wetlands

A 20/20 Look Into 2020

Posted by aussiebirder on January 7, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Holidays, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Oatley Park Reserve, Outings, shorebirds, Sydney, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , .

Cattle Egrets with developing breeding plumage. They would normally be nesting now.

A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all! As you are aware from the many news reports our country is suffering the worst Summer season on record. A drought in its 4th year, strong winds, dry thunderstorms and merciless raging ravaging incinerating unstoppable firestorm bushfires have turned our holiday season into a state of emergency and declared catastrophic conditions. Millions of hectares destroyed, millions of wildlife incinerated, thousands of homes and properties and livestock destroyed and 17 humans dead, and we are only just into Summer. Many had their holidays terminated or cut short, and many more fled with their lives from their holiday grounds. It is just not safe to travel anywhere at the moment, as these fires can strike and move suddenly, without warning. Here is a brief video excerpt from On Demand News on YouTube.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the many homeless and now traumatized residents, where in some places whole towns have been wiped off the map. It has affected most of the east coast of Australia in populated areas, and the thick toxic smoke continues to be the daily norm for most of us, as it has been for over the last two months. It has affected the lives of most Australians either directly or indirectly.

The sun breaking through a smoke filled sky

So many brave firefighters from home and overseas have rallied to the fire front, including our defense force. These fires along with the drought are rewriting our Bird Field Guides for location and  even for the existence of species in our country. It will not be known till further down the track if we have recently added more species to our critically endangered or extinct classifications. Our local Oatley Park Reserve’s main pond in one week has been gradually drying up as many birds leave with only a  only a few remaining.

Last Sunday.
Yesterday.

This pair of of Chestnut Teal are not worried at all. They have raised their young already, and now taking it easy in the murky ponds. 

This male wanted aussiebirder to include him in his next post, so I obliged.

Other then the Teal and a few Australian White Ibis a single Great Egret and Royal Spoonbill stood together in the diminishing pond.

The Spoonbill had breeding plumage which I always find quite amusing, as well as their sweeping filtering bill action.

This photo best highlights there head dress. It is one which I have previously entered in an art show as a canvas print.

 

The reptiles, including young Eastern Waterdragons and Skinks are not affected by the drought and make their presence known in Summer as they bathe in the warm sun.

This little skink had a perfect place to hide and rest from the heat. When it saw me it quickly slid back into its hole in the tree. It needs to be careful, as Kookaburras and Pied Currawong check these holes for food.

As my wife and I walked through the almost deserted park trail, as normally this time of year many bird species would be feeding and calling, we heard one loud raucous sound which drew our attention. It was a juvenile Channel-billed Cuckoo being fed by a adult Pied Currawong. You may remember in my previous post on Channel-bills, that I mentioned how the Cuckoos migrate south in Summer and lay/plant their eggs in the nests of unwitting birds to be surrogate raised. Here is a great example, watch. The much larger Cuckoo has an insatiable hunger that keeps the poor Currawong flying off to find food.

As we continued back down the track we had a very exciting surprise as a pair of Buff-banded Rail ran across the track up ahead. They were fast so initial images were poor. We had reports of sightings of this bird but this is the first time we saw them here. The jerking of the camera was sadly unavoidable.

We later saw them again in more shaded bush.

As we walked further along the track the resident male Eastern Australian Magpie was foraging in his territory. This bird both knows me and trusts me, allowing me to walk right next to it. A lady passing by, caused it to run away, only to return beck next to me again after she passed.

I always see this bird every time I visit around the same area, usually with another male or female. My blogging friend David of the blog birdsaspoetry.com has engaged in his Magnificent Magpie 2020 Project, which will be worth following.

We are both enjoying Gisella Kaplan’s book The Australian Magpie which is to date the greatest work on this most intelligent and clever bird. As I write this I can here my resident alpha male Magpie calling to me. He usually does it after his bath in my birdbath.

