Rainstorm

The eastern states of Australia have seen a succession of thunderstorms, rain and even snow the past week. These pictures capture some of a group of birds utilising a particularly heavy thunder and rainstorm to take a bath. After fluttering and sliding in the rain across the topmost leaves of a large Pittosporum tree they settled down to finish their clean up.

A Rainbow Lorikeet completing it’s toilet.

A young Little Wattlebird (right) gets some tutoring on good hygiene from a parent (on the left).

In addition to this Satin Bowerbird the bathers included Lewin’s Honeyeaters and a Common Koel.

Tawny Frogmouths

The Tawny Frogmouth is an enigmatic bird of the night, difficult to find in daytime, typically well camouflaged amongst the branches of a tree, imitating a broken tree branch or loose piece of bark. There are three species of Frogmouth in Australia, the Tawny Frogmouth (50 cm) seen Australia wide, the huge Papuan Frogmouth (60 cm) seen in Cape York and the Marbled Frogmouth (46 cm) seen in the very north and the south east corner of Queensland.

This female Tawny Frogmouth is roosting close to the nest where her partner sits with two young chicks, not far from Sydney’s busy Oxford street in Centennial Park.

Frogmouths eat insects, spiders and frogs and even small birds and mammals. They tend to nest in the same area over a number of years. In Sydney’s Centennial Park there are three pairs nesting at the moment.

The male bird supervises the two restless chicks. Tawny Frogmouth nests are flimsy and look quite precarious as the chicks get larger. This pair have chosen a medium sized Malaleuca tree for their nest.

Another family of Tawny Frogmouths in Sydney’s Centennial Park. The chicks are older and have left their nest.

This Tawny Frogmouth nest is anchored by a single pine cone, wedged between two branches of a pine tree.

More Sydney Olympic Park Photos

The 300 hectares of bushland and waterways of Sydney Olympic Park demonstrate how nature can be nurtured even in the middle of a sprawling city. In addition to the waterbirds there are many birds of the bush and grassland, for a grand total of over 200 bird species in the park.

This juvenile male Superb Fairy-wren sports an unusual and beautiful livery, soon to change to the spectacular blue coat of the adult male Fairy-wren.

Red-rumped Parrots are often associated with the open farmlands of the west, but are here quite at home in the fields of Sydney Olympic Park. The dozen or so nest boxes provided for them at the Archery Centre are well used. Last week I counted eight birds in just a few minutes.

This Olive-backed Oriole was singing for quite a while before being spotted and photographed in the mangroves on the shores of Homebush Bay.

At the Waterbird Refuge this young Common Koel was calling for its foster parent, a Red Wattlebird waiting nearby. Unfortunate Red Wattlebirds are often selected by Koels to host their offspring.

An Australian Raven feeding down on the salt marsh of the Badu Mangroves, on the eastern side of Sydney Olympic Park. There appeared more than adequate food available for the group of five feeding.

The Waterbird Refuge at Sydney Olympic Park

Located on the shore of Homebush Bay, the Waterbird Refuge at Sydney’s Olympic Park is home to hundreds of waterbirds. One sees Chestnut Teal ducks, Grey Teal ducks, Pacific Black Ducks, Black-winged Stilts and Red-necked Avocet in large numbers, along with Black Swans, Pelicans, Royal Spoonbills, Black-fronted Dotterel and various Egrets. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers and Bar-tailed Godwits are seasonal visitors.

There were over 100 Red-necked Avocet on the Wildlife Refuge last week. But numbers of ducks of all species were lower than normal.

Striated Heron are often seen in the Homebush Bay mangroves, just outside of the Waterbird Refuge.

There were a number of Black-winged Stilts nesting and chicks feeding at the water’s edge.

This Black-winged Stilt was keeping close to its chick seen in the photo above.

There were about twenty Chestnut Teal in the Wildlife Refuge but this pair was seen from the bridge across Haslams creek.

More Centennial Park Photos

Another pleasant morning taking photos in the park. Always something new to see and subjects that are not easily disturbed by people, dogs or photographers.

Grey Teal Ducks seem attracted to the Musgrave Pond, a relatively small pond at the Queen’s Park end of Centennial Park. There are often Chestnut Teals here as well.

A group of Crested Pigeons was congregating close to the Ian Potter Children’s Wild Play Garden, currently closed down because of Covid.

A Dusky Moorhen, also on the Musgrave Pond in Centennial Park.

