Part 2 of some recent bird photos and stories…
If you missed part 1 you can find it here
A Rainbow Bee-Eater, one the many migratory species that bring a sense of time and season to the bush. These acrobatic flyers are often seen flitting out from tall trees, catching insects on the wing. They migrate up from the southern parts of Australia during the winter before heading back to breed during the summer. Interestingly the more northern populations don’t migrate – I guess if you’ve found a good spot you stick to it!
A Little Black Cormorant that I came across while canoeing the Noosa River earlier this year. Normally they are a little flighty but this one let me drift slowly down and past him. You seldom get close enough to see the intricate patterns on the wings and the spectacular eye colour.
On a brief stop during a drive up to Gympie for a work course, I stopped in at the bird hide on Lake MacDonald near Cooroy. Unfortunately I could stay long but I was pleased to see my first Hardhead duck. They’re not particularly uncommon but I’ve never seen one around the Scenic Rim area. They are the only native duck that is a true diving duck and feed in deep waters.
A furtive visitor at a rainforest campsite in the Border Ranges, this Bassian Thrush would hop around the grassy camping are but only for short time between first light and a little after sunrise. During the day I’d occasionally catch a glimpse of it in the thick forest surrounding the campsite.
Not much to say about this one – a portrait of a truly magnificent bird unlike any other in Australia. This pelican was one of a small flock on Wyaralong who gradually allowed me to get closer and closer to them in my kayak over a few weeks of visits.
Wonderful Scott
Thanks John