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!

Travelogue: - Being There, Part 1, BIRDS

Our first day at Currawong Beach was wet

See Intermezzo, a few posts down.

Spurwing plover, Vanellus novaehollandiae
is an early riser, as dawn breaks he is already

a busy bird.

The combination of hand held camera and

minimal light does nothing for photo quality.

Little pied Cormorant, Phalacrocorax melanuleocos
Another early riser, drying off just as the sun is rising.

Grey butcherbird, Cracticus torquatus

feasting on bacon rind

Little raven, Corvus mellori Trying to muscle

in on the BBQ breakfast

Only to be sent packing by the butcherbir returning

for a helping of scrambled eggs

Noisy miner, Manorina flavigula is never backward
in coming forward where food is concerned.

He doesn't try to muscle in, just pick pockets here and

there and gets his share none the less.

Rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus moluccanus
another early bird, feeding well before sunrise
and any other time of day.

For breakfast it's nectar from Erithrina x sykesii

A Blue-winged kookaburra, Dacelo leachii too late

for bacon rinds, whistfully surveys the the scene.

Black-backed magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen,

happy with crumbs from the royal feast

and lucky last, a Brush turkey, Alectura lethami

cleans up after every one has finished

.