Fantail Cuckoo – Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST

Along the Track: Morning Rounds

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023Posted in Black Kite, Brolga, Brown Falcon, Fantail Cuckoo, Hoary-headed Grebe, Musk DuckTagged Black Kite, Brolga, Brown Falcon, Hoary-headed Grebe, Musk Duck11 Comments

It’s possible on a day at the Western Treatment Plant to clock up over 100 kilometres of driving. The entire plant is over 10,000 hectares — a little smaller than Philip Island.

Some recent changes to the access areas means that those who formely had limited access may now, from the 31st of July 2023, enter what was previously the “Special Access” area and required a different key. Now, One Key, (as they say in Tolkien) rules them all.

I think it’s fair to say that these days there are three sorts of people who visit the plant.

1. The true birdo. Dedicated to seeing as many species as possible in the shortest time, and of course to find that elusive ‘visitor’ to add to the total. These folk have been the mainstay if not the major visitors for many years. Travelling every road and side road is part and parcel of the visit.

2. Now it seems that photographers are becoming the dominant “species”. Again, desiring to see and photograph as many birds in the day and be able to have them all posted to Instadump or Spacebook before anyone else. Speed of travel is their essential hallmark, and sometimes it seems to me, to resemble a Rally-cross event (I used to photograph such events a long time ago so understand the techniques)

3. The art photographer. Not yet a huge group, but growing I feel. They have a need to find a bird and provide the ‘best possible’ image of said bird that shows not only the best of the bird, but their ’empathy’ for the species. Also prepared to stand around and pontificate about the latest mirrrorless kit and lens that is a ‘game changer’.
Clambering over grass, through salt-bush, crawling along the beach and the mudflats, is de rigueur for that expressive moment. Often I’ve noted of late, dressed in camo and ghillie-suits, looking more like an SAS Sniper. Willing to stop in the middle of a bund road to walk, crawl, or sneak to a spot to get that shot. Meanwhile the roadway is blocked to all other passersby.
( I know, I think I used to do this!- sans the ghillie)

A fourth visitor group, just to show I can count beyond three: is more the traveller about the plant, seeing birds and generally enjoying an outing.
These days, I have to admit to fitting somewhere between 3 and 4.

We no longer do the ‘full tour’ We have a few ponds and areas that we’ll go to, sit for awhile, and then move on. Most days, it’s an early morning start, and by lunch time, it’s time to go on up the road to The Highway Lounge, and one of Gerry’s well made hot brews.

With the sun streaming in through the window at breakfast time, the other morning, it didn’t take long to abandon other projects for the day, and head on down to the WTP.

Here are a few from the day. Click on an image to move to a Gallery experience

Enjoy

Little Journeys: On the Road Again

November 12, 2020Posted in Australian Hobby, Birdsaspoetry, Dusky Woodswallows, Fantail Cuckoo, K Road Cliffs, Little Visits, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, The Office8 Comments

Life I love is taking pictures with my friend.

Here we are a week or so out of a nearly 4 month lockdown. Depends of course where you start counting, but we were in one of the ‘naughty’ suburbs, so our privileges were removed a bit earlier than the rest of the city.

For EE and I, a run down to “The Office” was always going to be high on the must do first list.

So given a halfway decent burst of sunshine and we were off.

The one thing that we noted first was the amount of grass that covered normally bare areas. A distinct lack of large kites, Black and Whistling, and how well some of the smaller scrub birds had done getting an early nesting in.

So in no particular order.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet pair.
Sad to report that the old branch has since parted from the tree trunk, exposing the nest, and they have moved on somewhere else. They have been loyal to this spot for at least the past four seasons.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Protecting its nest from marauders

Little Lorikeet. This one led me a merry chase through the leaves. I could hear it, but it just wasn’t easy to see.

Happiness is… A White-browed Scrubwren with tucker for its young.

