Tadorna tadornoides
April 15, 2005: Rottnest Island, Cockburn, Western Australia
Spotted a male and female of these beautiful ducks near one of the lakes. Gorgeously colored.
Continue reading “Australian Shelduck”Australian Shelduck
Chinese Gardens and Darling Harbour
April 13, 2005
Managed to sleep a bit later the next morning (until about 6.00), had breakfast at the hotel, and then out into the city. Our first real stop: The Australian Museum. Today, we timed our start so we arrived right when the museum was opening, and headed straight towards the dinosaur exhibit.
Continue reading “Chinese Gardens and Darling Harbour”Botanic Garden and Opera House
April 12, 2005
This morning, we headed out into the city around 8.30, intending to start at the natural history museum. When we arrived, though, we discovered that the Australian Museum didn’t open until 9.30. We didn’t want to wait around that long, so we headed on foot in the direction of the opera house, which was our primary destination for the day. We did see some great birds in Hyde Park along the way, including White Ibis and strikingly-colored Magpie Lark.
Little Pied Cormorant
Microcarbo melanoleucos melanoleucos
April 12, 2005: Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
These birds were also present in the trees near the lake, although not as abundant as the little blacks. Not sure if these birds were nesting or not. They are beautiful cormorants.
Continue reading “Little Pied Cormorant”Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Zanda funerea
April 21, 2005: Kangaroo Island, South Australia
While walking the Koala Walk at the place where we stopped for lunch, one of the others in our group spotted one of these birds, but I didn’t see it. Fortunately, a minute later we found two of them in the trees very near the path. I’d so wanted to see black cockatoos, and was very pleased to find these. Gorgeous, big birds. Lovely!
Continue reading “Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo”Australasian Darter
Anhinga novaehollandiae novaehollandiae
April 12, 2005: Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
Just spotted one of these birds, flying by as I was walking along the path towards the Opera House. Still, such a pretty bird. Hopefully I’ll see others, as I’ve always enjoyed the anhingas in Florida.
Continue reading “Australasian Darter”Pacific Black Duck
Anas superciliosa
April 12, 2005 Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
Spotted the first of these birds in a small stream near the gift shop, a few minutes later, found several more at the lake. Also saw at least one hybrid (Anas superciliosa x platyrhynchos).
Continue reading “Pacific Black Duck”Rainbow Lorikeet
Trichoglossus moluccanus moluccanus
April 11, 2005 Hyde Park, Sydney, New South Wales
OMG, what a thrill to see the flashes of red and green when these birds flew, and I realized that for the first time ever I was seeing psittacines in their natural habitat! And these are such beautiful birds – bright blue, green and red. They’re very active and noisy, flying about in smallish flocks (maybe up to 10 or so birds) while calling to one another. What fun! I just love these birds!
Continue reading “Rainbow Lorikeet”Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita galerita
April 11, 2005: Hyde Park, Sydney, New South Wales
OMG! We were nearly through the park on the way back to the hotel when I spotted large white birds on the grass. When I realized what they were, I was SO excited. OMG! Cockatoos! Genuine, honest-to-goodness WILD cockatoos! It was almost unbelievable to me to see them there foraging on the ground for food and I’d half-convinced myself that they can’t possibly be wild – they must have been escaped pets. But no, the book says there are large flocks in the cities. OMG! SO INCREDIBLY COOL! They are really pretty and it’s funny to see a bird so familiar, and yet be seeing it for the first time. These two foraged for only a few minutes and then flew up into the tree making a rather horrible screeching noise, and began displaying their crests and raising their wings – trying to chase away a couple of ravens in the tree. It looked as though the ravens were interested in a nest, but I couldn’t tell for certain. The cockatoos made quite a fuss, as did a couple of Noisy Miners. I really loved seeing these birds!
Continue reading “Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo”Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis
April 11, 2005: Hyde Park, Sydney, New South Wales
First spotted one of these while waiting for the Sydney Explorer Bus at Darling Harbor, and it took me a while to find it in the book (these birds and the Noisy Miners stumped me at first, because I had no idea even what section to start with). I discovered that this is an introduced bird which has done well in big cities – unlike the Starling in the U.S., the Myna hasn’t spread across the whole continent (yet, anyway). They are fun to watch, and sing some very pretty songs.
Continue reading “Common Myna”Maned Duck
Chenonetta jubata
April 11, 2005: Hyde Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
First spotted these two ducks asleep standing up next to the reflecting pool in the park. Took a few pictures, but was only able to really ID them on the way back when we returned to the pool to find them swimming around. Then they got out of the pool and walked over to the grass where they began feeding on berries. Very pretty ducks, and apparently the common species on this continent.
Continue reading “Maned Duck”Hyde Park and City Bus Tour
April 11, 2005
Our hotel was one block south of Hyde Park, so that was the first place we visited (and would be the place we visited every day in Sydney, on our way to and from everywhere. This park is smaller than the one in London, which I assume is its namesake, but it’s lovely. Of course, after seeing Silver Gull at the airport, I was thrilled to see more Australian birds, all of which were new to me.
Continue reading “Hyde Park and City Bus Tour”Black Swan
Cygnus atratus
April 16, 2005: Subiaco Park, Subiaco, Western Australia
Decided to take an early morning walk to the park and when I walked out the door of Helen and Daniel’s home, the first thing I saw were these swans flying across the sky in front of me. I’d very much wanted to see these birds and was thrilled about the sighting, even though I only caught a short glimpse. They looked gorgeous flying through the sky – the contrast of black and white is lovely.
