WINGED VISITORS

Now that it is Spring and all the flowering trees are in blossom in our village, many birds are visiting. Its fun trying to capture them sitting still. They are so busy drinking the nectar.

He doesn't suck nectar but eats insects and small animals.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG EARLY

The gardens in our village are blooming beautifully even though its still winter. However, the Grevillea seem to be in flower all year round. The garden along the front fence of the village is full of flowering trees and birds. I am not a birder and I do not know all the names of birds but I am a photographer and love trying to capture them.

Friar Bird

Scarlet Honey Eater

Lorikeet

BIRDS OF PREY ON KANGAROO ISLAND.

When I visited kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, I went to a bird show. The birds and their trainers were amazing. I can't remember the names of the birds but I will have a guess. Please correct me if I make a mistake.

 At the trainer's call, this owl appeared out of its hole.

 It swooped down to sit on the trainer's glove and it was given a mouse to eat.

 Then it hopped onto the tourist's laps where we could gently touch it. It was so soft.

 After the owl went back in its hole another bird appeared out of the sky and came to the trainer. A Hobby Falcon.

 A Nankeen Kestrel

 The funniest character was the Black Breasted Buzzard.

 It showed us how it could pick up a stone and throw it down on an emu egg to break it open to eat the inside. It is a fake egg for the show and it has a meat treat inside.

 The trainer has another treat in his glove.

 The birds kept getting bigger. I think this is the Sea Eagle.

 It is a beautiful bird.

 There were two trainers and they had a wonderful rapport with the birds. They told us how the birds were rescued from injury some are returned to the wild and some stay in the park.

 These kookaburras were funny. Their names were Banjo and Clancy. That made me smile since my grandson is called Banjo. (Banjo Patterson, the poet, wrote the poem "Clancy of the Overflow"as well as many more including "Waltzing Matilda")

A black kite

 The trainer had a friendly chat with a Wedged Tailed Eagle.

 He showed us how big his wings are.

A marvellous huge bird.

There were still more amazing things to see on the island.
Thanks to Stewart from "Paying Ready Attention" for fixing some of my ID's.http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au

DON'T LET THE RAIN STOP YOU.

A few more birds from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary visit.

Rainbow Lorikeet

Pelican

Moor Hen

Magpie Goose

Owl

Wedge Tailed Eagle

A ring in...the Macaw isn't Australian

 At this point in the show the rain came down but the bird handler kept on with the show.

The tourists kept on with the tour.

CLEVER BIRDS

More birds from the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary visit. 

The male Satin Bower Bird collects blue items to decorate outside the bower he has built for his girlfriend. He also dances around the bower to attract his mate.

Mr Bower bird has to woo his girlfriend in a bower he especially builds on the ground for the wooing ceremony. The Bower Birds build a nest in a tree for their eggs . 

The female Bower Bird is watching  her prospective mate dancing about the bower and its blue decorations wondering if he's good enough for her. She isn't the dark blue satin colour of her mate but she has beautiful purple eyes.

The Darter has a long snake like neck. It swims low with just the snake like neck visible. It dives often.

The  Black Breasted Buzzard is a medium sized rapture. It is about 60cm long with wing span of 155 cm and weighs 1.4 kg.

It cleverly uses a rock to throw down on an emu egg to break the tough shell. It will do it again and again until it can break open the egg with its beak.

This was a fake egg for the show but it had meal worms inside for the Buzzard to eat. I was impressed with this act.

Just before the end of the show it started to rain. I had to hide my camera under my jacket and it was hard to get shots of our biggest eagle , "The Wedge Tailed Eagle" He zoomed closely over our heads to land on the tree perch. 

 He stands 1m tall with a wing span of 2.2m and weighs 5kg. He eats rabbits, baby wallabies, rats, mice and other small mammals.

Linked with I'd rather be birdin'
and Wild Bird Wednesday