Australian wildlife

Waiting to Welcome our Waders – Mudflat Muse

Posted by aussiebirder on September 11, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian Pelican, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Botany Bay, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 12 Comments

Red Wattlebird

We are moving through our state’s driest and warmest Spring on record, with out of control bushfires raging already, water shortages due to extended drought conditions and gale force winds in the last few days with no rain relief in sight. Massive seas have beaten the coast as can be seen below.

 With the return of Spring comes the yearly return of my favorite waders, the Bar-tailed Godwit.  Yesterday I set off to the George’s River mudflats to see if they had made an early return, but the small flock had not yet returned. They are probably in the air doing their amazing 8 days non stop flight across the Pacific Ocean directly from Alaska to Australia and New Zealand.

It was interesting also that this year no immature Godwits stayed behind, they all flew north. Braving the very cold strong winds yesterday I found a lone Pied Oystercatcher on the mudflats.

It is also interesting that a few Eastern Curlew, which are also migratory birds have stayed the Winter here, usually one per beach. These our largest waders, are extremely shy of humans, as many have been killed for their meat as they travel the Asian coast when migrating. I always find this guy grazing no matter what the weather conditions.

Eastern Curlew
Eastern Curlew
Eastern Curlew
Plastic bag, not good eating!

Seeing no Godwits, I made my way to the mudflats on the other side of the bay where again I saw one lone Eastern Curlew foraging, and catching a crab. The light was not in a good place and was diffusing significantly reducing colour. You can see from this clip how their long curved beaks are ideal for extracting crabs from the mudflats, though it can be a drama trying to swallow them as they have no teeth and swallow their prey whole.

Moving to my next stop, which is hidden behind mangroves, and often gives me choice views as very few birders ever go there, again I find one lone Eastern Curlew, but this one is a younger one.

Also on the mudlats as per usual in their usual spot is a small family of Australian Pelicans resting. You will notice the classic sleeping position of birds, resting the weight of their head on their back, and tucking their bill under their back feathers with just their eyes visible.  Many birds, unlike us, can turn their heads 270°. Waders will often stand on one leg to rest the other, and change at intervals as they spend most of their lives on their feet and may never sit with their long legs, usually only when sick or nesting.

 

While I was making my way to the mangroves I passed this beautiful Red Wattlebird with wattles glowing in the sun.  It posed for me and allowed me to take several excellent shots. These are our largest honeyeaters and are quite aggressive to other birds when the nectar is on. The Banksia tree in which it sits is one major source of nectar on the coast most of the year, particularity when in Winter most native trees rest from flowering. As you can see this tree has finished flowering and has produced seed cones, which provide food for the seed eating birds such as the Cockatoos.

This male and female Australian ‘black backed’ Magpie were having a quiet time together on the grass. This is the window where we see the male and female together, just before Spring nesting. This is because the female will remain on the nest the entire nesting period while the male feeds her and the relatives protect the nest. When the nestlings fledge it is the male Magpies that watch over and train the young, leaving the female to have a break on her own. The male has the pure white rear neck where as the female’s is more dirty looking.

Male and female Magpie

This Galah was grazing on clover on the grass nearby, as the wind blew up his beautiful head comb.

Finally, I would like to share a series of shots taken during the high seas whipped up by the strong winds. A lone Pelican for some unknown reason, thought it wise to sit in front of the huge waves breaking  onto Cape Banks (see photo above to view how huge they were). This Pelican almost got pounded and could have drowned if it had not acted as fast as it did. But the question remains, why did it choose to sit in such a dangerous place when it could see where the waves were breaking? View this slideshow and see how narrow its escape was, at one stage it was lost from view under the wave.

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The interesting muse concerning this Pelican was that soon after it had escaped with its life it went back and landed in the same place again, with facing away from the wave and in front of it.

I figured we are all a bit like this Pelican at times, especially when we try to get our own way and go against what we have been told and know to be best for us.  The Pelican knew it was a dangerous place but in the moment when it landed (the quiet break between waves) it appeared alright to sit and watch the coastline. We warn our children to be careful when going out at night or participating in risky practices because we are aware of the dangers that lurk there. They may not be there all the time, but can appear when least expected, especially if one chooses to not be on the lookout, but just goes along with the group or just ignores parents warnings. This was reported on the news of  a young girl going to school recently, her parents told her to wait and they would take her, but she refused and went on her own and was abducted. For us older ones it is more like ‘we know what is good for our physical, emotional and spiritual health, we have been around long enough to know, but we sometimes choose to ignore the warnings and sit in front of the looming wave. This is of particular importance as we try to make sense out of life itself.

“For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.  For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.” – Romans 1:21-23 (NET)

Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6 (NET)

“Today I invoke heaven and earth as a witness against you that I have set life and death, blessing and curse, before you. Therefore choose life so that you and your descendants may live!” – Deuteronomy 30:19 (NET)

If you have managed to read this far, you will remember from last weeks post that I mentioned that I am writing a Second Edition of my first book release, while my second book is in the editing process. This may be your last opportunity to purchase  a copy of my first book ‘What Birds Teach Us’ as the book is almost out of print and the last 10 copies for sale online are up for grabs. If you have not purchased yet ( though many of you have) or you want a gift for Birthday or Christmas that will keep on giving, this is your opportunity to purchase here online, as other outlets dry up their supplies.

Go to my BirdBook page here to view more info and reviews. This is a unique book which is non religious and is a family counseling book targeting  8 years and older, using the birds as a teaching tool.

Have a wonderful week despite the wild weather and unseasonal conditions! Our great need for rain is not just for us with our dwindling water supply, but also for the many birds, animals and trees suffering, including many blazing forests. Many native birds are not nesting in their normal places due to the drought, and native animals withholding giving birth. We all need to pray for rain and a breaking of this extreme drought here in Australia, despite many having turned away from acknowledging our Creator as our provider. 

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.

 

Birding in the World’s Widest Canyon – The Capertee Valley, NSW

Posted by aussiebirder on September 5, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

White-browed Babbler

 Spring, the time when most birds and animals pair off, mate and reproduce their kind. However,  the great Australian drought continues into its fourth year causing rivers to dry up, trees and plants to die or give up their leaves under stress, many native plants to die or not flower, many birds and animals to leave their historic nesting areas for localities where they have not been previously reported in current field guides.

