Tidbinbilla Part 3 - Birds

[calissa]

The last installment of my New Year's Day trip to the Tidbinbilla Wetland Sanctuary. However, you can expect more photos because I went back yesterday with my sister and took just as many photos. ;_;



Sulphur-crested cockatoo preening.



Yellow-tailed black cockatoo. These aren't the greatest photos, since I was working at the limits of my zoom. But it's not often they're within range at all.





Male superb fairy wren.







Willy Wagtail



Pacific Black Duck in black and white.




Little Pied Cormorant (I think).



Purple Swamphen. Makes me think of dinosaurs.



Black Swan.



Welcome Swallows. I was pretty pleased with these ones.







George the Australian Pelican. He's a crotchety old thing. His partner, Mildred, passed away last year.

Stay tuned for more, once I get through the next 700+ photos...

Comments

[sidheblessed]

The swamphen looks like it's stalking its prey like a little Velociraptor. And I love the shot of the cockatoo in flight!

[calissa]

Thank you!

I think the swamphen was actually a bit frightened and was keeping a wary eye on me, but I can definitely see what you mean!

[umadoshi]

I'm going to need a minute to deal with the fact that there's a bird called the superb fairy wren. That is amazing.

[calissa]

We mostly just call them blue wrens around here (for obvious reasons). They're a gorgeous bird, but hard to photograph because they rarely sit still and move around so quickly!

[winterbird]

There's also one on the West coast called the Splendid fairy wren!

[calissa]

Which are even more spectacular. One day I hope to make it over to that side of the continent.

[umadoshi]

There's also one on the West coast called the Splendid fairy wren!

That is equally awesome. *^^*

[bunny_m]

EEeeeeeeeeee! BIRBS!

<3

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo

Funnily enough, this looks almost exactly like the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos that we have lots of around here. They're noisy birds and destructive buggers (hardly the only cockatoos that are like that, mind) but it's still heartening to see a bunch of them flying around.

Their numbers still aren't back to the levels before the monster storm we had over 7 years ago now, but they are very definitely building back up.

Male superb fairy wren

It's weird, these look a lot like half-coloured Splendid Fairy Wrens that we have around some parts of Perth. I assume the Superbs are much like the Splendids, in that their colouration really doesn't convert to photos well, utterly failing to capture the sheer intensity of their plumage.

Willy Wagtail

Angry little Wagtail! I *adore* how you can tell how angry they are by how much of their white eyebrows are showing. Such feisty and fearless little fluffballs. <3

Purple Swamphen. Ahh, I do like Coots and swamp-hens. Water-chickens, I call them, even though that's only the Chinese name for one of the group. They are all just Water Chickens to me. <3

Black Swan

Proper Swan. All Proper Swans are black. Non-black swans are just weird.

Welcome Swallows

Twiggets! (This is a name I got from the same person that taught me about Water Chickens, and it's just so apropos for me I always think of them as Twiggets.) They always cheer me up.

Poor old George. I don't normally have a lot of sympathy for Pelicans, having met too many unfortunately closely as a child. George does get it though.

Pacific Black Duck

I'm always amused that these are mostly Not Black, and for the local ones, definitely *not* Pacific. ;)

[calissa]

Funnily enough, this looks almost exactly like the Red-tailed Black Cockatoos that we have lots of around here.

The Black Cockatoos are rather more uncommon around here, so it always delights me when I see them. I believe there's also a white-tailed variety down Victoria way.

I assume the Superbs are much like the Splendids, in that their colouration really doesn't convert to photos well, utterly failing to capture the sheer intensity of their plumage.

I suspect so, though I need to travel out west some day to see the Splendids for myself.

Proper Swan. All Proper Swans are black. Non-black swans are just weird.

This is correct. :D

Glad you enjoyed the photos.

[winterbird]

Oh these are all stunning. I'm particularly enamoured of the black cockatoos (far away as they are, I know what you mean about them rarely being in range! And I love seeing any photos of them, honestly I think they're wonderful). Welcome swallows are so cute!

It's always such a treat seeing your photos and I'm looking forward to more! Thank you for sharing these with us (and as someone who processes photos for DW too, thank you for taking the time to go through them!)

[calissa]

Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the photos, especially when I get so much pleasure out of seeing yours.

The black cockatoos are amazing. They fly distantly past our house on a semi-frequent basis and I always have to stop and watch.

[onewhitecrow]

That pelican may be some sort of old god in disguise. Those eyes. O_O

[calissa]

Aren't they something? And they are not small birds.

[pantha]

Ooooh, birdies! The superb fairy wren is indeed a superb little chappy, isn't he? The swamphen reminds me a little of our moorhens (but bigger and yes, more dinosaur-y). Although the swallow pictures are the best (lovely to see them close-up! I never usually get the chance!). Sorry to hear about Mr. Pelican's partner. :(

[calissa]

The superb fairy wrens really are gorgeous. I always have to stop and watch them for a little.

I was very pleased with the swallow pictures. They're so small and fast-moving that I don't usually see much with the naked eye. Even with the benefit of the zoom, they were still quite skittish of us getting too close.

[lark_ascends]

Beautiful!!!!

[calissa]

Thank you!