Sunday's weather could not seem to decide what it was going to do. I really wanted to go out to take some photographs so I took a chance on how the weather, and therefore lighting, would pan out. The clouds kept covering the sun but every now and then there was enough light to make the trip to Weston Park in Canberra, worthwhile. Initially, as I wandered around the park, it seemed that the birdlife had gone somewhere else for the day. Sure, there were Australian Wood Ducks, Magpies, Magpie-larks, etc; the birds that you see everyday but there did not seem to be any other species of birds. That was until I found this one tree. I am not sure what it was about this tree but it seemed to attract a vast range of birds including Satin Bowerbirds, a Grey Fantail, Crimson Rosellas, etc; all within a space of 20 minutes. That was when the morning turned around, then I started seeing some birdlife. It was a lovely walk and I hope you enjoy the photos below.
The first bird that attracted me to the tree I referred to above was a Satin Bowerbird. I heard the distinctive cry, which had me hoping I would be able to snap a shot. I only saw one bird although I suspect another may have been there. It was a female that I think may be immature given the yellowish colour in its beak. It started on the ground but when it became aware I was around it took to the tree I referred to before hopping over to another tree. It was not there long before it flew off.
A single Grey Fantail then started hopping between branches. It was easy to identify as its tail was out like a fan and the bird never seemed to stay still for long. It was hard to get a picture of it. Below you will see a rear view showing the tail in full display. I assure you, when I was composing the shot the bird was the other way around; as I said, it would not stay still. There are several sub-species of this bird and I think this one belongs to the alisteri sub-species.
The next bird to appear was an immature Crimson Rosella. It was after food, which it seemed to find in the tree as it was eating something from the branches. The mottled green plumage is the distinctive sign of an immature bird of this species.
My attention was then drawn to a pair of Masked Lapwings moving around the area. They were of the novaehollandiae sub-species. These birds are famous for their aggression in protection of their breeding sites during their approaching breeding season, regularly swooping unsuspecting people who walk too close. The problem is there nests are small scrapes in the open, often on grass areas such as sports fields or parks. The last two shots are of one Lapwing as the rain started, in the photograph you can see the beads of water on its feathers with the last shot having a rain drop streaking through it. I thought they were wonderfully atmospheric shots.
There were Magpie-larks all around the park, with their call being very distinctive as well as carrying a long way. I took the pictures below at two different locations. They show the male on the left (black face with a white eyebrow) and female on the right (all white face).
While I was photographing in one direction there was a commotion very close-by, behind me. A group of Australian Magpies were feeding on the ground with one of the juvenile ones apparently annoying an adult. The adult forced the juvenile bird onto its back in what appeared to be a submissive position. The juvenile bird made plaintiff calls during and after this behaviour to put it in its place. When it was able to get upright it commenced preening itself. The final photograph shows the juvenile bird rapidly shaking its head as part of its preening.
There was also at least one Eastern Rosella at the park.
The final bird I made note of this morning was the White-browed Scrubwren. There was a pair of them moving around the small trees right near the lake. They were even going into the tangled mess of dead plants, branches and leaves right on the ground at the bank of the lake. They were not particularly concerned by my presence but were flying rapidly from place to place around me. I only managed to get one passable photo of them, as the light was starting to go with the rain clouds coming in.