New arrivals at Centennial Park

During this long lockdown in Sydney’s eastern suburbs we are fortunate to have Centennial Park nearby. Despite record numbers of people taking their daily exercise, the birds carry on as normal. As spring arrives so do Olive-backed Orioles, Figbirds, Channel Billed Cuckoos and Common Koels which have all been sighted in the park. A number of the regular inhabitants are raising families.

At the Willow Pond Black Swans have successfully raised a family of five, three of whom are seen here.

This photo illustrates the attentive parenting that has ensured the survival of all five chicks against predation by foxes, cats and ravens

In the Lachlan Swamp Malaleuca Forest the resident Tawny Frogmouths are nesting again. A single chick has been sighted to date. The female pictured here rests close to where the male is sitting on the nest.

A Powerful Owl family has successfully raised two chicks, the four family members still roosting close to the nest during the day.

Sydney lockdown birds

Birding watching at this time consists of glimpses while “exercising” in Centennial Park, Sydney and fleeting views from the window - now in the sixth week of lockdown here in Sydney. On the positive side it is time to learn new photo processing skills. There are some interesting changes to Adobe Lightroom including more flexible colour control across shadows, midtones and highlights. Also AI assisted “magnification” of images that is said to give better quality large pictures and prints.

Spotted Turtle-dove graces a Paddington, Sydney rooftop. Lightroom’s new colour wheels helped capture the unusual sunset lighting.

A Pied Currawong eyes off the possibilities of the garden from the back gate.

South Coast NSW pictures

South Coast bird photos from a few weeks ago, posted from locked down Sydney town.

Laughing Kookaburra perches on a stump burnt out in the New Year 2019/2020 fires.

Quite a few Galahs around.

And there have been more Spotted Pardalotes around this year, sometimes in flocks of over a dozen.

Rainbow Lorikeet disease

Rainbow Lorikeets may be called rats of the sky by their detractors but no-one could deny that their beautiful colours and cheerful shrieks make them one of the brightest and very welcome visitors to our gardens.

On New South Wales’ South Coast we have seen an unusual number of sick and dead Rainbow Lorikeets over the past two months. The local Wires team report that the sick birds brought to their care have died quickly after arrival – no known treatment and no real diagnosis.

This Rainbow Lorikeet was behaving strangely, staying put as I approached. Sadly I had already found two dead lorikeets on the block where this photo was taken.

It may be a condition that has been seen up in Queensland? Bird expert Darryl Jones at Griffith University says that lorikeet paralysis syndrome (also called clenched-foot syndrome) is prevalent around Brisbane this year. Clenched-foot syndrome prevents birds from perching and flying, resulting in a rapid deterioration of the bird.     

Beach-side survey sites

A bird survey by the sea last week had some unexpected visitors. A group of Australian Fur Seals basking close to the rocks and then Humpback Whales on their trip north.

At first glance it looked like seaweed dancing in the waves - but it was a group of twelve or more seals - close to the rocks on this South Coast NSW beach.

The Australian Museum identified the photos as Australian Fur Seals and said that they were actually cooling off by raising their fins in the air - their fins have blood vessels close to the surface forming useful heat-exchangers.

Two (or more) Humpback Whales pass close to the beach on their way north to warmer waters.

This young Australasian Gannet flew over while I was taking the seal photos.

How the Butcherbird got its name

Butcherbirds are known for their melodic song, the Pied Butcherbird has one of the most beautiful bird songs you will hear in the Australian bush. The Grey Butcherbird is not far behind with its distinctive song.

But Butcherbirds are named for their “very basic” behaviour. They feed on lizards, insects, and small birds, caught on the ground and sometimes on the wing. They eat, then store uneaten food, choosing a fork or branch to impale their prey, in the manner that butchers used to hang meat in the old time butcher shop.   

This Grey Butcherbird is looking for somewhere to hang a part consumed lizard.

It has another snack already safely stored nearby, hanging from the fork of a tree.

Birdlife Shoalhaven Bushfire Research Report

Birdlife Shoalhaven is monitoring the after effects of the devastating Currawon bushfire on the New South Wales South Coast. They have just released their 2020 report.

A typical scene as the bush recovers from the fire seventeen months earlier. This White-throated Treecreeper reaches the truncated top of the fire affected tree it has been feeding on.

The long-term aim of the project is to examine changes in bird species richness and abundance in the Shoalhaven in the post-fire period. The report analyses changes at 115 survey sites within the fire footprint and 52 sites outside the fire footprint as a comparison. They use BirdLife’s Birdata 20 minute, 2 hectare survey technique to survey bird species and numbers.

