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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Bell miners - So that's what they look like!

I was at Koomba Park, Wantirna, surrounded by the chiming of Bell Miners and, as usual, finding the little blighters very hard to see let alone photograph. At times you could swear the call was 3 metres in front of you where stood nothing but a pathetic sapling!

It got to me. I found myself deciding to not settle for a "heard only" Bell Miner tick today.

I persisted.

Then it started. Like stars in the night sky as eyes become accustomed to the darkness I started to see the miners. I got a few indistinct photos of birds among distant foliage.

Then, bizarrely, one bird (which I can only assume had lost its miner marbles) started feeding right next to me and here's the result!

Bell miner Manorina melanophrys
A comical character really! The next shot captures apparently flightless movement through the foliage (or more correctly doesn't quite capture the movement as the head is out of shot!)


Quite a buzz to finally see these guys clearly!

Bird on!
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1 comment:

  1. RJWMarch 9, 2011 at 9:49 AM

    Great pic Pete. Certainly know the frustration of hearing without seeing. I have a few of these types of birds, like the whipbirds, most of the time the reed warblers etc. and even more frustrating is when you can hear them nearby, can't locate them for a photo, and then you get a brief glimpse without even getting the camera near your face for a photo. I saw a quail of some type last night walking home and only got the briefest of glimpses so couldn't even tell you any color other than "darkish". I tried waiting for it to re-appear, but the ants were swarming my feet and legs.

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