Tuesday, May 22, 2012

World Bird Wednesday - Birds at Arkaroola


Driving into Arkaroola, this Emu caught my eye.
Not so easy to do precision shooting across a passenger and
keeping the bird in the frame. Apologies for the focus.

No more luxury of drive-by shooting, since I'm sole driver,
either I or the bird has gone by.


Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Acanthagenys rufogularis, not one of 
your nice chaps, were he human, you could hear the chains and the 
click of flick knives. More on this fellow on a later post.


I saw a flash of red and swivelled my hand-held lens and snap!
I thought it was one of our robins but envisage my amazement
when I checked it on the computer


and found it to be a Mistletoebird!!, Dicaeum hirundinaceum.
I thought all my Christmases had come at once. A lifer for me
and a bird I had hardly dared to hope to see, let alone get a shot of.


Isn't he just the cutest with that black stripe down his front?


Another bird landed near by and, blind as a bat me thought it 
may be the female but fate decreed otherwise, 
a second lifer within seconds, a Hooded Robin, Malanodryas 
carullata, another of our black and white birds and a charming
little chappy. 


Both the Mistletoebird and the Robin had pretty voices to 
recommend them as well.


There was so much more in just one morning. I'll leave some for 
another day, rather than risk boring you all in one hit.

So, until next time, keep snapping!

26 comments:

  1. A great series of birds. I saw a Mistletoe bird this morning - but those little fellows are so fast that I didn't even get the camera up before it was gone.

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  2. A great post. I love your photos!

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  3. Wow Arija, these are beautiful birds. The Mistletoe is so pretty and colorful. The Honeyeater is a cool looking bird. Thanks for sharing these world birds. Have a great day!

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  4. Lovely post. I've never heard of a Mistletoe. Very striking and I love the black stripe down his chest.

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  5. Oh a Mistletoe Bird, never heard of, or have seen images of one before. What a sweet little bird too! I love the looks of the Honeyeater, what a gorgeous species. I always try to pull off road if I see something, and sometimes it works, and other times, not, yet I hate not trying;')~

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  6. Arija very rare birds indeed for my viewing!The Mistletoebird resemble the red breasted Grosbeak that I see in my woodland garden! Nature is so exciting!Sigh
    hugs from afar xo

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  7. Beautiful series, despite the rough nature of the first bird. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  8. Congrats on the two lifers! The Mistletoe bird is quite handsome.
    I can only imagine seeing and Emu in the wild. :)

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  9. these are all cool! that mistletoe bird is so brightly colored! i liked your description of the honeyeater, though! :)

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  10. Wonderful, beautiful series as always, Arija! Regardless of the situation and the restrictions, you do find and manage to capture such delightful critters/birds etc etc etc!! Thank you for sharing!

    Sylvia

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  11. Always fun to capture lifers.

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  12. Lucky girl!! What wonderful birds. And yours are so very different from mine.

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  13. Congratulations on those two lifers! They are really beautiful birds. Can't wait to hear more about the honeyeater!

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  14. Amazing pictures. I understand the lack of another driver.It sure hinders the photography side of me.

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  15. Oh! How I love that mistletoes bird ... Just the prettiest bird I ever did see. Looks like your having a wonderful time Arija ... with so many photo oppertunities. Travel safe.

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  16. CONGRATS on the Mistletoebird...what an extraordinary creature, what with his man's black tie all not tied correctly ;>}} I've never seen anything like him.

    Always lovely to stop by here and see what you are *seeing*...

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  17. Wow! This is truly an exciting blog. Two lifers in one post, and for me, it would have been four, since I've never come across an emu or a Honeyeater either. Wonderful photographs and definitely no chance of boring this reader :)

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  18. Oh never bored to see photos of such amazing birds. Emus I love and rarely see, but the Mistletoe bird and the Hooded Robin, oh, oh and oh again. I love your descriptioon of the Spiny-cheeked Honey Eater and am looking forward to the post in which you tell us more.
    I am so happy for you that you have been able to see and photograph these gems. And Thankyou so much for sharing them.

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  19. A fine collection -- so colorful!

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  20. I've seen ortriches in Africa and rheas in South America; now I have to go to Australia to have the trilogy completed. :-) All the other birds on this post are lovely.

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  21. WOW wow and double wow -- two lifers and oh my gosh they are both beautiful -- well all the birds in this post are so interesting, I can't wait to read more about that 'bad guy"....what a great trip you have shared with us. (and it's so great that you can take these pix while you are the driver...I have trouble doing drive by photos as a passenger).
    Thanks for sharing.

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  22. Arija, oh congrats! What a wonder to see all of that!

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  23. That Mistletoe bird if fantastic! I've never seen it before. I love uploading to my laptop and discovering that I have captured something even more incredibly than I initially thought! :)

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  24. Congrats on the lifers Arija! I have never heard of the Mistletoebird either but I think, even though they live in Australia, since I have lots of mistletoe, I should have some here in California! Love the Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater too!

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  25. What a great set of birds - and the skies in the next post are pretty good as well!

    I'm planning to get the family into central Australia this time next year. Should be good.

    Cheers - Stewart M

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  26. Love seeing the coloration of this very distinctive birds.. and fancy seeing an emu on an outing. cool!

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