Murray River here in Murray Bridge. With four children under the age of 9 we thought it good for them to burn off some energy on the playground before they undertook the long journey home.

I took my young nephew on a walk along the river bank. At one point we stopped to watch the local Bunyip – the only specimen of this fearsome mythological creature in captivity. It’s well trained; on inserting a dollar coin in the slot it will rise up out of its watery bed and roar in a frightening way.

While we were watching the monster strut its stuff I was aware of some Welcome Swallows flying in and out of the cage. One swallow was not flying much and I realised it was a recently fledged bird. It posed obligingly for my camera, and watched me from about a metre away.

Bird photography doesn’t get any better than that.

Warning: Don’t get frightened as you scroll down through the photos below because there is a photo of the dreaded Bunyip.

Recently fledged Welcome Swallow

The Bunyip, Sturt Reserve, Murray Bridge, South Australia

A mystery bird at Mannum

2 Comments »3rd December, 2011; Category: Birds

Mystery bird - is it a female Brown Songlark?

On my recent birding trip to Mannum (South Australia) I photographed this mystery bird.

I’m not at all certain what it is. The closest I can come to a reasonable ID is a female Brown Songlark. The colour is right, the markings feasible and size – about the size of a reedwarbler – is also about right. It was about 40 metres from the edge of the Murray River and didn’t give any calls.

Over to my readers for help.

Mystery bird - is it a female Brown Songlark?

Flying Black Kite, Mannum

No Comments »30th November, 2011; Category: Camera, Eagles Hawks and Kites, Mannum, Photos

Black Kite over the Murray River, Mannum, South Australia

A skill I admire in nature photographers is getting great still photos of moving birds or animals. It’s something I am still very much a novice at and will need to practise much more to get it right.

While this photo of a Black Kite soaring over the Murray River at Mannum taken a few weeks ago is not brilliant, I’m still quite pleased with it. Mind you, it has had a little treatment on my computer to enhance certain elements.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Australasian Grebe, Mannum, South Australia

No Comments »27th November, 2011; Category: Mannum, Waterbirds

Australasian Grebe, Mannum, South Australia

Grebes are not easy to photograph – well, that’s my experience, anyway. They are either too far away way out in the middle of a body of water, or they dive under the water as soon as you have them in focus.

Oh, the joys of nature photography!

Still, I should be pleased that his Australasian Grebe cruised around on the Murray River at Mannum a few weeks ago long enough for me to get some shots. It wasn’t all that interested in diving and it was close into shore. Sometimes the birds either enjoy being photographed – or the take pity on me!

Mmmm…having a closer look at the photos now I can’t help wondering if I’ve actually taken shots of two different birds. The one above looks different compared with the one below. (My memory is good enough to remember that the two shots below were a few seconds apart; the top photo was taken six minutes earlier according to the digital properties of the photo.)

Australasian Grebe, Mannum, South Australia

Two strange ducks at Mannum

1 Comment »24th November, 2011; Category: Ducks Geese and Swans, Mannum, Waterbirds

Pacific Black Ducks - but with orange bills?

Over recent days I’ve been sharing about bird sightings on a trip to Mannum on the Murray River recently. While I was sitting in Mary Ann Reserve watching the birds on and near the river these two Pacific Black Ducks swam past. I took the photo without noticing the orange tips on their bills.

It was only when I enlarged the image on my computer that I noticed the orange. That’s not normal in this species. The only explanation I can offer is that they have hybridised with Mallards at some stage. There are feral populations of Mallards in the region. Mallards are an introduced species and feral groups exist where they have been released or have escaped from farms or back yards.

I’d be interested in readers’ comments on this little mystery.

Meanwhile, I took the following photo just before leaving to go home. These two Pacific Black Ducks had been sitting on the grass alongside me while I photographed all the other birds shown here recently. They didn’t seem at all concerned that I was only about 2 metres away.

Pacific Black Ducks, Mannum, South Australia