Other Bird photographs

This post contains a few photographs which didn't make it into the body of a post, but which I thought might be of interest to folk.  They are in the order of the RAOU Atlas codes.


Pied Cormorant: a large species: note the 'ivory coloured' bill.  This one was photographed just off Main Beach in Byron Bay.

Australian White Ibis (also known as Sacred Ibis which is a different species from Egypt):  I was keen to get this shot as it shows the irridescent patch on the back of the head. I think the water in the background is the Tweed River, but they were common throughout the trip.

Sooty Oystercatcher.  The all-black relative of the Pied Oystercatcher.  Much more likely to be seen on rocky environments than straight beaches.  This one was at Mullaway and was part of a group of 3 birds.  Totally unfussed by a small dog (on a lead).

Masked Lapwing: Note the yellow mask.  They used to be called 'Spur-winged Plover" as they have spurs on their wings, but that name is officially attached to a species found in Africa.  On this trip we checked them all closely to ensure they were not the closely Banded Lapwing, but no joy.  The image was taken during a monsoon on Arrawarra Beach near Mullaway.

Silver Gulls: the only gull seen on this trip.  These were at Seal Rocks.

White-headed Pigeon:  Very distinctive bird.  We saw them at Tomewin (where there was display action) and Byron Bay.  This one was unusually cooperative in posing so clearly: they were usually in the middle of a tree.

Sacred Kingfisher: This photograph is of a female, beside Belongil Beach, Byron Bay, and was taken to enable later checking that it wasn't the rather similar, but whiter, Collared Kingfisher.

Little Wattlebird.  This bird's wattles are basically invisible.  It is the common wattlebird of coastal scrub.  The image was acquired on a walk to Tallow Beach, Byron Bay.

Blue-faced Honeyeater.  In South-eastern NSW these birds are very unusual, but on the first three weeks of this trip they were everywhere.  This one was feeding on a grevillea in the grounds of the Catholic Church in Bangalow.

White-cheeked Honeyeater: It is interesting that most of the species depicted in this set clearly show the feature for which they have been named.  This species is somewhat similar the New Holland Honeyeater but possess the huge white cheek patch and have a dark eye.  (They have a wide range of calls and kept tricking me into thinking something else was present.)  The image as taken in a swampy fire break at Topi Gums, with the bird posing nicely on the top of an Allocasuarina.

I had taken a picture of this species in the heath at Mullaway.  It doesn't show the diagnostic features so well but is a nice picture so here it is.

Golden Whistler: one of the common garden birds of Canberra, but how can one not be excited by such a pretty bird as this male (the female is much more muted in its palette)?  It also has a beautiful song.  The photograph was taken from the deck at Topi Gums.

Pied Butcherbird.  Like the Blue-faced Honeyeater this species is unusual in South-eastern NSW but was one of the more ubiquitous birds seen on this trip.  Again a very melodious call.  The image of this spiffy example was taken on the (un)quiet Nobby's Creek Rd, Murwillumbah.