This week I took a trip to visit one of Australia’s great birding places The Capertee Valley, which is actually the widest canyon in the world, being 1km wider than the Grand Canyon at its widest point. The canyon is surrounded by the Gardens of Stone National Park, made up of interesting sandstone escarpments, which glow in the sun. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Gardens of Stone NP
Capertee River dried up
Capertee River dried up
Largest conservation project
The Crown
Sandstone walls

This wonder is a north western extension of the famous Blue Mountains, and has previously been the famous conservation site for the breeding of the endangered Regent Honeyeater, which is Australia’s largest public conservation project. The last few years have seen very few birds breeding beside the now almost dried up Capertee River, where only a few pools remain. Scientists have had difficulty tracing the breeding patterns of this bird, and many others affected by the drought. The forests of NSW are tinder dry, and dying in many places for lack of regular rainfall.  I was surprised to find that many of the bird species I found previously in this birding  goldmine had left the valley to find food and water and nest elsewhere. While the eastern side of the ranges has been getting rain at times (Sydney), here on the western side of the ranges (Capertee) has had very little or none at all.

The positive is that there are still many birds remaining, of which I will share from my visit in this post. On arrival to the valley I started checking my usual good birding stops and in two tall eucalypts I found both the numerous White-plumed Honeyeater and the less numerous White-naped Honeyeater feeding high in the canopy together on the tree blossom as well as on lerps. The plume is the white mark on the side of the neck and the gape is the white ring around the back of the head (visible in second last photo). They were very active when chasing nectar, especially the White-gaped, which gave me several flight shots.

From a tree next to the flowering one above, I could hear the unusual buzzing sound of the White-browed Babbler, which, like the two honeyeaters is mainly only seen inland over the ranges. It was interesting how many different sounds this bird makes as it communicated to a nearby companion. It is always a treat to find this bird. Disregard the Noisy Friarbird calls in the background.

 

Just before leaving this Noisy Friarbird appeared briefly, but was unusually quiet, which can be the case when they are alone.

Further along the road as I crossed over the Capertee River I was mesmerized by a flock Fairy Martins flying in circuits over the remaining pools of water beneath the casuarina trees. I managed to fire off some almost decent flight shots of these amazing birds as they started flying around me. 

Fairy Martin cruising for insects
Fairy Martin
Fairy Martin
Fairy Martins flying together
mouth open catching insects on the fly

As I made my way further I stopped again, and out of the bush wandered this old Wombat, with a hairless back, making his way back down the road on the wrong side, being very vulnerable to cars. Sadly I had already seen over a dozen road kill from the night before, kangaroo, wallabies and wombats. Wombats are essentially nocturnal, but can bee seen during the day when disturbed. They burrow out their nesting holes under the earth like a mole or groundhog. Walking in their territory can be dangerous at night without good light as many people have injured themselves accidentally stepping into their holes.

Sadly I passed areas where in better years many species of Finch resided, but were not to be found, but it was pleasing to see several family flocks of White-winged Chough foraging about. These birds only fly short low distances and spend most of their time walking about together foraging for insects. They have a very tightly constructed family and are known to take captive young from other Chough flocks. You will see how they got their name from my video clip.

White-winged Chough family
White-winged Chough

Here is a sound file to give you an idea of their language, it sounds a little like a Catbird having a harsh lower throat squeal. Disregard the Noisy Friarbirds cackling in the background.

Looking up to a bare dead tree, always in the hope of seeing a raptor, this lone Dusky Woodswallow sat in the warmth of the Spring sun. It would occasionally go gliding, in a similar way to the Fairy Martin to catch insects on the fly.

While looking up at this little guy I saw gliding over a kilometer above a huge Wedge-tailed Eagle which I managed to get a few decent shots considering the distance away. These amazing birds with wingspans of 2.3 meters can soar on the thermals at a height of two kilometers and at one kilometer still see a mouse crawling on the ground below as its eye sight is eight times better at seeing detail than ours, with is binocular telescopic vision. This enables it not only to see its prey well, but target with precise accuracy (using triangulation like our eyes) within millimeters when it attacks. I know this for a fact having had one take a very small amount of meat from my hand without touching me at a wild bird show, and boy they are heavy when they land on your arm. They can lift a 5 kilogram animal, a young lamb, young kangaroo, snakes. lizards, ferule cats, foxes, rodents and road kill.

When a bird has its eyes set in the front of its face such as we have, similar to other raptors, Kingfishers and Kookaburras we all share binocular vision and with it the ability to triangulate which allows our brains to determine with accuracy the estimated distance away we are to an object. If you have eyes at the side of the head or only one working eye, the brain is unable to do this with any accuracy. Compare the eye placement of these birds below. Notice the eyes of the Eastern Rosella are on the side of the head, like most birds, unlike the Eagles and other birds of prey, I sighted this pair of Eastern Rosella being attacked by an aggressive Noisy Miner further down the road.

Wedge-tailed Eagle binocular vision
Eastern Rosella eye on side of head

I have previously shared about the aggressive and fearless nature of this bird and how it guards its territory from other Honeyeaters and predators. I have seen Noisy Miners chase away Eagles (which can eat them), cats and dogs (which can also eat them), even people. Their relentless attacks and bites with rapid return, often in a noisy group of between 2 and 6 birds is no feat for a single bird, though Kookaburras sit and take it till they give up while larger more aggressive Red Wattlebirds will retaliate. The Eastern Rosella pair for life, and are under attack because they eat nectar blossom also as part of their diet, which the Noisy Miner want to keep to themselves, particularly in this time of drought.

Noisy miner in position, I can see it looming
watching the Noisy Miner out of my left eye
Noisy miner attacks
Eastern Rosella recoil
Eastern Rosella post attack
the colourful undercarriage

Nearby I could hear a zitting sound which resembled what I knew to be that of a Flycatcher, as I had seen them around this area on previous visits, and yes it was a pair of Restless Flycatcher. At first I only saw a Willie Wagtail and thought it strange to be making this sound as it is a kind of flycatcher also, and looks similar, but then I saw the pair making their zitting noise which you can hear here:

Restless Flycatcher
Restless Flycatcher pair
Restless Flycatcher
Willie Wagtail

A small flock of Straw-necked Ibis grazed on a nearby cow paddock, this one is just coming into breeding as it starts to develop its long neck plumes and iridescent body plume sheen. 

I came to a place where I heard a lovely bird call with which I was not familiar, but had heard on previous occasions. I looked and looked for about half an hour as it called from within a deep dark eucalypt tree cluster by the road. I prayed and asked  God to let me view it, as I had spent too much time in pursuit and then it made an appearance for two seconds and was able to get this one shot off. It was a Grey Shrike-thrush which are known for their lovely variable song. Thank you Lord! It is in the not knowing what it was that kept me there, in case it might have been a lifer.

