Ian’s Bird of the Week – Flock Bronzewing

June 30, 2013 by Ian

Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) by Ian 1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Flock Bronzewing ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter – 6/30/13

This photo of a Flock Bronzewing featured as bird of the week in June 2006. This male was one of several flocks that we saw flying across the Flinders Highway near Julia Creek late one afternoon as we were heading west towards Mount Isa and the birds, presumably, were doing their evening ritual of visiting waterholes. He obligingly decided that a pool near the road was good enough for him and landed quite close to us. This was my first, and until recently only, encounter with this enigmatic, rarely seen, nomadic pigeon of central Australia.

In 2008, this photo was published in the book 100 Birds to See Before You Die by Chandler and Couzens,, where the Flock Bronzewing featured as No 50 in the global list (No. 1 was the Ivory-billed Woodpecker). The book was one of many of this kind written after the success of the 2007 movie The Bucket List (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc3mkG21ob4), the title referring to the list of things one wants to do before one ‘kicks the bucket’.

Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) by Ian 2

On the recent trip along the Birdsville Track, I was approaching Bedourie, the last town before Birdsville driving south from Mount Isa via Boulia, when I saw a small flock of brown birds flying swiftly near the airstrip. Their size, colour and habitat made me think, incorrectly, Australian Pratincole. A little while later, I stopped to watch two much larger flocks merge into one of about 300 individuals and start flying around the two dams near Bedourie ‘Outback’ Golf Course when I realised that the were Flock Bronzewings.

I gather that an outback golf course has natural sand bunkers – Bedourie is on the edge of the Simpson Desert – and, instead of greens, oil scrapes which make ‘a great putting surface’.The dams incidentally are called Lakes Larry and Simpson ‘after their creator’, so presumably are, unlike the bunkers, not natural.

Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) by Ian 3

The flock, containing flew close enough to me get a reasonable shot in the evening sunlight: photos 3 and 4 are details from the same photo. Photo number 3 has two adult males with their characteristic black and white faces, while the third bird is a female or juvenile. The field guides indicate that the facial pattern of the has varying amount of black, and the juveniles are yet paler and photo number 4 shows 3 males and two other birds, one of which has only very faint markings. The scientific name histrionica refers to the harlequin pattern on the head, though histrionicus is the Latin for ‘theatrical’. (The Harlequin Duck of North America is Histrionicus histrionicus.)

Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica) by Ian 4

Flock Bronzewings feed in the vast and sparse grasslands of the arid interior and have a history of being seen in huge numbers with 100,000 being recorded in 1931 at one waterhole and 50,000 in one flock in 1972. More recently, such large flock have not been recorded and this gave rise to concerns that the species was in steep decline. If that was the case, this decline seems to have ended, though it has been suggested that the lack of very large flocks is due to the provision of more sources of water on grazing properties. Either way, it is the case that the Flock Bronzewing is an all or nothing bird: you either see many (very rarely), or none (usually).

Does one do things on a bucket list twice or is that considered excessive? I don’t know, but I’m going to use it as an excuse for making it bird of the week a second time.

Best wishes
Ian

**************************************************
Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Tel 0411 602 737 ian@birdway.com.au
Bird Photos http://www.birdway.com.au/
Recorder Society http://www.nqrs.org.au

Lee’s Addition:

Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:30 NKJV)

What an interesting Pigeon. Their heads are so fascinating. Plus, they do favor the Harlequin Duck’s coloration and markings. If I had a “bucket list” and there was some bird I really enjoyed seeing, I wouldn’t have any problems revisiting that bird again.

Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) ©WikiC

The Flock Bronzewing (Phaps histrionica), also known as the Flock Pigeon, Harlequin Bronzewing and the Harlequin Pigeon is a species of pigeon in the Columbidae family. It is endemic to drier parts of Australia. The Flock Bronzewing is the most nomadic of the Australian pigeons, and it is difficult to mistake for other Australian species. Fully-grown Flock Bronzewings can range in length from 280–305 mm with a wingspan of 189 – 216 mm. Its weight can range from 260 – 320 grams.

More than any other Australian species of pigeon, the Flock Bronzewing is adapted to the arid plains of the continent. The preferred habitat is open grassland plains, clumped grasses and small shrubs with open spaces. A major area for this type of habitat where the Flock Bronzewings are present is within the grass plains of the Barkly Tablelands.

The main source of food is the seeds of grasses, herbs and shrubs, whilst occasionally browsing on green shoots. With the introduction of cattle into the interior of Australia, the Flock Bronzewing has adapted to eating the undigested seeds from cattle dung. Some species of seed eaten include the Desert Spurge, Camel Bush, Yellow Daisy and River Grass.

The breeding season is variable and relies heavily on the availability of food. In the south of its range, they tend to breed from spring to early summer and in the north, breeding occurs from early to the middle of the dry season. The nest is a scrape in the ground, which is lined with grass and twigs, usually between the shelter of clumps of grass or shrubs. Two white eggs are incubated for 16 days, with the young capable of leaving the nest after a week. (Wikipedia with editing)

See:

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Hoary-headed Grebe

June 17, 2013 by Ian

Birdsville Track by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Hoary-headed Grebe ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter – 6/17/13

The Birdsville Track isn’t famous for its waterbirds but when we drove along it in April there had been recent rains and we were in for a few surprises. Not, happily, of the getting bogged variety, but birding ones at several spots including this one where we camped more or less in the middle of nowhere beside a small dam. That speck on the left hand side near the lone tree is my car.

