Foo - Bird watching

In the last few months I've been taking an active interest in bird watching. It's amazing watching them with their antics if only you take a moment to stop and watch.

Australia is blessed with a diverse range of beautiful birds many of which are very common. All in the back/side garden or in the adjoining recreation park the house backs onto are:


large parrots in distinctive colours or with contrasting crests (galahs, sulpher crested cockatoos...)
selection of honey eaters and shrikes (new holland honey-eater...)
number of finches and wrens
large quantities of water birds (it's near a stream) such as native-fowl and ibis
crested pidgeons (a native of Australia - similar to the feral pidgeon but much shyer and not in plague proportions in the cities)
birds of prey circling in the field
Adelaide rosellas and rainbow lorikeets...


It could just be the time of year (unlikely considering it's winter) or an increased awareness. Despite the cold weather, opening the bathroom window while preparing in the morning and listening to the chorus of calls is an absolute delight.

I must be getting old ;)

Any others interested in birds about?

An Adelaide Rosella and a Rainbow Lorikeet!

bird watching sounds about as fun as wet-paint watching...

That is unless, you're watching them circle in closer to your decoys as you click the safety off your mossberg 12 gauge...but that's just me. I dunno.

Birds taste much better than they look.

BurlySurly - it wouldn't suprise me if you triied to kill a bird by throwing it off of a cliff. :D

On a ride a couple of years go, I managed to get bombared with king parrots and Lorikeets (sp?). We get all kinds of exotic things in the rainforests around here, but some of those brush turkeys are quite psychotic.

bird watching sounds about as fun as wet-paint watching...

I don't know what's worse, someone having a hobby as much fun as watcihg paint dry, or someone else who's bored enough to respond to such a topic that they purportedly have no interest in.

BurlySurly - it wouldn't suprise me if you triied to kill a bird by throwing it off of a cliff. :D
Maybe if it were a penguin.

Chris L., dude, its late. Im bored, this is as good a topic as any.

Maybe if it were a penguin.

Chris L., dude, its late. Im bored, .

Apparently so.



this is as good a topic as any.

Come on, they can't all be as bad as watching paint dry. If they are, you have my pity.

Well the beer, cheese and bikes thread is at least mildly entertaining, but I wouldnt want to burn it out. Lets not bastardize this thread any further though. Back to the birds.

I once saw a hawk raid a squirrel nest. It was badass!

Well the beer, cheese and bikes thread is at least mildly entertaining, but I wouldnt want to burn it out. Lets not bastardize this thread any further though. Back to the birds.

I once saw a hawk raid a squirrel nest. It was badass!

You reckon that's a badass? Do a search for "magpie" on these forums. These little terrors go for your head and neck, kamakaze fashion.

You reckon that's a badass? Do a search for "magpie" on these forums. These little terrors go for your head and neck, kamakaze fashion.


Ive spent some time in Oz. Im well aware. They are loud as piss when youre trying to camp.

Ive spent some time in Oz. Im well aware. They are loud as piss when youre trying to camp.

Actually, I think it's the crows who make most of the noise. About the only time I hear from magpies is the screech that comes just after they've clattered into my helmet.

Actually, I think it's the crows who make most of the noise. About the only time I hear from magpies is the screech that comes just after they've clattered into my helmet.

maybe it was the mating season or something, cause those freaking things were squawking like no tomorrow. You know, American birds like owls and hawks and eagles could prolly just eat a magpie like it was a....uh....pie...or something. You guys need more carnivores down there. Goanas and Dingos dont do it for me. Bring back the tazmanian tiger, i say.

Rifle birds aint just for *******!

Cool pictures.

My bird story is from a ride a couple of weeks ago. I had been slogging up one hill too many and saw a goldfinch flying along beside me. That took my mind off the ride. The bird was keeping pace with me then landed in a tree by another goldfinch. That was really cool. The turkey buzzards flying overhead are interesting. They look at me like "Ummm, fresh road kill!" Not so, I'm not dead yet!

I'm not a big bird watcher, but I live in Florida on a lake and I put bird feeders out.(I'm known to feed any animal that wonders into my yard).

We have 3 different types of wood peckers, Heron's, a pair of cardinals, wood storks a few red tail hawks and during migration season, we even see a pair of bald eagles.

The most annoying is are the Quakers(green parrots).. They were not indigenes to Florida, but some how they have come and reproduce very easily. They are loud and will eat as much feed as you can put out..

I guess I'm a bird enthusiast, enough to spend hours in a hide or laying on a beach trying to gain their trust to photograph them. I'm not into "list-checking", what I really like is to observe their behavior. I enjoy wildlife in general but birds are more abundant.

Now for the plug :D... I got some bird photos here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux1.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux2.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux3.htm) and here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux4.htm). :)

I guess I'm a bird enthusiast, enough to spend hours in a hide or laying on a beach trying to gain their trust to photograph them. I'm not into "list-checking", what I really like is to observe their behavior. I enjoy wildlife in general but birds are more abundant.

Now for the plug :D... I got some bird photos here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux1.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux2.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux3.htm) and here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux4.htm). :)

Those are really great photo's. I'm envious. I can guarentee that I won't see the flock of wild turkeys on my commute if I take my camara along.

I guess I'm a bird enthusiast, enough to spend hours in a hide or laying on a beach trying to gain their trust to photograph them. I'm not into "list-checking", what I really like is to observe their behavior. I enjoy wildlife in general but birds are more abundant.

Now for the plug :D... I got some bird photos here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux1.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux2.htm), here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux3.htm) and here (http://www.borealphoto.com/galeries1/oiseaux4.htm). :)

Very nice photos. Indeed, the most common ordinary bird can be the most interesting to watch.

Having said that I'll never forget the opportunity to watch a male and female lyrebird in the Blue Mountains National Park (west of Sydney) a little way from the walking trail. Lyrebirds are apparently relatively common in certain areas but extremely shy. As they are also not found anywhere near where I live, on the single day hike while interstate to see a couple was very surprising. Certainly worth enduring the cold and nursing some sore legs from all the climbing/descending.

What's a lyrebird... well see http://home.iprimus.com.au/readman/lyrebird.htm (no awards for webdesign there) and http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/npws.nsf/Content/Lyrebirds

Having said that I'll never forget the opportunity to watch a male and female lyrebird in the Blue Mountains National Park (west of Sydney) a little way from the walking trail. Lyrebirds are apparently relatively common in certain areas but extremely shy. As they are also not found anywhere near where I live, on the single day hike while interstate to see a couple was very surprising.

I see a few lyrebirds in the hinterland occasionally. In fact, the Gold Coast Hinterland is the world's only known habitat of the Albert Lyrebird, but I never get close enough to take any photos.

Meanwhile, I saw this one in downtown Launceston last December.

... And another who wasn't at all camera shy.

Erm Chris, they're peacocks... not lyrebirds! Beautiful none the less... But it's a bit like chickens and ducks :) You're looking for these:

http://www.montereybay.com/creagrus/SLyrebird-display-Beste2.jpg

Brown and understated except for the tale^H^H^H^Htail which looks like the greek lyre instrument when on display...

[edit: can't have DenvrFox complaining about incorrect word use]