Black Honeyeater, wildflowers and dragons

Went for a little drive around Alice springs and finally started seeing some wildflowers. I have been expecting them most of the year due to the rains, and although they aren't the variety of colour that can be seen in Central Australia, it was still nice to see some.

It was also a warmish afternoon so the Bearded Dragons were out as well.

The most exciting sighting though was a pair of Black Honeyeaters. The female was far more seclusive, only popping up to the branch nearby for a second and then she was off. The male however, was very friendly, piping his heart out and posing for the camera.

Black Honeyeater

Wildflowers

Bearded Dragon

Landscapes, Snakes, Foxes Waterbirds and Honeyeaters

Central Australia offers such a wide variety of natural experiences. Recent rains have transformed the landscape into a lush, colourful, and sometimes dramatic experience. A short drive from Alice Springs can be rewarded by photos such as the one below from Rainbow Valley, 80 kms south of Alice Springs:

A little bit further away, about 460 kms north west of Alice Springs is Nyirripi Community. The nearby hill is known as Karku, or "Little Uluru". The recent rains have created small pools in the clay pans. Karku dominated the landscape, but the rains have created a lovely foreground:

Driving to Nyirripi can be via Yuendumu or Newhaven Conservation Reserve. Occasionally being in the car offers close-up encounters with reptiles. My most recent trip was one such occasion with this beautiful Stimpsons Python slowly meandering across the road through the Reserve:

Another wildlife experience was not so nice. Red Foxes are slowly making their way north through the NT, killing lots of native wildlife along the way. I don't like seeing dead animals of any sort really, but this sighting confirmed the foxes really are a threat to the native wildlife here in Central Australia. I saw this deceased fox on the Tanami Road:

The rains have dispersed the normally concentrated birds of Nyirripi away from the Sewage Ponds and across the lands. Strange little clay pan temporary pools of water are now home to a few birds. This scenario is being played out hundreds of times across Central Australia. I came across a pair of Grey Teals and a family of 4 Black-fronted Dotterels in two separate pools:

The Honeyeaters have started to breed and ready themselves for the onslaught of flowering that is destined to occur over the coming weeks and months. Virtually everywhere I stop the car now once away from the main living areas of Central Australia, the piping of both Pied and Black Honeyeaters can be heard. I do wonder why the Black Honeyeater is not called "Little Pied Honeyeater" or "Lesser Pied Honeyeater" in the same way other birds are named "Little .." or "Lesser .." of birds of similar species and appearance. As you will see from the photo, the Black Honeyeater is not totally black, but very much a "Pied" plumed bird.

Pied Honeyeater

Black Honeyeater

Honeyeaters, Chats and Ducks not to mention the wildflowers around Areyonga

As the weather heats up around Central Australia (could we have seen the last of winter?), the trees are starting to flower, the wildflowers are out in force, and the honeyeaters are turning up in flocks.

The Black Honeyeaters and the Pied Honeyeaters are quite similar to look at from a distance, and they both have high pitched piping sounds. I managed to get quite close to some Pied Honeyeaters at Papunya a little while ago, but the Black Honeyeaters have been too shy until now. Finally a couple of them showed their favourite perch and I squatted under a prickly shrub, getting harassed by normal flies and what I call Donkey Flies (as opposed to horse flies as they are huge, they bite, and there are a lot of donkeys around Areyonga). I waited for about half an hour, watching which branch it normally landed on, and then positioned the camera, waiting. Eventually it returned and started behind one of the branches, and then hopped out obligingly onto an exposed branch. I was pretty happy with the results.

Black Honeyeater

As I mentioned, the Pied Honeyeaters were also out in force

Pied Honeyeater

and a Brown Honeyeater

Crimson Chats are a constant noise around the ground and shrubs near the wildflowers

Crimson Chat

Areyonga has a very well maintained Water Treatment Plant area and the ducks have been slowly building in number over the past couple of weeks. Grey Teals, Pacific Black Ducks, Hardheads and Australasian Grebe have all been there this week as previously, but the new arrivals, the Pink-eared Ducks displayed the best plumage and activity nearest the camera.

Pink-eared Duck

But by far the most impressive sight near Areyonga at the moment is the wildflowers. Here is a sample:

Black Honeyeaters, juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk and other bird photos from today

The day finished with a little birding time with my son Moses. We travelled to the junction of Rainbow Valley and the Stuart Highway in the afternoon and had a nice hour or two, Moses chasing Red-capped Robins in the bushes, but the excitement for me besides spending the time with my son was the Black Honeyeaters. After the plethora of the Pied Honeyeaters last week, it was a strange single "Peep" call that alerted me to their presence, and then Moses managed to spot one a little way down the Rainbow Valley road. At first sight, a distance away, I thought it may be a Hooded Robin, but the "Peep" call made it definite and then closer photos showed the beak of the honeyeater, and then the little black V on the chest confirmed it if I had any further doubts.

Black Honeyeater

Just before we left home, the Magpie Larks were going bananas in the park behind our house. I followed the noise and saw a young Magpie Lark jamming itself up against one of the fences on the other side of the park being attacked by a bird of prey of some sort. I called Moses out and then the bird of prey flew off, only to return to a tree in our backyard! I am fairly sure this is a juvenile Collared Sparrowhawk, but if anyone thinks it definitely is a juvenile Brown Goshawk, I'm happy to change the title

Collared Sparrowhawk juvenile

and a few others from the backyard today

Little Crow

Magpie Lark

White-plumed Honeyeater