It’s Sunday, and that means a dollop of photos from John Avise. John’s captions and IDs are indented, and you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them. Here we have part 5 of John’s birding trip to Australia.
Australian Birds, Part 5
This week’s post concludes a five-part mini-series on birds that I photographed on a business trip to Queensland, Australia in 2006.Then next week, PCC(E) willing, we can begin a tour of birds from several other countries.
Silver Gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae):
Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus):
Spotted Catbird (Ailuroedus maculosus):
Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis):
Wompoo Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus magnificus):
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita):
White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuensis):
White-breasted Woodswallows (Artamus leucorynchus) (they typically huddle like this when perched):
White-cheeked Honeyeater (Phylidonyris niger):
Garden Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis), male:
Ahhh, beautiful.
A philosophical question:
Why does “catbird” make sense, but “birdcat” … “birdcat” … what is that?!?
A philosophical answer: Why not?
Let’s see… if catbirds are birds that act birdlike by making mewing noises, a birdcat would be a cat that acts birdlike.
New philosophical question: What would it mean for a cat to act birdlike? I’ll ask my furry philosophers the next time they wake up 🙂
Do scientists know why the woodswallows huddle together like that? Probably not for warmth unless it is cold when they do that. Maybe as a defense mechanism against predators?
I don’t know the answer to your question, but it certainly wasn’t cold on the day that I photographed them.
Really nice! I love the backgrounds in all the photos. Perfectly composed!
Thanks!
Beautiful, especially the Wompoo Fruit Dove. That’s the most colorful pigeon I’ve ever seen!
+1
Yup great capture. You often hear them but never see them that readily. Btw that is the sound they make wompoo wompoo hence the name
It earned ‘magnificus’, for sure!
Yes! I am really jealous and want to see a green and purple dove
Wonderful photos – as usual!
These were great, always a treat. The Ibis is something else…rather drab neck and head and just a gorgeous mother-of-pearl type iridescence on its body and tail feathers. Like readers above, I marvel at the colorful dove.
OY! No emus, John? Agh!
hehehehe Only kidding – great set.
D.A.
NYC
David, you must have missed the Emus in one of my earlier Australian posts.
Loved them all, especially the shampoo!
Thank you for sharing your experience of birds and everything!
Simply lovely. As always. The best of the best. Love it!