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info. Check out my book “What Birds Teach Us”, a great easy to read gift idea, which continues to get good reviews where people share how it has helped them and how it is a unique book. If you are concerned, it has been carefully  written for all cultures and beliefs and does not preach or recommend any particular belief system, but is a counselling tool that encourages good life skills by using the birds and beautiful photos of them to relate to us. People from other cultures and beliefs different to my own, have shared how they love the book. You can purchase your copy here

My meditation for the day came from my challenging experience when I finally arrived after much driving at the gate of Capertee National Park, which is a locked up park, to protect the nesting area of the endangered Regent Honeyeater, along the banks of the Capertee River. 

Sadly, the entrance code I had was not the current one, and because I was out of phone range, deep in the forest, and the caretaker was miles away inside the park, I could only wait for a while hoping someone would arrive, but no one did. So I turned around and drove home, the positive side being I arrived home in good time to shop and cook dinner for my wife. I was thankful for the many birds I saw and this incident reminded me of the words of Jesus when he said: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. – John 10:9 (NIV)

Without the correct entry code one can not enter this portion of the park and see the wonders within. You may remember the long pursuit my wife and I had trying to see these birds in the wild and how my first sighting of an unbanded bird was several miles up this road behind this gate. Just as this was the treasure I hoped to see today, so this event reminded me that Jesus has a treasure much more wonderful which will last forever for those who put their trust in him. Jesus had blazed the trial for me  so that I and anyone can discover the true meaning of life. It is through him that we enter into God’s goodness and mercy and experience the freedom and peace of total forgiveness for our sinful selfish nature. With this comes the blessing of a personal relationship with God, so you are never alone or ever abandoned because he loves us and always will, and gives his Spirit to comfort and guide us through life. God’s beautiful life exchange, the free gift of Jesus’ sinless life for our sinful, is expressed in a nutshell: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. – 2 Corinthians 5:21

Have a wonderful week and weekend! Our prayers go to the many suffering Hurricanes floods, heatwaves, earthquakes and extreme bush fires in many parts of the world. In these turbulent Last Days where many are fearful and have no hope or foundation for their lives, there is hope and peace through faith in Jesus who rightly said even before he was raised from the dead: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

We are experiencing extreme drought, facing another extreme hot Summer and water shortages. It is time for us all turn to the One who can help and pray and repent on behalf of our nations that are abandoning the same One who can truly help. There is hope and it is offered freely in Jesus words: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

For those interested: My second book is almost past its first editorial phase and I have begun to write a better second edition of the my first book, as the first edition is almost sold out of print and demand for it continues. The second edition will have more features and birds and will be an educational tool which I hope will be embraced by schools and family counselors. I am thankful for this break in my professional career to be given the opportunity to leave this legacy.

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.

 

A Warm Winter Walk – Cape Banks Aquatic Reserve

Posted by aussiebirder on August 30, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Botany Bay, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Swamp Harrier aged

On a warm winters day there is nothing better than a walk, especially to a location not yet explored. I had read sightings of unexpected bird species at Cape Banks in the Sydney area. I had never been to Cape Banks during my time living in Sydney, and the sightings of juvenile Pacific Gull and Kelp Gull were an interesting enticement.  Cape Banks is the southern point at the mouth of the Georges River better known as Botany Bay, famous for the landing of Lieutenant James Cook with his ‘HMS Bark Endeavor’ in 1770 at Kurnell near this terminal pictured below. This is all part of Botany Bay National Park. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Entrance to Cape Banks
Kamay Botany Bay NP northern mouth
Cape Banks
Looking into Botany Bay

We know him as Captain Cook, which should have been his title but was held from him because he was not of the English gentry or trained in their class system, but despite this fact, became the world’s finest navigator and cartographer. The appointment of officers within this class system resulted in many thousands of unfortunate losses of lives during English history,  including Australians in the First World War. Though Cook did the work of a Captain he was precluded the title till many years later. Joseph Banks (whom the cape is named after) was the botanist on his voyage who gave English names to many of the species of plants observed on the voyage. The first sighting that travelers see when approaching Sydney airport  by air is the rugged tall sandstone cliffs of Botany Bay NP and The Royal NP. 

The unusual sandstone rock formations seen along this coastline are also a feature here adding to the natural beauty of the place. But sadly there are the residual signs of  past disaster as the rusting wreck of the SS Minmi lies on the rocks. It was a coal carrying steamship which traveled back and forth from Newcastle to Melbourne, named after the coal mining town in Newcastle, Minmi where my eldest son use to live. Thankfully only one life was lost by heart attack and the many crew were safely brought to shore, as the army barracks nearby came to their assistance on hearing the steam expulsions of the boiler as it broke up on the rocks at night. There was a line of cars parked 4 mile long as thousands came from the Sydney area to see it, damaging the NSW Golf Course as they walked in.

It was also delightful to see some of the wildflowers of our earlier than usual Spring on the sandstone cape.

By now some of you are asking: “Hey aussiebirder! What about the birds, did you see any birds?!”

Well I did not see as many as I had hoped, though this is always a birders prospect, but yes, I did enjoy some quality sightings. As I came along the track I was greeted by the sounds and occasional sighting of many Superb Fairy-Wren mostly appearing to still be in eclipse, but soon to be reverting back to their beautiful blue breeding plumage as Spring ensures. The female has the red eye ring and a lighter blue tail. The scrubby coastal bush is ideal habitat for these tiny insectivorous birds.

As I stepped off the footbridge connecting to Cape Banks headland, I spotted this Australasian Pipit. These are interesting birds to watch, and are seen in several places on the sandstone platforms of this National Park. They have a darting motion as they forage for insects and seeds, and will take flight easily if they see you coming.

Looking out to the beautiful calm blue sea I saw one lone Humpback Whale making its way up the coast. Most of its relatives are already up north in the warmer waters of the Hervey Bay area, mating and having their young. This late arrival was continually slapping its tail, for over an hour, barely moving forward. It is not known with any definitive truth as to the purpose of the tail-slap. It may be communicating to the nearby boat to stay away, or attempting to locate other whales in the vicinity, or some believe it may be a feeding technique, but this is very dubious. As I watched the whale I noticed a lone Australasian Gannet cruising nearby. This is a bird seldom seen this close to the shoreline, though both whale and Gannet were a considerable distance out to sea.

Humpback Whale tail-slap
whale and Gannet
Australasian Gannet
Australasian Gannet
Australasian Gannet

One of the enticements that led me to Cape Banks suddenly appeared flying over the Cape, a pair of juvenile Pacific Gull. These birds are not normally found this far north, though we do see juvenile Kelp Gull from time to time which I have posted in the past. The Pacific Gull is found mostly in Victoria and Tasmania and is our largest Gull.

This is what these youngsters will look like when they mature. Notice the red lipstick lips. The Pacific Gull has both top and bottom lips red and the Kelp Gull only the bottom lip.