As well as some Pink-eared Ducks, there were several Hoary-headed Grebes. The ones in the first and second Grebe photos are in non-breeding or immature plumage and, although they are larger than Australasian (Little) Grebes (30cm/12in versus 25cm/10in in length) you need to use subtle field marks to distinguish them in these plumages.

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) by Ian 1

The main field marks are: the Hoary-Headed has greyish rather than rufous-tinged flanks and whiter breast (though the bird in the first Grebe photo shows that you need to be careful with stained plumage); the border between the dark cap and pale cheeks goes below rather than through the eye in the Hoary-headed Grebe and the eyes are different in colour and pattern. The Australasian Grebe has conventional-looking eyes with yellow iris while the Hoary-headed Grebe has button-like eyes with a dark iris with a white inner and a white outer ring. This is probably easier to see in the closer bird in the second Grebe photo.

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) by Ian 2

It’s only when you see a bird in breeding plumage with spiky pale head feathers that you understand where it gets its unusual English name (the scientific name Poliocephalus means a much more prosaic ‘grey-headed’). ‘Hoary’ literally just means ‘whitish’ but it’s an adjective that is usually applied to frost and snow so it is used as a metaphor for ‘frosty’ in the English names of 4 or 5 bird species globally. (Another example is the Hoary or Arctic Redpoll http://www.birdway.com.au/fringillidae/hoary_redpoll/index.htm which fits better geographically.) We encountered the bird in breeding plumage about a week later at Bowra Station near Cunnamulla, SW Queensland, where we spent a few nights on the way back to Townsville.

Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) by Ian 3

Grebes are almost exclusively aquatic and expert divers. Their legs are set far back on the body, so they are very awkward on land which they avoid as much as possible. They build floating nests out of water plants so they just need to haul themselves out of the water to tend the eggs and the young leave the nest soon after hatching. They usually dive rather than fly to avoid predators, though they can fly long distances if necessary to find water and the Hoary-headed Grebe, commonest in southern Australia is rather a nomad in the north. It’s closest relative is the New Zealand Grebe or ‘Dabchick’ and is the only member of the genus Poliocephalus.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

Looks like quite a deserted place, but those are cute little Grebes. I am glad Ian gets out and about so much there in Australia. He always finds something interesting for us to learn about. Thanks, Ian, for sharing.

I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. (Isaiah 41:18 AMP)

This Grebe is in the Podicipedidae – Grebe Family. See Ian’s Grebe Family photos.

The Hoary-headed Grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus) is a member of the grebe family found in Australia and New Zealand. The bird takes its name from the silvery-white streaking on its black head. It is common in Australia, with a population of about 500,000. Its habitat is similar to that of the Australasian Grebe.

The Hoary-headed Grebe feeds on aquatic arthropods, mostly caught by deep diving. This species feeds during the day, and when the light is poor, forages mostly at the water surface.

Hoary-headed Grebes breed from August to January. The nests are a floating platform of water weeds, similar to that of the Australasian Grebe, and usually some distance out from shore among sparse reeds or other plants, anchored to and at least partly supported by them. A shallow depression on top is just slightly above water, so the eggs are lying in water or dampness. The eggs are concealed under pieces of wet vegetation when the incubating parent leaves so that the nest appears empty. Under full sun the covered eggs are warm and moist, often left unattended for some time. The egg’s appearance is oval, white, and soon stained brownish ochre, while the clutch is usually 2–5 eggs. Incubation is 20–24 days and egg size is 39 x 27 mm. (Wikipedia with editing)

See:

Ian’s Birds of the Week

Hoary-headed Grebe – Wikipedia

Podicipedidae – Grebe Family

Hoary-headed Grebe

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Double-banded Plover

June 2, 2013 by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Double-banded Plover ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 6-2-13

As well as the bird of the week, here is the airport of the year or maybe of the century. The photo shows the departure gate on Lord Howe Island, more like someone’s picket-fenced front garden: no crowds, escalators, queues or security, and plenty of opportunities for last-minute birdwatching. When I was there 20 years ago, I left the airport after checking-in to check out a Royal Spoonbill which had landed at the nearby wetland. This time there were plenty of waders on and near the runway and a pair of Woodhens in the bush in front of the picket fence.

Lord Howe Airport by Ian 1

The waders included out-of-season ones such as Pacific Golden Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits and Ruddy Turnstones that had sensibly decided that spending the northern summer on Lord Howe was a much more attractive proposition that flying to Siberia to breed. There was also an in-season wader, the Double-banded Plover, in-season for reasons that I’ll explain in a moment.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) by Ian 2

Waders in non-breeding and immature plumage are notoriously confusing, representing either a challenge or a headache to identify, depending on one’s attitude, and small plovers are no exception. What struck me in this case, however, was that these plovers seemed to be doing their utmost to help the waiting passengers with identification by persistently choosing to stand on the double black bands painted on the apron. The bird in the second photo is an immature Double-banded Plover – immatures have buffish faces as well as the diagnostic – but often faint traces – of the double bands on the breast.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) by Ian 3

