Photos Australian Birds 1

Cassowary, Photo: Birdworld, Kuranda, Australia. Photo: David Clode.

Australian Bird Photos, mostly taken by myself and mainly in North Queensland, N. E. Australia. I have tried to capture something of the “jizz” of the species, the character of the individual birds, and/or interesting activity or poses. I am fortunate to live in tropical Cairns, close to lakes, gardens, rain forests, mangroves, mud flats, etc…. plenty to keep a naturalist/photographer happy. Many of the photos have been manipulated to some degree (I have toys and I will play with them – and probably overdo it), by cropping at least. You are welcome to use any of these photos for screensavers, school projects etc., (personal or educational use) but not for commercial use without acknowledgement and permission (contact daveclode@hotmail.com ). You may also be interested to have a look at my butterfly and dragonfly photos at Reforestation.me.

Some of the bird photos, e.g. the Night Herons on this page, and some of the frog photos were taken at the seasonal wetland at Cairns cemetery, pictured below:

Cairns Cemetery seasonal wetland where some of my bird photos were taken. Photo taken standing in about .8 m of water (the deepest part about 1.2 m). A Red-bellied Black snake, about 1.5 m long, lives about 20 m to the right of where the photo was taken. Photo: David Clode.

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Cattana wetlands, where some of my bird photos were taken.

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Cassowary, Photo: Birdworld, Kuranda, Australia. Photo: David Clode.

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Papuan Frogmouths. Cairns Botanic Gardens. Photo: David Clode.

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Papuan Frogmouth. Photo: David Clode.

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Black-winged Stilt. Cattana Wetlands, Photo: David Clode.

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“Stilt”. Cattana Wetlands. Phot: David Clode.

A lucky sighting: At 4pm on the 24 March 2015, two Spotted Whistling ducks were seen about 30 metres North of the war cemetery in Cairns cemetery, Manunda. This species has only moved into a few places in Australia in the last few years from New Guinea.

Spotted Whistling Duck Cairns cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

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Spotted Whistling Duck Cairns cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

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Plumed Whistling Ducks. Hasties Swamp. Photo: David Clode.

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A Willie-wagtail (Flycatcher) perched in a flowering poinciana tree. Photo: David Clode.

Pelican photos:

“On a mission”. Australasian Pelican, Freshwater Lake, Centenary Lakes, Cairns, Australia. Photo: David Clode.

Pelican, Freshwater Lake, Cairns. The Australian pelican has the longest bill of any bird in the world – 34 -47cm (13 t0 18 1/5 inches). In the photos above and below, I like the drop of water on the tip of its beak.

Pelican. Freshwater lake. Photo: David Clode.

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Bathing pelican, Freshwater Lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Bathing pelican. Cairns Esplanade mudflats. Photo: David Clode.

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“A posse of pelicans”. Photo: David clode.

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Pelican time out. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Pelicans appear to stretch and exercise their bills. The head is pointing straight up, and the fleshy, stretchy lower part of the bill is seen here. Photo: David Clode.

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Preening Pelicans. Cairns Esplanade. Photo: David Clode

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“Bedtime”. Pelicans, Cairns Esplanade mudflats.

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“Because I can!” Cairns Esplanade. Photo: David Clode.

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Pelicans circle around a school of fish to concentrate them into a smaller area, so that they are easier to catch. Photo: Panaramio.com.

Yellow-bellied Sunbird photos (or Olive-backed Sunbirds):

A male Yellow-bellied Sunbird. visiting Odontonema strictum for nectar. Photo: David Clode.

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A male Yellow-bellied Sunbird. Photo: David Clode.

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Yellow-bellied Sunbird, Coral tree Erythrina indica. Phot: david Clode, Cairns Botanic gardens.

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A female sunbird visits Odontonema strictum for nectar. Photo: David Clode.

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Sunbird.

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Sunbird.

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Male Yellow-bellied Sunbird. Photo: David Clode.

See “Photos Birds 2” for more sunbird photos.

Rainbow Bee-eater photos:

For more bee-eater photos, see “Photos Birds 3”.

Rainboe Bee-eater

A Rainbow Bee-eater perches on a headstone at Cairns Cemetery.

A Rainbow Bee-eater warms up in the early morning sunshine. Photo: David Clode.

Normally I like photos that are sharply focused, but in this case I like the soft fluffy look.

Another fluffy Bee-eater, in the late afternoon sun. Photo: David Clode

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Rainbow Bee-eater. Photo: David Clode.