Not seeing many other birds I began to make my way back and noticed that one of the holes of the NSW Golf course which was integrated into this Reserve was over a deep chasm. So I watched as experienced golfers landed the ball. I have traced one for you. They had transverse the chasm along a footbridge onto the cape to this one tee off point and hit it back over the chasm to the green on the other side.

Just as I was almost near my car to leave, the Lord provided me with one last gift of what appeared to be an aged Swamp Harrier which flew directly over in good sunlight, what a beautiful bird! Of course this became my feature photo at the commencement of this post. We don’t see many Swampies on the coast, though I have seen one not far from here in Botany Bay over a year ago. This brought a satisfying finish to my warm Winter walk, and the delight of having ventured into new birding territory where I will soon return with my wife for a picnic.

Swamp Harrier
Swamp Harrier
Swamp Harrier
Swamp Harrier

Finally, as I leave this beautiful place having taken in its natural and historical significance, my meditation, as I viewed the many interesting and beautiful rock formations in the sandstone, was to consider the following. As a male in particular, I generally by nature am a problem solver and tend to be more Left-brained  analytical, wanting to try and work the HOW, WHEN and WHY these sandstone formations occurred, rather than just allow myself to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and artistic design of the rockface, which is using more of my Right-Brainsidedness. As I learn to take time to employ Mindful Moments in my life. By deliberately doing this,  I also learn to balance my life in a healthier way as God intended. Sometimes I just need to appreciate what I see or hear or smell or touch rather than try and work it out as if it were something necessary to do. Generally, it is only my ego that needs to do this, which has sadly placed many men, including myself in the past, into workaholic mode to miss the point of it all.  Instead of seeing and appreciating a beautiful rock formation and giving thanks for its Intelligent Design, one may feel the intense urge to postulate theories and possible ways it came into being. “Stop and Smell the Roses!” is a very timely saying in a very stressful over busy modern life. When I was first told this by a counselor I thought ‘What a silly thing to say!’, but now years later, having become a counselor myself and journeyed through burn out and experienced tragedy and several miracle healings at God’s hand, I try to be all the more mindful to be mindful of each life experience, whether it be a cool gentle breeze or the warmth of Winter sun on my back or the melody of a bird’s song.  An Attitude of Gratitude and a thankful joyous spirit has now scientifically been shown to bring health and longevity to one’s being. So relax, be at peace, enjoy and be thankful in the precious moment that you have, for when it is over it is gone forever, but if it is pleasant memory it will continue to  bless you on your Journey.

“Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” – Psalm 111:2

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” – Psalm 9:1

“How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” – Psalm 104:24

Have a wonderful restful and enjoyable weekend appreciating your beautiful birds and getting out to enjoy the beautiful places they habitate and have a Mindful Moment!

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info. Check out my book “What Birds Teach Us”, a great easy to read gift idea, which continues to get good reviews where people share how it has helped them and how it is a unique book. If you are concerned, it has been carefully  written for all cultures and beliefs and does not preach or recommend any particular belief system, but is a counselling tool that encourages good life skills by using the birds and beautiful photos of them to relate to us. People from other cultures and beliefs different to my own, have shared how they love the book. You can purchase your copy here

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.

 

When Rare becomes Everywhere – Birding Away from Home

Posted by aussiebirder on August 23, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Fauna, Holidays, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Uncategorized, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , .

One of the exciting delights about holidaying in other states of Australia, or any other country in the world, is the different bird and animal wildlife one encounters. This week we highlight some of the birds common to Far North Queensland but not found, or very rarely found here in Sydney NSW. Above one of our favorite birds we love to see up there is the Comb Crested Jacana or Jesus Bird as some know it, because it appears to walk on water, but actually lily pads in reality. This tiny bird is easily missed unless the rained eye is looking for them, though the red comb gives them away at times. 

There long toes and light weight enable them to transverse water lilies with little effort, with short flights across distant pads.  These birds are rarely seen in southern Australia, but were common many years ago in northern NSW but increasing population and habitat destruction has kept them up north. These birds do not like being near noisy people. Watch this short movie clip of a Jacana foraging on the water lilies for insects.

If you are up in the Cairns area, the Cattana Wetlands is a great place to see these birds, and is a local council success story to form sustainable wetlands areas, which many Australian local councils have cottoned onto as a great tourist drawing and local recreation area. 

The other very shy and rarely seen bird found with the Jacana, is the Green Pygmy-Goose. Here is the male and female and a small family, not pleased with our presence. The bird appearing to be a female is most likely an immature male tagging behind its dad, doing what typically hungry young birds do, repetitively calling and bobbing their heads up and down, but dad attempts to escape. As you know the immature males look similar to the female until they gain their mature plumage which gives them their breeding licence.

Green Pygmy-Goose male
Green Pygmy-Goose female/immature male
Green Pygmy-Goose male followed by ? youngster
taking off

Another bird which was more common here years ago but is seldom seen is the Magpie Goose, which is not technically a goose at all, but has its own peculiar classification. Many were killed for food, but thankfully they are protected and breed well in the wet tropics.

Magpie Goose
Magpie Goose
Magpie Goose

Walking along the Cairns Everglades boardwalk, which every birds in Cairns knows to do, just two hours before high tide, we saw this dark morph Eastern Reef Egret, a bird we never see in Sydney. We also saw what appeared to be the light morph nearby, though it could be an Intermediate as its legs appear more slender.

Back at Palm Cove where we did our daily bird walks through the local rainforest and well kept parks we saw several very commonly seen honeyeaters. The most common being the beautiful tiny Olive-backed Sunbird which is Australia’s closest version of Hummingbird. The mail has a brilliant metallic blue throat, and both have bright yellow under parts.

male Sunbird
male Sunbird
male Sunbird
male Sunbird
female Sunbird eating nectar

We watched this female Sunbird collect spider’s web to make her nest. They make a pocket or sock  nest that is entirely held together with spider’s web.

The other two honeyeaters not so commonly seen were the Dusky and the Yellow which describes them by colour. As you can see above the flowering Mistletoe provides good nectar for most birds during this winter period, as it does down south. Notice the long curved beak of the honeyeaters for accessing deep into the tubular flowers such as the mistletoe.

Dusky Honeyeater
Dusky Honeyeater
Yellow Honeyeater
Yellow Honeyeater

Of course with the flowering Mistletoe comes the Mistletoebird which are also found in large numbers in the tropics. The brilliant red of the male stands out in the green tree. The female was quite shy and only one shot of her, she lacks the red on upper body. The last of this photo set is a favourite of mine with the male next to a red leaf.

male
male
male
female
my favorite

The male and female Varied Triller is another bird not seen in out area. The male has the white chest and the female the striped., which is the case in the NE race leucomela.

