Tag Archives: grey butcherbird

Flying visit along the coast

Posted on October 10, 2017 | 2 comments

Over spring I have been working on a garden down the Mornington Peninsula, trying to rediscover and restore the original veggie and garden beds. On the way home I popped into a few new spots along the way –  Highfield in the National Park and the McClelland Sculpture Park in Langwarrin. The Superb Fairy-wren was displaying its near eclipse plumage (last of its breeding/summer plumage). As I parked my car at the Sculpture Garden, I heard a weird bird call that I did not recognise (of course I assumed I had discovered a new species or at least a lifer) and it turned out to be a begging young Butcherbird. I watched as a parent returned a few times with little morsels for the hungry beggar. Notice the deadly little bill hook that the Butcherbird will use as part of its bird hunting weaponry.

Superb Fairy-wren, Green's Bush (southern), Vict

Superb Fairy-wren, Mornington Peninsula National Park: Highfield, Vic

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird, McClelland Sculpture Park, Langwarrin, Vic

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird, McClelland Sculpture Park, Langwarrin, Vic

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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More Moorooduc Magic

Posted on September 3, 2015 | 1 comment

Moorooduc Quarry is fast becoming one of my favourite places to bird. It is a compact site with a variety of vegetation and landscapes and many bird species.

On the latest visit to check in on the Yellow Robin family I found the Robin now sitting on eggs in the nest.

Brooding Eastern Yellow Robin II, Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve

Brooding Eastern Yellow Robin.

Brooding Eastern Yellow Robin II, Moorooduc Quarry Flora and Fauna Reserve

Keeping a careful eye on me – I kept my distance

I also found a few regulars and a new one for my site records – a Bassian Thrush – a speckled bird a little larger than a blackbird that loves to forage in the understory of thick cooler forests. While I was trying to photograph the Yellow Robins it popped out to see what the fuss was – posed for a few moments and then dashed back into the thick scrub. I have rarely seen a Bassian Thrush and this is only the second time I have been fast enough to get a photo.

Bassian Thrush, Moorooduc Quarry

Bassian Thrush, Moorooduc Quarry

Bassian Thrush, Moorooduc Quarry

II

Grey Butcherbird, Moorooduc Quarry

Grey Butcherbird watching the antics of the Galahs

Galah, Moorooduc Quarry

Female Galah watching the nearby group of male Galahs, Moorooduc Quarry

Galah, Moorooduc Quarry

Male Galah enjoying some dandelion seed heads.

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Posted on June 27, 2015 | 2 comments

While looking for a couple of recently reported Boobooks along  Elster Creek today, I came across this young Grey Butcherbird. It was hunting in the school veggie patch. They eat a variety of food including other small birds. The brown and yellow feathering indicates a juvenile. I often hear and see these birds around the neighbourhood but this my first pic of a local bird.

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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Braeside Park in March

Posted on April 6, 2015 | 4 comments

After our walk into the Woodlands Park wetlands we crossed over into the Braeside Parkland and had look around the usual spots. It was pretty quiet overall and the water has dropped considerably with many birds moving on until the lakes start to fill up again. I did mange to get a few interesting shots.

Great Egret

Great Egret on a dead tree roost in the middle of the evapourating lake.

Juvenile Butcherbird

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Superb Fairy Wren

Superb Fairy Wren -shot taken from the inside of the Bird Hide through glass. The Wren’s frenetic hunting in the grass and the window glass made for a strange effect.

Straw necked Ibis

Straw necked Ibis – straw neck feathers on show and as well as the vibrant colours the wings.

Straw necked Ibis

Straw necked Ibis II

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Posted in Birds, Victoria

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Woodlands Industrial Park – calls of childhood

Posted on March 31, 2015 | 2 comments

After the early morning encounter with my little White-plumed Honeyeater friend and watching his gang take on a rival New Holland Honeyeater tribe we continued our walk into the wetlands and bordering scrub looking for more birds.

We found a Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike moving along the tree line above us being pestered by Magpie-larks.

Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike

Black Faced Cuckoo-shrike

One of the great sounds of bushland on the Melbourne fringe (and in my area of inner Melbourne) is the call of the Butcherbird. Along with the Currawong and Magpie, the butcherbird it is part of the soundscape of the outer Melbourne. For many childhood years I lived on the fringe of suburbia in different parts of Australia. I still regularly visit my folks who still live on the fringe. The sounds below were always there in the background.

Currawong call from Birds in Backyards site (press the audio button down the right hand side of the site)

Grey Butcherbird call

Australian Magpie call

The Butcherbird is an adept hunter of small birds, lizards and insects and gets its name from its habit of hanging up its prey in the branches. It has also been known to use wire mesh fences to store excess food. I have found them nesting in a tree on my property and watch them attempt to take a Welcome Swallow in flight at the Elsternwick Park Lake.

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird – my first decent shot, the matures bird are much more nervous of humans but the juveniles do not yet have the same fears.

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird

Juvenile Grey Butcherbird II – wicked little hook visible on the tip of the bill.

Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphen – interesting bird to photograph due to its size and vibrant colours.

Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphen II

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Posted in Bird Behaviour, Birds, Victoria

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