Sunday, August 22, 2010

A Big Country! Part 2

We spent an unexpected rest day at Mitchell when it rained quite heavily over-night and also the next morning. We just couldn't see how we could keep everything dry while we were packing. I spent a very frustrating morning watching little birds that I did not know and couldn't ID fluttering by the tent annex while it was just too wet to get out my bird books and definitely too wet to get out my camera! The only birds that stayed around in the afternoon were these Superb Fairy-Wrens (Malurus cyaneus). I frequently saw these birds when I lived in NSW but had no photos of them. These ones fluttered around in the longer grass next to the mown areas of the park but- like all wrens - didn't sit still for longer than a few seconds. The male is the lovely bright blue color and the female the brown color.Now, just a few words to those more knowledgeable birders who may be expecting all the wonderful rarities from out in this part of the country! All the birds out here were new to me so they were all exciting! I photographed the more common ones just as happily as I did the rarer ones.
Although it is a very big county out this way it was surprising how we kept meeting people who knew people that we knew! The managers at the park at Mitchell were New Zealanders and the lady had grown up in the same little town (Kaitaia) where we lived when we were younger. Then later in the day another lady came walking by and she said that she knows both Duncan at Ben Cruachan and also Gouldiae and goes out on their birding outings. She said if I looked hard enough I would see her in some of their photos!

Part 3 coming soon! - the wildflowers blooming in the Quilpie area.

For more great bird photos from across the world visit the Bird Photography Weekly.

25 comments:

  1. Great photos and we look forward to the wildflowers and more birds.

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  2. Thanks Neil, lots more to come!

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  3. Always lovely to have those blues!

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  4. Thanks Tony, they do make beautiful photos.

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  5. Well the Superb Fairy-wrens are certainly well named Mick! And these are superb photos of them!

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  6. Hi Mick
    Just catching up on your trip.
    Looks good.
    Nice Superb Fairy-wrens.
    Loved the scenic shots of the Darling Downs.
    Denis

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  7. Ya done good getting the wrens. They're so hyperactive.

    Looking forward to the next instalment.

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  8. It is wonderful to visit new places for birding. Great shots of the cute fairy-wrens. Sounds like you had a great day.

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  9. Hi Denis, Snail, and Eileen, thanks for commenting. The distant views out that way were great - so much space! - and then most of the population is packed into the - by contrast - small coastal strip!

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  10. oh wow - you have a wonderful photo of the Fairy-wren - I only managed to get a real blurry one, but I could still ID it :-)

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  11. Hi Dreamfalcon - I walked around for a long time trying to find a bird that would sit still for long enough to have its photo taken!

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  12. I like that philosophy Mick "All birds are good, rare or not". Try telling that to some of the plonkers on the UK scene.

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  13. What a beautiful blue bird! Is that a hoverfly or other insect on its right side? I just got stung by a bee outside about 10 minutes ago, so I'm on the lookout for yellow and black stripes.

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  14. Hi Phil, I get pleasure from watching all the birds - and it's even better when I get good photos of them! Not everyone's idea of birding I know - but it does for me!

    Hi Mike, the little male blue wren has brown feathers on its side and I think that is what you are seeing. I just didn't get a good clear photo of it side-on.

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  15. Nice shots of the Fairy-Wrens. Hopefully you will get a second chance to photo the ones that got away!

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  16. Too bad about the rain, but the Fairy-wrens pretty much made up for it. Waiting for more photos from you, Mick.

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  17. Thanks for commenting Alan and Bob. You're right Bob - I wouldn't have had those photos without the rain holding us up!

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  18. Wow, beautiful Superb Fairy-wrens and the photos to prove it!

    Awesome captures Mick!

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  19. Thanks for commenting BirdingMaine

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  20. Awwww... these little guys are so cute!

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  21. You know that I love all the ones you show us, they are all new to me anyway :)
    And I hear you on the frustration part.
    I am trying to ID one little critter since 5 weeks now, but he keeps eluding me. It positively is a warbler, but is it an Upcher's or an Olivaceous,.... who knows *sigh* and another one who keeps popping out of the same bushes and screetching his way way too fast overhead. I think it's a Parakeet. But I have never seen one, so I don't know *sigh again* ;)

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  22. Thanks for commenting Halycon.

    Hi Nicole, I just try to get reasonable photos of the ones I don't know - then I take them home and email to some good friends who are VERY knowledgeable birders. Then all I have to do is study all the photos for next time. This works so much better for me rather than trying to memorize what I am seeing. The frustration comes in when I can't get photos!

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  23. it is fun. a common bird to me is rare to you and the opposite. I too, often overlooks my common birds that might be rare to my visitors on the blog. Shall be nice following your trip. :)

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  24. Hi NF - you're right - on the other side of the world everything does look different - and I think that's part of the fun of reading other people's blogs.

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