A bird often heard calling from the canopy of fig trees was the Helmeted Friarbird which was just as noisy as its cousin the Noisy Friarbird, which we see from time to time down south. Notice the lovely almost low pile carpet light cap. We were blessed to see them out in the sunlight drinking from the gutter of a home near the park. They appeared to be a small family flock.

The Spangled Drongo would often join them feeding in the fig trees. These birds look brilliant in the sunlight with their blue sheen plumage, red eye ans classic tail shape which instantly identifies them.

There is always a special bird corridor spot on any birdwalk where you always want to go to and look and stand and wait for something to come along and the footbridge crossing the creek which led through the rainforest into the housing estate was our special spot. Along the creek my wife caught sight of the Orange-footed Scrubfowl which is endemic to northern Australia. We saw the bird in several other places also, scratching and foraging similar to the Lyrebird which is not found this far north. You know they are around as dawn and sunset they make their loud raucous blood curdling call.

But our most wonderful find here on the footbridge one morning and a wonderful gift to us, especially my wife, was this young Little Kingfisher. These birds are shy at the best of times but also very difficult to film as they usually are seen in rainforest only along rivers, such as the Daintree River where I got my first photos years ago, from a boat. This little fellow sat preening and just resting as we quietly observed. We were so delighted. I did not include the preening footage, but this shows its body bouncing as it moves its head.

This is Australia’s smallest Kingfisher, smaller than even the tiny Azure and again is endemic to northern Australia. 

This footbridge across the creek through the rainforest each day gave us different and interesting birds, so it drew us back each day of our time in Palm Cove to be part of each walk. It crossed us over from the resort part of town to the residential area, a clear and noticeable change. 

We cross many bridges in life’s journey, transitioning us from one season to another. The notable point being that we are transitioned to change. This occurs most frequently in times of grief and loss as well as in times of  blessing and new beginnings (inheritance, job, partner, baby etc). Our acceptance and understanding of the  transition will affect how we adjust to the change. As my wife and I discovered new revelations on this footbridge each day, so we have been blessed also with me being jobless at the same time as I discovered my heart problem and transitioned to a new season of lifestyle. During this time wrote a book, as I did on a previous transition some years ago, and many of you have purchased my book. The second deals more deeply with life using the birds to make it less confronting and more delightful to digest. However, I must patiently wait, which is difficult for me, and allow the editing and medical processes to take place, accepting it all as part of what must take place to bring us into our next season. King David of old recounts the blessedness of trusting and resting in God to take him over the many positive and negative life bridges he experienced in his very colorful and turbulent  life journey.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”   – Psalm 23: 1-4 (NIV)

Have a wonderful restful and satisfying weekend enjoying the birds and getting out and about in the fresh air!

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info. Check out my book “What Birds Teach Us”, a great easy to read gift idea, which continues to get good reviews where people share how it has helped them and how it is a unique book. If you are concerned, it has been carefully  written for all cultures and beliefs and does not preach or recommend any particular belief system, but is a counselling tool that encourages good life skills by using the birds and beautiful photos of them to relate to us. People from other cultures and beliefs different to my own, have shared how they love the book. You can purchase your copy here

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.

 

The Right Place at the Right Time – Rufous Owl & Mangrove Robin.

Posted by aussiebirder on August 16, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , .

This week I continue showcasing some of Far North Queensland’s birds, and in particular lifers for my wife and I. If you want an amazing birding experience, the top end is the place to go. Last week I shared how the birds came to us, which was an amazing gift, considering we had agreed to rest more than bird. This week I share how when we did hire a car and go to a few of our favorite places in Cairns we were blessed again with three lifers.  The first was at the end of the famous Cairns Esplanade walk. It was textbook find, in exactly the place the birding guide told us. I of course thought ‘no way’, but as I peered into the mangroves on the northern end, my wife cries out “here it is!” and it just sat there looking at us with its back turned toward us. The Mangrove Robin which is endemic to northern Australia.

After walking the entire Esplanade walk, and my wife catching the markets just before they closed, we walked all the way back to our car. On the way we met a local birder and chatted, and he mentioned a great recent discovery that had been recently reported on ebird and many local birders were coming to Cairns to see. Again we just happened to meet the right person at the right time as the rarely seen and diminishing Rufous Owl (Rufous Boobook) was only two streets from our car, so he directed us to the tree.

As soon as I looked up into the tree I saw the pair sitting together way up top of a very large fig tree in a reserve, with one in the late afternoon sun and the other sleeping in the shade. The Rufous Owl is Australia’s only tropical owl, almost as large as the Powerful Owl. This race is endemic to northern Queensland and has the darkest rufous coloring compared with the north western race. Rufous Owl  numbers are declining, like many of our other birds. If you look carefully you will notice the male has the remains of its prey. See the leg of a small bird hanging down below its talon. Of course we were very thankful to our new birding acquaintance who followed us to make sure we found it. Unfortunately, under the dark canopy, very high up made good photos a challenge, especially since each owl had different light settings. This bird was not on our list of lifers to find, but was granted a to us as a gift, we were in the right place at the right time.

While birding next day we just looked up and here was another lifer a Pacific Baza, a bird which had always eluded me and I so wanted to catch its beautiful patterning. It flue and soared over us but again I had difficulty getting focused shots, though even the blurry ones show the beautiful plumage.

These next two were not lifers but a feature of them was for us. On the morning coastal rainforest walk before we left to fly home, we happened upon a strange sound which at first sounded a little like the Orange-footed Scrubfowl, which were scratching about nearby, but it was not coming from ground level but from up in a large tree. To our surprise it was a pair of Black Butcherbirds communicating with each other. We had never heard their call, but only seen them and their young on previous visits. We love the call of both the Grey and Pied Butcherbirds from down our way but this was a new experience. Again this dark bird is difficult to photograph under a dark canopy. Here is some sound footage:

Lastly, after visiting the Cattana Wetlands near Cairns we had cause to suddenly stop the car and point the lens into the sky as several juvenile Jabaru (Black-necked Stalk) glided on the thermals, having heaps of fun, as if they had just learned to fly, and had just received their thermal gliding licence. It was a beautiful scene, too difficult to catch on video, but got some nice shots. They just kept soaring around till finally glided off in the distance. You will notice they have not yet had the dark blue-black features added to their plumage.

