Blog Archives
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
Call of the Red Wattlebird
This Red Wattlebird was quite chatty in the crisp morning air.
Usually when walking in the bush I hear the more raucous croaks of this bird and its cousin, the Little Wattlebird. So it was nice to hear something a little more melodious.
Here’s a still picture of the Red Wattlebird, showing the red flap below its eye which gives the bird its name:
The feathers on its back are quite decorative, and a sun ray lights up the yellow on the bird’s belly:
Common name: Red Wattlebird
Scientific name: Anthochaera carunculata
Approximate length: 35 cm
Date spotted: 24 April 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’10.0″S 151°14’53.6″E
Eastern Rosella a frequent visitor
How lucky am I? This gorgeous bird has taken to dropping by frequently, and hanging out on our telephone line. It’s a male Eastern Rosella. Often the female comes along too, but she’s more shy and flies off when I appear.
Eastern Rosellas are medium-sized parrots, at about 30cm from head to tail. This one usually makes his presence known with a distinctive twittering call. The phone line is below the level of my lounge window, so he has to look up to spot me.
Common name: Eastern Rosella
Scientific name: Platycercus eximius
Approximate length: 30 cm
Date spotted: 10 April 2021 (autumn)
Location: Allambie Heights, NSW, Australia
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
Swans enjoying flooded picnic area
It’s been a bit wet on the east coast of Australia. For many people, the recent floods have been devastating and very sad. I’ve been lucky to be largely unaffected. I’m so sorry for all those who’re still suffering the effects of the flood
Yesterday it stopped raining and I went for a walk. I came across these swans exploring a picnic area:
Today the water has already receded quite a bit:
The swans are nearby, relaxing on the recently-emerged grass:
For those who’ve seen my posts about the family of swans over the past few months: yes, this is the same family. The babies are pretty much grown up already.
Common name: Black Swan
Scientific name: Cygnus atratus
Approximate length: 120 cm
Date spotted: 25 March 2021 (autumn)
Location: Manly Dam Park, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’58.5″S 151°15’18.6″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.
Sydney Birder 