Birds.

Last week I heard strange bird calls and wondered what bird it was a few days later I heard the same bird only closer so ran outside and saw two black cockatoo's flying above, I was unsure as what type of Black Cockatoo they were and if I knew birds better I would have known they were the Yellow-tailed species as they are the only ones we get in NSW. Well yesterday I was lucky enough to hear these birds again and quickly ran to the house and grabbed the camera, not the best of shots as it was a very wet and overcast day but they are proof that these guys are hanging around and its another species I can tick off the backyard encounters!! On the way back to the house I got a cracker of a shot with a galah which is the last shot!

Enjoy,

Larrikin Bax...

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Calyptorhynchus funereus.

Galah

Cacatua roseicapilla

Birds are a very hard subject to capture as they either fly off as soon as you get close enough for a good shot, or they move just as you take a shot giving you a slightly blurred photograph. Here are a few of the better shots I've captured over the last year, I'll identify each species above picture and also give its location where picture was taken.

Enjoy,

Larrikin Bax...

Pheasant Coucal - Centropus phasianinus

I photographed this bird in Bargara QLD, I was told when I got an ID on this bird that they are very secretive and rarely come out in the open, but this one would do it every afternoon, they are also known as a Storm Bird.

Australian Magpie - Gymnorhina tibicen

This shot was taken at Bargara QLD.

Rainbow Lorikeet - Trichoglossus haematodus

Queensland is loaded with these birds, we would go to the pub for a few beers in the arvo and you could hardly hold a conversation over the noise these buggers make, gorgeous birds though.

This was taken at Bargara QLD.

This one was taken at Seaham in Newcastle.

Australian Wood Duck - Chenonetta jubata

This was taken near our dam whilst we were living at Seaham.

Australian King Parrot - Alisterus scapularis

We would hand feed these birds that visited the backyard at Seaham, some even dared to venture inside when seed was on the dining table.

This first one is a female, hence no red head.

This is a male with red head.

Grey Butcherbird - Cracticus torquatus

This shot was taken near the creek where I live now, I'll try and get these guys to feed in my yard now the cat has found a new home, we use to feed them devon when we lived at Seaham.

Superb Fairy-Wren - Malurus cyaneus

This was taken where I live now, this one is a female I'm yet to get a good shot of a male, males have blue heads.

Crimson Rosella - Platycercus elegans

We have heaps of these guys on the property, they tend to fly around in pairs, I've seen pairs run into each other and the males start fighting. They are very flighty and hard to get a good shot of, they are one of my favourite birds we get here.

Unknown Bird of Prey

We have a few different species of birds of prey but I have not yet got an ID on this one, birds of prey are by far my favourite group of birds, I hope to get some shots of Wedge-Tailed Eagles and Brown Falcons in the near future, I've also seen a few kites getting around.

Black-tailed Native-hen - Gallinula ventralis

This was taken behind our rat shed near the creek.

Laughing Kookaburra - Dacelo novaeguineae

This was taken on the property.

Galah - Cacatua roseicapilla

I've saved my best shot for last, I've been dumping a lot of hay for the cows just outside my backyard and the Galahs and Wood Ducks have been loving it, they also have started feeding on a feed swing I've made for them in my backyard.