Gouldian Finches

There are many colourful birds in the world, and one of the most colourful is the Gouldian Finch. 

The Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful oasserine bird endemic to Australia (Wikipedia).

I love finding them. Who wouldn't. I am yet to see and Orange-headed male or female in the wild, but have come across many Black-head and quite a few Red-headed adults, both male and female.

Their calls are quite different to the other birds they hang out with, so once you know the call, finding them is quite easy. As with most birds, sitting quietly and unobtrusively like under the shade of a tree, will give them confidence you aren't a threat and they can become quite confiding. Below are a few of the many photos I have taken this year in the wild of the Gouldian Finches. I hope you enjoy.

Gouldian Finch

When Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens want to jump into your lens!

I've always found Purple-crowned Fairy-wrens to be secretive little birds, who like to play hide and seek in the pandanas and make life for a bird-watcher totally frustrating.

That was until this weekend.

I pulled the car up along the roadside near where I had seen the birds 4 years ago and again earlier in the week. To make sure I had the call figured, while I was grabbing the chair, camera water etc. I played the call twice on my iPad. It was in the car. I walked the 15 or so metres to the riverbank and heard a quiet little "zzzittt" "zzzittt" and looked up to one of the nearby pandanas and there was a female Purple-crowned Fairy-wren. I hadn't even put the chair down! I watched, listened and was a little dismayed to hear and see nothing else. I set up the chair and commenced what I hoped to be a short wait for the wren family to re-appear.

45 minutes later, I heard not one or two, but three birds heading along the water side of the pandanas. Now I don't use playback to call birds in, and even though I understand why some people do, I prefer not to confuse the birds. However, I did wonder whether my short playback in the car may have sent Mrs Wren off to get the family and introduce themselves to these "others".

I sat quietly, waiting for them to get closer, I was particularly keen to get photos of the male. It was nearly an hour after the first sighting that I took the photos below. As the blogpost title suggests, I really felt as though they wanted to jump down the lens at me. Absolutely astonishing considering my previous efforts.

After having such a close and noisy encounter (they really did call quite a lot, I'm not sure the "alarm call" in Pizzey and Knight app is totally accurate as they were really just calling to each other, and not really alarmed as they kept hanging around, almost like Superb Fairy-wrens do in Victoria.), I then found the PCFWs almost everywhere I went at Victoria River Roadhouse, not quite as close, but easily recognisable by the call, and occasionally coming out for a photo, albeit more distant.

Hope you enjoy the photos.

Purple-crowned Fairy-wren

Buntine and Victoria Highway Bird Photos

A quick trip from Lajamanu on the weekend. Another lovely time enjoying the birdlife on the Buntine Highway and parts of the Victoria Highway in the Northern Territory.

Australian Bustard

Black-breasted Buzzard Juvenile

Brown Quail crossing the Buntine Highway

Crimson Finch

Little Pied Cormorant

Northern Fantail

Pacific Baza

Pictorella Mannikan

Torresian Crow

Varied Lorikeet

A pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles

Gouldian Finch photos, Black headed, Red-headed and Juveniles

It has been a big weekend. More posts to come in the following days. 

I stopped at the start of where I had seen Gouldians early last week. On that occasion I only had one adultand a couple of young ones. This time, they literally dropped from the trees (onto the grass below, right outside the car).. One, two, five, eight, ... and I could hear more across the road. I am thinking at least 20 in total. Great to see them doing well in the wild.

I decided not to get out of the car, just take photos with the window down on the passenger side. This worked well, and, not so well. I did get a bit excited when I saw the Red-headed Gouldian Finch, but it stayed low in the grass for much of the time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the photos, and if you are ever on the Buntine Highway south of Top Springs, make sure you have a look around at Townsend Creek, you never know what you'll find.

Gouldian Finches