A little further along the track and we could here another unfamiliar sound from a nearby eucalypt. It was difficult to see these two birds and make out what they were as the bright diffused light in the background and the smoke made it difficult, so again I apologise for the photos. They appeared to be 1st year juvenile Brown Goshawks waiting possibly to be fed. We did not see the adult, and the birds sat in the same spot watching and waiting. We had never had a sighting of this bird in the park that we know of so it is a new finding.

 

Approaching the creek which flows into the Georges River from the wetland, we saw these two birds. Now, on first observation one might think them two distinct species of Egret, but with binoculars it can be seen that they are both Great Egrets, one in full breeding plumage with turquoise lores, dark beak and fine streaming back feathers and the other with  only very early breeding plumage yellow beak and  back streaming feathers.

check out the neck extension
breeding with pre-breeding
Great Egret in breeding plumage
Great egret pre-breeding

Before I finish I would like to correct an identification on my previous blog post on Lake Albert, Wagga Wagga where I thought the flock of Terns I was viewing were Common Terns. On further observation and talking with other birders they are actually Whiskered Terns (previously known as Marsh Terns). These two species of Tern do look very similar, however the Whiskered has the darker belly and distinct white throat, which is seen here. These are predominantly fresh water Terns found on inland lakes and rivers where they mainly fly close to the water surface to catch insects over and on the water as well as dive for the occasional small fish and crustacean. The heavy smoke made it difficult to photograph them with clarity. Sadly, the waterbirds of Lake Albert’s wetlands I featured recently have gone, as the wetlands are also drying up as the lake diminishes and becomes more shallow.

As we move into 2020 and get a 20/20 vision of what lies ahead, entering a catastrophic period of uncertainty and a most unpredictable Summer, we ponder as to what the future holds, and what birds will be left for us to enjoy, and where they will relocate. Most of our native wildlife is territorial and non migratory, so it will be difficult for them to find new areas, as tension will arise with birds of the same species already established in unburnt areas. 

Interesting enough a friend posted this reminder, that times such as these have occurred in the past, captured by one of our renowned poets.

My second edition of ‘What Birds Teach Us’ is now with the publisher and when it is launched I will have some changes to my blog post and website. I will also be available for talks and seminars in schools and organisations, especially targetting Primary School aged children. I am delighted that despite the bushfires ravaging our national parks, my 1st Edition continued to be purchased as they sold out in National Parks gift shops there is only a hand full left. If you want to grab one of the last click here. I am hoping to publish my second book, targetting 16 years to adult, later in the year. 

Birdbath Blessings

The birds love it and love you for it and it is so simple to install. Eventually they will wash and drink and allow you to sit and watch them only feet away from them, as they trust you and know that you care about them.

small and large birdbaths in shade
large for larger birds Magpies, Currawongs Ravens
small for smaller birds Miners, Rainbows Butcherbirds
places for landing access

One of the best things we can do for our birds during this 4th year of drought is to install a birdbath or 2. My publisher and my sister both bought their family one for Christmas and are enjoying seeing birds come to drink and bathe. Our Australian birds are wild and aggressive around food, so it is recommended not to feed them, as they are best to gather their own, as they can become aggressive, demanding and destructive if they develop a dependence on your kindness, as many have found out the hard way. However, they do need and appreciate our contribution of fresh water. Your family can enjoy the experience watching the different local species come to your birdbath at different times of day. Children especially enjoy this. Just top up the bath daily and clean it our weekly and the birds will do the rest. Funny enough, when I arrived home from Wagga Wagga on New Years Day both birdbaths were depleted and no birds anywhere. I cleaned and filled both baths, walked up stairs and in seconds 7 birds came immediately and noisily drinking and bathing as if they had been watching and waiting for me to replenish it, as they know I do. Why 2 baths ( a small and large? because that allows both the smaller and larger birds to choose the best option and bathe at the same time. Also is is good as you will see in this photo to make sure the baths are shaded under a tree and have approach landing access, a tree, chair, post nearby, as they like to land and survey the bath before plunging in. Treat yourself to a birdbath, it will amuse and give you much enjoyment as it has us.😊

Have a great week and STAY SAFE! 