Continue reading “Black Swan”Ross’s Goose
Anser rossii
January 30, 2005: MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline-Arrowhead Marsh, Alameda County, CA
This bird was reported on the EBB list as a Snow Goose, but in studying my photos I’ve decided that the bill is more consistent with the smaller Ross’s Goose, so that’s what I’m calling this bird. There are still a few things which make it seem Snow Goose-ish, particularly the size (which I recall as being somewhat large), and there is a bit of rusty staining on the head and body. Not extensive staining, though, and the head is rounder, as pictured for Ross’s. Possibly a Snow/Ross hybrid.
Continue reading “Ross’s Goose”Cackling Goose
Branta hutchinsii
December 6, 2004: Lake Merritt, Alameda County, CA
(Branta hutchinsii leucopareia) In with the regular Canada Geese, I noticed a bird that was significantly smaller. About half the size of the others. I remembered hearing that Canada Geese had been split and guessed that I was looking at a life bird, although I didn’t know which one. Actually, split or not, I don’t remember ever seeing a Canada Goose this small, so it was a new bird either way. When I got home I discovered it was a Cackling Goose. Very cute.
Continue reading “Cackling Goose”Greater White-fronted Goose
Anser albifrons
December 4, 2004: MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline-Arrowhead Marsh, Alameda County, CA
Three of these birds flew overhead, and I might have ignored them, except that I overhead a teacher telling one of her students (I think it was a Cal Berkeley class doing wetlands restoration) that they were white fronted geese. So, I snapped off a few pictures – not great, but good enough to see the white rim on the edge of the tail.
Continue reading “Greater White-fronted Goose”Monterey Pelagic Birding Trip
August 13, 2004
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
I took another pelagic birding trip in Monterey Bay, and had a FANTASTIC time! We saw some fabulous birds (although I only saw one new species, so I’m still a few short of 500), but what I enjoyed even more was the other wildlife. The short version: I saw 31 species of birds, including the much-coveted Scripps’s Murrelet; 3 species of pinnipeds, 4 cetacean species (including breaching!!! Humpback Whales), a Leatherback Turtle (rare!), and some fish and jellyfish.
Continue reading “Monterey Pelagic Birding Trip”Fishes
Australian Long-finned Eel
Anguilla reinhardtii
April 12, 2005: Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, New South Wales
Seen swimming in one of the lakes in the Royal Botanic Garden.
Continue reading “Fishes”Albacore Feeding Grounds
September 14, 2003
I took my first pelagic trip off the West Coast today, through Shearwater Journeys. It was a long day – we left at 5.30 a.m. and returned at 5.30 p.m. – and we saw a lot of terrific things, although not quite as many birds as I’d hoped to see.
Continue reading “Albacore Feeding Grounds”Short-tailed Shearwater
Ardenna tenuirostris
September 14, 2003: Offshore-WNW Pt. Sur (35-80 nmi), Monterey, CA
One of the birds seen on this pelagic trip.
Continue reading “Short-tailed Shearwater”Pink-footed Shearwater
Ardenna creatopus
September 14, 2003: Offshore-WNW Pt. Sur (35-80 nmi), Monterey, CA
My first sighting of this bird was of an individual floating in the water. I got a really good look at him, for which I was glad. Later, we saw several more, and by mid-journey, I was able to call these guys, as well . . . black neck, but light underneath. Cool.
Continue reading “Pink-footed Shearwater”Flesh-footed Shearwater
Ardenna carneipes
September 14, 2003: Offshore-WNW Pt. Sur (35-80 nmi), Monterey, CA
Saw just one of these early in the day. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a very good look – just a dark bird flying by. I’m going to trust the ID of others, though.
Continue reading “Flesh-footed Shearwater”Buller’s Shearwater
Ardenna bulleri
September 14, 2003: Offshore-WNW Pt. Sur (35-80 nmi), Monterey, CA
This was a bird that had been seen in the morning, but I’d missed it. When looking at shearwaters, I realized that this one looked different than the pink-footed’s (which is what I thought it was at first). Sure enough, it was different! I was thrilled that I was able to spot this (and that I saw a new bird). Saw a few more later in the afternoon, as well.
Continue reading “Buller’s Shearwater”Monterey Bay Aquarium
June 5, 2003
Looking for a fun way to spend the day, Eclipse and I made the two-hour drive to Monterey, to visit the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. This fit in well with the fact that we’d been watching “Finding Nemo” lately. One of my kiddo’s favorite parts of the film features the jellyfish forest, so our first stop at the aquarium was to visit the special exhibit on jellies – “Jellies: Living Art.” It’s a fantastic exhibit. We went through it several time, and I was pleased with some of the photos I took.
Continue reading “Monterey Bay Aquarium”Cinnamon Teal
Spatula cyanoptera
February 22, 2003: Coyote Hills Regional Park, Alameda, CA
In looking through the bird book the previous night, I was looking forward to the possibility of seeing these birds, as they are to be found in the area. I was in luck, and saw several throughout the day. My first were a pair, and later I saw a group of four males and one female. The males appeared to be fighting amongst themselves – flying and chasing one another around the pond. They are beautiful ducks.
Continue reading “Cinnamon Teal”