Saturday, 16 November 2013

A Rainy Afternoon

On a recent trip to Newcastle we had some afternoon drinks on the lakefront balcony of the house where we often stay. It's a beautiful spot, and we always see quite a few birds. None of these birds are particularly rare, indeed most of these are quite common, but it was great to see such a range in quarter of an hour, without moving an inch (and all while enjoying bubbles- best birdwatching ever?).

I thought the kookaburra was close on the neighbours antenna

and then he came and sat on our gutter
(Dacelo novaeguineae)

A crested tern took refuge on the jetty
(Thalasseus bergii)

Spotted Dove
(Streptopelia chinensis- introduced)

Rainbow lorikeet
(Trichloglossus haematodus)

Mallard Duck
(Anas platyrhynchos- introduced)

An artwork on the balcony

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15 comments:

  1. Brona16 November 2013 at 18:48

    Every time I see or hear a native bird I think of you...if only you were next to me, I could ask you what it is, because other than the obvious, well-known few, I'm clueless with birds.

    Great close-up of the kookaburra's eye.

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  2. Paulita 16 November 2013 at 22:21

    They might be common to you but they're pretty exotic to me. Well, except for the mallard duck. I thought the artwork was your snacks. Do you have goldfish crackers in Australia? Here's Mine

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  3. Unknown16 November 2013 at 22:28

    Wonderful birds!!

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  4. bermudaonion17 November 2013 at 00:42

    That was some fabulous bird watching. I learned a song about a kookaburra as a child and would love to see one in person.

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  5. Sheila (Bookjourney)17 November 2013 at 02:01

    The rainbow one is so pretty!

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  6. Anonymous17 November 2013 at 02:17

    Common birds for you are exotic for me. I know I'll never see a kookaburra or a Rainbow lorikeet unless I travel to half a globe away. Before then, thanks for sharing your ordinary bird watching moment. ;)

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  7. Peggy Ann17 November 2013 at 02:23

    So fun to see these birds I would never get a chance to see!

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  8. Joy17 November 2013 at 03:27

    The close-up of the kookaburra is stunning! The rainbow lorikeet is such a pretty bird. Hard to believe it's real!
    Joy's Book Blog

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  9. grammajudyb17 November 2013 at 04:38

    I always enjoy your bird photos. We don't see water birds much in Wyoming. A few Canadian geese, mallards and the occasional Whooping Crane on migration. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Esme17 November 2013 at 04:39

    I like the coloring on the lorikeet. We have wild parrots in our neighborhood.

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  11. Leslie (Under My Apple Tree)17 November 2013 at 05:58

    Lazy bird watching is the best, especially when such a nice variety stops by. The kookaburra is a handsome fellow. He looks similar to our Belted Kingfisher, but I've never had a kingfisher on the gutter! The lorikeet is gorgeous, nothing like it near me. We have painted buntings but I'd have to travel south to see those.

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  12. Anne@HeadFullofBooks17 November 2013 at 09:18

    Do you see the Rainbow Lorikeets very often? I can't imagine how shocked I would be to see one.

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  13. Ginx Craft17 November 2013 at 09:59

    I really like the close up of the kookaburra. You feel like you could touch him.

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  14. Susan Lindquist17 November 2013 at 12:44

    Now I shall be humming the Kookaburra song for the rest of the evening! What a handsome bird!

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  15. BooksPlease18 January 2014 at 18:20

    Wow! fantastic photos - the wild life in your Newcastle is very different from the wildlife in our Newcastle (UK).

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Thank you for commenting.