Buff-banded Rail and young

Most of the time these birds are not only hard to find, but hard to see.  This bird and its mate had brought the young down on to the exposed low-water mud flats and they spent a lot of time feeding, and foraging among the grass overhangs.

A Whistling Kite patrolled down the waterline and she took the young back under the grass overhangs, and here they are just coming out again.

Buff-banded Rail

Black-shouldered Kites at Western Treatment Plant

This pair of kites are roosting on a tree near one of the main roads around the WTP, we were hoping that they might be going to nest, but over the past few weeks we have not seen any indication of intent. Perhaps she is resting after a brood earlier in the season.

Pair of Black-shouldered Kites
A pair of Blackshouldered kites in the afternoon sun.

There are a few extra pictures of Kites in the galleries

Black Shouldered Kite visits Woodlands Historic Park

Some days it is very quiet, and other days are quite exciting.  On the way home after a fairly quite afternoon’s ramble, I discovered a Black-shouldered Kite hunting along one of the main roads past Woodlands.  It was able to catch mice from the roadside verge and spent an hour or more before I had to get on the way home.  Probably was just passing through, but it certainly had no problem locating food by the roadside. It’s biggest problem was avoiding the fast moving traffic when it took off with its latest catch.

There is a few more images in the Blackshouldered Kite gallery

Brown falcon and young bird at Western Treatment Plant

We have been watching a Brown Falcon for about 6 weeks, she is usually agitated and quite agressive swooping over the car and calling aggressively.  We (Dorothy and I) supposed she must have nested close by.

On Thursday 1 Dec 2011, we found the reason why.  She has a newly fledged young bird

This is a shot of them together, she will shepherd it about often flying interference against ravens and magpies.

Brown Flacon and Juvenile
This is our first glimpse of Mother and Child. The young brown falcon is a really rich chocolate and ginger colour

More Brown Falcon Pics in the Brown Falcon Gallery

Black-shouldered Kite family in the early morning sun

During the cooler months, we had taken going to the WTP in the early morning.Light is much more intense and there has usually been a soft haze or even mist or fog on some morning.
We were coming around a corner near the Little River, and found these three enjoying the early morning sun.
The young bird still has the ginger/cinnamon feathers. I crept down the roadway close to the fenceline to get as close as I could. At about 38metres, it was just starting to concern the bird behind the young one. I managed a few shots but the best was when they all turned inward.
300mm lens. Hand-held ISO400 f/5.6 1/1000 sec.

Black shouldered kite family in the early morning sun at WTP

Scarlet Robin

This  year has been a quiet year at Woodlands for Scarlet Robins. Only one pair showed up that I could find and then most of the time were quite furtive.
This male I found late in the afternoon as he was feeding in the sunshine.  He managed to strike a pose for me on an old stump.

Male Scarlet Robin
Male Scarlet Robin near cemetry