Focus on Cockatoos

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

There are a number of types of cockatoos here in Australia. White ones, Black ones with different colouring, one that is pink all over – all have different calls and they tend to live in different areas. Here, where I live in the Dandenongs, the locals consider the white ones to be pests. To some extent they are – they’ve certainly increased in number and flock to where there is food. They screech loudly and scare off other birds – they are quite large. But, for all that, I find them very funny too – I would say they’re the comedians of the birdlife.

Below this cockatoo watches me as he feeds.

Sulphur crested cockatoo

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Kookaburra closeup

January 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment

They have such beautiful colouring, these birds. Similar to gum trees really. Love the dappled feathers underneath too. And their beautiful big eyes.

Australian laughing kookaburra

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Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra)

December 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I used to think these were moor hens but know different these days. I love that my love for nature photography has increased my knowledge, or my hunger for learning, so much more these days. I often get family and friends now asking me what bird is that when we see or hear one when out and about.

However, I believe I can be forgiven for thinking they’re moorhens. They are similar to the dusky moorhen which has yellow and orange on its head instead.

Eurasian Coot

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Black Breasted Buzzard

September 18, 2011 By 1 Comment

I visited the “Spirits of the Sky” Flight Show at Healesville Sanctuary on Saturday and managed to get some shots of some amazing birds.  This is a Black Breasted Buzzard, which had just been given something to eat.  Note its amazing wingspan.  It flew right over our heads and delighted the crowd.

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Australian King Parrots in my garden

September 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I love watching the birdlife in our garden and consider my husband and I to be very blessed indeed. We live in such a beautiful part of Australia.

The Australian King Parrot is a large parrot and the male have a completely red head and the female completely green. Both have red tummies and green backs. You often see them travelling in pairs together. Below is a male and female who came visiting our garden recently to see what food might have been on offer. We do have feeders in different parts of our garden and while I don’t feed them regularly, as I don’t want them to become dependent on us, I do periodically put food out, purely to witness the colour and beauty of these and other birds.

Male King Parrot

Female King Parrot

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The Darter Bird

August 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

At Lysterfield Lake yesterday, it was very still and calm first thing in the morning. I wandered around to see what might be different – who or what was visiting the lake? I found a Darter bird (sometimes referred to as the Snake bird because of how it snakes its head on its long neck) at the end of the ramp at the lake. This one is a male with the black body.

Darter bird and friend

Later I spied it (or another one) skimming across the lake as I ventured out onto one of the jetties to view the scenery.

Darter bird skims the lake

Darter bird skims the lake

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