They found that bird numbers and species numbers increased on average during the year across lightly to heavily burnt sites and the recovery in numbers of birds was greater in lightly burnt areas. Outside of the fire footprint the number of species did not change significantly but bird numbers actually decreased through the year, perhaps as birds moved back into recovering burnt areas?

The small peninsular at Dee Beach near Bendalong on the New South Wales south coast was heavily burnt and the soil was barren after the fire. This photo was taken last April 2020, four months after the fire.

The same area in May 2021, another year and one month later. A head high swathe of acacia and eucalypts now forms an impenetrable cover, a happy hunting ground for insect eating birds.

While the detailed picture is very complicated there is no doubt that the heavier rains of the last year have helped the recovery of the birds. And that more research on this critical issue is badly needed. If there had been better baseline data from before the fires this would have provided a better picture of the fires effect. Birdlife Shoalhaven are to be congratulated on undertaking this important project.

The recovery is very different at the Walter Hood Beach survey site. Other than a handful of Banksias at the beach edge, the trees are all dead and the green cover beneath them is less than a metre high. There were no birds on this site when it was last surveyed.

Winter visitors to the New South Wales South Coast

Winter brings big changes to the birds of the New South Wales South Coast. The Cuckoos have long left, in March and April, flying north to as far as Papua New Guinea. The migratory waders have left too, for their long journey to the northern hemisphere breeding grounds. Honeyeaters head north to warmer climes, forming large flocks that can be seen flying over Sydney and swooping through the passes of the Blue Mountains. Other birds arrive; Robins leave the mountains of the great divide and head to the more temperate coast. Other birds migrate north from as far south as Tasmania.

This winter visitor from the mountains, the Rose Robin, was only 10 metres from the beach on the NSW South Coast. It was taking advantage of insects in the acacias and eucalypts now flourishing in some burnt out areas.

Also visiting for the winter, the Tasmanian Silvereye (race Zosterops lateralis lateralis) can be distinguished from the local Silvereye race by its cinnamon flanks and it mid blue-grey back.

Not all the honeyeaters fly north as this Yellow-faced Honeyeater can attest. But this usually very common bird becomes quite scarce as most of its kind have left the south coast during June and July.

Sydney parks

Photos taken over the last few weeks in Sydney’s parks.

Brown Quail at Centennial Park, Sydney

Spangled Drongo photographed at Randwick Environment Park, Sydney

Superb Fairy-wren at Sydney Park in Sydney

Little Pied Cormorant at the Duck Pond in Centennial Park, Sydney

Powerful Owl with possum at Centennial Park, Sydney

Raptors in the city

The sight and sound of over one hundred Little Corellas rising together as one is a sure sign that some danger is present. This time in Centennial Park, Sydney it is a Brown Goshawk that is stirring up the park’s inhabitants.

A Brown Goshawk is on the chase at Sydney’s Centennial Park. Brown Goshawks are seen quite often in the city’s Eastern Suburbs.

It is a good question as to who is chasing who. Currawongs and Ravens were protesting the Goshawk’s presence while these Rainbow Lorikeets pass quickly by.

Taronga Zoo in Sydney

Taronga Zoo in Sydney enjoys a magnificent harbourside setting and provides a green haven for 350 species of animal. It is Australia’s largest zoo, established in 1906 on the 28 hectare site. For people interested in birds it is a chance to see rare species. The walk-through aviaries: the Australian Rainforest Aviary, Blue Mountain Bushwalk and Rainforest Trail, are all excellent places to take close up photos, although high ISO settings are needed for the often low light.

This Superb Fruit-Dove was in the Rainforest Trail aviary, together with Wompoo Fruit-Doves, Double-eyed Fig-Parrots and a number of birds from other lands. Picture taken at 1/125 second, f /5.0, ISO 2000 at 240 mm with the Canon EF 100-400 IS II USM lens.

Sydney Harbour provides the backdrop for the wonderful Free-Flight Bird Show and this Barn Owl poses against the city buildings across the harbour. A highlight of the show is the flight of the Andean Condor, soaring close above the heads of the audience.

Another Bird Show participant, the Black-breasted Buzzard, demonstrates how to break an egg with a stone - a technique used by Buzzards in the wild.

The zoo has a small group of Fiordland Penguins consisting of injured birds that have been brought to the zoo. These regular visitors to Australia breed in Fiordland, New Zealand.

