The very-talented Noisy friarbird

The Noisy friarbird is a dusky grey-brown bird with a black leathery head and knobbly bill. I have just learned from the Birds in Backyards Philemon corniculatus page that the prominent bump is called a "casque".

In the annual school play the Friarbird is sick of being cast as the ugly villain!

The Villain
Noisy Friarbird, Hell's Gates, Noosa National Park

I had a close range experience with this "fellow" at Noosa in a bit of golden hour light. When reviewing the images I felt this bird appeared keen to audition for some other roles!

The Larrikin
Quick to poke the tongue

The TV Journalist
"That's very concerning indeed!"

The Professor
"I liked the way you worked that maths problem Sonny"

The Dinner Party Host
Impeccably presented

The Wintry Businessman
Loves a well-fitted fur coat

The Hunchback

The Patient
"Do you think I could get this thing taken off?"

The Action Hero
Ready to pounce!

We birders can't resist an opportunity to apply a little anthropomorphism!

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Birds of the Roebuck Plains

The town of Broome in Western Australia is a well-known birding destination. The tidal mudflats of Roebuck Bay play host to large numbers of migratory waders and it is on these shores that the Birdlife Australia Broome Bird Observatory is located. The observatory provides information, walking trails, bird hides and camping accommodation. It also offers tours and it was a tour called the Lakes Tour that I joined on 24 August 2012.

The trusty vehicle our guide had grown to love, Roebuck Plains

The tour gives access to land owned by the Roebuck Plains Cattle station. It is my understanding that the Roebuck Plains area was originally the massive delta of the Fitzroy River - a large river system that now flows into the King Sound. In "the wet" the plains are awash and impassable. The tour runs in the dry season and visits three residual shallow lakes as they dry out.

Our guide Theresa, a visiting Spanish ornithologist, was a gun at bird ID. This is Lake Campion. We are viewing birds on the other side of the lake.

I was impressed by the Google earth image showing a striking difference in the topography between the plains and the surrounding West Kimberley bush. This is not really appreciable as you zip along Highway One!

This was classic long-range birding using scopes and binoculars. Up close photographic opportunities were few but many species were identified including several lifers.

"Is there a particular bird you would like to see?" asked Theresa
"I have never seen Australian bustard." Sure enough we had our tick within the hour.

Four of a group of seven Australian bustard wandering away from the track

Our first stop was at Lake Eda - we were met with fine views of a White-bellied sea eagle. Brolga were readily seen around the area. Taken through the tinted windscreen of a slowly-moving car these photos are particularly poor but I am amused by the pictures of this bird descending with its landing gear down.

White-bellied sea eagle, Lake Eda

White-bellied sea eagle

Brolga descent and then grazing near Lake Eda

Lake Eda was followed by Lake Campion and then Taylor's Lagoon. At each lake I practiced trying to differentiate between the different waders present (Wood and Marsh sandpiper principally). I enjoyed my first ever sighting of Cockatiel (albeit at a great distance). Australian pratincole paraded obligingly.

Australian pratincole, Lake Eda

An across-the-lake view of a group of Cockatiel, Lake Eda

Not my kit .... unfortunately! Yes I was "out-lensed", Taylor's Lagoon

Red-backed kingfisher

Rainbow bee-eaters

Black-winged stilt

We had a few Zebra finch encounters (above) but my favourite photo opportunity of the day would have to be the Long-tailed finch that came down to drink near a magnificently placed branch!

Long-tailed finch, Taylor's Lagoon

77 species were seen in all including many ducks and other water fowl, budgerigar, raptors. You can see the entire list here (Eremaea website).

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Birds adding colour to the forest, Tarra Valley

Eastern spinebill, Tarra Valley

This spinebill was a late arrival at a flowering tree that was already playing host to several honeyeater species at the weekend. The location is the steep rainforested valley of the Tarra River in Gippsland. New Holland honeyeater and Crescent honeyeater were also present at this tree (I don't know the name I'm afraid).

New Holland honeyeater (above and below) 

I failed to get a decent picture of a Crescent honeyeater despite it being the bird I was most interested in. I rarely see them! 

Crescent honeyeater (male)

Crescent honeyeater (female)

But let us not get distracted by honeyeaters when there are cockatoos and parrots to be found!

Rosellas, Australian king-parrot, Sulphur-crested and Yellow-tailed black cockatoo were frequently seen.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (above & below) 

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

Australian King-parrot (immature or female)

Some Australian icons were commonplace. Kookaburras were easy to photograph - Superb lyrebird not so on this occasion. I saw two female lyrebirds but the extremely dim rainforest light meant that the birds became a brown blur in my photographs. I fondly remember this day in 2011 when a lyrebird explored at arm's length enabling photography and video with short lenses.

Non-feathered Aussie fauna was also seen including wombats, koalas and possums but a chance sighting of a platypus was a highlight.

Laughing kookaburra

Platypus (a distant, cropped view, taken from a bridge over the Tarra River) - a rare opportunity for a photograph of this unique animal.

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