Juvenile Jabaru
Juvenile Jabaru
Juvenile Jabaru
Juvenile Jabaru
Juvenile Jabaru
Juvenile Jabaru

That’s all for now, will share more next week. Again we a thankful for our loving Creator for allowing us to be in the right place at the right time to discover these birds which we may never have seen. One of the wonders of living life in relationship with God through Jesus is that he loves to delight in us delighting in his glorious Creation. The wonderful life forms and amazing scenic artistry are all part of his Intelligent Design which declare his wisdom and power, but thankfully they come from a loving forgiving hearted Father and not a distant despotic tyrant as some see him. King David, who had a loving relationship with God, declares in one of his songs that the Creation is constantly crying out declaring the majesty and glory of God, yet without voice as we know it. The evidence declares itself and is all around us.

“The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge. 

They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them. 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.     – Psalm 19:1-4 (NIV)

Have a wonderful weekend! 

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info. Check out my book “What Birds Teach Us”, a great easy to read gift idea, which continues to get good reviews where people share how it has helped them and how it is a unique book. If you are concerned, it has been carefully  written for all cultures and beliefs and does not preach or recommend any particular belief system, but is a counselling tool that encourages good life skills by using the birds and beautiful photos of them to relate to us. People from other cultures and beliefs different to my own, have shared how they love the book. You can purchase your copy here

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.

 

Rest, I Will Bring the Birds to You – The Bush Stone-curlew

Posted by aussiebirder on August 7, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Bush-stone Curlew, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , .

This post is a continuation of our recent time away in Far North Queensland where we enjoyed a much needed rest and recuperation, as well as some birding of course. You may have noticed my weekly posts have become shorter, as I realised that many of my readers are busy and do not have the time to appreciate long posts. One blessed feature of our time in Palm Cove was that several of the birds we sought and wanted to see, were actually brought to us at the resort. Last week I featured the Rainbow Bee-eater which was just outside the window near our room each morning. However, one bird in particular that walks hunting on the nature strips along the beaches at night, of the Far North Queensland coast, is the Bush Stone-curlew, a bird which I featured in last year’s post on our visit to Townsville. Here are some day time photos taken in Townsville.

This large bird seldom flies but stalks the streets and parks at night, resting secluded during the day, similar to other night birds. It feeds on a variety of foods including  insects, molluscs, small lizards, seeds and occasionally small mammals. 

One night as my wife and I sat dining in the open tropical setting of our resort dining area, next to the garden and hallway entrance, we were surprised by some very unusual sounds coming from the garden near where we were seated. After a few minutes, to our surprise and delight, a Bush Stone-curlew emerged from that same garden  and was standing in the hallway barely six feet from us. I managed to catch the following pics on my phone, as I did not have my camera with me.

Bush Stone-curlew visits us at dinner
Bush Stone-curlew in resort hallway

This bird which we had not yet seen here had come to us. We proceeded to follow it as it made its way out of the dining area past the guests onto and across the street to the nature strip where it would spend the night stalking insects that come to the light, as it could hide along the beach in the vegetation as people passed. After dinner I took my movie camera and my wife her camera and we walked up and down the nature strip finding several lone birds in their own territories hunting. Here is some footage:

Listen to their cries, it sounds like someone being murdered. This can go on through the night as they communicate to one another and mark their territories. Sorry for the traffic noise in the background.

Notice how they freeze when they are seen, this is a protective feature many birds use when their plumage matches their surroundings, and are less likely to be seen if they do not move at night,  for example the Bassian Thrush in the dark rainforest setting.

The feature photo at the beginning of this post was taken by my wife in the dark as is these:

 

If that wasn’t enough, next morning at breakfast in the same dining area, which had been opened to the ocean and tropical breeze, a ruckus of birds being pursued was heard outside. We could hear Common or Indian Mynas as they are locally known and whistling sounds. Looking up into one of the huge native paper bark trees we saw a pair of Radjah Shelduck  terrified by this experience. These introduced Mynas are a menace to our native birds, and in some cities eradication has helped, but they breed so well here. You can hear the  whistle sound of the Shelduck:

The first bird sounds we heard on our arrival and during our entire stay from morning to night were that of the Australasian Figbird, of the northern race which differs considerably to our southern race.  Australia has over 100 varieties of Fig trees which provide food for our many  fruit eating birds all year round, as each species fruits at a different time of year. Here is what we heard each day from our room.

The male Figbird has a very dark red eye ring and complete yellow breast making it the new northern  subspecies race ashby which use to be with the now Intermediate sub species with partial yellow underparts race flaviventris. Our southern race back home is known as the green Figbird race vielloti. Compare our green Figbird from the south, pictured last below, with the northern Figbird we were seeing at Palm Cove.

Male Figbird
Male Figbird in a Fig Tree
Female Figbird NE race
Male Figbird southern race

To finish, we return to the beautiful and rapid flying Rainbow Bee-eater to show some captures shown in slow motion of a small flock first having a wash. Followed by frames taken of them washing and then shaking themselves dry together in a tree nearby. 

Shaking themselves dry after wash

That’s all for this week, will have some lifers and more exciting finds next week. The main message I received from the time away was that when I rest in God as my loving Father and trust him to bless me with his avian wonders, he faithfully brings them to me, and do not need to strive after them. When we planned this holiday, before we discovered my recent health issues, we were planning a very active birding expedition, but we were both told to rest, and for the first time I made that a priority rather than chasing the birds. This was the exciting aspect that my wife and I both enjoyed and saw as a mark of his favor during our time away. that when we rest on the Lord and wait for him he comes to us.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”  – Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

“Be patient and wait for the Lord to act;” – Psalm 37:7 (GNT)

and for us who are experiencing healing and/or have need of it…

“The Lord will help them when they are sick and will restore them to health.” – Psalm 41:3 (

Have a wonderful week! 

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info

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.

 

Chasing the Warmth with our Winter Migrant – The Rainbow Bee-eater

Posted by aussiebirder on August 1, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Cairns, Far North Queensland, Fauna, Holidays, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , .

Rainbow Bee-eaters in flight in Far North Queensland

After my few days in hospital sorting out the problem with my ticker, my wife and I took flight to the warm tropical weather of Far North Queensland to the Reef House at Palm Cove. We figured that we would find out what our winter migrant birds get up to while they are away. The beautiful Rainbow Bee-eater does not like the cold, and will return to our state in a few months when Spring arrives again. We did not have to look far to find these birds. We heard their zit zitting call as we walked from our room to breakfast. They occupied the same bare tree each morning for a couple of hours.

These insectivorous birds inhabit the warm to hot regions of mainly inland mainland Australia, including the deserts, but not Tasmania. They also migrate to Indonesia and New Guinea. The male has two long thin streamers extended from its tail. The female has short thick streamers. Juvenile Bee-eaters lack streamers and also the black marking under the chin. see examples below:

Juvenile Bee-eater

Rainbow Bee-eater pair: female on left, male on right.