Musk Lorikeets

Musk Lorikeets range across the south-east corner of Australia and are regular Autumn visitors to Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. They are usually feeding high in flowering eucalypts or malaleucas and the height combined with their rapid movement makes them difficult subjects to photograph.

These Musk Lorrikeets were photographed at Frog Hollow in Centennial Park, Sydney last week, feeding on flowering eucaplyts.

The Musk Lorikeets stay high at the very top of the canopy, perhaps thus avoiding competition with the more aggressive Rainbow Lorikeets feeding lower on the same trees.

Musk Lorikeet at Frog Hollow in Centennial Park, captured in a rare moment of repose.

Australian birds and climate change

This week’s BirdingNSW club meeting featured a presentation on this subject by Janet Gardner from the Australian National University. Janet and her team have been studying the effect of increasing heat on a community of Jacky Winters in the arid Mallee country, north east of Adelaide, South Australia.

This study from 2019 – 2020 covered some of the hottest conditions ever recorded in the Mallee. Birds normally have a body temperature around 40 degrees Celsius. As the temperature rises they attempt to cool themselves, first by opening their wings and seeking out the breeze and other cool air. As the temperature rises further they begin to pant, cooling through evaporation of precious water. In the study some birds found shade amongst the roots of mature Mallee eucaplypts.

Jack Winters get all their moisture from their insect food and need to rehydrate as soon as the temperature goes down again. Sadly, temperatures above 45 degrees Celsius, with some as high as 49 degrees, took their toll on the young and a proportion of the adult birds. Alarmingly, the number of days with these high temperatures has risen rapidly over the past fifty year. Australian birds, living in one of the hottest and driest continents, face serious challenges as temperatures rise in coming years.

This Jacky Winter, enjoying a cool 25 degrees Celsius. As temperatures rise they fluff their feathers to make the most of the breeze, then raise their wings to cool beneath. They will start to pant at over 40 degrees.

Wingham Brush Nature Reserve

Wingham Brush Nature Reserve is a spectacular 9 hectare sample of the subtropical lowland forest that once covered much of the Manning River valley. A tangle of towering Moreton Bay figs and vines the undergrowth features rarities like the giant stinging tree. Located on a town block in Wingham in the Manning Valley NSW, this well looked after reserve with its boardwalks is refuge for a large range of birds and home for Grey-headed Flying Foxes. 

This small patch of bush, dominated by giant Moreton Bay figs, is looking healthy despite the recent years of drought, perhaps benefiting from its proximity to the Manning River.

The reserve was at one time logged for red cedar and by 1980 was badly infested with weeds. Through the efforts of the Wingham Brush regeneration team the rainforest has returned to a natural state. The pioneering methods used to do this are now recognized internationally as the “The Wingham Brush method”.

Thousands of bats roost in the reserve; predominantly the Grey-headed Flying Fox (pictured) but also the rarer Little Red and Black Flying Fox.

The Russet-tailed Thrush is found in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest of eastern Australia. It is distinguished from its cousin, the Bassian Thrush by the larger white tip on its outermost tail feathers (not really visible here), its shorter tail and the more coppery colouration of its back.

Persons unknown evidently introduced the Australian Brush-turkey to this site and it has flourished in the healthy bush environment.

Manning Valley Birds

Our stay in the Manning Valley was in a bungalow at “Mansefield on Manning” just west of Taree, NSW at Tinonee. The 18 hectare park-like grounds have tall gum trees, patches of denser trees, an orchard and large vegetable garden bounded by a small wetland on one side and the Manning River on the other. I counted over 50 bird species on the property itself ranging from Yellow Thornbills and Scarlet Honeyeaters to King Parrots, Brown Quail, Spangled Drongo, Wedge-tailed Eagles and Australian Pelican. The cabins are well separated around the property and there was a serenade from Pied Butcherbirds each morning.    

This Spangled Drongo was seen each day at our bungalow at “Mansefield on Manning”, Tinonee, NSW.

And this Brown Quail was seen from the deck in long grass under a nearby tree. There was a group of four Quails that were later seen crossing the road into the site.

One of a family group of Australian King-Parrots.

This Black-fronted Dotterel was keeping very clean in the mud in a roadside pond near Coopernook in the Manning Valley, NSW. A week later this same area was under water, blocking the highway for three days.

Female Regent Bowerbird at Saltwater National Park near the mouth of the Manning River, NSW.