With everything being so dry (although there is some very welcome light rain as I type this) the birds have no water anywhere near our house. We try to provide some water for them in the garden. Most visitors are the resident Honeyeaters and Superb Fairy-wrens (although we need to make sure there are twigs in the dish so the wrens can get down to the water). We also get a lot of Pied Currawongs. These are big birds in the corvid (crow) family. They will bully and even kill smaller birds (note their beaks) but they are also in the habit of eating the berries on the pepperina trees. Unfortunately, when they drink they regurgitate the pepperina seeds back into the water. The bottom of the dish is covered in seeds in no time and I often refresh the water a couple of times a day so the water is clean for other birds. Anyway, here are some shots from today. I got the DAL a couple of weeks ago at a price too good to pass up. I needed it for its flexibility, so I have a handy 2 lens kit with the AL II 18-55 and the DAL 55-300.

Two Pale-Headed Rosellas arrive at the water. These are a very elegant bird.


The Rosellas are joined at the water by a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater. One of the Rosellas has some red feathers around the head and throat. That is not unusual in this species although I think the plain creamy yellow head is more attarctive.


Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater and White-plumed Honeyeater at the water. The Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater has pink colouring around the eye and breast but the colour is fairly subdued on this one. It may be a juvenile but the colour tends to be a bit softer out here anyway.


The bully-boys arrive. The Pied Currawongs don't have to share with anyone.

[Dan Paris]

nice pictures, number 3 especially - I'm wondering what they are discussing about

[GRB]

nice pictures, number 3 especially - I'm wondering what they are discussing about

Murder

---------- Post added 01-16-20 at 02:01 PM ----------

I deeply hope you folks get some reprieve from the drought and fires. I'm very glad so many folks are doing their best to protect the wildlife.

[PJ1]

I'm wondering what they are discussing about

Thanks. I rather liked that third pic too. They may have been commenting on the quality of the water. We last topped up the tank that provides water for garden and toilets when the dam behind the house was down to virtually "dead" water. That was early December. It is completely dry now. There is nothing really special about the pics, particularly with the chain wire "bokeh" behind it. But they were mostly to send to my granddaughter in Sydney. She takes a great interest in wildlife.

I deeply hope you folks get some reprieve from the drought and fires

Thank you. No fires here, thank goodness. There is a low pressure system moving through so we have a chance of rain. Yesterday we were supposed to be an 80% chance of 20-40mm (that would do for a start). But the storms were patchy. For example, the radio just said there was a fall of 64mm in one hour south of Millmerran. We are 35km south of Millmerran and we got 4mm in 24 hours. The same forecast (80% chance of 20-40mm) for today. Maybe it will be our turn.

[ToddK]

Very nice shots that show the beauty of the birds in your area. That is a very handy two lens kit having you covered from 18mm to 300mm. I am traveling to your part of the world in a few weeks (Sydney that is), and also New Zealand. I will be bringing a DA16-85 and DA55-300 PLM, so I will have similar coverage to yours.

[PJ1]

Very nice shots

Thank you. Enjoy your visit. I was in Sydney for three weeks over Christmas (visiting grandchildren). We had just one day when it was relatively clear of smoke but it should be OK now. Over the last few days there has been a bit of rain to dampen down the fires and clean up the air.