Galahs have babies too

I managed to take pictures of this Galah chick, still unable to fly and being fed by both his parents. It looks nearly like a Major Mitchell's Cockatoo on the photo below, doesn't it?

below: The left hand side photo is a 100% crop from the one above (mother and baby) and the right one shows the father. I wish I haven't cropped his wing, but he took me by surprise :( As I have mentioned before you can recognize the female Galah by the red iris, which is clearly visible here.

Ducklings

My local ducks have babies! Three types of ducklings and parents live together – Mallards, Pacific Blacks and Hardheads. Obviously they 'speak' the same language as the 'teachers' easily control the 50 or more 'students' with just voice commands. There are specialized guards as well. I wish I had more spare time to observe how the group is organized and functioning.

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Red Rump or Grass Parrot

These are two old photos taken in Melbourne in 2005. Only the male has the red rump; the female is quite desaturated.

More color

above: Eastern Rosella, Tasmania

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White is the color too!

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Green is the color of the season

There will be more Musk Lorikeet photos in the next couple of days. Green is fashionable in spring and so are those cool little birds.

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Just a preview of what's coming next

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Pacific Black Ducks in Paradise

As I really love its title, I chose the original post Ducks are always so beautiful! as a container for a collection of photos which I think are somehow special and deserve a special page. I'll keep that gallery always updated.

above: Pacific Black Ducks, photo taken from the original post "Ducks are always so beautiful!"

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Noisy Miner Kids

Even if I had taken only these three photos today, the whole walking and getting up at 6 have been worthwhile. It's some funny public holiday in Hobart, the weather is lovely and most of the birds are dealing with their babies.

above: Young Noisy Miners enjoying the first sunbeams for the day.

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Silvereye

Tiny elusive little paserines - that's what I was after last weekend. I had some success, just to make me motivated to try again. Those fast moving microscopic creatures are always among the leaves and branches - hard to focus, hard to achieve correct exposure. Very challenging indeed.

above: Silvereye, Tasmania

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Australian Wood Ducks

An Australian Wood Duck family - old pictures taken in Melbourne.

above: Mother Duck

above: Father Duck

above: some kids

above: Australian Wood Ducks, Melbourne

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Duckography

above: Pacific Black Ducks in Paradise

above: Two Mallards and (middle) a Pacific Black / Mallard cross-breed

above: female Mallard

above: Chestnut Teal (female)

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Herbert von Cormorant conducting Tasmanian Seaphony Orchestra

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Proudly Tasmanian :)

Green Rosellas live only in Tasmania and Bass Strait islands

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The iconic Cormorant pose at last!

above: Black Faced Cormorant drying its wings in a typical pose

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So exciting and so frustrating

I had exactly 34 seconds between the first and the last shot. I heard them coming. I had my camera in my backpack. All the settings were wrong. They came and flew away. Twelve Black Cockatoos with their prehistoric calls, with their relaxed way of flying. Did they notice at all the tiny creature on the ground pointing a weird device at them? Do they know what an adrenaline rush that creature had got? Of course not. I have been dreaming to get good photos of these magnificent birds for years. They are not as common here as you may think. And that's all I could get. And even this is not because of my photography skills, it's all due to the awesome camera that I have which could capture a frame or two even in a moment when the photographer was totally disoriented.

above: Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo, Tasmania. Male has a dark bill.

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Preparing for fishing

first: Check the feathers!

second: Scratch the ears!

third: Test the hinges!

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Fierce Little Miners

I wish that the quality of these shots was better. But even these reveal how intimidating the Noisy Miners are. I was stunned when I saw the photos. Such skillful fliers those brave little birds never hesitate to support each other and attack much bigger creatures defending their territories. I hope to have the chance to witness such a fight again and take better pictures...

above: Noisy Miners attacking Forest Raven, Hobart

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Feeding on the ground

top: Galah, above: Eastern Rosella, Hobart

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Do you know these guys?

Cute well-camouflaged nocturnal creatures, the Tawiny Frogmouths can only be spotted by the most observant. I haven't had the chance to see them here in Tasmania yet, so I'm posting some old shots taken long time ago in Melbourne.

above: Tawny Frogmouths, Melbourne

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High up in the gum tree

above: an Australian Magpie singing

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Through the window

I just took this picture of a female Blackbird through the window. It could have been much better if I wasn't still fully asleep and I didn't have to swap lenses and go through all the settings of the camera.Below are two very old photos of male Blackbirds taken in Melbourne with the FinePix S5500

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