wetlands | aussiebirder

Pink-eared Duck

This week as my wife and I were accessing difficult birding areas, I realised just how elusive and fearful of humans our fresh water birds are, and because of this how many non-birders would probably never laid eyes on some of the most beautiful and unique birds in our country of Australia. One such duck, the Pink Eared Duck (above) is a good example. These unusual ducks filter water for micro marine organisms and insects using their purpose built spatulated broad bill.

The Pink-eared Duck gets its name from a pink marking on the side of its head which is smaller or absent in females and absent in juveniles. They are mostly found in inland fresh water lakes throughout the Australian continent and is endemic to Australia. It is often found in large flocks of hundreds as we observed last weekend…

Pink-eared Duck

We were doubly blessed to see two juvenile Pink-eared Ducks for the first time ever. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Another rarely noticed fresh water duck which keeps its distance from humans (on the other side of the lake) is the Australasian Shoveler, also endemic and sports a very similar spatulated bill to our previous duck. The male is the more colourful and the female mainly brown. Note how it sweeps the water filtering it for its food, allowing the water to pass out. These are usually seen in small family groups.

Australasian Shoveler male

Australasian Shoveler female

Australian Shoveler pair

One of the most popular freshwater ducks which are found in very large flocks in northern Australia and in some of our lakes and dams here in our state also, is the Plumed Whistling Duck. These are migratory as they return to the top end in the wet season of summer to breed.

Plumed Whistling Duck male

Plumed Whistling Duck

You may remember seeing this video clip from a previous post, highlighting the cacophony of sound the whistling of thousands of ducks can produce.

The most elusive and human sensitive duck we have encountered and laboured to see is of course the Blue-billed Duck. The bill of the males during breeding glows bright blue. The male is distinctly different to female, the female being very similar to the female and juvenile of the Musk Duck, another fresh water elusive duck, and can be often difficult from a distance to tell them apart. Both the Blue-billed and Musc Ducks share very similar characteristics which I will share later.

Males in foreground females in background

Blue-billed Ducks sleeping on the water

Hardhead male and Blue-billed Duck male

The Musk Duck gets its name from the musk like scent the male liberates from a gland on its rump, it sports an unusual leathery lobe, and because of its greasy grey appearance is always difficult to photograph from a distance.

The Blue-billed and Musc Ducks are often found together in family groups well away from human approach. These birds spend almost all of their life on the water, they sleep afloat (see Blue-billed photo above). Both birds are identified by the fact they float low in the water, they have large splaying tails which the males use to attract females, they both have long involved courtship displays and are endemic to Australia. I managed to get some pics (from a distance) of a male doing a courtship display with his followers looking on as he kicked, turned, rolled onto his back and splayed his tail in the water.

Courtship display by a male Musk Duck

Courtship display by a male Musk Duck

The Australian Shelduck is a duck often only seen in family groups and not commonly seen on the coast being more of an inland bird to the southern part of Australia. We often only find the occasional bird at a wetland or lake but not in any number though their numbers are always increasing and are of little concern. In this case the white surrounding the eye is the female.

Australian Shelduck in flight(Male and Female)

One duck most people here in NSW would not have seen because it only lives in the far north of Australia is the Radjah Shelduck which we have posted here in our far north travels earlier this year.

Two other birds only found in Far North Queensland that I also featured in previous posts are the Cotton Pygmy Goose and the Green Pygmy Goose which are extremely elusive, but are called geese rather than ducks, but are elusive, fresh water and seldom seen, so included them.

Green Pygmy-Goose pair

Cotton Pygmy-Goose and Wandering Whistling Ducks

The Wandering Whistling Duck, which lives up to its name, as it is not endemic to Australia, but is found in south-east Asia and moves about in northern Australia, occasionally seen as a vagrant here. It is found in large flocks similar to its Plumed cousin.

Wandering Whistling Duck

The Hardhead is an Australia’s most common diving duck (endemic to Australia) similar to the Blue-billed Duck (also a diving duck) but more common. It is not as shy as the above but can be. The male is identified by the white eye and the female by the brown eye. These birds do not swim as low in the water as Blue-bills but are often found with them and look similar from the distance. The Blue-bills keep their tail low in the water unlike the Hardhead.

Hardheads landing near Cotton Pygmy-Goose

The other ducks such as Australian Wood Duck, Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck are very common and not listed as elusive or rarely seen. The Grey Teal is apparently our most abundant duck. However, our most endangered and rare Duck is the Freckled Duck. Posted as vulnerable in our state, but is most endangered of all our ducks as it inhabits swamps and lakes inland, and when these dry up it moves towards the coast. It is only found in the southern part of our continent but not Tasmania.

All of the above ducks have had to photographed from a distance in a fresh water lake, swamp or lagoon, the Hardheads being the not so shy and more frequently seen. Many in the general public think ducks eat small fish and only small marine creatures, however, ducks are mostly omnivorous and feed on insects, seeds, grains, grass, water weeds, mollusks and what ever they can find. They do not normally feed on fish. As we saw above, those ducks that have been given purpose built bills such as the Pink-eared and Shoveler extract most of their nutrient directly from filtering the water, for crustaceans, molluscs, fresh water plankton and insects. Last weekend we saw many different species resting together in the middle of the lake all on friendly terms, as each kept its distance from the other.

There is safety in numbers and this was well demonstrated as we approached the lake. The first warnings alerted those who were sleeping and not facing our way. This caused some to give an alarm call and fly off, while others (the Pink-eared flock) took off and circled the lake several times, as they would for a raptor’s appearance and finally resettle in another lake nearby. Others would just swim further to the other side of the lake, keeping an eye on us. The flock is a safety structure for many reasons, especially in the harsh country of Australia. This is one reason why many of our birds can learn multiplicity of bird languages and can also be taught to speak words (Parrots, Budgies and Cockatoos) as they combine with other flocks and learn their local lingo. By pooling their resources they are able to stay safe and find food, water, companionship and mates especially in drought times. We do the same when we pool our resources as a family or community, whatever that may look like. Sharing our knowledge and experiences helps our family flock do life better. It is for this reason I exhort fathers in particular to share their life with their children while they are young, it is so important, and the children hunger for it. My book is just another way of helping dads do this well as it is full of Godly advice without being religious

“And now a word to you parents. Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.” – Ephesians 6:4 (Living Bible)

“A wise teacher makes learning a joy;” – Proverbs 15:2

“Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Have a wonderful and restful weekend. We are facing a heatwave today with total fire ban which is not good for the many birds nesting after recent rains. Breeding numbers here remain down this year also.

If this is your first visit to my blog, please take a minute to check out my website Homepage menu and helpful birding and counselling info. Check out my unique book which can be purchased through secure PayPal here online on my BirdBook page.

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

What Spring Brings – The Wader’s Return.

Posted by aussiebirder on October 4, 2018

Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, Holidays, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, shorebirds, Sydney, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: Bar-tailed Godwit.

Bar-tailed Godwit

With the return of Spring comes the return of our wonderful migratory waders, in particular my favourite, the Bar-tailed Godwit, featured in my book as the most endurant bird. This bird has been tracked travelling 16,000 km (9,942 miles) non-stop for 6 to 8 days directly across the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Australia and New Zealand. At the end of Summer it will journey all the way back, via the Asian coast to breed, that’s an amazing 32,000 km in one year. In a bird’s lifetime, it is estimated, they travel to the moon and back 2.5 times. You can see the orange breeding plumage they gained before they left in Autumn still blotchy as it disappears for their non-breeding Summer in Australia. Click on photo to enlarge it.

