Thursday, May 24, 2012

It's a Grey Goshawk you Spangled Drongo!

I was walking back to the hire car as birding time was nearly over at Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve in Caloundra. (I had to leave as one of my mates in the travelling group was nearly finished at the tattoo parlour and he would have ink to raise eyebrows at - this was a first in our group!) A cacophony of noisy miner and other honeyeaters awoke me from my misery (dips on scarlet honeyeater and variegated fairy-wren). The birds were clearly upset by what I hoped would be a raptor. I wasn't disappointed:

Grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae) A lifer for me!!!
Ben Bennett Bushland Reserve, Sunshine Coast
 Examining the image at lower right I wondered if the bird was injured but on closer inspection the talons of the bird's right leg appear to be withdrawn - I'm not sure.

Other birding pleasures for this south-of-the-Murray birder included Spangled drongo, Lewin's honeyeater and Eastern yellow robin (enjoys living in Victoria as well).

Spangled drongo (Dicruris bracteatus)
Lewin's honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii) above and in flight while hawking for a feed (below)

Eastern yellow robin (Eopsaltria australia)
A few shots showing the locale ...




Birders look away (not for the purists) ...

(a few of the above images with filters applied a la Instagram)




1 comment:

  1. A nice collection. I really like Grey Goshawks and that's a great view. Like the Lewin's in flight too. - A great catch!

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