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"

Budgerigars, Zebra Finches, and there is nothing common about the Common Bronzewing

The birding action is everywhere around Central Australia, with a variety depending on which direction you head from Alice Springs. South of town there are lots of Budgerigars and Zebra Finches, around town there are still Redthroats, Fairy-wrens, lots of Thornbills and the usual plethora of Black and Whistling Kites, not to mention the ever-present Australian Ringnecks and the White-plumed Honeyeaters. West of town sees the Southern Whiteface and Thornbills in numbers, and the occasional Common Bronzewing, not to mention Brown Falcons along the roadside. The red-capped Robins seem to be everywhere too.

First up is a few photos of the Budgerigars.Knowing that the first photo is the one people will see first, makes it a hard choice. Although the one I have chosen isn't the crispest of shots, as I looked at it a thought went through my head from some 70s/80s cartoon show "Everyone Split" and I also added "man with a camera!" The birds all scattered in different directions.

Budgerigar

There were probably over 100 birds in the group near me. The noise they made seemed like a lot more than that, especially when the alarm call was sent out by a White-plumed Honeyeater nearby. The whoosh as all the Budgies flew off together from the tree-tops was amazing. I eventually saw an Australian Hobby but wasn't sure if this was the cause of all the alarms. Interestingly, a Whistling Kite flew overhead and the alarm wasn't raised, and the Budgerigars all sat where they were.

The above photos were taken around a puddle, and where there is water, there are Zebra Finches.

One bird I see more often at dusk around water sources rather than during the day in the open, is the Common Bronzewing. In my opinion, the naming of this bird is up there with the Black Kite (that isn't Black), the Singing Honeyeater (that doesn't sing) etc. etc. When you see the amazing array of colours in the wings, as well as the striking markings it has on its head and neck, surely there was a better option than the word "Common". I'm sure there is a very good reason, and after this post I'll be looking up the bird in my birding apps and on the internet, but regardless of what it says, I think the powers that bereally should have another go at the naming of this species.

Common Bronzewing

Birds of Imanpa photos

Staying at Imanpa which is about 70 kms east of Erldunda in the south of the Northern Territory. The birdlife isn't exactly overwhelming here, but there are a few birds hanging around the sewerage ponds. Here are a few photos:

Black-tailed Native Hen

Common Bronzewing

 

 Singing Honeyeater

Little Crow

Zebra Finch

Late afternoon sunlight in monochrome

Birds along the Tanami

The latter half of the week was spent going up and down the Tanami, mainly between Tilmouth Well and Yuelamu and saw some amazing birds including this unusual pairing of a Common Bronzewing and a Crested Pigeon :

The Common Bronzewings in particular have some striking feather colours:

 Brown Honeyeaters

 Collared Sparrowhawk

Collared Sparrowhawk Juvenile 

Diamond Dove

Galahs

 Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater

Zebra Finch

Black-breasted Buzzard

Brown Falcons

Burnt Bush - amazing how many birds are found in sites like this

 Singing Honeyeater 

Major Mitchell Cockatoos  

Masked Woodswallow

Yuelamu to Tilmouth Well, north west of Alice Springs on the Tanami Road

Enjoy your Bird-watching!