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

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Like Grandfather, Like Grandson – Leaving a Birding Legacy

Posted by aussiebirder on October 16, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

Australian Black-backed Magpie with several Caterpillar in beak

Last weekend we had the privilege of having my grandson Joel stay with us. One of the enjoyable experiences with him was taking out to explore our beautiful local birds. An even greater plus was that he said he actually enjoyed the outdoor experience or adventure as he called it, and was soon standing alongside my wife and myself with a pair of binoculars aimed at our friends the waders, down on the Georges River mudflats. A Budding Birder: Like Grandfather, Like Grandson, you might say!

Thankfully on the day most birds were on cue and appeared in their usual areas. Of course my little friends the Bar-tailed Godwit were patrolling the waters edge and made a great start for the session. Especially watching how when they find/extract  a tiny mudcrab from the sand they run off with it, as they are aware the others around them are watching.

Bar-tailed Godwit with a crab
Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit with crabs

Their fast and sometimes humorous movement is highlighted in this short clip using Henri Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” music from the 1962 movie Hatari which in Swahili means ‘Danger’.

As we approach slowly closer there is this sudden move to the water, as we begin to enter their safe buffer zone.

In some of the males a tiny remnant of their orange breeding colour could be seen on their under body.

Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit

The occasional submerged head technique is quite interesting, that’s a long way down into the sand, it must be a sure thing…

Also sharing the beach was this small flock of Australian White Ibis, actually feeding in their natural habitat. I say this because in recent years this bird has become a pest in Sydney, where it has become known as the ‘Bin Chicken’ because it has learnt to find food in garbage bins, making a mess everywhere.

Australian White Ibis
Australian White Ibis

My grandson was also intrigued by the many Light-blue Soldier Crabs marching on the mudflats, and scuttling away from our approach.

Also on the beach the Pied Oystercatcher was also checking out the crabs.

We drove to our next viewing spot on the other side of the river, hoping to find the Eastern Curlew, and yes it was exactly where we expected to find it. My grandson was able to see out largest and most shy wader.

A recently improved walk along the river included these art form images of birds seen here…

Pied Oystercatcher

This Australian Black-backed Magpie was collecting several Caterpillar in its beak, possibly to take to its nest to feed its wife and/or young ones. Thankfully it saw me as a friend, as I frequently walk quite close to him, like 1 foot away.

Lastly, my wife thought there might be just the off chance that the tiny Red-capped Plover previously seen at Bonna Point Reserve, way over on the other side of Botany Bay at Kurnell, near where Cook first landed, might be walking the shoreline, and to our delight he and two others were doing just that. Of course we sat and had our ice-cream first, watching the jets coming and going from the airport, as they passed overhead. The Red-capped Plover is one of our smallest waders, and is found all over Australia and Tasmania, even in the hot inland, but usually near water.  So Joel saw both the biggest and smallest waders all in one afternoon. The amazing thing about this little bird is that if you are not looking for it, you will probably not notice it, as like other plovers, it moves quickly and stops, moves quickly and stops, blending in with the weed and dross on the shoreline. Its like blink and you might miss it.

This the major problem we are experiencing with our wildlife in our state as the Government allows the big companies to come in and totally destroy our old forests, calling it selective clearing. As they are not interested in, or even looking for the wildlife, it does not exist to them. Koala habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate and there is a call to upgrade them to endangered or by 2050 they may be extinct. Read about it here.

