HV8 Finches put on a show!

HV8 is the cattle brand for the Home Valley Station located in the Kimberly region of Western Australia. In our brief stay there in August this year I was thrilled to meet several bird species for the first time including a few species of finches.

Photographing these Long-tailed finch was a buzz! I had not really studied in advance and didn't know their name nor anything about them .... except that they looked sensational!

Long-tailed finch, Home Valley Station

I had met Crimson finch back at Kununurra but the Home Valley birds were very accommodating. Finches do love poor plumbing!

Crimson finch, Home Valley Station

Finally, a small flock of Gouldian finches was worth getting up early for. They didn't allow me very close and disappeared after a single viewing but I at least got a couple of shots to remember the occasion!

Gouldian finch, Home Valley Station

Ahh the memories!

Bird on!

More birds of El Questro

We spotted Pheasant coucal on a couple of occasions while at El Questro. This one was photographed at the El Questro Gorge carpark.

Wedge-tailed eagles are a pretty regular sighting and are often close to roads where they may feed on roadkill.

Things are not always what they seem when you're birding away from home. The White-throated honeyeater shown below is not unlike the White-naped honeyeater with which I am familiar in Victoria. I notice that that there is a distribution overlap on the central east coast of Australia - Quelle horreur!

Similarly, what at first glance looks most like a Pied butcherbird is in fact more closely related to Cracticus torquatus or what I know down south as Grey butcherbird! I gather some consider it a torquatus subspecies but I am happy for it to be classified as a stand alone species - Silver-backed butcherbird Cracticus argenteus (and add a tick to the life list)!

This Silver-crowned friarbird was among a pretty noisy group at Emma Gorge, El Questro.

Bird on!

White-quilled rock-pigeons with Kimberley colour

My brother and I hired a small boat to explore the navigable section of Chamberlain Gorge, El Questro Station on the Kimberley. He with his fishing rod, me with my bins and camera. He sought baramundi. I sought birds but with an eye out for rock-pigeons.

It was calm, warm and just a little bit .... well, scenic!

No luck with the barramundi (Ben fishing at left), Chamberlain Gorge in the dry (5 August 2012)

The return trip afforded us some good views of rock-pigeon from the boat, Ben patiently manoeuvring our craft to accommodate his brother's whims!

White-quilled rock-pigeon Petrophassa albipennis 

I must say I was pleased with how the images of the birds showcased the colours of their amazing environment. That colouring can also make them hard to spot!

What bird?

My first view of White-quilled rock-pigeon was at a distance - Lifer! (Here is the "insurance shot").

Typical Chamberlain Gorge view featuring the ledges favoured by rock-pigeons when retreating to safety.

Bird on!