Jackwin 777: Restless Flycatcher

Showing posts with label Restless Flycatcher. Show all posts

Wednesday, 7 June 2017

Invasion of South Australia 03

Days 06-08

Whyalla Conservation Park, Lake Gillies, Venus Bay, Middleback Road

After a second night of leaving money behind at the Lyndhurst Hotel, Motel, Caravan and Camping Park, we headed south through Port Augusta to the Whyalla Conservation Park and quickly found both Slender-billed Thornbill and Western Grasswren. The GW was "baled up" for a short time in a large, prickly acacia and gave excellent views but "reduced" photo opportunities.

Western Grasswren Amytornis textilis

From there we headed west to Lake Gilles near Kimba. The next morning we saw lots. Blue-breasted, Variegated and Splendid Fairy-wrens can be an identification challenge. To say the least. When the males are in eclipse plumage, these are best differentiated on the female plumage. There were several detailed conversations as to the ID of specific birds seen. The knowledge of Phil, Dan, Tim and Owen supplemented by Alison, Pete, David, Angus Brad and Matt was amazing to observe and was equivalent to having a portable new Australian Bird Guide by your elbow. Better actually, as the first four were a walking Shazam for Australian birds. I have no images of FWs, Light too dark; Birds too fast. Western Yellow Robin was another lifer bird for me. But no Copper-backed Quail-thrush.

Splendid Fairy-wren, female Malurus splendens

Western Yellow Robin Eopsaltria griseogularis

Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta

After lunch, the group split as nine of us went further west for 200km to see Chuckles and the others went east to get home a tad early or look in other locations. Chuckles is much better dressed than on my previous visit. He is currently being "managed" by site 55 who gather fish off cuts from the cleaning benches and feed him, on the wing, when birders come. He is very well trained.

Laughing Gull, Chuckles Leucophaeus atricilla

There were plenty of other birds at Venus Bay including this South Australian form of the Pacific Gull, photographed on a caravan roof. It has a white eye and sharp lores.

Pacific Gull Larus pacificus georgii

After being hit by a Tawny Frogmouth on the way east, we camped somewhere in Middleback Range and then made our way first thing to search for the Copper-backed Quail-Thrush. Owen and David had seen a flock the previous day and gave us a GPS reference plus additional information including the fact that it was on a slight curve and they had left a rock on the top of posts on each side of the road and a V-can as well. As we approached the curve we saw the posts with rocks and slowed down further except Phil suddenly yells, "Bird. Bird. Copper-backed QT. There. By the post. Stop. Stop!!". And there they were. Exactly to the centimetre where the others said they would be. Amazing. A short chase into the bush found a family of 8 or so who soon settled down and let us have a really good look and take many photographs. Woo-hoo. My camera battery went flat. Boo-hoo.

Copper-backed Quail-thrush Cinclosoma clarum

Wednesday, 26 April 2017

Broome Roadtrip 09

One of the very special birds of the Stirling Range is Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo. They weren't hard to find. They flew past the Retreat each evening and I found the ones below in a bunch of trees on the corner of Chester Pass Road and Formby South Road just a few kilometres south of the Stirling Range Retreat.

Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus latirostris

Purple-crowned Lorikeet

Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta

Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus entering nest hole

Sunday, 31 January 2016

Bird Nerds in Queensland 11

Once Ethan was back, we hit the birding with a vengeance. Ethan suggested that we needed to be at Lake Macdonald at dawn i.e. 5am non-daylight-saving-Queensland time. "That is fine by me", I replied, "But that means getting up at 4.20am". Was that alright by him? "Fine", was the reply. So at 4.20am I was quietly knocking on his door to awaken him but not the other two. He duly appeared just a few minutes later raring for the off. We took breakfast with us and away we went. As we turned off the Bruce Highway, we spotted a bird on top of a lighting pole. It was a Peregrine Falcon!! What a great start to the day. Next was Lake Macdonald and, as we were pulling up, the first birds we saw were a Willie Wagtail having a stoush with a Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta.

The next birds we saw were Australian White Ibis, Straw-necked Ibis and, yes, one Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Life tick for both of us. It was a fair way away so just a confirmatory ID image.

We weren't in the bird hide more than a few minutes when a Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii wandered past right in front of the hide. Doesn't get much better Avithera. Aren't they just a great bird.

Then the usual parade of Comb-crested Jacana Irediparra gallinacea with both an adult in breeding plumage [first image] and a pair of immatures [second image]. The non-breeding CCJ has no comb, a rufous cap and a black stripe running down the back of each side of the neck joining as a band on the chest. Quite similar to the immatures in the second image.

After breakfast we tootled off to Wappa Dam. Here Ethan ticked a Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirudinaceum, we both ticked a Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris, and a totally unexpected Barred Cuckoo-shrike Coracina lineata. The Barred Cuckoo-shrike was pretty special indeed. Ethan has learnt very quickly that when he sees a bird he doesn't know, he takes quick note of its salient features. Recourse to the guides in the car plus the backup of the camera soon gave us the ID.

female Cicadabird

What a great day. Magic. f5.6, t1250 and be there!

Saturday, 23 January 2016

Bird Nerd visits Queensland 07

Wappa Dam is one of Brisbane's water catchment dams about 100km northwest of Brisbane itself. It was recommended as a good birding site but when I got there, it did seem a bit "just a large body of water"-ish with a picnic area. How looks deceive [although only two waterbirds].