Koala confused after clearing

Picture from ABC article link above

One of the responsibilities God handed man when he entrusted him with the privilege of having dominance over his other creatures was to care for his planet and its creatures. Greed and selfish ambition have become more the case as we see mankind move away from a recognition of God and his loving and caring agenda. We were intended to be his representatives on the earth, being made like him  i.e. in his likeness

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

After the world flood which destroyed most of the earth as it was known in pre-history, and from which our fossils and many rock formations were formed, God reasserted Noah’s authority over the creation, handing him as mankind’s representative to be a responsible carer for his creation, however now there would be fear in the hearts of the creatures, as they may now become food for mankind. This is what we birders experience, as do many of us when approaching our wildlife creatures.

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.

It is great when we can re establish a peaceful trust relationship with our birds and animals. Some of us have bird feeders to assist them through cold winters, and some like myself have bird baths to assist washing and watering the birds. The even greater experience comes now that the birds have come to know we care for them and mean them no harm, is that they will provide entertainment for my wife and I as we sit only a couple of feet away eating lunch as they dive, wash and shake. We have a smaller bath for small birds such as Noisy Miner and Grey Butcherbird and a large one next to it for larger birds such as Magpie and Currawong.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the change of seasons. We remain in drought, and pray for rain, as many farm communities run out of water, and we head into possibly the worse bushfire season on record. This has a huge impact on our trees and wildlife, where for the first time in Australia our rainforests are actually burning.

If this is your first visit to my blog and your interested in birding as a recreational pursuit, why not check out the rest of my birding website, starting with my Homepage. You may be looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your grandchild or child or nephew or nice. Why not check out my book What Birds Teach Us and purchase it securely here online. Ideal for children 7 to 12 years of age, and it will continue to encourage them to make good life choices throughout their lives.

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.

Waders Welcome Return – The Bar-tailed Godwit

Posted by aussiebirder on October 2, 2019
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Botany Bay, Fauna, migratory waders, National Parks, Nature, Nature reserve, Outings, Sydney, Uncategorized, waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , .

This week to my great delight and relief, my wader friends, the amazing Bar-tailed Godwit, have returned from Alaska again, and this time with a few more in the family making 13 in all. I found them on the Georges River mudflats on a beach where they usually are not found.

They flew off and I followed them to their usual beach, as the tide was quite low and there was plenty of area for them to forage on. It was late afternoon so there was significant yellowing due to pre-sunset light. They all looked healthy and good for their 16,000 km direct flight across the Pacific Ocean over their 8 day non stop flight. This Silver Gull liked getting in the photo also.

The mudflats are great for tiny mud crabs, and as the sand is wet and soft they can press their designer built beak well down to pull them out, sometimes with their entire head underwater.

The Bar-tails have a slightly upturned beak compared with the very straight beak of the Black-tailed Godwit, which we seldom see in these parts. The female is larger than the male, and they have all lost their breeding plumage, and ready for Summer in Australia. I could not detect any juveniles from their recent clutches, so they may stay till next season and make their first journey next year. Some appear to be 2nd year that may have made their first or second. 

I am looking forward to getting better pics when the tide and sun are coordinated better. The above pic is probably the better of the bunch. Something spooked the flock and they took off quickly to another beach across the bay. They will be back. I was starting to get very concerned when it reached the 1st of October, as these little guys are usually here by then. I am so happy to see them back again on their same beach.

 

Often people swim and fish and look for bait on the mudflats while this little tight knitted flock wonder about not far from the them. Interesting that most people using this beach no nothing about these birds or their amazing endurance journey they make twice a year some 32,000km. They just look like sea birds among the sea gulls and offer no great interest, as from a distance they are small and the beauty of their wing patterns are hidden beneath their wings, only revealed in flight. My friends and family notice my excitement every time I see them, and become suddenly amazed when they are told about my little wader friends. They attract little notice, and yet are one of the world’s most remarkable birds. There is a life lesson in this for me that it is not the loud, noisy and showy people that necessarily that have much to contribute, but often the quiet, humble and unassuming.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” – James 4:10

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” – James 4:6

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. 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.

