Blue Bonnet parrots
Blue Bonnet Parrot
Sydney Trip June 2011
Yesterday I wrote about having a short stopover at the Malleefowl Rest Area on the road from Balranald to Mildura. We stopped to have a cuppa and afternoon tea in a patch of mallee scrub just off the highway.
While we were enjoying our break several Blue Bonnet parrots flew into a tree nearby and I was able to get some good photos of this colourful bird. At about 30cm in size this is one of our smaller parrots. While it is widespread in the mallee areas of Victoria, NSW and South Australia, it is generally not common anywhere. A small isolated population can also be found in SE Western Australia.
While I said that it is widespread in mallee habitats, it can also be found in several other habitats, including saltbush areas, grasslands, farmlands, mulga and acacias. I have yet to record this species on our home block but I have seen it within about 30 kilometres from our place.
Blue Bonnet Parrot
Blue Bonnet Parrot
Blue Bonnet Parrot
Red-rumped Parrots, Euston, NSW
Red-rumped Parrots, Euston, NSW
Sydney Trip June 2011
On the second day of our trip home from Sydney last June we detoured slightly from the main route on our way to Mildura. I wanted to drive through parts of the small river town of Euston which is between Mildura and Balranald. I can’t ever recall driving through this town, and I think we’ve always just detoured past the town on the main road through.
We drove slowly around a few streets and then found ourselves at the river frontage. On the lawns near the river a small flock of Red-rumped Parrots was feeding on the grass seeds. Without switching off the car I aimed the camera through the window and took a few shots of them.
This species is relatively common in my home town and district, but so far I’ve been unsuccessful at getting some good photos of them. While they are not brilliant, I am pleased to have taken some reasonable shots of this beautiful bird at last. Only the male has the bright red rump.
My next challenge with this species is to photograph a male sitting in full sunshine and facing me so that the bright yellow and green front shows clearly.
This post was updated on 4th February 2016.
Male Red-rumped Parrot, Euston, NSW
Beautiful birds during a cold lunch
Crimson Rosella
Sydney Trip Report June 2011
The first day of our trip home was freezing cold. We had altered our route home to avoid the snow closed roads around Bathurst and followed the same route home we’d used on our way over. The sky gradually changed from bright sunshine in Sydney heavy cloud by lunch time. We had a picnic lunch with us and pulled into the Thomas Derrick VC Rest Area, hoping to get a few minutes of sunshine while sitting at one of the picnic tables there. We ended up eating lunch in the car because the wind was still freezing, and it was threatening to rain at any moment.
This rest area, like others in the region, commemorates the brave deeds of some of our soldiers. The “VC” after his name indicates that he was awarded Australia’s highest order for bravery in battle, a Victoria Cross. He was decorated because of his actions against the Japanese in New Guinea and you can read more about his interesting life here.
Thomas Derrick VC Rest Area, NSW
While eating lunch I was able to list a few birds out and about, an once I’d finished I braved the very cold conditions to get a few photos. The most interesting species present was a flock of about 20 Crimson Rosellas. I tried to photograph a family of White-winged Choughs, but they flew off before I could close enough. There were also many Noisy Miners in the picnic ground, but seeing I have plenty of photos of them I didn’t bother chasing them up. Truth be known, it was too cold to spend too much time out of the warmth of the car!
Crimson Rosella
Crimson Rosella
A puzzling parrot
Colour variations in Australian Ringnecks (ssp Mallee Ringneck)
We have a small flock of about 6 Mallee Ringnecks resident in our garden. We see them every day and they have breed successfully nearby. The Mallee Ringneck is a race of the Australian Ringneck and is found in areas which contain predominantly mallee tree habitat. Our 5 acre block is half covered in mallee trees, so they probably feel quite at home.
In recent weeks I’ve been aware that one of them has some interesting colour variations. In the photo above, the bird on the left has a much darker head than normal, plus more yellow on the chest and blue cheek feathers rather than green. Throughout the broad range of the Australian Ringneck there is considerable colour variation.
The Western Ringneck (also called the Port Lincoln Parrot) has a particularly dark head – it’s black in fact. Port Lincoln Parrots have been recorded in the Adelaide metropolitan region, but it is suspected that they were aviary escapes or releases. I’m not claiming that this bird is of the race, Port Lincoln Parrot, but I suspect it may have escaped from someone’s cage as they are a common aviary bird. Another possibility is that it is the progeny of cross breeding between a Mallee and a Port Lincoln Parrot, thus accounting for the washed out grey head rather than a black one. Both races interbreed readily in the Flinders Ranges where their ranges overlap.
The photo below shows a close up view of the same bird. The third photo shows the normal colours of the Mallee Ringneck.
I’d be very interested in reader’s comments.
Australian Ringneck, Murray Bridge
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
Corellas calling
Little Corella
We have many different kinds of parrots visiting our garden and five acre block over the course of the year. Some are resident, like the Mallee Ringnecks, others are only occasional visitors. The Little Corella is one of those infrequent visitors and when they do visit, it’s usually just a “flying visit” – meaning – they just fly over without landing. This is despite the species being present in large flocks of 200 – 500 (or more) along the River Murray only 4 – 5 kilometres away (as the parrot flies).
This morning I was busy attending to something when my attention was drawn to an unusual call outside – unusual for our bird life, that is. I instantly recognised the call of a flock of Little Corellas. I raced outside, noting that there was no time to grab either binoculars or camera, just to see a flock of about 50 quickly disappearing over the trees in the distance.
Never mind; at least I now know that they still know where I live, and are prepared to pay me a visit every now and then, albeit oh so briefly.
The photos on this post were taken last year in the riverside reserve at the nearby town of Mannum.
Good birding.
Little Corella