The predictable nature of these birds when perched assists the photographer and observer, as they dart from the branch after insects in flight and return to the same branch. However, the speed of their flight and rapid wing movement make them a dazzling flash of brilliant colour, which can be a challenge to photograph if you are not using the sport burst setting on your DSLR.  Here are some flight shots similar to my feature photo above. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Lastly, this slowed to half speed video of their flight.

In the next few weeks I will share more of the birds from Far North Queensland. As were in holiday rest mode we did not travel as extensively as usual, but we did lots of birding around our resort and were granted some wonderful gifts which we will share later.

Take a look at these photos. There are signs everywhere you go near water warning of the danger of Crocodiles and Stingers, but as you can see there is no fear here. Notice the stroller next to the sign and the children playing in the water. Crocodiles are mainly a threat after heavy rain, as they get washed down the rivers, where they live into the ocean and then end up on beaches. However, they can turn up at any time, which is just one of the risks of living here. The few who do get taken by crocs are usually drunk with alcohol and/or go swimming at night in the rivers without being aware of the danger. This is how it is in life. We are warned of many dangers to our health and safety, some we adhere to and others we filter out of our minds. These are the Crocs in our lives, that can lie just beneath the water waiting unseen to suddenly emerge. This was my experience when I recently found I had a heart condition, I did not expect it, but there were warnings which I did not pay enough attention to. We need knowledge and wisdom more than riches, but it is only of use to us if we actually employ it in our lives.

“Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold.” – Proverbs 8:10 (NIV)

Have a wonderful week! 

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info

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.

 

Winter Birds – Breeding and Non-Breeding

Posted by aussiebirder on July 22, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Sydney Olympic Park, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , .

Superb Fairy-wren (male non-breeding or eclipse plumage)

Winter is here in Australia and like us, birds are adjusting to the seasonal change. Some decide to fly north to the warmer climates of Queensland, possibly seeking a good winter holiday package like us in a few days, some fly further north to Asia and Siberia/Alaska to breed and return in early Spring. Others develop breeding plumage, stay and breed during Winter months, while others like the male Superb Fairy-wren pictured above, loose their breeding plumage, stay and do not breed again till Spring. Each bird species has its own unique breeding patterns, which over all are governed by seasonal changes. Just as we change the clothes we wear for each season so do many of the birds. 

Many bird species such as the above male, moult to form a plumage similar to the female, during their non-breeding months. This plumage is known as being in eclipse. The tell tail blue tail remains, as his male sex marker when spotting him in the wild. The bright Blue Wren that we all know when breeding is incognito now till Spring for most males of this species, though there are still many breeding late due to our unusually warm Autumn. The Superb Lyrebird, of similar name, however, is most likely seated on its nest or with nestlings as they breed during Winter when more food source is easily available to feed their young from the rainforest floor.

Some birds such as this lone Royal Spoonbill have breeding plumage somewhat out of season, appearing to remain late. The head dress plumage and red forehead markings declare this. The nest would normally be with other similar large shorebirds, such as Ibis, but would be abandoned if we were to approach it. See how it sifts the water for small marine creatures.

These Pied Cormorant in Sydney Olympic Park are breeding out of season also possibly due to a warmer than usual Autumn. Usually there would be between 10 and 20 other birds nesting but only a few nests are active as the others have finished and flown. Late nesting can make breeding more vulnerable to predators, without the safety in numbers rule these birds usually employ, as can be seen as this Australian Raven contests a nesting parent, attempting to get her off the nest to steal her eggs or babies, but she stands her ground or should I say sits her ground and like a true parent ain’t gonna move for no one.

Pied Cormorant staying off Aust. Raven
Pied Cormorant with late nestling

Lastly, this cute little Yellow Thornbill was jumping around the mangroves and casuarina trees beside the lake enjoying its lone adventure. It appeared to be not only just maturing but is an example of one of the many territorial non migratory birds that remain through all the seasons and do not show any marked plumage differences when breeding.

This has been a quick post as I have just left hospital yesterday and have had some health issues to rectify which we have suddenly become aware of, from which treatment will now be ongoing. Thank you to those praying for me and sharing your kind thoughts it is much appreciated. Like these birds we have our seasons in life. The worlds wisest man King Solomon who wrote the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes in the Bible explained this fact. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. You may remember The Byrds music group back in the 60s singing a popular Pete Seeger folk song formed from this passage. ‘To Everything Turn, Turn, Turn.’

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
4     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.              (NIV)

The key principle Solomon is sharing is that we need to realize and accept the fact that throughout one’s life there will be times or seasons of good and enjoyable experiences and what appear to be bad or unpleasant ones, both are the normal part of life. It is when we accept this truth we can have peace and draw courage and strength from seeing them as positive and necessary changes for our life, character and maturity, rather than anger and resentment blaming God or anyone else for their unfulfilled expectations. This is what gave me contentment this last week as I felt peace and rest in the midst of the storm my health experienced in this new life season I am presently in. Knowing that there is always Treasure in the Trial. We just have look for it, with wisdom, as you would for any treasure.

“We know that in all things [both good and bad life experiences/seasons] God works for good with those who love him…” – Romans 8:28 [ added and explained by me] (GNT)

 

Have a great week! My new book is now awaiting a first edit. 

If this is your first visit to my blog please explore my Website Homepage menu for more birding tips and info

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.

 

A Wonderful Winter Walk – Birding Together

Posted by aussiebirder on June 20, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, Holidays, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, rainforests, Royal National park, Sydney, Uncategorized, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , .

Brown Thornbill

One of the advantages of being home writing my second book is that I get to spend more marriage time with my dear wife on her day off. So off we went last Wednesday on a birding date to Royal National Park, our local park, on a beautiful clear warm winters day, after several days of torrential rain (much needed). Though the rain had eroded much of the track, but it was so good to hear and see running water in the creeks again, and hear the sound of birds that had recently fallen silent because of the long drought. While having coffee at the cafe before our walk, this Noisy Miner had quite an organised operation going, checking the tables for crumbs and left overs while keeping watch.

While we sipped our coffee and talked as we enjoyed sitting in the warm winter sun I caught this Currawong sitting above a Kookaburra, which made the Kooka a little curious.

