Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

IMG_5044

The Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus), is a bird species of forests and woodlands in tropical and subtropical regions,in eastern and southern Australia.  The name “woodswallow” is a misnomer as they are not closely related to true swallows. Instead, they belong to the family Artamidae, which also includes butcherbirds, currawongs and the Australian Magpie.

.

They are commonly seen within their range in medium sized flocks of 30-50 birds.  You will often see them huddled together on a tree branch such as the photo above taken at Stirling Range or in even larger “huddles”.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Nice close-ups here!

Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans)

IMG_5100The Elegant Parrot was originally named by the renowned ornithologist and artist John Gould in 1837, its specific name Latin for “elegant”. It is one of six species of grass parrot in the genus Neophema, and within it a member of the subgenus Neonanodes. Its common name is Elegant Parrot, but has also been called Elegant Parakeet, Elegant Grass Parakeet, and Grass Parrot in the past.

.

It can be difficult to tell the Neophema species apart in areas where they overlap.  Elegant Parrots overlap with Rock Parrots in Western Australia.  In South Australia and Victoria, they overlap with Blue-winged Parrots and Orange-bellied Parrots.  To see the physical characteristics of each, see this leaflet.

Here’s some more photos I took in Stirling Range National Park which is one of the easiest places to see Elegant Parrots.

IMG_5024a IMG_5027a IMG_5069 IMG_5077 IMG_5078 IMG_5105 IMG_5270 IMG_5280LEARN MORE ABOUT ELEGANT PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)

The Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. It is colloquially known as “Moth Owl“. It is the most common of the owlet-nightjars, and the best known of this secretive family. It is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia, and despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species it is not considered threatened.

IMG_5047 IMG_5051a IMG_5285Close-up from Wikipedia since I only got shots in the nest.

.

They have a huge range – basically all over Australia so you could get lucky enough to see them on any birding trip in Australia. The best thing is to ask the lodge owners or rangers at national parks if they know of a nesting pair.  I saw them at Stirling Range Retreat.  You can also try searching the species name on the Surfbirds trip reports if you are targeting this species.  I wasn’t targeting them but just got lucky that they were found at a place I had already planned to visit and they were a delightful bird to watch as they peered cautiously out of the nest!

.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)

The Regent Parrot is one of three species in the genus Polytelis. The parrot is also known variously as the Rock Pebbler, Rock Peplar, Black-tailed Parakeet, Murray Smoker’, Marlock Parakeet and sometimes Regent Parakeet.

IMG_4975 IMG_4863Two subspecies are recognised. While the western subspecies (Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus) is listed as “lower risk” or “least concern”, the eastern subspecies (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides) is listed as endangered.

.

Regent Parrots are easily seen in Dryandra Woodland & Stirling Range National Park, both of which are an easy drive from Perth, Australia.  It was pure magic to watch them bathing in the bird bath at Stirling Range Retreat!

IMG_5157a IMG_5170 IMG_5173

Range:
P.a. anthopeplus: Inland SE Australia, near middle of Murray and lower Darling Rivers and corresponding tributaries in far SE New South Wales and NW Victoria to nearby E South Australia.
P.a. westralis: SW Australia, north to Lake Moore district and east to eastern Goldfields, Balladonia district, and Israelite Bay.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REGENT PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

Regent Parrot.org

Environment South Australia

Biodiversity Australia

VIDEO

Beautiful close ups from YouTube!

The Birds Of Stirling Range – Pictorial

I’ve already blogged about the Stirling Range National Park but it got too long so I saved the bird photos for this post.  Just as a reminder, here are the bird lists that have been recorded here:

Since we have the long Easter weekend coming up, over the next 4 days, I will get caught up on some bird profiles and then move on to the next stop which was Two People’s Bay.  So for now, just enjoy some of these beautiful birds!
Regent Parrot
IMG_4975
Galah
IMG_5016
Elegant ParrotIMG_5021 IMG_5024a IMG_5027a IMG_5037
Dusky Wood Swallows (I think)IMG_5044
Owlet NightjarIMG_5047 IMG_5051a
Honey-eaterIMG_5066
Elegant ParrotIMG_5069 IMG_5072
Singing Honey-eaterIMG_5074
Elegant ParrotIMG_5077 IMG_5078
Splendid Fairy-wrenIMG_5081 IMG_5084 IMG_5086
Elegant ParrotIMG_5100 IMG_5104 IMG_5105
Australian RingneckIMG_5113 IMG_5118 IMG_5126 IMG_5135
Regent ParrotsIMG_5157a IMG_5170 IMG_5173 IMG_5178a IMG_5184 IMG_5206 IMG_5213 IMG_5229
Western RosellaIMG_5261 IMG_5263 IMG_5265
Elegant ParrotIMG_5268
?IMG_5269
Elegant ParrotIMG_5270
?
IMG_5277
Elegant ParrotIMG_5280
Australian Owlet NightjarIMG_5285

 

Lodge Review: Stirling Range Retreat

Stirling Range Retreat offers air conditioned self contained accommodation, caravan and camping facilities beside Stirling Range National Park in Australia’s South West.  We stayed there two nights in a rammed earth cabin and really loved it!  The owners, Tony and Ayleen Sands are very friendly, knowledgeable about birds and go out of their way to help their guests.

