It’s extraordinary what you encounter on a short five minute stroll around our block and the neighbouring estate.
Enjoy!
Eastern Spinebill on Grevillea #1
Southern Boobook, Wyndham Street Newstead, 12th June 2017
Male Common Bronzewing
Pied Currawong feeding on a privet
Red Wattlebird
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo plundering Gen and Geordie’s olives!
Eastern Spinebill on Grevillea #2
Posted in Bird observations, Honeyeaters, Migrants, The Home Garden
This Yellow-faced Honeyeater dallied momentarily in the garden at the weekend. They are a beautiful bird when observed at close quarters.
Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Wyndham Street Newstead, 11th June 2017
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Posted in Bird observations, Honeyeaters, The Home Garden
Recently I was given a special gift, a copy of the Australian Bird Guide, a marvellous new handbook/field guide written by Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers and Rohan Clarke, and beautifully illustrated by Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack and Kim Franklin.
I’ve been dipping into the book most days and enjoyed the descriptive notes and illustrations of my local birds. It was only today when reading the entry on the White-eared Honeyeater, having seen a couple that afternoon on Demo Track, that I discovered the taxonomists have been busy! This species has, for as long as I can remember, gone by the scientific name Lichenostomus leucotis. It is now Nesoptilotis leucotis. The genus Lichenostomus has undergone a significant revision, having been split into a series of new genera – Nesoptilotis, Ptilotula, Gavicalis, Stomiopera, Caligavis and Bolemoreus, with two species (Yellow-tufted and Purple-gaped Honetyeater) remaining in the now greatly diminished Lichenostomus. It’s going to take me a while to come to terms with these new monikers.
The White-eared Honeyeater remains a striking bird nonetheless. A winter migrant to this part of the box-ironbark, it can be found year round not far south around Yandoit. Its distinctive and loud ‘chwok, chwok, chwok’ calls ring for quite some distance on a still day and clearly announce its presence.
White-eared Honeyeater, Demo Track, 11th June 2017
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Click here to read a review of the Australian Bird Guide at one of my favourite birding blogs, The Grip.
The home garden is proving a boon for small birds at the moment.
A variety of native trees and shrubs are attracting a bevy of honeyeaters in particular – Eastern Spinebills, Yellow-faced, Brown-headed, White-naped, Fuscous and New Holland Honeyeaters are all enjoying the spoils.
Eastern Spinebill on Bushy Needlewood, Wyndham Street Newstead, 10th June 2017
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Fuscous Honeyeater on Pin-cushion Hakea
White-naped Honeyeater on Yellow Gum
Feeding on both nectar and insects
Posted in Bird observations, Honeyeaters, The Home Garden
When the sun is shining at this time of year the late afternoon light can be exquisite. At these times some of my garden favourites really come to the fore.
Brown-headed and White-naped Honeyeaters, Wyndham Street Newstead, 2nd June 2017
Eastern Silvereye
Female Spotted Pardalote
Male Spotted Pardalote
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Posted in Bird observations, Honeyeaters, The Home Garden
This set is from an interlude on Mia Mia Road at the weekend.
Despite the grey, overcast conditions the birds were especially active around a patch of Blackberries and Sweet Briar … common woodland birds don’t read the script about the importance of habitat quality I’m afraid!
Also spotted but not photographed were: Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Red-browed Firetail, Grey Currawong and Grey Fantail.
New Holland Honeyeater, Mia Mia Road, 20th May 2017
White-naped Honeyeater
Welcome Swallow
Yellow-tufted Honeyeater
I try to snatch a few minutes every day to sit quietly on the front verandah and enjoy the passing parade of birds. Earlier this week the selection below made visits to the bird bath as I observed from a few metres away. In the distance I could hear the plaintive calls of a Black-eared Cuckoo … no doubt heading north for the winter.
Ah … the serenity!
Crimson Rosella, Wyndham Street Newstead, 17th April 2017
Male (in eclipse) Superb Fairy-wren
White-plumed Honeyeater
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Yellow Thornbill
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Posted in Bird observations, Honeyeaters, The Home Garden