 

Spring Rains bring Hope to All – Birding After Rain

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

Australian Reed-Warbler

Last week the Spring rains arrived bringing some reprieve to the long drought for coastal inhabitants. My wife and I decided to have a date and visit Bushell’s Lagoon and afterwards have fishnchips at Windsor. On arrival there were already several keen birders present looking for recent sightings of Latham’s Snipe and Baillon’s Crake. While the Snipe was not seen anywhere, the Crake was briefly, but eluded my camera, due to its very shy nature. Being Spring, the Australian Reed-Warbler’s were once again calling in the reeds which during the Winter months lay silent. They were all busily darting about, hunting for nesting material or food.

When the nest is established the Reed-Warbler become more invisible as they call from deep down among the new reed growth and only occasionally dart back and forth to nearby trees to procure food for the nest. The bird photographer waits patiently near the sound of their call for that special moment when they rise and clinging to a reed call to nearby Warblers.

The reason we hear them in Spring is similar to many other birds such as the Golden Whistler. When they find a mate and are nest building and raising a new clutch together, they become continuously very loud and vocal, calling to warn other Reed-Warblers that this is their territory and to stay clear of their nest.  Another sign of Spring was this pair of Cattle Egret starting to gain its orange breeding plumage (rear bird). 

This is their young 1st year Cattle Egret from the previous breeding season, note dark remaining markings on beak and neck.

immature Cattle Egret

The highlight of our visit was also to see the small flock of the very shy Yellow-billed Spoonbill of which we saw two grazing with a couple of Royal Spoonbill some distance across the lake.

Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Royal Spoonbill
Yellow-billed Spoonbill with Australian Swamphen
Yellow-billed Spoonbill with Australian Swamphen
Royal Spoonbill

There was some commotion in a nearby eucalypt tree when this tiny White-plumed Honeyeater was attacking a lone much larger Noisy Friarbird. Honeyeaters can be aggressive when competing for nectar, but in this case it may be that their is a nest nearby to protect.

Noisy Friarbird under attack
Noisy Friarbird

We later got much better shots of the Noisy Friarbird feeding on eucalypt blossom.

Noisy Friarbird

We did not see many Egrets there this visit as we usually see many, they and many other birds flew off when they sighted the Black-shouldered Kite hovering overhead. It was a treat watching it hover over its prey and slowly drop down to lower levels of hover.  

Sadly my video was too jerky for viewing, so I have added a previous clip.

We of course saw the usual White-faced Heron, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-necked Heron and Laughing Kookaburra, all one their own.

White-faced Heron
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
White-necked Heron
Laughing Kookaburra

There were sleeping Australian Pelican and Grey Teal in their flock groups, with sleeping Roayal Spoonbill among them.

We were delighted to find three Black-fronted Dotterel wandering about near the market garden. Our findings were a little disappointing, but it was good for us to get out and about together after a rainy week and have time out. Birding is good for getting you outside to catch a breath of fresh air and a bit of a walk, and for this we were thankful. My wife was also thankful for fishnchips and a walk through Windsor’s plaza area at all the unusual tourist shops, where she replenished our scented candles.

While I am still unemployed, and continue to get treatment for my heart condition, it has been a challenge for both my wife and I. However, God in his goodness and kindness has inspired me to use this time at home to not only be a house husband and take the load off my busy working wife, but to also write books. As many of you know, I have finished my second book ‘Flight of a Fledgling’ which is  in final stages of proof-reading . However, I have been also working on a much improved and larger 2nd Edition of my first book,‘What Birds Teach Us’, which is currently approaching its the finishing stages. I am hoping to them publish together. There has been a call to me from educators and counselors to produce a book that will help our youth in schools with the current issues they face. In response several additional birds have been added as well as more improved photos and a more attractive design. I will keep you posted, and it will be available here online also. My first book is almost sold out of print and will become unavailable very soon. But you can still purchase it here online here.

It has been difficult at times to not get worried about not working to earn an income, especially with my wife still working. God has comforted me knowing that this book writing is an important part of my life legacy to future generations, and that this season in life is meant to be as it is. It is good to have the comfort and peace of knowing that this is part of his plan for us and not to panic and look at it through the world’s eyes, but keep focused on his good and perfect will.