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A Rainbow Bee-eater has caught a moth, and is smashing it against the branch – moth scales are flying everywhere. Photo: David Clode.

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A Rainbow Bee-eater has caught a wasp. Photo: David Clode.

Bee-eaters usually bash an insect they have caught, both to the left and to the right, onto the hard perch on which they are sitting. This either kills the insect, or at least knocks it senseless, and perhaps removes the sting, before swallowing the insect.

A Rainbow Bee-eater has caught an insect (Palmdart butterfly?). Cairns cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

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A rainbow Bee-eater tosses the insect around in the air, to change the position of the insect in its beak. Photo: David Clode.

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Rainbow Bee-eater. Cairns cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

The following photos show Bee-eaters enjoying a dust bath:

Bee-eaters enjoying a dust bath. Photo: David Clode.

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“At the baths”. Photo: David Clode.

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Rainbow Bee-eaters enjoying a dust bath. Photo: David Clode.

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Dust bath, Rainbow Bee-eaters. David Clode.

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Bee-eaters enjoying a dust bath. Photo: David Clode.

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Rainbow bee-eater. Photo: David Clode

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A Bee-eater perches in a flowering poinciana tree. photo: David Clode

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Bee-eaters often nest in river banks, or even in flat ground if there are no river banks. They dig and make tunnels – in this photo the bird is feverishly digging and kicking up sand. Cairns cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

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Mistletoe bird photos:

A female mistletoe bird collects spider web for her nest. Cairns Cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

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A female mistletoe bird collects cobweb to build her nest. Cairns Cemetery. Photo: David Clode.

Welcome Swallow photos:

Welcome Swallow. Photo: David Clode.

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Juvenile swallow. Photo: David Clode.

Finch photos:

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin. Half Moon Bay golf course. Photo: David Clode.

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Crimson Finch. Half Moon Bay golf course, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Crimson Finch. Cattana wetlands. Photo: David Clode.

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Crimson Finch. Cattana wetalnds. Photo: David Clode.

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Crimson Finch. Photo: David Clode.

Some heron and egret photos:

A Mangrove Heron (or Striated Heron) waits patiently at a causeway for fish. Saltwater Creek, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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A Mangrove Heron fishing at a causeway, Saltwater creek. Photo: David Clode.

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Mangrove Heron. Saltwater creek, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Striated Heron or Mangrove Heron. Saltwater Creek, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Striated Heron or Mangrove Heron. Photo: David Clode.

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A stalking Mangrove Heron searches high and low, looking for fishing opportunities. Freshwater Lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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“The one that got away!”. Photo: Saltwater Creek, David Clode.

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Striated Heron. Freshwater Lake, Cairns, Australia. photo: David Clode.

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A Black Heron/Egret canopy fishing (the wings cast a shadow and small fish come to the shadow, thinking they are swimming to safety – also called shading). Photo: Wikipedia.

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Black Herons canopy fishing. Photo: fanaticcook.blogspot.com

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A Rufous or Nankeen Night Heron. Small seasonal wetland, West of Cairns war cemetery, Manunda. Photo: David Clode.

The Night Heron below has an unusual bald patch.

A Rufous Night Heron skulking amongst paperbark trees (Melaleuca leucadendra).

Notice how the bird’s subtle colours and tones match its environment (in this case paperbark trees/melaleucas), and help it to blend in. Camouflage based on diifferent parts of an animal being different colours and/or tones (lighter or darker), is called optical division or dismembering colouration.

Rufous Night Heron. Cairns cemetery wetland. Photo: David Clode.

Note matching colour/tone in the background.

“Just landed”. Pacific Heron (also called Eastern Reef Egret). Photo: David Clode.

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Pacific Heron. Cairns Esplanade mudflats. Photo;: David Clode.

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Little Egret, Centenary lakes. Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Flying Great Egret. Photo: David Clode.

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“Coming in to land”. Photo: David Clode.

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Intermediate Egret fishing amongst water lily flowers. Photo: David Clode.

I like the way the yellow and white of the waterlilies matches the bird.

Intermediate Egret. Photo: David Clode.

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Flying Egret. Photo: David Clode.

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“Strike!”. Great Egret. Saltwater Creek. Photo: David Clode.

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Bitten in two. The bird found and ate everything. Phto: David Clode.

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If you look carefully, you can see a small fish in the bird’s bill, in the stream of water. Photo: David Clode.