Breeding plumage disappearing on rump of Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

To get an idea of size and how small they are, see how tall they are beside this Silver Gull. Again you can note remnants of breeding plumage on the male.

Comparison of size with Silver Gull

The female is slightly larger in size with a longer beak than the non-breeding male, as seen below.

Non-breeding male next to a female Godwit

The beach where we see these birds is protected (apparently) for these birds, however, I had to remind one family to leash their dog as they encouraged it harass these birds as they fed on the tidal mud flats. The dogs are actually banned from this beach, which makes one quite angry at the selfish disregard and arrogance that many people display for our wildlife safety.

Flying to safety

Nearby in a creek flowing onto the beach we found this lone Royal Spoonbill decked out in full breeding plumage attempting to sleep in the wind. As you will see in the footage below his afro hairdo as a humorous dimension to the bird. Spring brings with it the breeding plumage in many resident waterbirds.

These birds breed well away from humans, often with other non-migratory waterbirds, in fact they are known to permanently desert their nest should a human approach or disturb them off it. It was strange to find this bird sleeping as the tide was going out, so I think it was quite happy to stay by the fresh running water of the creek.

Also grazing the mud flats were a small flock of Australian White Ibis (nesting mates to the above Spoonbill).

Australian White Ibis flock

Another sign of Spring was this pair of Australian Pied Oystercatcher. These birds pair for life and are often seen in breeding pairs, especially now as this is the season. These birds are now listed as Endangered in NSW due to their nests being disturbed and destroyed on beaches by humans being permitted to drive 4×4 WD vehicles on NSW National Park beaches without a concern for the delicate habitat of these very shy birds. It amazes me that they be allowed to do this, particularly on a beach protecting wildlife. The fencing off of breeding areas has worked for other bird species.

Aust. Pied Oystercatcher

It was an enjoyable walk along the beach just before sunset, as my wife and I look forward to exploring more of the wader feeding areas in future weeks.

On closing, I share these photos of a nesting pair of Sulfur-crested Cockatoo we saw in the Royal National Park recently, protecting their nest from impending intruders. The action of sacrificial, unconditional love seen in bird parents is an inspiration to us of true parenting which when carried on as the family develops, in a love shown between spouses, is modelled for the fledgelings. As parents we always need to be aware it is our actions that speak loudest to our children, not our words. Words are given validity by the quality of the love we live and demonstrate firstly to our spouse and then to our children. Children learn most about what love is from watching how mum and dad love each other.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18

Have a wonderful week!

If this is your first visit to my blog please check out the rest of my website through my Homepage and menu.

I was greatly blessed today to receive a very extensive review of my new book “What Birds Teach Us” in a post by Jen an American blogger who purchased my book here online recently: “Birds, Blooms and all things Beautiful”

You might like read it (click on link above) and also read more reviews and information and purchase your copy through the security of PayPal on my BirdBook page.

The book is also sold in One of these Places.

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

The Black-winged Stilt – Wader of the South

Posted by aussiebirder on September 20, 2018

Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, shorebirds, Sydney, Uncategorized, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet, Sydney Olympic Park.

Black-winged Stilt reflecting

This week I want to honour a wader which is common to the shores of Australia, South America and South Africa, Indonesia, New Zealand and other countries south of the Equator. The Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is probably one of our most common waders, and one of the few that does not migrate to the north each year to breed. It breeds in Australia and as my book explains, has a friendly foraging relationship of comradery with the Red-necked Avocet a purely Australian wader which also breeds locally, but more inland.

Stilt and Avocet foraging together

Avocets and Stilts flocking together

The Black-winged Stilt is one of my most favourite birds to photograph because it is such a perfect bird for reflection photos, which I love to take., as you can see.

This is one of the few birds that I have photographs of that follow this bird from egg to its adult stages. The Black-winged Stilt feeds on aquatic insects and small molluscs and crustaceans. They feed in the shallows of freshwater lakes and wetlands including brackish marshes. They are a flock bird and can be quite noisy with their bird-bark-like-call which usually warns of alarm or encroachment of territory, as they are very protective of their space when nesting and raising young.

Let’s start with the eggs. The Black-winged Stilt has a clutch of 3 to 4 eggs and like many bird eggs they are dappled as you can see below. The female has a simple shallow hollow with some soft grass as the nest. Note below how she bends her very long legs, her knees fold backwards, the opposite to our human knees. This allows her to tuck her large feet comfortably under her body.

Black -winged Stilt off nest with legs folded forward.

When the chicks are finally born after 22 to 24 days incubation. Most birds would be starting to nest by now or be about to as Spring arrives. The chicks begin walking about and fending for themselves soon after. You can hear the parent warning off potential trouble as we walk by.

As the juveniles start maturing and begin looking like the adult they lack the black neck but sport a black eye marking for their first years. As they mature their brown plumage becomes black, the eye marking lessons and disappears and the black neck stripe forms.

In this very rare and unique image one can see four different stages of maturity for the Black-winged Stilt. See if you can work out the stages of maturity.

Four different stages of development in one photo

When these birds fly they tuck their long lanky legs behind and fly quite majestically.

Finally the bird matures to an adult and at low tide and around the lake edges it pokes its long sharp beak into the water seeking out marine insects and small crustaceans. You can hear its monotonous call as it forages.

As I have shared earlier the Black-winged Stilt though not endemic to Australia has formed a friendly alliance with Australia’s Red-necked Avocet, where both birds are often found forading beside each other and their flocks mixed. Here is a candid moment which is seldom experienced where the larger Avocet runs into the Stilt and moves it on.

So there we have it, a beautiful bird with beautiful reflective properties for photographers, in the still shallows. If you are in Sydney and you would like to see both these birds together, visit Sydney Olympic Park and walk to the large lake with the bird hide, past the mangrove walks. What we learn from these two birds is that you can be quite different in appearance and culture yet live and feed in the same areas and have peaceful and caring relationships. This is God’s best for us all in this multi-cultural age, an example set by these birds.

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” – Romans 12:16

During the last decade, Sydney has become one of the most multicultural cities in the world (Australia the 2nd most multicultural nation) and with that many of us Anglo-Saxon Aussies from country areas, such as myself, found it a challenge to adjust to this change. As I currently work with people from all over the world, warm caring family people, I have learned to appreciate them in a much more understanding and loving manner, enjoying many warm friendships. Sometimes we need to reflect on our attitude to those who are different from us.

Have a wonderful week birding!

As I approach my final weeks of full-time work in Immuno Haematology, negotiations are continuing as managers discuss the possibility of continuing my employment part-time. My wife and I seek God’s best for my future, and wait for him to open or close the door. The future always remains in the reliable hands of the One who ‘knows the end from the beginning’ of all things, and always works everything in life for our good. The proposed bird guide work and 2nd book writing are both on hold till this is resolved, your prayers are valued.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

If this is your first visit to my blog, why not check out my birding website pages from my Homepage.

Also check out my book you can purchase here online with secure PayPal or at any of these places. Check out the promo below.

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

Taking Birding to the Next Level – Races and Subspecies.

Posted by aussiebirder on September 8, 2018

Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: races, subspecies.

In our early years of bird watching, becoming birders, my wife and I would excitedly seek out new species which birders term lifers (having been sighted in the wild for the first time). I like to distinguish for my own sake a true lifer from a species I might view for the first time in a zoo or avery. This was the case with the rare and elusive Regent Honeyeater pictured above, notice the leg band. Because many of the birds in the wild now are banded, being ex zoo release birds, it is difficult for you to know if I shot this in the wild, but no, this was shot at Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney. Click on photo to enlarge.

