Blog Archives
Dollarbird in Sydney
Update on 25 December 2014: It’s a Dollarbird, also called a Broad-billed Roller. Thanks to Hamish Robertson for identifying this bird! They’re migratory, arriving in Australia in September/October every year and leaving again in March. They spend the winter in New Guinea and other northern islands.
Does anyone know what bird this is? I heard it making an insistent chattering noise the other day. It was high up on an electric cable, so I couldn’t see it very well. It’s dark in colour, with a red beak. I’d guess its size to be roughly that of a magpie. Here’s the best shot I got of it:
Here’s a video, useful mainly for the sound. I had the camera on high zoom without a tripod, so it’s quite shaky, but you can hear the sound very well.
Common name: Dollarbird (Thanks to Hamish Robertson for identifying this bird!)
Scientific name: Eurystomus orientalis
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 21 December 2014
Season: Summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: 33°46’36.4″S 151°15’16.1″E
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are sociable creatures, often travelling in large groups. This one was with four others, but sat apart looking a bit grumpy.
It can be difficult to get a good photo of a cockatoo, because they’re so white that the sun gleams off them and the resulting glare removes all detail. So I was pretty please with these shots. Here’s a rear view:
Common name: Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Scientific name: Cacatua galerita
Approximate length: 50 cm
Date spotted: 20 December 2014
Season: Summer
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: 33°46’45.6″S 151°14’59.2″E
Ibis raiding the trash
Australian White Ibises are a common sight in the city, raiding the trash or swooping between the buildings. Their natural habitat is near water, nesting in colonies on trees and bushes on the water’s edge.
This video shows an ibis in Pyrmont, Sydney, guarding its booty from other raiders: screaming, strutting Silver Gulls and a curious but cautious Common Myna.
Here’s a close-up of the ibis.
Common name: Australian White Ibis
Scientific name: Threskiornis molucca
Approximate length: 70 cm
Date spotted: 4 December 2014
Season: Summer
Location: Pyrmont, in Sydney, Australia
Latitude/longitude: 33°51’56.4″S 151°11’46.6″E
New Holland Honeyeater at Wineglass Bay Lookout
Not in Sydney this time, I was at Wineglass Bay Lookout in Tasmania when I saw a bush full of New Holland Honeyeaters. This video focuses on one of them, then draws back to show the gorgeous location it’s chosen for its foraging.
Here’s a still picture. Click on it to open it in a new window where you can zoom into the detail.
Common name: New Holland Honeyeater
Scientific name: Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Approximate length: 17-19 cm
Date spotted: Sunday 9 November 2014
Season: Spring
Location: Wineglass Bay Lookout, Tasmania
Approximate latitude/longitude: 42°08’60.0″S 148°17’20.2″E
Water dragon in a tree
Not a bird this time. This is an Australian water dragon – a reasonably large lizard that climbs trees and loves water. This one is about 60 cm long, the length of my arm without my hand.
I first spotted it when walking underneath the branch it was on. See the impressively long tail:
Here’s a side-on view. Apologies for the silhouette. The lighting was difficult:
This is a close-up of its head and hands:
Common name: Eastern water dragon
Scientific name: Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii
Approximate length: 60 cm
Date spotted: 25 October 2014
Season: Spring
Location: Manly Dam National Park, New South Wales, Australia
Latitude/longitude: 33°46’24.1″S 151°15’05.5″E
Sydney Birder 