The bird in the third photo is an adult, still showing the upper blackish and lower chestnut breast bands characteristic of this species. It’s probably a male, as the bands are fairly wide and there are traces of a black upper edge to the white forehead.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) by Ian 4

The bird in the fourth photo is an adult male in breeding plumage at the most southerly breeding location of this species on Enderby Island, one of the chain of sub-Antarctic Islands south of New Zealand. The Double-banded Plover is a New Zealand endemic – where it is called the Banded Dotterel – and widespread as a breeding species also on both of the main islands. The bird in the fifth photo is a breeding female with narrower and less intense bands and no black fringe to the white forehead.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) Female by Ian 5

The bird in the sixth photo is an adult in non-breeding plumage with only faint breast bands and lacking the buffish background of the head of the juvenile. What is was doing in this condition on Enderby Island in the middle of the breeding season is anyone’s guess.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) Adult in non-breeding plumage by Ian 6

And finally the bird in the seventh photo shows a better view of an immature bird and the buff head markings contrast clearly with the corresponding white markings of the non-breeding adult. This bird had just arrived on the east coast of Australia for the southern winter when it is a fairly common species in southeastern Australia, Tasmania, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. It is thought that the birds migrating to Australia for the winter are high-country breeders on the South Island: many others remain in New Zealand.

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) Immature by Ian 7

So, that’s why these birds are in-season in Australia in the southern winter. Any other waders here at that time of the year are either Australian residents (eg the somewhat similar Red-capped Plover) or northern hemisphere breeders that have stayed behind.

Best wishes
Ian

**************************************************
Ian Montgomery, Birdway Pty Ltd,
454 Forestry Road, Bluewater, Qld 4818
Tel 0411 602 737 ian@birdway.com.au
Check the latest website updates:
http://www.birdway.com.au/#updates

Lee’s Addition:

Bring forth every living thing that is with you of all flesh–birds and beasts and every creeping thing that creeps on the ground–that they may breed abundantly on the land and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth. (Genesis 8:17 AMP)

The Double-banded Plover is part of the Charadriidae – Plovers Family in the Charadriiformes Order.

The Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus), known as the Banded Dotterel in New Zealand, is a small (18 cm) wader in the plover family of birds. It lives in beaches, mud flats, grasslands and on bare ground. Two subspecies are recognised, the nominate Charadrius bicinctus bicinctus breeding in New Zealand and the Chatham Islands and Charadrius bicinctus exilis breeding in the Auckland Islands.

Adults in breeding plumage are white, with a dark greyish brown back, and have a distinctive brown breast, with a thinner band of black below the neck, and between the eyes and beak. Younger birds have no bands, and are often speckled brown on top, with less white parts.

They are fairly widespread in the south of New Zealand, but not often seen in the north. The nominate subspecies is partly migratory, breeding in New Zealand and the Chatham Islands and some wintering in Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji, others staying in New Zealand. The Auckland Islands subspecies is sedentary but some birds move from their territories to the shore.

Their eggs are grey, speckled with black, making them well camouflaged against river stones and pebbles, which make up the main structure of their very simple nest. (Wikipedia with editing)

Double-banded Plover (Charadrius bicinctus) Nest and Eggs ©WikiC

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Providence Petrel

May 20, 2013 by Ian

Lord Howe Island by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Providence Petrel ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 5/20/13

Your collective moral support did it again, thank you very much, so here is the Providence Petrel the other really special bird species of Lord Howe Island. ‘Special’ in the sense that after its extermination on Norfolk Island by 1800, Lord Howe was its last remaining breeding site, saving it from extinction. Unlike Norfolk Island which lacks very high mountains, Lord Howe has two fairly inaccessible ones, Mount Lidgbird, on the left in the first photo, and the taller Mount Gower on the right and it is on the tops and slopes of these that the Providence Petrel breeds.

You need to be a mountaineer to climb Mount Lidgbird and young and very fit to climb Mount Gower. We took the easier option of going by boat to the base of Mount Gower where we got good views of many Petrels in flight preparing to land at their nesting burrows. They are winter breeders, returning to the island in March and laying eggs in May. They seem reluctant to actually land, so each afternoon the air around the two Mountains swarms with these birds like clouds of insects and it is a wonderful sight.

Very clumsy on the ground, they are fast and agile in the air so I was happy to get a few reasonable shots given the choppy conditions without falling overboard. The first Petrel photo shows the characteristic overall dark bird (it looks lighter than usual against Mount Gower) with the characteristic white patches on the primary wing feathers and under wing coverts that distinguishes it from most other similar petrels. The second petrel shot, shows the upper wings – these are all dark and lack the white shafts to the primaries that distinguish the similar Kermadec Petrel. Other field marks are the scaly white feathers on the face and the dark neck and upper breast.

The third petrel photo shows a more characteristic dorsal shot with the bird silhouetted against the sky and shows it long slender wings. The birds average 40cm/16 in in length with a wingspan of about 1 m/3 ft 3 in. After breeding, the disperse to the North Pacific. For food, they dive into the water for crustaceans, squid and small fish.

Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri) by Ian

The Lord Howe population is estimated at about 30,000 pairs. Feral pigs were eliminated as part of the Woodhen recovery project and the Petrels are recolonising the lower slopes of the mountains. They were rediscovered on Phillip Island close to Norfolk Island in 1985 and the current population there is less than 100 pairs. The elimination from Norfolk Island took place between 1790 and 1800 with perhaps one million adults and young being harvested in the period 1790-1793.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. (Isaiah 42:12 KJV)

Ian has shared another of his birdwatching adventures with us. It’s good to hear that the Petrels there are making a comeback.

Petrels belong to the Procellaridae Family. The family consists of Petrels, Shearwaters, Fulmars, and Prions,

“The Providence Petrel (Pterodroma solandri) is a species that burrows in one location; isolated Lord Howe Island, some 800km from the Australian mainland in the Tasman Sea.

Of roughly pigeon like proportions (40cm), the bird was once also numerous on Norfolk Island (to Australia). However, its population here was consumed by starving epicurean transportees, sent to Norfolk Island as way of punishment. Nonetheless it numbers some 100,000 on Lord Howe. Graceful and supple in flight, the Providence Petrel has a cumbersome propensity on the ground, making it vulnerable from attack by predators.

Despite its reasonably copious strength of numbers, the Providence Petrel is deemed to be in a precarious disposition because its breeding is confined to two mountain tops and one tiny islet, and is therefore at great risk from a catastrophe.

This species is classified as vulnerable. Main causes of death are predation by the endangered Lord Howe Rail and flooding of burrows. Other dangers include rat predation and drowning in longline fishing gear. The current population is estimated at 64,000.

The scientific name of this species was given in honour of the Swedish botanist Daniel Solander, Solander’s Petrel being an alternative common name.” (Information from Wikipedia)

See:

Ian’s Petrel Photos

Procellariidae – Petrels, Shearwaters Family

Providence Petrel – Wikipedia

Ian’s Bird of the Week

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Lord Howe Woodhen

May 12, 2013 by Ian

Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Lord Howe Woodhen ~ By Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 5/11/13

My sister Gillian and I arrived for a week’s visit to Lord Howe Island this morning. I haven’t been here since a visit with my mother on her last trip to Australia in 1992. That was in pre-digital photography days, so I am of course keen to photograph some of the local specialties. Perhaps at the top of the list is the famous flightless Lord Howe Woodhen, saved from probably extinction by a captive breeding program in the late 1970s and early 1980s. We had barely finished unpacking when a pair came past our front door to welcome us to the island.

The bird in the first photo has, like many of the population of 200-300 birds, coloured legs bands to assist in monitoring the population. Its partner, second photo, lacked bands and is naturally more photogenic from a wildlife viewpoint, so I concentrated my efforts on it.

Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) by Ian

In the gloom of the Kentia Palm forest that covers much of the lowland of the island, the birds look greyish and are quite difficult to see. When they move into the sunlight, like the one in the third photo that has found fruit from the tree outside our room, the warm chestnut colour of the plumage becomes apparent.

Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) by Ian

Woodhens form permanent pair bonds and defend their territories which are several hectares in size. Both these birds are adult, recognisable by their red eyes. With a length of 36 cm/14 in these are largish rails, bigger than the related Buff-banded Rail which is also present on the island (and has also wandered past our room).

Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) by Ian

Being flightless, tame and good to eat the population declined seriously after the island was settled and by the 1970s only a few survived on the fairly inaccessible tops of the two tall mountains, Mounts Gower and Lidgbird when some of the birds were captured and bred in a protected enclosure in the lowland area. A fellow postgraduate student of mine at Sydney University in the 1970s, Ben Miller, played a major role in the project. You will be able to read all about it in a book, The Woodhen, due for publication next month by CSIRO Publishing and written by Clifford Frith. See http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/7011.htm. Cliff is also a friend of mine, so I feel quite a strong connection to the Woodhen and am happy to now be able to offer it to you and include photos of it on my website.

Next target is the Providence Petrel, so wish me luck. After its extinction on Norfolk Island – where it was regarded as ‘Provident’ – it survived only on Lord Howe, though a small colony has recently become re-established on Phillip Island off Norfolk.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

… how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! (Luke 13:34b KJV)

Never heard of a Woodhen before. Thanks, Ian, for introducing us to another one of the Lord’s creations. According to my list from IOC, there are only three Woodhens; the Lord Howe, Samoan and Makira Woodhens (The last two seem to be called woodhens only by IOC). They are in the Rallidae – Rails, Crakes & Coots Family. One other bird sometimes refered to as a Woodhen is the Weka.

“The Lord Howe Woodhen (Gallirallus sylvestris) also known as the Lord Howe Island Woodhen or Lord Howe (Island) Rail, is a flightless bird of the rail family (Rallidae). It is endemic to Lord Howe Island off the Australian coast. It is a small olive-brown bird, with a short tail and a down-curved bill. The Lord Howe Island Rail lives in sub-tropical forests, feeding on earthworms, crustaceans, fruit, and taking the eggs of shearwaters and petrels.

Woodhens mate for life and are usually encountered in pairs. They are territorial and will appear from the forest’s understory to investigate the source of any unusual noise. A mated pair will defend an area of approximately 3 hectares, with offspring being expelled from this area once grown. The population of birds is thus restricted by the amount of available territory.

