Some recent photos

Apologies for the lack of recent posts. Sometimes life gets in the way. A few lovely events in my personal life, and a few changes in my working life have reduced the bird-watching and photography recently.

But I have managed to get out into the central australian landscapes a few times and run into a few birds along the way. Here is a small sample:

Painted Finches at Ellery Creek, west of Alice Springs

Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Namatjira Drive, west of Alice Springs

Rainbow Bee-eater near home in Alice Springs

And a Peregrine Falcon

A week at Papunya

This week has been a bit of a change from the normal settings on the camera to try to use the "M" mode. I have heard a lot of people say if you can master that your photos will become a lot higher quality and finish. Certainly haven't mastered it, but have managed to fluke a few unusual shots, and see some stunning birds.

The last is not a huge list, probably only about 25 birds for the week. A few pleasant surprises - Painted Finches coming to drink, and Common Bronzewings during the day. Interestingly, hardly a bird of prey. I think I have only seen one Whistling Kite for the whole week atPapunya, very different to seeing all 6 falco varieties in one hour last year at the same spot.

Below are a few selected photos. You can probably notice the difference best with the "M" mode in the second Common Bronzewing, and the second Crested Pigeon. I hope you enjoy the photos:

Painted Finches

Zebra Finch

Common Bronzewing

Crested Pigeon

Horsefield's Bronze-cuckoo

Little Crow

White-winged Fairy-wrens

Maybe my favourite shot, the Willie Wagtail on an old cattle bone, I've titled this "Art Appreciation"

Painted Finch, Cockatiels, Yellow-rumped Thornbill and a couple of reptiles

The rains have disappeared at least for the moment and the countryside around Alice Springs is drying out. Puddles only last a day or two, and the birds need to find new water sources. I saw a group of about 1000 budgerigars heading west along the Macdonnell Ranges over the weekend.

I also saw a small group of Indian Ringneck Parakeets, not good for the local parrot populations. Hopefully the parakeets will be caught soon.

On the brighter side, there have been a few good photo opportunities recently, starting with this delightful Painted Finch who decided to land nearby as I was looking for a different bird. Always nice when these occasions happen along.

Painted Finch

Another delightful experience recently was a visit to the back yard gum tree by 4 Cockatiels, 2 males and 2 females. I feel very fortunate to have these lovely birds to watch without leaving home!

Cockatiels

Another nice and close encounter recently was a small group of Yellow-rumped Thornbills. Here was one that I managed to photograph without leaves or branches in the way.

And as the air and surrounds dry out, the reptiles seem to become more common, Below is a Long-tailed Dragon and a Sand Goanna.

The rain has been and the birds have followed - back in familiar territory

After a long time neck-craning, it is nice to be back in the smaller trees and familiar territory of the Northern Territory. It was interesting to go from the straw-coloured grasses of the last part of SA to the lush green in the NT from the border all the way up to Alice springs. Alas the Poo Ponds are closed, so the unusual waders like a Ruff will probably be missed, but the budgies are back, Crimson Chats everywhere, and another lifer for the year, Red-chested Buttonquail. They are slippery little buggers, but identifiable by their "Oooom" call. They almost wait until you step on them, then fly off and quickly run along the ground away from where they land. As yet, no photos, but hopefully in the coming days/weeks.

Some birds are much more photogenic and co-operative.

Here are a few since I arrived back in Alice.

Painted Finches

Crimson Chats

Brown Falcon

Pied Honeyeaters

White-winged Triller

Spinifexbird

Grey-crowned Babbler

Australian Ringneck

Birding around Kintore - story and photos

This eek I was out at Kintore, about 520 kms west of Alice Springs. Aside from the excitement of the Princess Parrot encounter the birding opportunities can be both unusual and close-up.

One of the places I visit when I am working out at Kintore is their Poo Ponds. Hardly a surprise. I have had some amazing experiences, especially with raptors, and this occasion was no different. On one day, I enjoyed watching a Spotted Harrier gliding over the distant grasses, a Black-breasted Buzzard comedown to drink from the ponds and then fly very close, and a Peregrine Falcon perched on the perimeter fence, then later in a nearby tree. All the while, hundreds of Zebra Finches lined the perimeter fence, awaiting their turn to flit down for a drink, Crimson Chats and White-winged Fairy-wrens jumping around the bushes and grasses just beyond the fence, and a pair of unusual visitors arrived for a few minutes - Painted Finches. Tree Martins by the score, and a few White-backed Swallows, not to mention the Grey Teals and a lone Australian Wood Duck accompanying the grebes on the ponds. The occasional Budgerigar small flock, and Cockatiels in pairs flew in as well. Singing Honeyeaters, and a Rufous Whistler pair didn't stray much from the bushes, and a few Diamond Doves but interestingly, no Crested Pigeons while I was there. They normally number into the 20s and more at these types of locations. Maybe next week. One variety which was there in huge numbers were Willie Wagtails. There were groups of 5, 8, 12, and I counted 15 in one group. They were everywhere. I had one or two in particular who were very inquisitive, landing on the open car door, the roof etc. while I was almost within touching distance.

Generally I park the car and stand with the sun behind me, so my location varies depending on the time of day. The pond gates are locked so I am forced to bird-watch from outside the fence, which is normally the best place in any case as I can move around the perimeter if I need to if I spot something on the other side of the ponds. It is rare for me to be at one of these remote Poo Ponds and have my bird-watching interrupted by another person. It really is almost perfect conditions, although every now and then the bugs or smell force an early end to the session.

Here are some photos from the latest foray to the Kintore Poo Ponds:

Black-breasted Buzzard

Crimson Chat

Painted Finch

Peregrine Falcon

White-winged Fairy-wren