Yesterday was a beautiful clear morning and even more enjoyable because we have had so many gray and overcast days recently - not like Queensland at all! It was still early when I got down to the bay and the fog was lying in long streamers over the far side of the bay.
There were Eastern Curlew roosting on a little rocky spit but before I could get anywhere near them they flew off with their usual noisy cries.
I walked around the southern end of the shorebird roost. The tide was low so there were no shorebirds roosting in there. I could hear numbers of birds up high in the trees. Then one flew down where I could see it and get some photos. It was a male Rufous Whistler
(Pachycephala rufiventris).
This is a photo I took some time ago of a female Rufous Whistler.
For more bird photos visit the
Bird Photography Weekly.
There were Eastern Curlew roosting on a little rocky spit but before I could get anywhere near them they flew off with their usual noisy cries.
I walked around the southern end of the shorebird roost. The tide was low so there were no shorebirds roosting in there. I could hear numbers of birds up high in the trees. Then one flew down where I could see it and get some photos. It was a male Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris).
This is a photo I took some time ago of a female Rufous Whistler.
For more bird photos visit the Bird Photography Weekly.
Very good he did not come down close when we were down there.
ReplyDeleteIt's the first time I've seen a male Rufous Whistler in that area also, Neil.
ReplyDeleteGlad one of the birds wanted to be photographed. It seems like we work in the same way. I take a lot of photos too and then work on it at home. And you always have the photos as memory. :)
ReplyDeleteI have not been kayaking much due to the travels and bad weather. But maybe now it changes. :)
Hi NatureFootstep, I hope you can go kayaking again soon. The weather is getting cooler out here now so I don't think I'll be doing much kayaking for a while. It's not really cold! Just not nice and warm!!
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you had a nice enjoyable morning for birding. Looks like a pretty area to see the shorebirds. Great photos of the Rufous Whistler.
ReplyDeleteI like your image of the Curlews flying off with the misty bg. It's very nice.
ReplyDeleteIT is so amazing how the male and female can be so different!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Eileen, Mark and Valerie. We don't often get fog showing over the bay like that and by the time I left it had all disappeared.
ReplyDeleteGeez! I'd love to see a Rufous Whistler some day. Nice photos!
ReplyDeleteHi IdahoBirder - I think that would requite a trip "down under"!
ReplyDeleteNice photo of the Rufous Whistler, Mick! You were lucky that it came quite close to where you were.
ReplyDeleteLovely collection!
ReplyDeleteThose Whistlers are way cool :)
Thanks for commenting Bob and Nicole. Its interesting that I have several times seen females in this area but this was the first male.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful shots of the fog on the bay Mick and the photo of the Curlews taking off is wonderful. The Rufous Whistler photos are great. I really like the subtlety of the female's plumage.
ReplyDeleteHi Mick'
ReplyDeleteThe fog in the distance, over the bay, is lovely.
I will have a male Rufous Whistler (in the hand) on my blog tomorrow morning, for you, Mick.
I cannot do Curlews, however. :-))
Cheers
Denis
Thanks for commenting Larry
ReplyDelete- also thanks Denis. I love your Rufous Whistler! Curlews would certainly be interesting! Don't know if there has been any flagging on them - however the same team that did the Godwit tracking also did an earlier study (with satellite tags) on Bristle-thighed Curlew.