Today there are about 250 birds, which may be the optimal population size for the island. (Wikipedia with editing)

See:

Ian’s Rails and Allies

Rallidae – Rails, Crakes & Coots Family

Lord Howe Woodhen – Wikipedia

Woodhen (Weka) – Wikipedia

Ian’s Bird of the Week – White-throated (and Large-tailed) Nightjar

April 29, 2013 by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – White-throated (and Large-tailed) Nightjar ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter – 04-29-13

On the recent inland trip I searched without success in various places for the Spotted Nightjar, a dry country species that roosts in spinifex and open woodland. Sometimes it is to be seen on gravel roads at night, but it seems rather shy and it’s still on my wanted-to-photograph list. I’m back home in Bluewater near Townsville with my sister Gillian, also interested in birds and on a visit from Ireland, so last Tuesday we drove up to the highland mixed forest, part sclerophyll part rainforest, on the range at the end of Forestry Road where I live. She spotted the bird in the first photo which we had disturbed walking along a forest track.

This is a White-throated Nightjar, also on my wanted list as the only one I had photographed before was the one in the second photo, taken 5 years ago in the vestibule of Reef HQ, the aquarium in Townsville in the less than ideal natural surroundings of the roof supports.

The sharp-eyed among you may have noticed that both photos were taken in April. This is no coincidence as this species is mainly seen here on migration and there are other reports of it turning up in strange places here, including a disused railway carriage that was used as travel accommodation for several years. Incidentally, its specific name mystacalis means ‘moustached’.

A much commoner species here is the Large-tailed Nightjar, often heard at night around Townsville in gallery forest, rainforest and mangroves. It has an unmistakable, very persistent ‘chop’ ‘chop’ call that gives it its colloquial name of Carpenter Bird or Axe Bird, and I often here it near my house, particular on moonlit nights.

On the day we saw the White-throated Nightjar I had been hoping that we’d see Large-tailed Nightjars on Forestry Road when we returned home at dusk, but the White-throated got in first. So we were delighted to see 3 Large-tailed as well on the way home, including one that obligingly flew up into a tree beside the road and called to us as we illuminated it with a spotlight. I had said to Gillian a few days before that this was one of the few places I knew where you could easily see two species of Stone-curlew/Thicknee in one day after we had seen a pair of Beach Stone-curlews when we went for fish and chips at nearby Balgal Beach and then found two Bush Stone-Curlews in the garden when we returned home. I could perhaps have said the same about Nightjars. You could also say something about the irony of travelling to distant places when there are so many things to be seen in one own back yard.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

How true it is that sometimes we find great treasure right in our own back yard. I am so thankful, Ian, that you share so many of your adventures with us. And, it is nice to share those adventures with your sister.

We have been able to see three members of the Caprimulgidae – Nightjars Family; the Common Nighthawk, Whip-poor-will and the Chuck-will’s-widow.

They are also mentioned in Scripture – Birds of the Bible – Nighthawks and Nightjars

And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind, (Deuteronomy 14:15 KJV)

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Letter-winged Kite

April 19, 2013 by Ian

Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) by Ian 1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Letter-winged Kite ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 4/18/13

For all you patient bird of the week recipients, here is I hope a bird worth waiting for, the Letter-winged Kite, star attraction on the recent trip along the Birdsville Track in Northwestern South Australia.

The Letter-winged Kite saga that had its resolution here started in the 1970s when I was living in Surry Hills in inner city Sydney. One evening, I was walking around to the local pub, the Cricketers Arms, on Fitzroy Street a block away from busy South Dowling Street when I found a pair of Letter-winged Kites, unfazed by the traffic, landing in a small tree on the pavement. The L-shaped markings under the wing were clearly visible, so there was no doubt about the identification – I was going to the pub, not tottering home afterwards – no matter how unlikely the location for this species, usually more at home in the semi-desert of Central Australia.

I supposed at the time that they were escaped birds. I found out only later that not only are these Kites nocturnal, but that they spread far and wide in search of food from their usual, arid, home following the population crash that follows plagues of their main prey, the Long-haired Rat. Come to think of it, the rather arid open spaces of Moore Park lie on the other side of South Dowling Street, and I’m sure there are plenty of ordinary rats in Surry Hills.

Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) by Ian 2

Ordinary people drive the 500km of dirt road that constitutes the legendary Birdsville Track from Birdsville in Southwestern Queensland to Marree in Northeastern South Australia (and the parallel Strzelecki Track) for the experience. Birders do it to search for elusive dry country birds, particularly the Letter-winged Kite and the Grey Falcon and both of these were top of my wanted list on this trip. Letter-winged Kites roost in trees by day, so I searched the few trees – nearly all in creek beds – along the Birdsville Track until, 252km south of Birdsville I spotted a couple of suspects, screeched to a halt in a cloud of dusk and approached them in the car. Birders have 4WD vehicles, such as my modest Suzuki SZ4, mainly so that they can use them as mobile bird hides as most birds are more tolerant of vehicles than pedestrians.

Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) by Ian 3

Letter-winged Kites indeed they were, but the tree was a tangle of branches and the sun was shining from behind the tree. The birds, however, seemed as unfazed by the traffic (relatively speaking) as the ones in Fitzroy Street, and let me approach to take the first photo (good lighting angle, bad branches), second photo (bad angle, good branches). Then they waited while I changed the lens from the 100-400mm to the 500mm and, eventually, looked on tolerantly while I got out of the car and did a relative close-up (third photo) and a portrait (fourth photo).

Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) by Ian 4

I then walked away to take a photo of the tree, the birds and a nest (I don’t know whether it was theirs) and turned around to find that they had silently vanished. If it hadn’t been for the photos definitely still on the SD card, the event might have all have been a fantasy. So I made do with a photo of the tree, the nest and the mobile bird hide, below.

Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) by Ian 5

The Strzelecki Track is actually supposed to be better for Letter-winged Kites than the Birdsville, but, having found these birds, we decided to change our return travel plans from Plan B1 to Plan B2, skip the Strzelecki (similar landscape, worse road), spend a few days in the Flinders Ranges and drive home via Broken Hill, Bourke and Bowra (B2), instead of Birdsville, Bedourie and Boulia (B1).

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

And the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind, (Deuteronomy 14:13 KJV)

What an awesome bird. They are beautiful. Thanks, Ian, for sharing another of your birdwatching adventures with us. His photography is fabulous also. I love that close-up in #4. Wow!

The Letter-winged Kite (Elanus scriptus) is a small, rare and irruptive Australian raptor with a core range in central Australia. The adult is a small and graceful, predominantly pale grey and white, raptor with black shoulders and red eyes. It is similar in appearance to the Black-shouldered Kite except for a very distinctive black underwing pattern of a shallow ‘M’ shape, seen when in flight. Roosting during the day in well-foliaged trees and hunting at night, it is the world’s only fully nocturnal raptor. Like all the elanid kites, it is a specialist predator of rodents, which it hunts by hovering in mid-air above grasslands and fields. (Wikipedia)

They belong to the Accipitridae Family . Check out all Ian’s Family Photos and then see the complete Accipitridae – Kites, Hawks and Eagles family list here.

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Strong-billed Honeyeater

March 28, 2013 by Ian

Bird of the Week – Strong-billed Honeyeater ~ Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 3-27-13

Still on the subject of Tasmanian endemics, Tasmania has 4 honeyeater that aren’t found on the mainland. We had the Yellow Wattlebird several weeks ago; the other three comprise the Yellow-throated Honeyeater and two of the seven members of the genus Melithreptus : the Black-headed Honeyeater and this week’s choice the Strong-billed Honeyeater.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 1

Melithreptus means ‘honey-fed’ and is like Meliphaga a synonym for ‘Honeyeater’ (the Honeyeater family is Meliphagidae) and most members of the Melithreptus genus feed on nectar to varying degrees. The Strong-billed is different, however, and feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates. It uses its sturdy bill and relatively strong neck and shoulders to strip bark from tree trunks and branches and to probe coarse bark in search of prey. The bird in the first photo is in a very typical pose. Note the strong feet and long claws adapted for clinging to vertical trunks. Interestingly, there are no treecreepers in Tasmania, and the Strong-billed Honeyeater would appear to have adapted to fill the resulting void. With a length of 15-17 cm/6-6.7 in it is the largest member of the genus.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 2

All the Melithreptus species except the Black-headed have the distinctive white stripe across the back of the head. They all have decorative eye-crescents above the eye and its colour is a field mark for distinguishing the different species, and can be whitish, blue, yellowish or red. You can see that it is whitish in these Strong-billed though it can also be pale blue.

Strong-billed Honeyeater (Melithreptus validirostris) by Ian 3

Tomorrow, I’m off to Southwestern Queensland in search of dry-country birds. So I hope to be able to bring you some interesting examples of these in the coming weeks.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

And He said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezekiel 3:3 AMP)

I like the clean lines on that Honeyeater. Simple, but very becoming. Thanks, Ian, for introducing us to another Tazmanian bird. Not sure whats out in the Southwestern Queensland, but I am sure in the weeks to come, we will find out. Humm! Wonder what he will find?

As Ian said, the Strong-billed Honeyeater is part of the Meliphagidae – Honeyeaters Family. Check out his Meliphagidae Family. He has lots of photos of them.

See his other newsletters about the Honeyeaters:

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Thornbill

March 13, 2013 by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Thornbill ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 3/13/13

Are you good at those spot the differences games where you need to find usually ten subtle differences between two drawings? If so, this bird of the week, another in the series of Tasmanian endemics the Tasmanian Thornbill, is for you. The first two photos are of a Tasmanian Thornbill, the third is of its closest relative the Brown Thornbill, which also occurs in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Thornbill (Acanthiza ewingii) by Ian

The differences are as follows. The Tasmanian Thornbill:

has tan rather than brownish-buff forehead
has shorter bill
has darker grey breast
has mottled rather than streaked breast
has buffish rather than whitish edges to flight feathers
has white rather than buff flanks
has longer tail
harsher calls and more disjointed song (otherwise very similar)
prefers denser, wetter habitats (we’re getting desperate here)

Tasmanian Thornbill (Acanthiza ewingii) by Ian

The reward? Another tick on your Australian list.

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) by Ian

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked; the one who guards himself stays far from them. Teach a youth about the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:5-6 HCSB)

Oh, now Ian is going to make us “work”! But that is how we learn to ID these birds and the others. Sometimes there is such a subtle difference in some of them. May we never get to the place where we don’t want to be challenged.