Regent Honeyeater feeding on Grevillea flower at Zoo.

I had photographed this bird many times at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney, where the birds are bred as a conservation effort in captivity, then banded, and released into the wild in their breeding areas. It was not till last year, that I photographed several non-banded birds in the wild that I was satisfied that I had a true lifer. See below…

Regent Honeyeater in Capertee NP

Regent Honeyeater in Mugga Ironbark blossom

Regent Honeyeater feeding on Ironbark blossom

As novices, my wife and I excitedly sought out holiday locations with the view of including birding as a vital part of our time-away. Many a committed birder knows the frustration of spending much time and money pursuing particular new or rare birds only to come home disappointed, this occurred many times with the above bird before I finally found it in the wild. Notice the more beautiful plumage and more classic bare skin around eye with the wild non zoo bred bird at the top of the page.

Regent Honeyeater eating from Ironbark blossom

Our mission together was to passionately engage as many new species of our beautiful and varied Australian birds as possible, eventually covering most of our country and surrounding islands. One book initially assisted us in seeking good birding locations, a well written and easy to follow book a friend gave me as a gift one year: ‘Best 100 Birdwatching Sites in Australia.’ by Sue Taylor. This is a book we highly recommend to those, like us, pursuing birding as an enjoyable recreation.

Sue Taylor’s book cover

Interesting enough, and long before I received this book, the front cover depicts the location and bird that originally hooked me into birding as a hobby and recreation. Yes, the Red-tailed Tropicbird (my trading logo and avatar) on Lord Howe Island, where I travelled to see this ‘backward flying bird’ as I first called it.

On a holiday to Western Australia, after visiting my son in Perth, we ventured down to the Margaret River region on the bottom South West tip of the continent. It was here that we started to realise and consider something we had not noted previously. My wife, the spotter (binoculars), would occasionally say to me, the shooter (camera), “Take this bird, I think it is different from ours!”. What she meant was the bird in question was also found in our local area, but it had some noticeably different characteristics to the trained eye, which she could observe better with binoculars. As you can see below it can be difficult to note any fine delineating characteristics between the south west WA race longirostris

and the eastern NSW, we see at home race novahollandiae

Back home, processing our birding treasures from the holiday, I discovered from consulting my field guides, my wife was correct. We had opened another exciting door and challenge to our birding experience, taking it to the next level. We had entered the field of seeking the various subspecies or races of particular Australian bird species. A race (subspecies) as it is termed in the ornithology books, is a morphologically distinct group of birds that can interbreed within the same species. This is where the captured still image is vital so morphological details of each bird can be studied in detail at home on the computer allowing race distinctions to be detected allowing correct classification.

New Holland Honeyeater Eastern race NSW

New Holland Honeyeater SW WA race.

These birds look very similar, sometimes identical, but there are differences in appearance, which are usually found groups geographically located by location. For example, I noted the race differences of the Masked Lapwing I featured from my recent Far North Queensland post comparing them to our local Sydney Masked Lapwing race. Primarily, the facial mask differed slightly in each of the two locations, northern Australia and southern Australia.

Masked Lapwing Northern race.

Good field guides list the various names of the current races, the morphological differences and their geographical location on the map of the country. Notice I used the word current, as ornithologists today are constantly reclassifying birds using more complex and scientific (genetic) means, than previously was the case. Older field guides will vary in the naming of some birds. In Australia several species of bird, found also in neighbouring countries, have been reclassified into new specifically geographic subspecies beginning with the name Australian or Australasian… Two recent examples as Purple Swamphen if found in Australia, is now Australasian Swamphen and the Darter in Australia is now called the Australasian Darter. The species Anhinga anhinga (specie name followed by subspecie/race name) has a subspecies (race) of Anhinga melanogester which is the Oriantal/Indian Darter BUT NOW Australia has its own subspecies Anhinga novaehollandiae. The Latin race name means New Holland (the Dutch name for Australia), since they were the first Europeans to discover it in 1606).

Australasian Darter

Australasian Swamphen

One of the first honeyeaters to be named (scientifically described) was the New Holland Honeyeater (discussed above) as it is one of the most prolific coastal honeyeaters in Sydney and all around the rugged Australian coastal scrublands of southern Australia. This species alone has 5 races within Australia in five geographical locations both on the continent and also Tasmania and its islands. This was the bird I wished I had photographed more when in SW WA, on my wife’s suggestion. Here are photos of three of the 5 races, see if you can see the distinguishing characteristics.

Tasmanian

SW WA

Eastern NSW

Australia has over 70 species of honeyeaters, more than anywhere else in the world, as well as the world’s largest in size. The great challenge at the next level is to track down and identify (using good observational skills) the various races within each of these species. Then of course, there are the many other bird species with subspecies. It must have been quite an exciting experience for the early European/English naturalists to find so many varieties of similar birds to their homeland birds which only have one species with no subspecies. Here are but a few…

Eastern Spinebill

Helmeted Friarbird

Yellow Honeyeater

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Brown Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater

Eastern Spinebill

New Holland Honeyeater

White-cheeked Honeyeater

Red Wattlebird

Noisy Friarbird

Lewin’s Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Red-headed Honeyeater

Australia has 19 species of Robin of which these are but a few…

Pacific Robin male

In some cases more than one race of a particular species may exist in the same location as another, making it all the more challenging. An example of this was in our recent trip to Far North Queensland where we saw two different subspecies (races) of Little Shrike-thrush in the same location. They looked quite different morphologically.

(race rufogaster)

(race parvula)

For example, when we were birding in Britain we saw A Robin, A Cormorant and An Oystercatcher just to name a few for example. In Australia we have several if not many different species of these birds with the same species classification, and some of these even have several subspecies. In the Cormorant family we share the the Great Cormorant (Black Cormorant) with Europe but in addition have four others unique to Australia, the Little Black, the Little Pied, the Pied and the very rarely seen Black-faced Cormorant from the wild Southern ocean.

Great Cormorant

Little Black Cormorant

Pied Cormorant

Black-faced Cormorant

To conclude, the scientific approach to birding is that nothing can be taken for granted (assumed) from a distance, only careful observation and attention to detail will reward the astute birder with exciting discoveries and findings at the next level. This observational skill, accompanied with the latest bird field guide will bring an added appreciation for the wonderful variety of creatures even within a single species and how Intelligent Design could only be the origin of such an interdependent complex and beautiful system by a thoroughly awesome and amazing intelligent Creator. Here then is my source of knowledge, wisdom and understanding, as I seek His embrace and His best for my life.

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

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6

Have a wonderful week birding! We did not do any birding this week but we do give thanks for the good rain that has blessed us this last few days and hopefully will bring our birds back to breed.

If this is your first visit to my blog, why not check out my birding website pages from my Homepage.

Also check out my book you can purchase here online with secure PayPal or at any of these places. Check out the promo below.

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

I Know Its Spring When The Whistlers Sing

Posted by aussiebirder on August 26, 2018

Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Eastern Spinebill, Fauna, Holidays, Magpie Goose, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Oatley Park Reserve, Outings, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: Golden Whistler.

As we approach Spring in one weeks time after the hottest and driest winter and previous summer, we pray and wait for good rain to come, as the worst Winter bushfires continue to blaze. The Wattle has been flowering for weeks, but the bird that tells me it is Spring, the beautiful Golden Whistler, has been silent and elusive during the recent Winter months, as per usual. Last weekend for the first time I heard several singing their hearts out, though the female I saw was still very quietly moving about. Usually, one has to hear these birds singing before they are able to spot them, otherwise they silently go unnoticed. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Golden Whistler male

Golden Whistler female

Why does the male start singing in Spring you ask? Three possible reasons which all have to do with breeding and nesting. He sings to attract a mate, and when he gets a mate, he sings to communicate. When she nests, his excitement rises, and as an expectant father, he rejoices all through the Summer months. I was so delighted to catch this following footage of this bird continually singing to his mate nearby.

