balusbirdblog

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We are native Australians and my forefathers used to live in the arid and semi-arid zones of inland Australia. We have since then moved on to urban lands of Australia. I was photographed when I was having a go at the grass seeds at Lane Cove National park last Saturday ! (Crested Pigeon -  Ocyphaps lophotes )

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White-faced Heron ( Egretta novaehollandiae) spotted at Lane Cove National park near Casuarina flat grasslands feeding on insects and skinks late August 2017. This heron was seen wiggling its feet on the grass to gets its prey towards it. 

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Galahs are found in all Australian states and are about 35cms in length. This unusual shot was taken at Lambeth Reserve  located on the beautiful Georges River. Most Australians might have seen a Galah with its crest up, but not with cheek feathers up. It seems the Galah was trying to play Peek-a-boo with me !

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One of Australia’s smallest birds, the Spotted Pardalote builds its nest in a long horizontal tunnel dug into the soil of creek banks.  Males have a pale eyebrow, a yellow throat and a red rump. Females are similar but have less-distinct markings. Spotted this ‘Spotted Pardalote’ at Harold Reid Reserve on a beautiful sunny day in August !

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Indigenous people refer to us as the  ‘birds who carry yellow spears’ due to our yellow spur at the elbow. We are common throughout northern, central and eastern Australia and are also found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. We inhabit marshes, mudflats, beaches and grasslands. We like to feed on insects and their larvae, and earthworms and are ground-dwelling birds. This photo was taken by a bird-lover while on a bird walk with few kids (to inspire them into birdwatching and conservation), at one of the Sydney Parklands. [ Masked Lapwing (Spur-winged Plover) -  Vanellus miles ]

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One of Australia's most popular and iconic birds, the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, has been known to live up to eighty years of age in captivity. Sulphur Crested Cockatoos are intelligent, loud and very mischievous. They feed on seeds, grains, roots, berries, nuts and leaf buds. Feeding normally takes place in small to large groups, with one or more members of the group watching for danger from a nearby perch. They hold their colourful crest up and open when they land. This Sulphur Crested Cockatoo photo was taken when it landed on the grass to feed on its roots.

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Few years ago, one evening as I stroll through the streets of Lane Cove which is full of native trees, I could see the silhouette of a bird sitting on tree top. I could see its rictal bristles (tufts of stiff feathers at the base of the beak) from a distance. It is considered that these bristles help them in detecting the flying insects. As it was getting dark and the bird seems very active, I knew that it was a nocturnal predator bird. I present to you the ‘masters of camouflage’ – Tawny Frogmouth. The name frogmouth refers to the shape of the beak.They have a very wide mouth with a huge gape, like a frog.

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Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia and Tasmania. This Lorikeet was foraging in the Firewheel tree for nectar and pollen and then had a short stay on the fence. Rainbow lorikeets do not have any immediately discernible dimorphic traits. However the general rules are that a male will have a greater concentration of dark orange on his breast as opposed to more pronounced bleeding of yellow into orange for a female. Upon closer observation, I would say this is a male Lorikeet !