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“Success!”. Same Great Egret, different day and time of day, Saltwater Creek, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

More egret photos further down this page.

Jabiru or Black-necked Stork. Freshwater Lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

Jabiru, also known as a Black-necked Stork.

Royal Spoonbill photos:

“Call that a beak? This is a beak!” Royal Spoonbill. Centenary lakes. Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

I like the way the green grass has reflected onto the chest of the bird.

Spoonbill in flight. Photo: David Clode.

Flying Spoonbill, Saltwater Creek, Cairns. Note the muddy feet.

Spoonbill. Photo: David Clode.

Spoonbill in flight.

Royal Spoonbill. Freshwater Lake, Cairns, Australia. Photo: David Clode.

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Royal Spoonbill posing with one leg up. Freshwater lake. Photo: David Clode.

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“Time out”. Royal Spoonbill. Photo: David Clode.

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Royal Spoonbill and waterlilies. Photo: David Clode.

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Spoonbill preening. Photo: David clode.

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A Royal Spoonbill struts along the Esplanade, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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A Royal Spoonbill enjoys a good scratch. Cairns Esplanade. Photo: David Clode.

Bush Stone-curlew photos:

Bush Stone-curlew.

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Backlit Curlew. Phto: David Clode.

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A goofy young curlew still has a feather in its beak after preening. Saltwater Creek, Centenary lakes, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Bush Stone-curlew. Photo: David Clode.

Click on “Photos Birds 2” for more curlew photos.

More Egret photos:

An Intermediate or Plumed Egret. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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“It takes a lot of work to look this good you know!” A preening egret. Freshwater lake, Cairns, Australia. Photo: David Clode.

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An Intermediate Egret preens itself. Centenary lakes, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Intermediate Egret. Photo: David Clode

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A Great Egret fishing. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Great Egret looking for fish. Photo: David Clode.

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A Great Egret has caught a fish. Cairns Esplanade. Photo: David Clode.

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Egret photo David Clode.

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Little Egret, Saltwater creek. Photo: David Clode.

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Hunting Heron. Pied Heron. Photo : David Clode

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Egret buddies (two different species, Intermediate and Little). Saltwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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Egret mates. Photo: David Clode.

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Preening together. Photo: David clode.

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A Plumed (or Intermediate Egret) and a Little Egret sit together and preen themselves. Saltwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

Jabiru or Black-necked Stork photo:

Jabiru or Black-necked Stork, Cairns Esplanade. Photo: David Clode.

Cormorant photos:

Little Black Cormorant.

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Little Black Cormorant. Freshwater lake ,Cairns.

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Little Black Cormorants and a Little Egret fishing together. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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The team flies off to try another fishing spot. Little Black Cormorants, Saltwater Lake. Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

The following sequence of three photos show a Little Black Cormorant catching a fish:

“Got one!” A Little Black Cormorant catching a fish. Freshwater lake, Centenary Lakes, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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“Got one!” Photo: David Clode.

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“Down the hatch!” Photo: David Clode.

The fish looks like an introduced pest (Tilapia), so the cormorant is doing a good job.

A conference of cormorants. Lake Barrine. Photo David Clode.

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A darter swallowing a tilapia fish it has caught. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

Darter.

A Little Pied Cormorant fishing. Freshwater lake, Cairns. Photo: David Clode.

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A Little Pied Cormorant drying off in the sun. Freshwater lake, Cairns.

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A Little Pied Cormorant. Freshwater lake. Photo: David Clode.

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Pied Cormorant. Cattana Wetlands. Photo: David Clode.

Dove photos:

Peaceful Dove. Photo: David Clode.

Torresian Imperial Dove photos (also known as a Torres Strait Pigeon, or Pied Imperial Dove):

A Torresian Imperial Dove eating Carpentaria palm fruits. Centenary lakes. Photo: David Clode.

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Torresian Imperial Dove. Photo: David Clode.

Decisions…decisions…

Torresian Imperial Dove. Photo: David Clode.

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Torresian Imperial Dove.

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See also, “Photos Birds 2”, “Photos Parrots”, and “Photos Australian Wildlife”, and for a variety of wildlife photos, click here: http://reforestation.me/photos-australian-wildlife/

Dainty Treefrog Litoria gracilenta. Photo: David Clode.

Frog photo taken with a Sigma 105mm macro lens. See the “Fun Frog Posters” page.

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