aussiebirder

Last Saturday my wife and I invited a couple of friends to join us on one of our birding dates in the Nasho. We love sharing our birding experiences with those who are interested enough to join us. So after a lovely coffee el fresco at the park cafe we made our way toward the Lady Carrington Drive walking track. We always carry extra binoculars for our guests to use. It was a beautiful clear Spring day. As we left our car I noticed a white object inside the nesting hole of a tree on the riverbank. It was the same nesting hole I had posted a parent feeding a juvenile Sulphur-crested Cockatoo a few years ago. The bird below appeared to be an adult, possibly incubating its eggs. It was quite relaxed as its side warmers around its beak were out. Some blog Followers previously noted the heart like ring around the nesting hole.

We had no longer started our walk along the Hacking River bank looking to spot a Kingfisher when one of our guests spotted the tiny beautiful bright blue and orange Azure Kingfisher which feeds along the river and nests in the river banks. After it went to the water to catch a fish it landed in a dead tree where it sat for us to observe.

Here is a previous photo of the Azure Kingfisher taken near the same spot to show how small it is and how tiny its feet are. These birds have binocular vision and precise and accurate distance assessment as well as water refraction correction ability making for very successful fishing. Australia has 10 species of Kingfisher, our largest is the Laughing Kookaburra and smallest the Little Kingfisher.

We walked further hoping to see the Sacred Kingfisher also. The Superb Fairy-wren were moving about in the shrubs along the river as usual. The male was in his beautiful blue breeding plumage, as to be expected being Spring. They were a challenge to photograph on this occasion as they hopped through the branches, and occasionally on the grass.

In my Beautiful Bird Book ‘What Birds Teach Us’ the Fairy-wren is used to highlight the quality of true sacrificial love, and how the male in his bright plumage leads possible predators away from his wife and family, placing himself at risk to protect them. The book cover depicts the Splendid Fairy-wren with male in breeding plumage. Click on book cover image to explore more about this amazing book, which is an ideal Christmas gift for your child or grandchild.

As we walked along the track for a time it was unusually quiet of birds and other walkers and bike riders. We heard the occasional Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eastern Whipbird and Lewin’s Honeyeater call. Most of the native wild flowers had finished flowering. We walked about a kilometer and a male and female Australian King Parrot were spotted feeding beside the track. Having sighted us they moved deeper into the trees. The male has the bright red head and chest and the female has green around the head and neck area.

Here is a video of a male Australian King Parrot I took in the backyard of my cousin’s place in the Blue Mountains last week. This bird frequently visits her place for a feed, which backs onto the Blue Mountains National Park, and was hoping to get something from me but it is not wise to feed native birds.

My wife and friends sighted a Black-face Monach inside a tree, which I was unable to see. These migrant birds return to the park each Spring and return up north in Autumn. I may be able to photograph it later in the season. We began hearing the location song/call of the Golden Whistler which is always a herald of Spring in the bush as they seek out a mate and begin nesting. This male I managed to capture, but the female eluded my lens.

One highlight of our walk was the sighting of the Wonga Pigeon which is our classic rainforest pigeon. Unlike the other species it spends most of its time feeding from the ground in the leaf litter. It is often seen foraging on the track but is shy of humans. They have very interesting body markings of small chevrons on most of their lower under body. It took flight to a branch where it stood motionless for some time possibly thinking it made it invisible to us. I have included its call so you know what it sounds like when in the bush.

Since the terrible bushfires of a few years ago, several families of the small Rufous Fantail have made there home here in the park and have not returned south during summer as was their migratory habit. This bird is beautiful in the sunlight when it fans its tail, but is very fast moving and hardly stops for a photo. I only managed one clear shot of its head emerging from the inner foliage. The second shot is one I took earlier to describe its beauty.

Lastly I should mention we did get a glimpse of two Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo resting quietly in a tree off the track. Usually the only time we see these birds in pairs or family groups away from the flock is when they are breeding, which is what these birds may be doing at present now as they have returned to the mountains.

Why not invite friends or family to join you on a birding date either before or after a meal or coffee in a nice cafe as we did. Even if you don’t see many birds it is an ideal way to talk and exercise at the same time. Our friends shared that it had been an enjoyable experience.

Enjoy your week and enjoy your backyard birds. If you have not done so already erect bird baths to attract the birds and enjoy watching them drink and bathe as we do each day. Soon all the neighborhood birds will come to your place daily as ours do. Check out my tips on birdbath placement and caring for native birds in your backyard on my Home Page.

It is healthy to maintain a positive faith, hope and love outlook on one’s life, maintaining a glass half full attitude rather than half empty. Life with its many unknown and unpredictable experiences can be daunting at times. Most of our life experience involves engaging our faith and trust in the skill and integrity of others including total strangers. Driving a car, eating food prepared by strangers, having a medical procedure are examples. Without a certain degree of trust we would remain in a very anxious depressed situation, afraid to venture out of our beds each morning. Paul assures us of the emotionally and spiritually healthy way to live: “For we walk [live] by faith, not by sight.” in 2 Corinthians 5:7 It is important to consider how we treat the invisible aspect of our lives which embraces our thoughts, conscience, beliefs, emotions which make up our psyche.

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Adv. Dip. in Counselling and Family Therapy.

Member of Birdlife Australia

To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

And learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed  by the site owner and remains his copyrighted property, unless otherwise stated. The use of any material that is not original material of the site owner is duly acknowledged as such. © W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.