We were so relaxed and thankful that we could have a day together in the middle of the week, it was so special to my wife, as weekends can be busy, plus, the National Park is usually crowded with the noise of families walking and talking loudly as they stroll the walking tracks. We walked on toward the rainforest on Lady Carrington Drive and were amazed how many lone birders were out with their large lenses blazing.  The only native nectar flower blooming was Heath Banksia, and honeyeaters were visiting its bright heads frequently. Click on photo to enlarge it.

along the track
Banksia flowers, native nectar source

The only honeyeaters present at this time of year are the Yellow-faced Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater and the Eastern Spinebill. The sounds of the Yellow-faced honeyeater ring out continuously, as large family groups play in the sub canopy of the tall eucalypts.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Lewin’s Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Eastern Spinebill

It was a great delight to hear and see the Eastern Whipbird again in his usual area not far from the now flowing creek, we had not seen or heard him for months. The rain makes such a difference. Sadly, he eluded my camera. But this Grey Fantail nearby almost eluded me as it flitted about constantly fanning its tail and checking us out, as they do.

But out greatest delight was to watch this tiny Brown Thornbill chiming its classic tune as it climbed over small trees by the track. This insectivorous territorial bird is not as affected by drought and is found in some of the driest forests.

Brown Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Brown Thornbill
Brown Thornbill

Over all we had a wonderful time out together enjoying moments of mindfulness as we stopped to take in the rainforest with each of our senses. How I love the smell and aroma of the forest after rain it is so refreshing.

Passing by the remains of a Liquid Amber tree’s fallen leaves, it reminded me of the loving kind and generous people in the past of my life who have now passed on and fallen from the tree. Though they have died and are no longer alive and green, they leave a colorful legacy together, among the many brown leaves, making for beautiful memories and laying down a glorious carpet of path for me to follow and walk upon, as I draw upon their memory with appreciation and thankful praise.

Have a wonderful week, and keep warm!

If this is your first time to my blog, please check out the pages on my website HomePage on birding and counseling tips.

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.

 

Unexpected Finds – The Varied Sittella.

Posted by aussiebirder on June 13, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Sydney, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Varied Sittella (male)

Last Monday on the public holiday, my wife and I had a birding date revisiting Bushell’s Lagoon in search of the Bittern again and to film Pink-eared Ducks vortexing for food. Surprisingly, both were not present, but got to chat to some birders where we exchanged tips and sightings. Click on photos to enlarge.

Birders focused at Bushells Lagoon wetlands

more of the extensive wetland where the Bittern usually is found.

The Blue-green algae blooms are gradually overtaking the wetland due to the drought and warmer than usual winter weather, which is limiting the area usable by the water birds.

On arrival, my best shots were taken unexpectedly from my car window before alighting, as a couple of Golden-headed Cisticola, non-breeding, came to check me out on perched on the rusty barbed-wire fence next to my car. Such little cuties!

The usual Great and Intermediate Egrets were present as was the White-faced Heron, in addition the unexpected flock of Cattle Egrets resting across the lake.

Greater Egret
Intermediate Egret
Cattle Egret flock
White-faced Heron
Cattle Egrets in flight

It was lovely to see this family of Australasian Swamphen caring for their one and only surviving baby, which is unusual as they normally have a clutch of about 3-8 eggs. 

Swamphen family on the move
Feeding Australasian Swamphen chick

Another sad story was to see this pair of Australian Black Swan who had recently, last week,  had 4 cygnets and appears to be grieving their loss, as they are gone from the nest.

feeling their loss together
Having a wash

The main reason for these losses is the large number of raptors constantly screening this area for an easy feed. While we were there this Whistling Kite made a pass over.

Followed by an juvenile (1yo) White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

Followed by this Black-shouldered Kite which is often seen nearby. These raptors spend much of their time resting on the top of dead and live trees. The film clip shows this peculiar up and down tail action or ‘tail flip’ which is thought to warn other Kites that this their territory, and go look elsewhere, but there is no other raptor of the same species, but several of different species. The other interesting observation was to watch it hover over its prey, gradually dropping to a different level, with feet extended, till finally dropping on it, in the same way as the Nankeen Kestrel.

A birding acquaintance Edwin, pictured in above photo at Bushell’s Lagoon, tipped us off as to where the flock of Pink-eared Duck could be located on a dam nearby, so off we went. We found them but they were too far away for great shots and they were resting not feeding, as I had hoped.

After lunch at Windsor we made our way to Wianamatta Nature Reserve in search of the Red-capped Robin again. However, it also was not seen on this occasion. However, we did see several small birds hopping about on one particular tree foraging, and at first looked very much like a White-throated Treecreeper, as they do look alike, but the beak was not curved. We were delighted to unexpectedly, as is one of the highlights of birding, to happen upon a bird rarely seen in our region, the Varied Sittella. 

gotcha!
chasing the insect

The Varied Sittella is only found in the south eastern states of NSW and Victoria and occasionally eastern SA. They are insectivorous and feed mainly, like the lookalike Treecreeper, on the trunks and branches of trees. However, they do not necessarily ascend the tree to the top and fly to the next tree, when they forage in similar fashion as the Treecreeper, nor do they make the loud repetitive single note call of the Treecreeper, but forage more quietly with their sharp twittering calls. We saw these two Sittella huddled high and hidden in the tree. One appeared to be a juvenile and the other an adult female.

Together in another part of the tree this pair of Sittellas sat preened and rested.

Again we saw the beautiful tiny but bright Yellow Thornbill and the handsome Silvereye.

We followed this Grey Shrike-thrush along the track for some time as he stopped to check us out.

Grey Shrike-thrush

Lastly, the White-eared Honeyeater were also present, though we were starting to loose light so I had few good shots to show after this.

While we walked at Wianamatta this beautiful cloud formation appeared, looking very much plumed like a feather, as my wife suggested. Which reminded us that our loving Heavenly Father is enjoying this experience with us. He enjoys us enjoying and appreciating his Creation and thanking him for it. So he put this this reminder in the sky for us to remember that he is always there for us and travelling with us on our journey. This also was an unexpected sign. Birding is full of exciting unexpected experiences, like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, “you never know what you are going to get”.

See how King David sees himself as a young bird shielded by God his Father bird, what a beautiful image for a Birder, of God’s care and protection of us.

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” – Psalm 91:4 (NLT)

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” – Psalm 37:4

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” – Ephesians 3:20

This week I created a private song page for the encouragement of my wife’s niece Nikki, a young mother of 3, who has been in hospital now for nine months with a debilitating illness. Her faith and joy in the Lord is remarkable and an amazing inspiration to all who know her. If you would like access to this page to listen to the selection of my songs recorded way back in my earlier Christian years, drop me a line and I will send the link and the password, and please pray for her as she may be returning home soon, but with disabilities. We continue to pray for complete healing.

Have a wonderful week and stay warm! I am working well writing my next book as the inspiration flows during my time away from my previous work. I am privileged to have this time to devote myself to the task.

If this is your first time to my blog, please check out the pages on my website HomePage on birding and counseling tips.

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.