This Spring, due to the dry unseasonable Winter, has resulted locally in a reduction in bird numbers and breeding numbers, however I will share more of those resident birds that are preparing to increase their number and form families. The Australian Black Swans at the Hunter Wetlands have already made a great start with this lovely brood of cygnets.

Watching over the brood

cygnet

learning from the parents

cygnet afloat

What is so interesting down there?

Other waterbirds preparing for nesting are these Grey Teal, getting acquainted as they have a quite paddle together.

While nearby another swan has only just started nesting having built its mound of reeds and grasses. Nesting mounds are not normally this large, but it needs to be high enough to escape rising water in the wetland..

Other wetland dwellers include this Australasian Swamphen with its one little chick, not long out of the egg.

There was a moment of alarm for them both as this white ibis flew over to land.

We also noticed one of the Emu at Blackbutt Reserve was nesting…

This Pied Currawong had already built and the high pitched chirps could be heard coming from high in the eucalypt tree, as the parent went to and fro bringing food.

sitting on the nest

checking me out

checking the babies

ready to fly off

going out again for food

Their cousins the North Eastern Australian (Black-backed) Magpie had couple of youngsters already quite brave enough to land quite close to my wife and I as we were walking Friday before sunset. Note the brown back plumage which has not fully changed, and the scallapping of chest plumage.

juvenile magpie

These birds are now thought to be the worlds most intelligent birds along with the Australian Raven. The Australian Magpie has not only the most complex and beautiful song but is able to play, learn, talk and do many other skills. This juvenile is learning from its father who is warbling in a tree behind as it stands boldly without fear an arms length from me.

The Australian Magpie is not shy of humans and attacks them quite viciously during nesting season if it deems them a threat. Yes, nesting season is approaching again. Ow! However if you are friend to them, they will not attack, as Ausiebirder has experienced in the past, the person standing with me being repeatedly attacked while I am ignored and left unscathed. This educational YouTube clip will enlighten you more. Cyclists and joggers pose the most threat to magpies and will attack repeatedly, sometimes causing a bleeding wound injury.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRH0ZPPS0Z8

Listen and watch as this male ‘maggie’ sings, you will hear the female respond from nearby, and the sound of the Pied Currawong in the background making its sunset call. Please excuse the poor focus.

Another much smaller passerine undergoing preparation for the new breeding season is the Superb Fairy-wren. The males are in eclypse morphing to full breeding plumage, having spent the winter looking very much like the female, but for the blue tail. Notice the blue patchy colour starting to form. One male (pictured below) is almost finished morphing whereas the other has only recently begun. Notice the last pic where a breeding and non-breeding male are together in the one frame.

Walking further we found this beautiful White-faced Heron developing breeding plumage, looking for fast food from this stream flowing. He will be looking for a mate soon also.

White-faced Heron

Lastly, a most interesting observation as the resident Laughing Kookaburra pair in Oatley Park Reserve have reinhabited the white ant nest again this year for their own nest. I have showed in previous years blogs how they have nested here, and they are doing it again. One checks the nest while the other guards from outside.

Quite surprisingly, this Rainbow Lorikeet was about to challenge the ‘Kooka’ for the nest. These birds can be aggressive, but strange that it would challenge the mighty Kooka, which could easily kill and eat it or its babies. Maybe it wanted the hole for a nest also. This was the result…

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After the trouble passed and the babies were safe the Kooka couple sat guarding together nearby the nest.

How lovely to see the romantic moment where this couple demonstrate how relationship is bonded and strengthened as a result of sharing children together.

During breeding one can distinguish, with difficulty, the male from the female, as the male has blue vertical back band at the top of its tail plumes. You can determine which is the male from my photo below…

And so we leave them …

Also in the coastal Angophora costata forests of the Sydney region both the Rainbow Lorikeet and the Sulfur-crested Cockatoo have already been occupying nesting holes. We also await the return of the migratory waders as well as migratory passerines spending the Winter in the warmer top end of our land, New Guinea and South-East Asia. During the next few weeks the migratory waders will make their 16.000 km journey across the Pacific Ocean or via the Asian coast from Alaska and the Arctic Circle to our beaches, after breeding and feeding in the northern hemisphere during our Winter months. I previously thought Godwits migrated in formation like geese and duck but they fly single file as below, possibly slipstreaming. When you travel non-stop for 8 days direct without stopping you need a little help from your friends.

Bar-tailed Godwits in flight

Life is in seasons – that is how God made it to be. My wife and I have been entering a new season of our lives together. It is a blessing to understand and accept that each different season we enter is a positive experience meant for our growth, preparation and understanding of the next stage in life will bring. My wife continue to work part-time as my company want me to stay till October and assist training staff, and she wants to further reduce her hours. Seasons bring with them both blessings, and challenges which can also become blessings, if approached within the context of a God centred world view, knowing that a loving Heavenly Father has our best at heart.

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” – Ecclesiastes 7:14

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” – Acts 14:17

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the birds!

Thanks again for wonderful comments and reviews I continue to receive from those who have purchased my book here online and from the many stores that now stock it. If you have not yet bought your copy or even explored what it is about, then go to my Birdbook page. You can purchase it there or here in the sidebar. I have found several places I visited it was sold out and they had not realised they had even sold their display copy.

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

Black-necked Stalk (Jabaru)

In the next six weeks we will present a series on birds of the tropical north of Australia following a wonderful birding exploration of the last two weeks. We flew to Townsville in Far North Queensland where we spent 5 days exploring some Australia’s famous wetlands, in particular Townsville Common. These low lying coastal wetlands fill up during the heavy wet season of summer and provide food for many species of waterbirds during the winter months, some of which I will showcase below. The longer than usual wet season caused a reduction in bird numbers on our visit.

A peculiar feature of Townsville is the large pink granite rock called Castle Hill (Rock) that towers behind the town, which is only 8 metres short of a mountain. From its top a wonderful birds-eye view of the city and the wetlands can be obtained.

My wife and I visited the Common on several occasions and saw a variety of both water and tree birds. The most exciting sightings were of the Jabaru, the Brolga (at a distance), the Comb-crested Jacana, the White-necked Heron, Magpie Geese and the several species of raptor that constantly circled over the wetlands looking for vulnerable subjects. Straw-necked Ibis are plentiful here and around town also. I love the iridescence of colour in the birds wing plumage.

The weather here was warm and cloudy while it poured rain just 100 km further up the coast. We felt very blessed to have escaped the bitter cold of Sydney’s winter weather. The Black-necked Stork or Jabaru as it is known is wrongly named, as you can see below, it sports a beautiful iridescent blue neck in the sunlight. Sadly the female (which is differentiated from the male by having a bright yellow eye) was quite shy and flew off leaving her partner alone to our camera.

Black-necked Stork

We enjoyed chatting with Matt, a local birder, about the Common. Matt shared that as the wetlands dry up toward the end of winter, thousands of birds start gathering around these last wetland areas. I joked about the name Jabaru as I watched Australia’s only stalk repeatedly jab its long powerful beak into the shallow waters hunting for small creatures. The Brolga were quite shy and stayed in the tall reeds at some distance, so I apologise for the poor footage and photos. Brolga are known for their beautiful dance routine when in flock, but the tall grass is no place for dancing. The elegance of the Brolga can be seen in this clip of them landing.