Here are the Calls of the Tasmanian and Brown Thornbills

Here are the Songs of the Tasmanian and Brown Thornbills

Thornbills are in the Acanthizidae family. Ian has quite a collection of them on his Thornbills & Allies page. This family, Acanthizidae – Australasian Warblers, has 65 species in it. The Acanthizidae, also known as the Australasian warblers, are a family of passerine birds which include gerygones, thornbills, and scrubwrens. The Acanthizidae consists of small to medium passerine birds, with a total length varying between 3.1 and 7.5 in (8 and 19 centimetres). They have short rounded wings, slender bills, long legs, and a short tail. Most species have olive, grey, or brown plumage, although some have patches of a brighter yellow. The smallest species of acanthizid, and indeed the smallest Australian passerine, is the Weebill, the largest is the Pilotbird.

Links:

Ian’s Birdway

xeno-canto Tasmanian Thornbill

xeno-canto Brown Thornbill

Other Ian’s Bird of the Week

Fifth Blog Anniversary

February 27, 2013 by Lee

White-throated Sparrow by Ray Barlow

“Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. (Luke 12:6 NKJV)

I just realized that this blog, Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures Plus, is now 5 years old. On February 15, 2008 I posted the first article on our church blog, The Fountain. At that time I began my own blog on Blogspot and then moved everything over here to WordPress and have been here since then. It was named Lee’s Birdwatching Adventures (original site) and later added the Plus as more articles about other topics were added.

The Fountain was a printed newsletter produced at church and it eventually became only an online version. It has developed over the years, just as this blog has. Stephen, our Assistant to the Pastor, is the reason that this blog exists. He invited me to write there and the rest is history.

When I brought the blog here, I moved all the originals also and this is that First article, Birds of the Bible Introduction. The One Year Anniversary, Second Anniversary of Blog,

In July of 2009, Ian Montgomery gave permission to reproduce his newsletters and also to use his photos. That started the Ian’s Bird of the Week series. In March of 2010, A J Mithra started doing articles for the blog. Ian is Australian and A J is Indian. We have other guest writers who add articles for the blog also.

Bald Eagle flying by Dave’s BirdingPix

Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? (Job 39:27 ESV)

The other off-shoot blog:

The Birds of the Bible For Kids was begun in July of 2012 and is still developing. It has already had almost 5,800 views. My hearts desire is to get busy on this and show young people God’s Creative Hand though the Birds of the Bible, but written more to their level. (Update 10/3/14 – Move to Kid’s Section)

The Lord has blessed these sites way beyond what I ever imagined or prayed about when it began. The main site right now has had 868,500 views since moving it in July of 2008. All three of them added together is over a million views. Wow! Praise the Lord!

Wompoo Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) by Ian

Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, And her feathers with yellow gold. (Psalms 68:13 NKJV)

What about the future? Lord willing, I hope to keep finding neat things about the birds in the Bible and in the world to write about. Maybe some more writers will contribute to this adventure. Maybe more photographers and videographers will give their permission to use their images of these fantastic birds. (Of course, I really love one of my photographers, my husband, Dan) Only the Lord know the end from the beginning.

Without all of you, who stop by to read these articles and see the amazing birds, it would be useless. Thank you from the bottom of heart and may you receive a blessing from something you see and read.

I am so thankful that He has enabled me to write about His beautiful and delightful avian wonders.

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Green Rosella

February 26, 2013 by Lee

Green Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) by Ian 1

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Green Rosella ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 2/26/13

The two recent Tasmanian birds of the week seem to have been popular so here is another one, the Green Rosella. I spent an enjoyable week in a rented campervan in Tasmanian in December 2011 on the way back from the Sub-antarctic trip chasing Tasmanian specialties. After that trip, the Tasmanian species got somewhat eclipsed by the penguins, albatrosses and other seabirds as choices for bird of the week, so I’m making amends now.

Green Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) by Ian 2

At up to 37cm/14.6in in length, it’s the largest of the Rosellas, being marginally larger on average than its close relative the Crimson Rosella which it replaces in Tasmania and some islands in Bass Strait. Males are generally larger than females and there are subtle between the sexes with males having relatively larger upper mandibles and broader heads (first photo) and females having more orange on the cheeks (second photo) though most of the field guides don’t distinguish between the sexes.

Green Rosella (Platycercus caledonicus) by Ian 3

Juveniles, third photo, are more distinctive with duller more olive plumage and, in flight, pale wing stripes. This bird was in the company of the adult in the second photo, and the one in the first photo was in the same area, so I assumed that they comprised a family.

Green Rosellas are quite common throughout Tasmania, showing a preference for highland forest, though these ones were near the coast on the Tinderbox Peninsula south of Hobart, a good place to search for all the Tasmanian endemics.

“Yellow” Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans flaveolus) by Ian 4

The specific name caledonicus was used by the German naturalist Johann Gmelin in 1788, who mistakenly believed that the type specimen had been collected in New Caledonia. Confusion is the name of the game in Rosella terminology, and species boundaries have changed over the years. The Crimson Rosella has two races which differ greatly in plumage and both the ‘Yellow Rosella’ of Southwest NSW and the ‘Adelaide Rosella’ of South Australia have been regarded as separate species in the past. The Yellow Rosella (fourth photo) looks quite like the Green Rosella – and not at all like a Crimson Rosella – but the Green, given its geographical isolation, has been given the benefit of the doubt and retained as a separate species. This is just as well, politically anyway, as it’s the avian symbol of Tasmania and deserves a certain status.

