Blog Archives
Local cockatoos excited about new tree stumps
Over the last few weeks, our neighbours have been cutting down some tall trees on their property. The local cockatoos are excited about the new tree stumps that have appeared in their neighbourhood. (I call them “stumps”, but they’re several stories high.) The birds arrive on most evenings to sit on the stumps, and have started hollowing out the centre of one of them. I guess the cockies may be thinking the tree would make a good nest.
You can see the tree felling in my earlier post, Magpie scolds tree feller.
Video of Pardalote emerging from nest
Walking along a path in Manly Dam park this morning, I saw a flash of movement down at ankle level. A little bird had flown straight into the bank on the left of the path:
Pardalotes, tiny as they are, are unusual in that they dig holes in banks of earth to nest in. Here’s a closer view of the area where the bird disappeared:
So I trained my camera on the area and waited. After a few minutes, my patience was rewarded. In the video below, watch the top right of the picture. You’ll see the tiny head of a Spotted Pardalote appear. The bird examines the surroundings carefully before emerging and flying away:
Update: A week or so later, on 12 June, I was walking in the same spot when a bird emerged from the same nest and perched on a branch close by. I managed to get a still photo. Here it is:
I’ve posted more pics of Pardalotes in earlier posts.
Common name: Spotted Pardalote
Scientific name: Pardalotus punctatus
Approximate length: 10 cm
Date spotted: 6 June 2021 (winter)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia
Shy Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Spinebills have long curved beaks, giving rise to the name “spinebill”. They’re one of many types of Australian birds that live on plant nectar and insects. Unlike many other honeyeaters, though, spinebills are shy and don’t stay in one place for long.
The bird’s dramatic colours of white, black, and chestnut, as well as its red eye make it a striking presence in the Australian bush.
Common name: Eastern Spinebill
Scientific name: Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris
Approximate length: 16cm
Date spotted: 29 May 2021 (late autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’29.7″S 151°14’46.0″E
Pretty Pardalote on a Banksia bush
Pardalotes are tiny birds that manage to pack a lot of prettiness into sleek bundle. A couple of days ago I saw one foraging in a Banksia bush. It was probably picking tiny bugs (psyllids) from the leaves, or it could be drinking. I noticed in the photo that there are droplets of water on the twig near the bird’s feet:
A view from the top shows the spots on the bird’s head. It also demonstrates how nicely camouflaged the bird is in its natural environment:
Common name: Spotted Pardalote
Scientific name: Pardalotus punctatus
Approximate length: 10 cm
Date spotted: 25 May 2021 (late autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’47.3″S 151°15’02.2″E
Spangled Drongo near Sydney
“Drongo”. What a weird name for a bird. Add “Spangled” and it sounds as if you’re about to encounter a clown. I’ve only spotted a Spangled Drongo once before, and that was up in Queensland. A few days ago, while walking in the bush near Sydney, I heard an unusual sound. A deep, slow chattering. The bird in question was perched high on a dead tree:
Just look at that forked tail, strong beak, and keen eye. An unusual bird indeed, and quite large at 30 centimetres or more from head to tail.
In Australia if someone calls you a “drongo”, it’s a bit of an insult. It means they think you’re not all that bright.
Common name: Spangled Drongo
Scientific name: Dicrurus bracteatus
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 25 May 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°47’02.2″S 151°15’16.2″E
Eastern Whipbird chirrups to itself
While foraging and exploring the forest floor, this Eastern Whipbird chattered companionably to itself:
It’s likely that the bird’s partner was nearby. I’ve heard whipbirds chirruping and calling to each other on other occasions too. As well as this quiet chirruping, whipbirds make a long, drawn-out whistle ending in a short explosion. That’s the sound that gives the birds their name. You can hear that call in another post of mine.