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2

“For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NET)

Have a wonderful week, whatever you do live a long and enjoyable life by adopting an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’.

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.

 

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: , , , , , , , , .

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

A Lifer Becomes the Star of the Party – Southern Star Finch

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

Southern Star Finch with yellow mutation.

It is difficult to believe, but true, when last Saturday afternoon, while celebrating the birthday of my step-daughter, a single small bird flew into a deciduous leafless tree in the backyard near where we were eating. My wife noted it in the afternoon sun and called me over. To our surprise and delight this Southern Star Finch turned out to be the fourth lifer in four weeks, and it came to us! My wife quickly got her camera clicking, as mine was home and these were some better of the few shots we took. The bird sat in the tree quite unperturbed by our presence and I was told that it returned the next day. What a gift! and we did not have to go on a birding expedition. It came to us!

 To top it off, this is also the yellow/mango mutation of the southern race which normally has a red face, and is very rare. This mutation is also known as a Budda Star Finch. There is also a grey and cinnamon faced mutation that occurs in the Star Finches.  Sadly, I received an email today from Birdlife Australia informing me that these birds are now classified as probably extinct due to loss of habitat from cattle overgrazing, restricting the grasses from seeding, as well as limiting the native varieties. The Southern race was only found on the east coast of Queensland and northern NSW, but now mostly restricted to a smaller region in Queensland. The Northern race is classified as Threatened and is found along the top end of Far northern Australia. Finches survive mainly on native grass seed and insects. 

On a day through the week I took my wife out on a birding date back to see the Australasian Bittern, which she was keen to see. There were already about five other birders looking for the bird and reported that one had flushed and flown a distance across the lake to their disappointment. These birds hide in the reeds and move so stealthily that they can be right next to you and you would never know till they take flight, as they are extremely shy of humans.  They are very difficult to detect due to their ability to move through the reeds and tall grass without even moving the surrounding reeds. See if you can find it in the third photo below?

The wonderful opportunity that afforded us on this occasion was that we actually got flight shots of the birds as they moved from one area of the wetlands to the other and back to the original area again, with us birders in hot pursuit. Click on photos to enlarge.

It is not hard to see why these birds are so difficult to locate in among the reeds. They are known for standing their necks upright as they survey their surrounds, appearing like part of the reeds. The vertical neck is all you would have seen in the previous photo if you succeeded in spotting the Bittern, as it is seen closer in the last photo below.

While we were watching the many other waterbirds including Egrets, Ibis and Heron, we also saw this cute Little Grassbird which we had not seen for a long while.

Of course if there are reeds present, and there are, the Australian Reed-Warbler will most likely be present with its loud call, and it was.

This Swamp Harrier is seen each day continually scanning the entire wetlands. There are several different raptor species seen frequently at Bushell’s Lagoon including Nankeen Kestrel and Black-shouldered Kite. The white marking at the top of the tail is a helpful  identification marker for this bird, as it was some distance away.

It has been an interesting journey for me the last month, at home writing my second book. My wife and I have enjoyed more quality time together and she has enjoyed having a home husband to look after the things at home she does not enjoy doing. We are a team and it is always helpful for us to remember that in a marriage there are three entities not two. The Husband, the Wife and the Marriage Relationship. This is what we share and bring to the table when we discuss our relationship, which we have an agreement today every 3rd of each month, which is our anniversary date for our wedding. It is good for us, even in our mature years to ask each other ” How are going in our marriage? What do we change or do better?

“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” – Romans 12:10

 “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  – Ephesians 5:15

Have a wonderful week and stay warm, Winter has hit the eats coast with its mighty force yesterday, and the birds have run for cover, though the warble of the worshiping magpies in the torrential rain and wind continues regardless from the TV antenna outside my window as I write. What a blessing!

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.