Archive for category Woodswallows

A Happy ‘Nade Day

Nov 27

Some days just come with a birding omen. I was awaken today by the booming calls of some Pied Imperial Pigeons (Ducula bicolor) in the Bleeding Heart Tree outside our bedroom window. While common bordering on abundant, it is not often that this species presents you with a nice clear profile to photograph. So, naturally, off I went full pelt down the stairs in my underwear.

I think it was worth it.

After work I decided to take a brief (3 hour) walk along the Esplanade and mangroves. Once again, I was greatly rewarded. I managed to sight many shorebirds including the Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus), Greater Sand Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii), Whimbrel (Numenius Phaeopus), Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis), Little Curlew (Numenius minutus), Pied Oystercatcher (Haematopus longirostris) and by far the most exciting, a single Beach-stone Curlew (Esacus neglectus). Many more shorebirds were sighted but at the moments I haven’t finished going through the images and those are the ones that came to mind! Here are some shots.

Lesser Sand Plover

A Greater Sand Plover. It’s amazing that when taking this I failed to notice the 200 or so crabs in the image.

Pied Oystercatcher

Grey-tailed Tattler (Heteroscelus brevipes)

Beach-Stone Curlew

I took countless photos of this bird. I had actually left the mangrove edge to head south down the Esplanade when I realised I had forgotten my sunglasses, only to return to find this treasure! It made my week! It wasn’t all waders/shorebirds today though. I managed to sight a single Gould’s Bronze Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx russatus), a White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina papuenis), a couple of Mangrove Robins (Eopsaltria pulverulenta) and got some cracking shots of the White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus).

Mangrove Robin

White-breasted Woodswallow

Welcome Swallow (Hirundo neoxena)

And finally, to top the day off, an adult female Forest Kingfisher (Todiramphus macleayii) sitting in a dead tree by the mangroves.

I got many more photos and interesting videos, but I think I should limit my media per post!

Esplanade continued…

Nov 20

Posted by Sebastian | 4 Comments

Being breeding season for many birds, I suppose it is natural to show some of the nesting birds I have discovered recently. True to form, the winner for most peculiar yet surprisingly resilient nesting site is our old friend, Artamus leucorynchus, or, the White-breasted Woodswallow.

This Foxtail Palm (Wodyetia bifurcata), located on the southern end of the Esplanade, cops such a battering from the wind its surprising it can even retain its fronds.

Yet, somehow, this palm happens to hold something far more fragile, a very loose looking woodswallow nest.

Strange nesting locations never really surprise me any more. Here is the nest of a Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) situated immediately above a frequently used hospital bin. The mother is all to keen to alert everyone to the nest’s presence with a piercing machine gun like call coupled with vicious swoops directed at anyone who comes within about 15 metres. Luckily, this only happens 15 times an hour or so!

The latter shot was actually earlier than the first at a different location in Cairns. Just thought I would include it for the foreigners. Willie Wagtails have an interesting characteristic where their white brows actually protrude from their face when they are excited. If you would like a closer look at his brow just walk near a nest, the defensive call is unmistakable.

Some of the more interesting sightings I have made on the Esplanade recently, that are unfortunately not accompanied by brilliant photos are the White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike (Coracin papuenis) and the Nankeen Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus).

The Figbird and the Woodswallow

Nov 6

Posted by Sebastian | No Comments

A few days ago on Tuesday we were driving along a busy Cairns street when I spotted a White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorynchus) nesting in the fork of a tree by the side of the road.

While photographing this little Woodswallow, my girlfriend notified me of the presence of another nest hovering about 50cm above my head. On a limb from the same tree dangling above my head was an Australasian Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis) nest. Both the male and female were incubating at once.
To give you an idea of just how spindly this limb was and how ill-supported the nest seemed, I included a shot taken at a wider angle.