Wednesday, October 9, 2013

A Bronze-cuckoo shines

Shining Bronze-cuckoo - a lifer for me!
Daughter and self visited Swan Lake at Phillip Island only to find that gumboots would be required if we were to proceed! 


We re-traced our steps to the car park when an obliging bronze-cuckoo appeared and perched above us (didn't actually call at this stage). Being a bit of a bronze-cuckoo nuff nuff I assumed that it would be the Horsfield's variety Chalcites basalis that I tend to see more often. The bird neatly displayed several angles demonstrating identifying features that distinguished it as a Shining bronze-cuckoo Chalcites lucidus. Lifer!!



I have since studied the call (very distinctive) and of course now I'm spotting them everywhere!

There was an even more obliging Grey fantail:

Grey fantail at Swan Lake, Phillip Island, Victoria
Sharing with Wild Bird Wednesday


Bird on!

5 comments:

  1. Beautiful birds photos!
    Greetings, RW & SK

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  2. Lovely! It was meant to be that you didn't have gumboots on hand!

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  3. Lovely photos! I had a similar experience with a Brush Cuckoo, and now that I've learned their call, I hear them everywhere!

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  4. shame about the weather but you sure did nail it with the Shining Bronze Pete!

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  5. A great lifer and so well captured to show the iridescence ,. Looks like you've had a bit of rain . . .

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