Brolga

Flock of Brolga

Jabaru and Brolga

As you can see these water birds all live harmoniously together, despite eating similar food, unlike the honeyeaters that fight over nectar blossom.

A single White-necked Heron dropped in to check us out and forage nearby the Jabaru.

The beautiful elegant Great White Egret were in great number scattered throughout the wetlands as were the Intermediate .

This White-faced Heron did a fly past to avoid attention.

White-faced Heron

Interesting enough, when we first passed these ponds we saw no birds much at all, and we both disappointingly kept saying “Nothing, nothing!” as we drove all the way to the Jacana Pond where all we saw at first were hundreds of Grey Teal. You will notice an occasional Hardhead in among them, maybe they thought they were Grey Teal, or maybe just joined the throng for company.

We had read and heard about this place, how this was the best place to see waterbirds, but our hopes seem dashed. So instead of feeling sorry for ourselves and complaining to God, to selfishly ask for him to make them appear, we were humbled to to pray toegther asking our loving Heavenly Father, what it was HE wanted to show us, and he did. This displays one of the exciting features of our birding adventures. Birds are quite mobile and can relocate quickly making a revisit of a previously birdless area all the more interesting. This was the case when we prayed after experiencing bird empty ponds. On return the birds were there, no great numbers, that is, but representatives of the species we expected to see. One very peculiar bird in a classification all of its own, the Magpie Goose, a large flock bird is found in great number here.

The greatest delight for me was to see the Comb-crested Jacana which is known jokingly to many as the Jesus bird because it appears to walk on water. In actual fact this very small bird walks on water plants such as water-lily. It has long stick like toes which allow it to spread its weight over the leaf. These birds are seen in greatest number here and also in the Ross River wetlands nearby.

Notice that the juveniles seen here have more orange and flat head dress where as the adult has the bright red comb head dress. Jacana are difficult to get clear photographs, them being so small and so shy, as they take flight when they see you.

If you want to have a birding feast of raptors, the far northern Australia is the place to go, there are raptors visibly seen flying almost every where you look. The three raptors we saw surveying the wetlands were the Brahminy Kite, Black Kite and Swamp Harrier.

Brahminy Kite

Black Kite

Swamp Harrier

So our loving Father turned the day around for us, for as we drove back to the previous birdless areas birds were present, including interesting passerines in the surrounding forest, but these have to be for next week. Matt, the local birder we met, was also rejoicing at the numbers of different species he photographed afterwards also. My wife and I take God along with us when we bird, not to let him share the experience with us. “Lord, what is that you want us to see, what do you have for us, to teach and encourage us?” It is the intimate living loving relationship that we share with God through the Holy Spirit he has put within us that our birding experience, and most all experiences, are experienced at a much more enjoyable and meaningful level. We have hearts filled with an attitude of gratitude like little children we receive the blessings of gifts and surprises from a generous Father.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never end.
They are new and fresh every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.” – Lamentations 3: 22-26

Yes it is true, I have finished full time work in medical science and currently finishing a few weeks as part time as well as helping train new staff. I will now explore the offer to become a birding tour guide in the Southern Highlands.

Thank you to the blog followers who have purchased my book here online, and thank you for the wonderful encouraging reviews I have received. For those who have not checked it out go to my birdbook page. Check out the rest of my website for birding info at my Homepage.

Have a wonderful week!

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 Should you desire to use any of the material published on this website please contact the author as a Comment or by email via the AboutUs page

The prevailing drought conditions in the Sydney region, have contributed to a reduction in the number of passerines and breeding waterbirds during summer and also as winter approaches, there are some water birds that have stayed because their habitat has not been so cruelly affected. Again I visited Sydney’s Olympic Park with my wife to have a Sunday picnic and capture some more stunning reflections of of one of my favourite waders, the Black-winged Stilt.

A friend asked me why I noted in a previous post that other waterbirds such as the Masked Lapwing, and even on occasion the Red-necked Avocet seen above. The answer is the long slender legs and open stick-like feet. These assist in moving through the water without disturbing it much. The other waterbirds are shorter and have thicker legs and tend to disturb the water more. It is always good to see the Stilt and Avocet together, as I have described in my book. Note the difference in the reflections.

Stilt and Avocet

It was also a delight to see a juvenile Stilt foraging alongside its parent. The Welcome Swallow managed to get into some of my photos and movie footage as they flew over the water.

Many of the Red-necked Avocet flock were sleeping safely in the centre of the shallow lake.

One of my favourite photos is this one, how the legs appear to cross over.

Other waterbirds include this White-faced Heron, probably our most commonly found wader.

White-faced Heron

We were hoping, as we peered from the Bird Hide, to spot the tiny Dotterels running along the shoreline, but on this occasion they were in the distance together in a small flock. These birds are usually timid toward human approach.

It has been interesting to find the presence of Magpie Lark (PeeWee) foraging by lakes and waterways in recent months. It is something new, possibly the drought may have brought it on. This one even joined in reflecting for me.

As we sat by the lake enjoying our Turkey sandwiches this Australasian Grebe (non-breeding) floated past, so I took some shots in the bright winter sunlight, as my wife noted it looked different. On viewing my photos as home it was found that the head had the striped of a juvenile Grebe remaining, as it is coming to maturity. Immature Grebes have black stripes on a white body, the head is the last part to loose the stripes.

Of course we had to check out the nesting area on the island where on my last post from this area we saw quite immature Pied Cormorant chicks being constantly fed by busy parents. These babies have become immature birds which now look very much like their parents, but are even more hungry and demanding than before, since they are much larger and fill the nest. This parent is so flustered trying to satisfy their appetite that he had to leave the nest and take solitude, peacefully cruising the lake.

Parent flies in and babies peter

They keep trying to get access to parents gullet

the parent has left and they cry

then quietly look for their parent to return

but he was resting in the solitude of the lake

This Masked lapwing was caught flying by…

As on the last visit the non-breeding Superb Fairy-wren were out and about, in the usual places. It is usually easy to find these birds as they are territorial and are found in the same area most of the year. Like many insectivorous birds they circumvent their small territory many times a day in search of insects on small shrubs and trees. The non-breeding male retains the dark blue tail, dark beak and turquoise wing coverts, which can be seen below. The female remains brown with rufous facial mask and lighter beak. The male will begin eclipsing again into his beautiful breeding plumage as Spring approaches, but for now, Winter is at the door.

May I leave you with this beautiful footage of the Black-winged Stilt foraging peacefully together in the lake shallows.

If this is your first visit to my blog feel free to check out the pages in my website aussiebirder.com. Check the menu at the top of the Home page.

This last four weeks of full time work as a scientist are dragging, as I look forward to part-time work or semi-retirement (whatever God grants) allowing me to expand the more creative aspects to my life. I hope to begin assessing the possibility of setting up a small business as a Tour Guide for Bird Tours. I will be checking out the possibility of running Introduction to Birding (Bird Watching) Tour packages in conjunction with Farm Club Australia in the Southern Highlands.

Black-winged Stilt with stages of development.

In the above photo one can observe most of the different stages of development of the Black-winged Stilt, from a brown chick to an adult stilt. As different as they each look to the other, they are all the same species, and will all look similar on maturity. I am challenged by the fact that I need the grace to realize that we are all at different levels and phases of maturity as people, and that despite all our differences and short comings, we are God the Father’s beloved children whom Christ died to redeem and restore. The most beautiful thought is that long before we ever came to know God, he already knew and loved us, long before we were born. This is why love, acceptance and forgiveness in our relationships is so essential, as we all experience the various aspects of life with its struggles and lessons. We each seek to be understood and accepted for who we are.