Common name: Eastern Whipbird
Scientific name: Psophodes olivaceus
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 19 May 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’48.0″S 151°14’53.6″E
My first Scarlet Honeyeater
Flashes of scarlet against the orange of a Banksia bloom first drew my attention to this tiny bird. It moved fast, never staying still for long. I managed to snap a couple of photos, though none very clear alas. I think it’s a Scarlet Honeyeater:
What a pretty little thing! I’ve been back to the same area a couple of times but not seen the bird again. Here’s another photo of the same bird after it moved to a different tree:
Common name: Scarlet Honeyeater
Scientific name: Myzomela sanguinolenta
Approximate length: 10 cm
Date spotted: 18 May 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’54.2″S 151°15’08.2″E
Scrubwren at a forest pool
Yesterday I spent some time sitting near a forest creek. Birds flitted around me. A Red Wattlebird dived repeatedly into the water and retreated to a branch for some serious grooming. A little scrubwren explored the mossy rock near the pools and running streams formed by the creek.
An aerial view showing the bird’s back:
Here’s one with a somewhat whimsical view of the water:
Common name: White-browed Scrubwren
Scientific name: Sericornis frontalis
Approximate length: 12 cm
Date spotted: 12 April 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Creek, New South Wales, Australia: 33°45’49.6″S 151°14’14.7″E
Juvenile Channel-billed Cuckoo and female Koel Cuckoo
Today an unearthly caterwauling called my attention to a juvenile Channel-billed Cuckoo perched on a wire. It was crouched down, flapping its wings, and uttering harsh calls:
Even at this age, it’s a big bird. I’d guess it was already full size, at around 60 centimetres in length. A giant baby indeed. And one that needs a lot of feeding.
The youngster stretched out its neck and called even louder:
It peered up into the air expectantly:
I didn’t catch any pictures of the next stage, alas, because the bird flew to a leafy tree and was mostly hidden from view. I did see the dedicated proxy parent, a Currawong, feeding the youngster, accompanied by a frenzied gabbling noise from the demanding child.
Common name: Channel-billed Cuckoo
Scientific name: Scythrops novaehollandiae
Approximate length: 58-65 cm
Date spotted: 23 January 2021 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’06.4″S 151°14’52.6″E
In a nearby tree, a female Koel Cuckoo sat and watched the commotion:
Common name: Common Koel or Eastern Koel
Scientific name: Eudynamys scolopacea
Approximate length: 45 cm
Date spotted: 23 January 2021 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’06.4″S 151°14’52.6″E
Both Channel-billed and Koel cuckoos are parasitic cuckoos, which means that they lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and leave it up to those other birds to feed and care for the youngsters. Bot cuckoo types are migratory, coming down to this part of Australia for the warmer summer months, then heading to more northern countries for the winter.
Want to know more? I’ve posted some pictures and stories about previous encounters with cuckoos.
Eat your greens! Baby swans growing up
Early in October I spotted a family of swans at Manly Dam. These are Australian Black Swans. When I first saw them, there were five baby swans (cygnets), closely watched over by two adults. This was one of the little ones, just a few days old then, I think:
Since then, I’ve been watching the cygnets grow. Alas, two of them disappeared over the weeks. But there are still three of the cygnets, still with their parents in late December, and much bigger and stronger.
The video below shows a cygnet and a parent feeding on water weeds. This was towards the end of November, when the cygnets were around six weeks old. Near the beginning of the video, the adult swan grabs a clump of weed and dumps it near the baby.
Eat your greens!
Later the video zooms out to show the entire family of three babies and two adults:
Here’s one of the cygnets swimming with an adult, also at around six weeks old:
On 23 December, at ten to eleven weeks old, the cygnets are much bulkier and their faces look more swan-like:
Even at this age, their wings are still small and stumpy, nowhere near ready for flight:
Common name: Black Swan
Scientific name: Cygnus atratus
Approximate length of adult: 120 cm
Date spotted: 9 October 2020 (spring) through to 23 December 2020 (summer)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’58.5″S 151°15’18.6″E
Sydney Birder 