Red Browed Finches

RED BROWED FINCH (Neochmia temporalis)

 These finches were very busy in the sunshine the other morning. They were in quite a large flock, moving between the trees and the ground where they were feeding.

I was in a gully at the end of Moore's Lane, to the east of Kilmore. This is a good place to watch little birds, it is a dead end road, so no traffic. And there are small clumps of wattle trees and a lot of furze for the birds to hunt through. Horses graze here and I think the finches were picking through droppings for the undigested oats.

There was lots of talk as they went, moving over quite a large area. They were wary of me, but moved around from where I was sitting under a tree, only to move back to their foraging place.

They are very common around the area but are such beautiful birds to watch.

Nankeen Kestrel

NANKEEN KESTREL (Falco cenchroides)

 

 

I was on my way home after a walk along the gully at the end of Moore's Lane when I saw this pair of nankeen kestrels sitting on a dead tree.








They sat very patiently as I moved past and stopped the car. They sat very patiently whilst I  and made my way back towards them.

I took several photos until the female decide that I had seen enough. Off she went. As she went to called to her partner, "Come on!" 

And off he went.

Striated Pardalotes

STRIATED PARDALOTES Pardalotos striatus ornathus

I spent a lovely time with a family of pardalotes this morning.  They were playing around under a road bridge on Nanny's Creek Rd, which is to the East of Kilmore.










This family are of the subspieces ornathus, they have that tiny red badge just below the elbow of the wing and quite a brilliant yellow chest and fore supercillium, that patch above and in front of the eye. These have striated patterning around the head and cheeks.

These are  the largest of the pardalotes and were very busy this morning in the winter sunshine.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos

SULPHUR CRESTED COCKATOOS Cacatua galerita

 

I watched this large group of Cockatoos stripping the bark off the branches of a peppermint gum.

 

I am not sure what they were up to. They had cleared a great deal of several branches as they tore at  the bark before dropping it on the ground. Were they looking for something? I think they sometimes eat insects but usually they feed flowers, bulbs, flowers and seeds. I couldn't see any sign of insects. perhaps they were sharpening their beaks? Perhaps they were just bored and enjoyed the sensation of tearing bark. I have no idea but they certainly left  their mark on the tree and ground beneath.