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to being.” – Psalm 139:13-16 (NIV)

“And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” – Thes 5:15 (NIV)

Have a wonderful weekend!

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 Should you desire to use any of the material published on this website please contact the author as a Comment or by email via the AboutUs page

As we move into Autumn and the summer migrants, which are mostly waders, have taken flight north, we are left with our winter birds, and a period of not so many birds. However there are many waders and water birds that stay all year round and breed here in Australia. It had been a while since I was able to get time in Olympic Park, Sydney, to see how the resident waterbirds and waders are, so on Wednesday I took a look, and found this pair of Australian Black Swan alone in a pool among the mangroves. Note the male is the larger of the two. How beautiful and graceful they are when seen up close. These symbols previously peculiar to the state of Western Australia (found in its coat of arms), have been breeding well all over Australia and its surrounding islands now for many years. Click on photo to enlarge it.

It was good to see nests of Australasian Darter and Pied Cormorant in the usual breeding trees, however numbers were drastically reduced, possibly due to the extreme heat of the passing summer and prevailing drought conditions.

The commonly seen waterbirds that are more often seen grazing on grassy areas by water are the Australian Swamphen and the Masked Lapwing.

It has always humoured me when I hear the sound of the Masked Lapwing call in Australian movies, as a representative of Australia’s birds. I think what about Kookaburra, Currawong or Magpie? However, in many movies it is this bird call that is used.

As I walked to the larger lake I came across a most delightful experience where a family of Superb Fairy-wren came out from under small shrubbery to give me an excellent photo moment. What a beautiful gift! The adult male was in non-breeding plumage retaining just a bright blue tail and dark beak. This is called the eclipse stage of the male Fairy-wren. He may transform several times a year to breed, while the female and immature retain their brown tail and light orange beak and lores, only the mature males eclipse. Here is a comparison.

Superb Fairy-wren in eclipse

So this what the little family looked like as they moved about on this small bush together. You can distinguish the males from the females by the tail colour and beak and lores.

Female and Male Superb Fairy-wren

2 males, one in full and one in almost full eclipse.

Superb Fairy-wren female

The resident waders were in various stages of activity. Some slept, some preened, but most were foraging. Over the water a large flock of swallow were constantly circling.

The Chestnut Teal are in large number on the lake as usual.

Male Chestnut Teal

4 males with 1 female

But the birds I wanted to see were the three remaining waders who do not migrate. The Black-winged Stilt, Red-necked Avocet and Black-fronted Dotterel. I especially love the reflections these birds generate from the shallow water. The Black-winged Stilt is one of my favourite. Notice the immature Stilts also pictured below.

Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt immature

Black-winged Stilt

Immature Stilt balancing on a rock

It is interesting to see the scythe action of the Red-necked Avocet sweeping their uniquely curved bill through the water to sift for tiny brine shrimp. They sweep their bill slightly open just above the muddy bottom of the lake. It is also interesting to watch some Stilts copy this action which is not normally their own. The younger ones having grown up with the Avocets, being companion waders, copy the action.

The Red-necked Avocet, a friend to the Stilt, is also a bird seen in flock here.

Red-necked Avocet

Red-necked Avocet in all three stages of activity.

Red-necked Avocet

It was interesting to see this collision of the Avocet and Stilt foraging, it shows how serious food foraging is.

The tiny Black-fronted Dotterel was also on the shore foraging.

Black-fronted Dotterel

Of course the best place to view birds without disturbing them is the ‘Bird Hide’. However, this hide is some distance from the water, but it does give a good overall view of the lake, but you need a powerful lens to get good captures.

Bird Hide

Lastly, this Noisy Miner was attracted to my car rear vision mirrors, moving from one to the other he tries to find and make contact with the bird he is looking at. Finally, not being able to solve the conundrum he eventually leaves.

This bird’s quest is like our own, we often don’t know ourselves enough to appreciate who we are. We compare and impair the image we have of ourselves and so never really appreciate the beauty of the unique and wonderful creation we are. There is no one in the whole universe who will ever be you. Your DNA is uniquely yours, and so you bring a uniquely beautiful asset into the world in the place where God has placed you, as he has done also for me. How we understand and appreciate this gift will directly influence the way we live our lives and boldly love and accept the person we are. It is this person we must look at in the mirror and realize, we are God’s beautiful child and we are loved dearly by him our Heavenly Father. How we see ourselves affects how we enjoy life, giving confidence and acceptance to achieve great things.

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.” – Psalm 139: 13-18. (NIV)

Some of you my dear followers know that I am currently considering leaving my full time work as a Senior Scientist to go into part time work as a Eco Tourism Bird Guide. I was recently approached by a person following my blog to operate bird tours and introductory bird courses with Farm Club Australia, situated in the Southern Highlands, south of Sydney. I am currently considering this option and how this will look for my future. I know many of my followers, will be visiting Australia and the Sydney region in the coming years. I hope to put together birding packages which will hopefully make the Sydney region leg of the journey much easier. I meet birders from all over the world, especially from USA, Canada, New Zealand and Britain doing full on birding tours of Australia, and they are often looking for birders with local knowledge to guide them to the birds on their list, as many only have limited time in each city.

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

Little Black Cormorant

In my last post we explored the leap of faith in small passerines, and as this summer has been so intense with heat and drought conditions it lends itself to compare Faith and Fear, the two motivating forces that influence our every action daily.

Drying my wings

The above Little Black Cormorant at Sydney Park rests knowing that before him is both a good water and food source which it can trust, and so stay and last out the summer heat, while many both migratory and resident species have moved further south or into the mountains for cooler weather. Not a lot of breeding has taken place in our local park this year, though we did see some here. The rest of faith is a principle countering the restlessness of fear.

Little Black Cormorant resting together

Early on a Saturday morning, my wife and I discovered a peaceful community of waterbirds and passerines who were braving the extreme heat and trusting that their needs would be met here. The peaceful community was noticeable at once as the White-faced Heron flew in to join the mixed species in what appeared to be a run on a school of fish.

White-faced Heron in flight

White-faced Heron landing near its partner

White-faced Heron landing

Investigating the fishing frenzie

Sydney Park is an amazing facility being reclaimed land from Sydney’s original brick works, and which the council transformed into a water park reserve which is fed by recycled storm water for the ponds of a man made nature reserve. This is very popular with city dwellers who walk their dogs here, as well as themselves. See how these birds rest together as they share in the spoils.

fishing together

One factor which this place displayed more than some other sites around the city was that birds were breeding and this Dusky Moorhen family were keeping watch on what appeared to be one chick, normally their clutch would consist of several.

You can hear the juvenile call with that all too common chirp for food shared among many young species of bird. These birds look much healthier than the ones at Oatley Park I posted a couple of weeks ago. Those ponds are closed for maintenance at present.

In the reeds we were hoping to spot the Spotless Crake which had been reported here recently but it did not show. We had seen and posted the Buff-banded Rail seen here some weeks ago. Our gift of the day was this juvenile Australian Reed-Warbler, sitting alone but visible in the reeds, making the same hungry chirp as the juvenile Moorhen, likewise trusting that the parent will soon return with food.

The parent was busy, not making its usual clamorous call, but quietly hunting for food, and this mantis was in the process of being softened up for feeding the youngster. This bird is very shy of humans and often difficult to photograph, keeping itself hidden down in the reeds, though it allowed me to film from afar without taking flight.

