Renner Springs, Newcastle Waters, Buchanan and Buntine Hwy bird photos

The drive between Renner Springs and Lajamanu is exciting for me as I live in Alice Springs so don't generally get to see some of the birdlife along this stretch. Apart from the Finches, there are lots of other amazing birds. Here is a sample of some of the photos I took recently.

Black-chinned Honeyeater

Common Bronzewing

Grey-fronted Honeyeater

Nankeen Night Heron

Juvenile Pied Butcherbird

Rainbow Bee-eater

Red-kneed Dotterel

White-faced heron

White-necked or Pacific Heron

Willie Wagtail

Black-breasted Buzzard

Varied Lorikeet

Orange Chats, Black-tailed Native Hens, Pink-eared Ducks and Sandpipers photos from ASWTP

A quick venture out at lunch today was a battle against the wind and time. The poo ponds levels were up from my last visit and the shorebirds were having trouble finding wading areas. The lack of Black Swans is a concern. But the Pink-eared and Wood Ducks made up for the Swans in sheer numbers, probably 200 + or each.

The star of the day was the Orange Chat brigade, probably 40 or so individuals, and they had found a pond that was drying out almost completed. At the first sign of danger from one of the other species around, normally the Magpie Larks, all the Chats would peep into the air and settle wither in the surrounding foliage or the mounds of dirt beside the pond.

Enough waffle, here are the photos, as always, hope you enjoy.

Orange Chats

Black-tailed Native Hens

Pink-eared Ducks

Red-kneed Dotterel

 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Red-capped Plover

 Wood Sandpiper

Whistling Kites and others at the Alice Springs Poo Ponds

In all there were 4 juvenile Whistling Kites playing around the ponds late this afternoon. They seemed to be scattering birds but not really doing anything more than playing around. At one point one of them landed in a flock of Corellas and the Corellas split into two, but after the landing neither the kite nor the corellas seemed too interested in the other:

Had both Little and Long-billed Corellas and obligingly they managed to be close enough together to be able to show the differences in the one photo:

The Long-billed is the third bird from the left with the stronger deep pink/red markings and the unmistakable longer beak/bill compared to the Little Corella next to it, second from the left.

I've included this one as they are quite similar around the eye

... well except for the red colouring :-)

Some of the other birds worth showing from this afternoon appear below:

Black-fronted Dotterel

Black-tailed Godwit

as above having a yawn with a Red-necked Avocet not amused

Gossy Ibis

Red-kneed Dotterel (can't understand why that name!)

Red-necked Avocet and a single Black-winged Stilt.

Haven't really noticed the blue legs on the Avocets before,

probably have trouble getting beyond the beak.

Torresian Crow

Red-kneed Dotterel