Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Rainbow Lorikeets

This post is for World Bird Wednesday.

Rainbow Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) are the most common birds around my yard.  On most mornings I see and hear small flocks of 10 or more birds flying over and some of them stop off in my grevillea trees for a while.  However, for the last two or three weeks there have been huge flocks flying over.  Some flocks were too fast and too big for me even to estimate numbers but the smaller flocks were not less than 50 birds.  Only a very few birds stopped right in my yard but the big pine tree next door was a good place for big flocks to stop for a short rest.  This little video was taken around sunrise the other morning.  Just listen to that noise!

This is a Rainbow Lorikeet in my grevillea tree.

This tree was in a friend's yard and the birds were enjoying the berries as a change from nectar.


There has been a heavier than normal flowering of the Paperbark Trees (Melaleuca quinquenervia) over the last few weeks and I think this must have brought more Rainbow Lorikeets than normal around my yard.  Paperbark trees grow up to 25M in height and are common both around the edges of the bay and also through the Wallum heathland.  The trees have a bark which peels like sheets of soft paper.  The flowers are creamy white.  Unfortunately, I realized when I started writing this post that I didn't have good photos of just Paperbark Trees.  This photo from my archives shows a Figbird - rather than a Lorikeet - in a Paperbark tree taken some time ago. 

29 comments:

  1. they're so incredibly beautiful! so bright!

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  2. Extremely cool!!! I wish these guys flew around our area:) We have a place near here where they fly around in an enclosed aviary...inquisitive birds...and funny! Love the vid. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Wow!How colourful they are. You are lucky to have them come and visit you...Thanks for sharing and have a great day!

    Shantana

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  4. How awesome to have such beautiful birds in your yard! Great photos!

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  5. Such beautiful bright colours. Great photos.

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  6. They're all stunning!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  7. The Lorikeets are so pretty with their beautiful colors. Great shots.

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  8. I listened to the video. I guess that can be frustrating if it goes on for long. :)

    I read somewhere that Australia has a great number of different parrots. Must be hart to tell them apart.

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  9. That's an incredible backyard bird! (I know these things, but just can't get over being surprised)...thank you so much for sharing.

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  10. WoW....you are so lucky to see such a colorful bird!!

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  11. Gorgeous birds, Mick! The colors are wonderful!

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  12. Beautiful series of pictures you show.
    Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk

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  13. Just beautiful!! I love the colors and am just amazed that you get to see these daily. Awesome shots!!

    I answered your question on my blog, before logging off and I appreciate you stopping by.

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  14. Even though I see them everyday I am still amazed by the colour of these birds!

    Nice pictures - like the fig bird as well.

    Stewart M - Melbourne

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  15. Amazing colours on those Lorikeets Mick. All that noise too to wake you up in the morning.

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  16. The Lorikeets are beautiful, colorful and noisy! Great shots!

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  17. Oh, wow! How fortunate for you that you have these colorful birds stopping by!

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  18. Such colorful birds, and noisy, too! Our Florida melaleucas are terribly invasive, drying up the wetlands and displacing the native trees in the Everglades. The Australian Pines are likewise a problem in the drier areas. They resist the common plant-eating insects and diseases. Please import some more of their pests!

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  19. What super subjects and shots! You're very lucky. (Plus, obviously a good photographer.) :)

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  20. I love the rainbows; but I especially love your up close shot of a fig-bird!

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  21. I love Rainbow Lorikeets! We have a colony of them at the end of our street, literally thousands flock to the large cluster of trees on the main road. They are incredibly noisy in the late afternoon as they all congregate for the evening. Many spend their day in the tall trees of the common area of our unit complex... and in the Grevillea in our backyard.

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  22. I would faint if this bird visited my place. What a beauty!!!

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  23. Love your photos, Mick, Beautiful birds, but could do without the noise.

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  24. Gorgeous birds the Rainbow Lorikeets Mick. That Figbird is beautiful too. Love that contrast of the bare white skin around the eye and the other colors of plumage.

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  25. So beautiful! How I would love to see them in my back yard :)

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  26. how fun that they're in your backyard, awesome colors!

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  27. What beautiful birds! It must be amazing to see all that color close to home.

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  28. What a brilliantly colored bird. I love it!

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