Best wishes
Ian

Lee’s Addition:

I will teach you regarding the hand and handiwork of God; that which is with the Almighty … (Job 27:11a AMP)

The Green Rosella is sometimes referred to as the Tasmanian Rosella, probably as Ian mentioned because it is the Avian Symbol of Tasmanian. The Green and “Yellow” Crimson Rosella are part of the Psittacidae – Parrots Family. What gorgeous birds belong to this family and they show the Handiwork of the Lord at some of it’s finest.

Their diet is composed of seeds, fruit, berries and flowers, as well as insects and insect larvae. The Green Rosella is predominantly herbivorous, consuming seeds, berries, nuts and fruit, as well as flowers, but may also eat insect larvae and insects such as psyllids. They have also partaken of the berries of the common hawthorn, as well as Coprosma and Cyathodes, and even leaf buds of the Common Osier. The seeds of the Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata) are also eaten.

The breeding season is October to January, with one brood. The nesting site is usually a hollow over 1 m (3 ft) deep in a tree trunk anywhere up to 30 m (100 ft) above the ground. A clutch of four or five white and slightly shiny eggs, measuring 30 x 24 mm, is laid. The nestlings leave the nest around five weeks after hatching and remain with their parents for another month.

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Native-hen

February 14, 2013 by Ian

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Native-hen ~ by Ian Montgomery

Newsletter ~ 2-14-13

The last edition featured the Tasmanian endemic, the Yellow Wattlebird. A former colleague of mine, Gary, who comes from Tasmania, sent me the following recipe from this priceless book by Tasmanian author Marjorie Bligh, and I thought it might interest you, at the risk of putting you off your food.

Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Ian 1

Marjorie Bligh

Wattle Birds

>“Brush each bird with warm butter after plucking them. (Do not clean birds in any other way; their insides are left intact.) Tie a thin slice of fat bacon over each breast. Put in a fry pan (electric) on a wire grid and cook slowly for 5 to 6 hours. Take off wire grid after 3 to 4 hours and cook in the fat that has dripped off them. Baste often. Serve on buttered toast.”

I Googled Marjorie Bligh and sent this reply to Gary:

Did you know that Marjorie Bligh is the subject of a new book entitled: Housewife Superstar: The Very Best of Marjorie Bligh? She sounds quite a woman.

How’s this for praise:

‘I don’t think Edna has admired anyone as much as she admires Marjorie Bligh’Barry Humphries

Would you like another Tasmanian endemic for next week’s bird?

Gary, not one to resist throwing down the gauntlet, replied: Yes […] would be especially pleased if you could manage the local endemic sub-species of emu.

Emu

This ‘restoration’ by John Keulemans was the best I could do as the request arrived about 160 years too late. So, failing that, here is another flightless Tasmanian endemic, the Tasmanian Native-hen.

Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Ian

The bird in the photo is an adult with the characteristic slaty-blue breast, chestnut upper-parts and tail. Unlike the Emu, Tasmanian Native-hens remain quite common in eastern and northern Tasmania where there is plenty of suitable grassy habitat. In pre-historic times they also occurred on the mainland but like the Thylacine and the Tasmanian Devil became extinct relatively recently, perhaps as a result of the introduction of dingos.

Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Ian

They are large – up to 50 cm/20 in in length – flightless members of the family Rallidae (which includes moorhens, coots, rails and crakes). Although they can’t fly, they can swim well and can dive to escape from predators. Like other members of the family, the chicks are black and fluffy and active as soon as they are hatched. The third photo shows a young chick under the watchful eye of an adult, already grazing on the young shoots of grass and herbs that are the staple diet of the species. They also eat seeds, invertebrates and small frogs.

Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Ian

The bird in the fourth photo is a sub-adult, and has not yet achieved the full colouration of adult birds.

Tasmanian Nativehen (Tribonyx mortierii) by Ian

I’d always assumed that Native-hens got their name from their appearance. The Wattle Bird recipe has set me wondering whether the name had more to do with taste!

Best wishes,

Ian

Lee’s Addition:

Of all clean birds you may eat. (Deuteronomy 14:11 AMP)

I guess we could add this bird to the “clean birds,” but not sure about cooking it with all its innards. The Tasmanian Nativehen is a member of the Rallidae – Rails, Crakes & Coots Family. The only other Nativehen is the Black-tailed one. See all of Ian’s Rallidae Family.

I trust you are enjoying the Newsletters that Ian sends out and lets me post here are the blog. He is quite a photographer and does a lot of traveling to find interesting birds to share. Thank you, Ian.

Check out all the Bird of the Week articles by Ian. He lives down in Australia.

Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

Birdwatching from a Christian Perspective

Category Archives: Bird of the Week

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Flock Bronzewing

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Hoary-headed Grebe

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Double-banded Plover

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Providence Petrel

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Lord Howe Woodhen

Ian’s Bird of the Week – White-throated (and Large-tailed) Nightjar

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Letter-winged Kite

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Strong-billed Honeyeater

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Thornbill

Fifth Blog Anniversary

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Green Rosella

Ian’s Bird of the Week – Tasmanian Native-hen

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