Looks like the Dusky Woodswallows has swept in while we were in lockdown and already had a clutch of young on the wing

Most interesting find of the day. Juvenile Fantail Cuckoo waiting to be fed.

Fantail; Cuckoo and its hosts, White-browed Scrubwrens.
The adult Cuckoo must have been very clever as I always find these little birds among the most wary.

Higher up the track on the cliff line, a pair of Australian Hobby are re-nesting in a familiar spot. More to come on their progress I think.

The age old battle of David and Goliath. The immovable object v the irresistible force.
Both have much at stake with young to be fed.

Photographic Essay: On the Road Again

October 21, 2020Posted in Australian Hobby, Dusky Woodswallows, Fantail Cuckoo, Little Lorikeet, Purple-crowned LorikeetTagged Australian Hobby, Dusky Woodswallows, Little Lorikeet, Purple-crowned Lorikeet8 Comments

Our first real day out after 4 months of Lockdown.

The title of the blog says more to my hairstyle than it does to the fact we were out and about.

At the moment, Willie Nelson and I have similar hairstyles. 🙂
So hum a few bars of “I’m on the Road Again, life I love is making photos with my friend, and I’ can’t wait to be on the Road Again.”

Where else would we have started than a trip to “The Office”.

As it turned out not a bad choice for a day out. We loaded up IamGrey and with a sandwich and a cuppa it looked to be a good day.

Here is a quick selection from the day.

First up for the day. Purple-crowned Lorikeets. Each time I find these little birds I always come away feeling better about life and the world in general. They have such calming attitudes

This pair have a nesting site that is regularly used. I was really happy to find them out enjoying the sunshine

Another pair of Purple-crowned have a solid branch for their site. This one is blocking the hole so that marauding Rainbow Lorikeets will not bother its young.

There has always been a steady number of Little Lorikeets at the Office.
I was hoping they might be nesting, but this one did not seem to be interested.
It took me quite awhile to find it amongst the canopy. For all their bright colours they are muted in the shadows of the leaves and blend in so well.

A recently fledged Fantail Cuckoo. Another score for EE.
It sat for quite a time, as we ate our sandwich and enjoyed the Earl’s good blend.
It no doubt has been hosted by some unfortunate thronbill or wren.
It took off to a bush, and I followed to see where it had gone.

Not the best photo I ever made, but does show the activity.
The young bird quite happily called in “Scrubwrenese” and within a few moments a White-browed Scrubwren arrived with food, followed immediately by a second one.
So perhaps the Scrubbies have been host to this rather large youngster.

After following a lot of calling noises we located a pair of Australian Hobby that have settled into nesting. The local Red Wattlebirds have taken exception to the visitors and kept up a running battle with both birds.
No doubt their numbers will diminish when the young Hobbys are hatched.

The never ending battle.
Wagtail on Raven

And so humming a few more bars of Willie Nelson’s tune, we headed back to IamGrey and home.

Passing time with inflight shots

August 9, 2015August 9, 2015Posted in Black Kite, Black-shouldered Kite, Fantail Cuckoo, Western Treatment PlantTagged Black Kites, Black-shouldered Kite, Crested Pigeon2 Comments

We’ve been sitting in our mobile hide (the little i20), near a tree that has a Black-shouldered Kite nest and the female in residence.
As is typical of her species, the nest is just below tree top and hidden well in among the fine uppermost branches. Once she is under the canopy she is gone!

He off course is on hunting duty, and every so often turns up with a nice fresh mouse. So all we have to do is point the camera, (attached, I might add to the WImberley Gimbal head), and wait either for him to arrive and/or her to emerge or reenter.
Now, if you’ve ever watched them, the first thing you’ll recall is that it can be a long long long time inbetween feeds.

Sometimes even she gets a bit anxious and sends out some pretty interesting Kite calls just to make sure he gets the message.
So we wait.

And of course in the waiting is the challenge. So we, well at least I, keep the shorter 300mm f4 PF on a second camera and practice my flight shots on anything that spins past.

So here are a few from the other day.