Aust. Reed-Warbler with insect

Juvenile Aust. Reed-Warbler

I managed to get some lovely shots of the Reed-Warbker resting, which is a rarety.

Australian Reed-Warbler

Australian Reed-Warbler juvenile

Other shore birds searching peacefully among the reed grass were this pair of Australasian Swamphen (previously Purple Swamphen).

Aust. Swamphen

This Spotted Turtledove rested by the shore of the lake.

The Pacific Black Duck were well represented but I did not see any young, though one of these may have been early spring babies.

Pacific Black Duck

As usual in the centre of a freshwater pond one Australasian Grebe, this one non-breeding. These birds are frequently seen alone when not breeding, only coming together to have their young.

Australasian Grebe (non-breeding)

The other passerines in the surrounding trees included a female Figbird, a Red Wattlebird, a young Willy Wagtail and of course this Noisy Minor, also dispatching a freshly caught insect.

Red Wattlebird

Willy Wagtail

Female Figbird

Noisy Minor

The illustrate how to identify male and female Magpie-larks (Peewee) I captured a pair at the park. Notice the direction of the facial black stripe.

Male Magpie-lark

Female Magpie-lark

Lastly, the true sign of a restful bushland and garden is the presence of the Superb Fairy-wren. These birds have suffered from the heat and though annual residents usually, many families have left their usual hunting grounds in parks surrounding the city, but this one is breeding well here in Sydney Park with several males spotted. Notice the eclipsing male, possibly starting to loose its breeding plumage. Fear of loss has possibly sent many bird species to other habitats, but these rest trusting that their needs will be met, as they see out the extreme summer months.

Superb Fairy-wren male

Superb Fairy-wren female

“Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they?” – Matthew 6:26 (NEV)

Above is the verse that inspired my book, the word ‘Look’ can be interpreted as ‘study or observe’ the birds, which is what we do as birders, and we learn so much from their interesting peculiar characteristics. Jesus noted the simple faith that birds have, and birds in a similar way to us humans, have a certain amount of faith mixed with fear in our decision making, also affecting how peaceful our lives are whether they are resting in faith or restless in fear.

When I apply faith in God when feeling anxious or afraid, I have peace and my soul rests trusting him to come through for me, and so far he has not let me down. God showed his disapproval of the Israel nation when they failed to trust him, even as he provided for them as they lived in the desert, many died there because they failed to trust his generous and loving provision, they never rested in the Promised Land. This land is type of what God has for those who put their trust in Him, believing in Jesus and receiving his salvation and friendship he offers freely.

“Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.” – Hebrews 4:1 (NIV)

“Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” -Psalm 50:15 (NIV)

Have a wonderful week, and if this is your first time to my website checkout my other pages and helpful birding tips, and special counselling features and bird findings.

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed by the site owner and remains his copyright 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

As you will have gleaned from my recent posts and those of other Australian bird bloggers, our persisting heat waves and drought conditions are having negative effect on our birdlife and their breeding patterns this Summer. Funny enough this week has been mostly unseasonably cooler and raining a little. The above photo depicts pictorially a sleeping reserve, with few birds and a haunting silence in many of the trees that rang with song last Summer.

The main pond drying up

This Royal Spoonbill with breeding plumage is awakened by the ring of my phone when my wife rang. The Chestnut Teal joined the sleepy scene, as the murky remains of street drainage waters, which replenish the ponds, continues to evaporate. Many different waterbirds are not here and not breeding here this year, as the murky, dirty, slimy waters dry up. Breeding may not be occurring for this bird, as Spoonbills are very private breeders, and the slightest disturbance by humans can cause them to desert the nest. Note head plumage and red dot on forehead. Maturity is denoted by the yellow mark above the eye which gives the false impression to would be intruders that their eye is always watching , even when it is closed. Click on photos to enlarge them.

Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage.

A recent post by Maralee explored the question as to why birds stand on one leg while resting or sleeping. Birds have a ‘rete mirabile’ system in their legs where the veins and arteries are next to each other facilitating a more economic conservation of heat energy by tucking one leg up under their body. The legs are very vulnerable to heat loss, and most of their heat loss occurs here.

Pacific Black duck resting and displaying speculum.

Female Chestnut Teal resting displaying partial speculum.

Interestingly enough birds continue to do this in the heat of our summer, as can be seen here, and as was seen in my Silver Gull pic in my last weeks post. There is also a suggestion that they may rest their legs by alternating them this way. The absence of the usual breeding ducks, water fowl and passerines of both resident and migrant birds is noticeable. One pair of Chestnut Teal only was seen, where usually their are four to six breeding pair.

The only breeding birds seen were this Dusky Moorhen, and even the parents seemed smaller than usual due to the slim pickings of the current murky dry pond system.

Dusky Moorhen

Dusky Moorhen with baby

Dusky Moorhen

Dusky Moorhen family

Dusky Moorhen juvenile

In such a lonely situation, it was quite curious that this White-faced Heron and Royal Spoonbill (both decked out in breeding plumage, but not seeming to be breeding) had struck an uncommon friendship. These birds have almost oposit ways of obtaining their food, though they are both waders. The Spoonbill sweeps the water with its wide bill to find food and the Heron stands patiently still and waits till it sees its food and then stretches its long neck and catches it quickly in its narrow beak.

What makes this story more interesting is that when I walked back, quite sadly due to the absence of birds, to my surprise I see these two birds sharing a branch high up on a tall eucalypt tree. This is quite strange, as neither of these birds are passerines, and generally only land in low lying trees or mangroves if at all, and usually to rest or escape predatory danger. See how high they are!

The tree top partnership

This little aside made my visit worthwhile and was a special gift given to cheer me up. Notice how the Heron extends its neck fully. This is to deter the predator by scaring them of because of the height of the bird. When you see herons do this they probably have seen you as a threat.

Individually these birds are beautiful examples of their species. see how snuggly the heron pulls its neck back in when it feels safe again. This neck can extend with lighting speed and precision when it strikes small fish in the shallows.

White-faced Heron

Royal Spoonbill

My final photo is of this small Eastern Water Dragon sunning itself, who scampered off the track on my approach. These lizards can swim in fresh water creeks, lakes and rivers, similar to crocodiles, by sweeping their tail side by side. These are a common sight catching the sun on hot sunny days along the pathway.

Eastern Water Dragon

I finsh my short post for this week with my favourite photo of the day.

Heron and Spoonbill friends

The question I pondered on afterwards was: Do these two very different birds really have a special friendship, or did it just happen to be that they landed on the same branch, and share the same water hole? As my book describes the Red-necked Avocet and the Black-winged Stilt do have a special relationship, flocking and feeding together.

friends forever

Avocets and Stilts flocking together

I finish with a simple message, that to make and continue to be friends, where ever possible, with all people we meet in life’s journey, thus bringing peace and security to one’s life. This can be a great asset to either party in a time of need or difficulty. This does not mean that we throw wisdom and discernment to the wind. One still needs to know the difference between a few reliable friends one has grown to love and trust and those many acquaintances to whom one has been friendly but are in no close relationship.

“A friend loves at all times” – Proverbs 17:17

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” – Proverbs 18:24

“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” – John 4:11

Have a wonderful week, and may the Summer birds return before the season is over! Check out the rest of my website for birding info and check out my book. Purchase it online or at one of the listed retail outlets.

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed by the site owner and remains his copyright 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

We were doubly blessed to see two juvenile Pink-eared Ducks for the first time ever. Click on photos to enlarge them.

