A Few Birds Around My Coles Creek Property

Over the last month I haven't had many opportunities to get out and do much bird watching at all. Not even around my own property. Work and the farm have been keeping me very busy plus I have had a lot of family visiting of late.

I have probably been bird watching only 2 or 3 times for short periods over the last 5 weeks or so. One of the outings on the property I focussed on the Spectacled Monarch. Here are a few of the shots that I have managed to get over the last month or more.

I often get brief glimpses of the Nankeen Night Herons around the property but I haven't photographed them here before. This one showed quite well but the quality of the shots isn't what I had hoped for. It was a long way from me when all these shots were taken.

Nankeen Night Heron

The same Nankeen Night Heron



The Nankeen Night Heron again

The Nankeen Night Heron was close to the top of one of the highest trees on the property

Heaps of Golden Whistlers have been seen on the property when I have got out to have a look. Heaps more females have been seen lately compared to males. Usually the males are more obvious and sighted more. Nearly every female I have sighted over the last month or so has a caterpillar in its mouth too.

Female Golden Whistler

I have attempted to obtain decent photos of the Spectacled Monarchs on the property a few times before. For the first time I had a couple that came down very close to me. These are the best photos and the closest I have ever been to these birds.

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch in the lantana

While I was photographing the Spectacled Monarchs I had a few Little Shrike-thrushes come in as well. They also landed very close to me, which allowed me to obtain some decent shots.





Little Shrike-thrush

Another Little Shrike-thrush

Spectacled Monarch

Another Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch again

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch displaying

Spectacled Monarch

The Spectacled Monarch watching me

A few minutes after leaving the area where the Spectacled Monarchs were an antechinus ran out from the grass, across the big track and up a tree on the other side. They are common here some of the time, but I have never seen one moving around during the day.

An Antechinus

Just around the corner we saw a few more female Golden Whistlers with caterpillars. This is one of the most common sights involving birds over the last month or more, female Golden Whistlers with a caterpillar their mouth.

Female Golden Whistler

This is a bird that arrived a few days after the Channel-billed Cuckoos. Both of these birds arrived about three to four weeks ago. The Channel-billed Cuckoos are a regular here this time of year but are not approachable, so I'm yet to obtain a decent photo of them on the property. This is the first time in the three years I have lived at the property that I have seen or heard the Pallid Cuckoo. The day it arrived I knew it was a bird that I hadn't seen before. I have seen or heard it everyday since it arrived. A very distinct sound. The chickens were unsure to begin with as well. In flight it looks a lot like a bird of prey and it comes in and lands on the ground, which freaked out the free roaming poultry for a few weeks.

Pallid Cuckoo with a type of hairy caterpillar

Pallid Cuckoo (Down the hatch with that caterpillar)

The Pallid Cuckoo with another hairy caterpillar

The Pallid Cuckoo again

The main roosting treet for the Pallid Cuckoo

Australian White Ibis and Straw necked Ibis often fly over the property in large numbers in formation. Often many smaller groups will fly in formation following each other.

Australian White Ibis flying in formation

The Mistletoebirds can be seen and heard in large numbers again now the mistletoe is in flower again. This is the only photo I have taken since they have all arrived. I apologise for the quality!!

A female Mistletoebird

Another summer visitor is the Dollarbird. They arrived about two weeks ago. The first one that I hear and see every year and the main place they are found is around the big dead tree near the main dam. As usual they perch at the top which makes it very difficult to obtain a good photo. This is one of the tallest trees on the property.

A Dollarbird

 

 

 

More updates and pics coming soon.

 

If you're interested in my blog check out my site below by clicking on the link.

Australian Birds Photography: KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY  

Birds of Coles Creek and Cooroy

This week I went on a few birdwatching trips. One was late Sunday afternoon after the rain on my property and the other was to the Cooroy Waste Water Treatment Plant. I had never considered going there but after seeing the post by Greg Roberts last week I couldn't resist going to have a look for myself, as I have been after photos of a few of those birds for a long time.

The first photos are from my property at Coles Creek. There were all the usual birds, probably about 60+ species. I got a few photos of some of the different species from the property that I didn't include in my last post. All of these birds were in high numbers on this outing.

Lewin's Honeyeater

Brown Cuckoo-Dove

There were about 40 Brown Cuckoo-Doves out which is more than usual and the majority of them were eating the berries off the wild tobacco plants. I deliberately left all these plants on the property as it provides food for these birds and many other during the year especially the Channel-billed Cuckoos.

Male Restless Flycatcher

As usual these birds are nearly always at the highest point in a tree. Easy to spot and hear but much harder to photograph easily.

Male Red-backed Fairy-wren

Male Mistletoebird

Male Mistletoebird attaching droppings to a branch

I knew that Mistletoebirds attach their droppings to a branch so the mistletoe can spread, but I have never witnessed this until this outing.

Laughing Kookaburra

All the following photos were taken at the Cooroy Waste Water Treatment Plant. A word of warning though. Before you enter ensure that you ring Unity Water to notify them that you are coming. Before you enter for the first time you have to do a brief induction for safety and ensure that you sign the register upon entering and leaving the facility. I was unaware of all of this and just as I was leaving I had a Unity Water employee screaming down in his ute to give me a bit of an earful. My fault I suppose but ensure that you follow protocol to ensure you don't get in trouble or even fined.

The water birds here are very numerous. The most common species that were sighted included Buff-banded Rails, Purple Swamphens, Dusky Moorhens, Latham's Snipes, Pacific Black Ducks, White-faced Herons, Intermediate Egrets, Australian Wood Ducks, Hardheads and Grey Teals. All of these were in large numbers on the day I went from my observations. Many other species were also seen. In the bushland that surrounds the ponds a large number of species can also be seen. There would have been over 70 species that I observed or heard calling. The one I was most surprised about was hearing multiple Green Catbirds calling out down near the creek.

The water birds here are not very cooperative to photograph because as soon as you approach, they hide in the reeds or take flight, especially the Latham's Snipes!

Pacific Black Ducks

Buff-banded Rail

Latham's Snipe

Australian Grebe

Chestnut-breasted Mannikins

Male Variegated Fairy-wren

White-faced Heron

Tawny Grassbird

Female Australasian Figbird

Pacific Black Duck ducklings escaping the big bad photographer

Spangled Drongo

Pair of Wandering Whistling-Ducks

Willie Wagtail

Intermediate Egret

Purple Swamphen

Grey Teals
 

More updates and pics each week.

If you're interested in my blog check out my site below by clicking on the link.

Australian Birds KEUNEA PHOTOGRAPHY