Prices are extremely reasonable and they have a good choice to suit any budget.  Directions are also on their website and it is pretty easy to find as there is only one main road through Stirling Range.  Guided eco-tours are offered from mid August to October but it’s still pretty easy to find the local birds on your own so don’t be afraid to travel off-season.  I do recommend avoiding school holidays if you prefer a quieter atmosphere……………which most birders do!

IMG_5249 IMG_5250

The Bluff Knoll Cafe is currently closed but they have BBQ meat and some frozen dinners for sale at reception.  I do recommend a shopping trip at a larger supermarket before you travel to the park for better variety and prices.  You can also pick up some good leaflets with maps for hikers and bird watchers in reception.

IMG_5290

The rammed earth cabins are in 2 clusters of 4 cabins with parking just outside.

IMG_4992 IMG_4991 IMG_4986

Inside, there are 2 beds, an ensuite and a fully equipped kitchen.

IMG_4988 IMG_4989

My husband made good use of the BBQ!

IMG_5194

They don’t feed the wild birds but they do offer bird baths (and drinking water) to attract the many beautiful birds in the area to come in up close.  It would have been pretty hard to get this shot of an Elegant Parrot otherwise!  More photos of the birds we saw will be on a separate post.

IMG_5270

Stirling Range National Park

Stirling Range National Park encloses the only major mountain range with in the southern half of Western Australia.  The best time to visit is around Sept-Oct when wild flowers are at their best but this is also the busiest season for tourists.  As a birder, I chose to visit this park in February to avoid the Western Australian school holidays when the park would be most crowded.  Most rain falls between May and August, with summer being very frequently completely dry around Borden for over a month and having typically very light showers in the south and on the peaks.
Stirling Range is around 5 hours from Perth so it would be more suited for a trip of at least 2 days.  It’s best to stay in the park at Stirling Range Retreat (review coming) so you are right there at the crack of dawn when birds are more active.  There are around 100 species of birds here and there are several sources for bird checklists.
The Parks & Wildlife website has some more basic information about the park.  There are fees applicable and you must have exact change (cash) available as payment  is made at an honesty box at the entrance.  Since I will be covering the birds I saw on a separate post, I will simply add a few photos of the amazing scenery in the park for now.
IMG_5005 IMG_5006 IMG_5007 IMG_5008 IMG_5013 IMG_5010 IMG_5009 IMG_5014 IMG_5199 IMG_5229 IMG_5242

Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius)

The Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius), also called the Pileated Parakeet is an Australian species of broad-tailed parrot.  I took the first 3 shots at Foxes Lair.  The middle one is a juvenile.

IMG_4692a IMG_4623a IMG_4633aThe species occurs from the Moore River southwards in southwestern Australia. Its natural habitat is Marri (Corymbia calophylla), but has adpated to farmland, orchards and suburban landscapes in Perth.  Sadly some farmers consider them a pest and will shoot them.

Bird watchers have the best chances of seeing them at Foxes Lair, Dryandra Woodland, Stirling Range and a few lucky people in the Perth area see them in their backyards!  Use your miles to get to Australia, then any of these destinations is a few hours drive from Perth.

.

This charming bi-lingual book is about an Aboriginal legend of the Red-capped Parrot which is called “Kaawar” in their language.  I bought a copy at the gift shop at Yanchep National Park but it can also be ordered online.

Kaawar book

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-CAPPED PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEOS

Foraging in the grass at Bremer Bay, WA

Short but a good close up of a wild bird.  Most videos were of captive parrots so I took the best I could find!

Western Rosella (Platycercus icterotis)

The Western Rosella (Platycercus icterotis) less commonly known as the Stanley Rosella, Earl of Derby’s parakeet or Yellow-cheeked parakeet, is the smallest species of rosella and is found in the South West of Australia in Eucalypt forests and timbered areas.  I took the first 2 photos at Dryandra Woodland and the last one at Stirling Range Retreat.

IMG_4514

IMG_4526b

IMG_4824a

And here’s a close up from Wikipedia as my shots don’t do this beautiful bird justice!

.

Although Western Rosellas can theoretically be found anywhere in South Western Australia, they are sadly becoming harder to find.  I was really happy to have 2 sightings during my trip in Feb 2014 – Dryandra Woodland & Stirling Range Retreat.

.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN ROSELLAS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEOS

Everyone loves a picnic!

 This is on my other post but it’s worth watching again, especially if you really care about these beautiful birds.