World Bird Wednesday - In Black and White . . .

While we were in Wentworth, New South Wales, on the Darling

River, birds were unexpectedly scarce, probably because water was

around in abundance and most waterbirds had left for better

fishing grounds.

Magpie-Lark, Grallina cyanoleuca, Little or Murray Magpie,

Mudlark, Peewie or Peewit, can be found anywhere in Australia

except in direct desert areas.

Here's the other eye in case you wondered where it was hiding.

Pied Butcherbird, Cracticus nigrogularis, a wonderful songbird

getting ready to serenade me early one morning

and breaking into a gurgle of limpid melody. Unfortunately

he has some rather unpleasant traits regarding the nestlings

and eggs of other birds.

The only waterbird I saw was, a Pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax

varius, drying off after his fishing exploits . . .

Once again I have led you astray and Stewart M has pointed out the error.

This is not a Pied Cormorant but an Australasian Darter,

Anhinga novaehollamdiae, and a lifer for me.

Another look at him

and one more in cased you missed the other two.

Sorry I won't be around next week or the week after - off to the

Flinders Ranges in the far North of our state, bordering on the desert

country. See you all when I'm back!