One of the most popular freshwater ducks which are found in very large flocks in northern Australia and in some of our lakes and dams here in our state also, is the Plumed Whistling Duck. These are migratory as they return to the top end in the wet season of summer to breed.

You may remember seeing this video clip from a previous post, highlighting the cacophony of sound the whistling of thousands of ducks can produce.

The Musk Duck gets its name from the musk like scent the male liberates from a gland on its rump, it sports an unusual leathery lobe, and because of its greasy grey appearance is always difficult to photograph from a distance.

One duck most people here in NSW would not have seen because it only lives in the far north of Australia is the Radjah Shelduck which we have posted here in our far north travels earlier this year.

Two other birds only found in Far North Queensland that I also featured in previous posts are the Cotton Pygmy Goose and the Green Pygmy Goose which are extremely elusive, but are called geese rather than ducks, but are elusive, fresh water and seldom seen, so included them.

The Wandering Whistling Duck, which lives up to its name, as it is not endemic to Australia, but is found in south-east Asia and moves about in northern Australia, occasionally seen as a vagrant here. It is found in large flocks similar to its Plumed cousin.

“And now a word to you parents. Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice.” – Ephesians 6:4 (Living Bible)

“A wise teacher makes learning a joy;” – Proverbs 15:2

“Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older, he will remain upon it.” – Proverbs 22:6

Have a wonderful and restful weekend. We are facing a heatwave today with total fire ban which is not good for the many birds nesting after recent rains. Breeding numbers here remain down this year also.

If this is your first visit to my blog, please take a minute to check out my website Homepage menu and helpful birding and counselling info. Check out my unique book which can be purchased through secure PayPal here online on my BirdBook page.

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To get an idea of size and how small they are, see how tall they are beside this Silver Gull. Again you can note remnants of breeding plumage on the male.

The female is slightly larger in size with a longer beak than the non-breeding male, as seen below.

Also grazing the mud flats were a small flock of Australian White Ibis (nesting mates to the above Spoonbill).

It was an enjoyable walk along the beach just before sunset, as my wife and I look forward to exploring more of the wader feeding areas in future weeks.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” – 1 John 3:18

Have a wonderful week!

If this is your first visit to my blog please check out the rest of my website through my Homepage and menu.

I was greatly blessed today to receive a very extensive review of my new book “What Birds Teach Us” in a post by Jen an American blogger who purchased my book here online recently: “Birds, Blooms and all things Beautiful”

You might like read it (click on link above) and also read more reviews and information and purchase your copy through the security of PayPal on my BirdBook page.

The book is also sold in One of these Places.

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The Black-winged Stilt is one of my most favourite birds to photograph because it is such a perfect bird for reflection photos, which I love to take., as you can see.

When the chicks are finally born after 22 to 24 days incubation. Most birds would be starting to nest by now or be about to as Spring arrives. The chicks begin walking about and fending for themselves soon after. You can hear the parent warning off potential trouble as we walk by.

As the juveniles start maturing and begin looking like the adult they lack the black neck but sport a black eye marking for their first years. As they mature their brown plumage becomes black, the eye marking lessons and disappears and the black neck stripe forms.

In this very rare and unique image one can see four different stages of maturity for the Black-winged Stilt. See if you can work out the stages of maturity.

When these birds fly they tuck their long lanky legs behind and fly quite majestically.

Finally the bird matures to an adult and at low tide and around the lake edges it pokes its long sharp beak into the water seeking out marine insects and small crustaceans. You can hear its monotonous call as it forages.

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” – Romans 12:16

Have a wonderful week birding!

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

If this is your first visit to my blog, why not check out my birding website pages from my Homepage.

Also check out my book you can purchase here online with secure PayPal or at any of these places. Check out the promo below.

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and the eastern NSW, we see at home race novahollandiae

Australia has 19 species of Robin of which these are but a few…

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

“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 2:6

Have a wonderful week birding! We did not do any birding this week but we do give thanks for the good rain that has blessed us this last few days and hopefully will bring our birds back to breed.

If this is your first visit to my blog, why not check out my birding website pages from my Homepage.

Also check out my book you can purchase here online with secure PayPal or at any of these places. Check out the promo below.

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Other waterbirds preparing for nesting are these Grey Teal, getting acquainted as they have a quite paddle together.

While nearby another swan has only just started nesting having built its mound of reeds and grasses. Nesting mounds are not normally this large, but it needs to be high enough to escape rising water in the wetland..

Other wetland dwellers include this Australasian Swamphen with its one little chick, not long out of the egg.

There was a moment of alarm for them both as this white ibis flew over to land.

We also noticed one of the Emu at Blackbutt Reserve was nesting…

This Pied Currawong had already built and the high pitched chirps could be heard coming from high in the eucalypt tree, as the parent went to and fro bringing food.

Their cousins the North Eastern Australian (Black-backed) Magpie had couple of youngsters already quite brave enough to land quite close to my wife and I as we were walking Friday before sunset. Note the brown back plumage which has not fully changed, and the scallapping of chest plumage.

Listen and watch as this male ‘maggie’ sings, you will hear the female respond from nearby, and the sound of the Pied Currawong in the background making its sunset call. Please excuse the poor focus.

Walking further we found this beautiful White-faced Heron developing breeding plumage, looking for fast food from this stream flowing. He will be looking for a mate soon also.

Quite surprisingly, this Rainbow Lorikeet was about to challenge the ‘Kooka’ for the nest. These birds can be aggressive, but strange that it would challenge the mighty Kooka, which could easily kill and eat it or its babies. Maybe it wanted the hole for a nest also. This was the result…

After the trouble passed and the babies were safe the Kooka couple sat guarding together nearby the nest.

How lovely to see the romantic moment where this couple demonstrate how relationship is bonded and strengthened as a result of sharing children together.

During breeding one can distinguish, with difficulty, the male from the female, as the male has blue vertical back band at the top of its tail plumes. You can determine which is the male from my photo below…

And so we leave them …

“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.” – Ecclesiastes 7:14

“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.” – Acts 14:17

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the birds!

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A peculiar feature of Townsville is the large pink granite rock called Castle Hill (Rock) that towers behind the town, which is only 8 metres short of a mountain. From its top a wonderful birds-eye view of the city and the wetlands can be obtained.

As you can see these water birds all live harmoniously together, despite eating similar food, unlike the honeyeaters that fight over nectar blossom.

A single White-necked Heron dropped in to check us out and forage nearby the Jabaru.

The beautiful elegant Great White Egret were in great number scattered throughout the wetlands as were the Intermediate .

This White-faced Heron did a fly past to avoid attention.

Notice that the juveniles seen here have more orange and flat head dress where as the adult has the bright red comb head dress. Jacana are difficult to get clear photographs, them being so small and so shy, as they take flight when they see you.

If you want to have a birding feast of raptors, the far northern Australia is the place to go, there are raptors visibly seen flying almost every where you look. The three raptors we saw surveying the wetlands were the Brahminy Kite, Black Kite and Swamp Harrier.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never end. They are new and fresh every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” – Lamentations 3: 22-26

Yes it is true, I have finished full time work in medical science and currently finishing a few weeks as part time as well as helping train new staff. I will now explore the offer to become a birding tour guide in the Southern Highlands.

Thank you to the blog followers who have purchased my book here online, and thank you for the wonderful encouraging reviews I have received. For those who have not checked it out go to my birdbook page. Check out the rest of my website for birding info at my Homepage.

Have a wonderful week!

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never end.
They are new and fresh every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.” – Lamentations 3: 22-26