A very good morning!!
As we returned from our dog walk this morning I was aware of an avian ruckus being perpetrated further up the block. After a couple of chores I decided to go and investigate. I only had my phone with me at this stage so once I had decided it was a huge flock of Woodswallows I took this snap, which I think included about 25-33% of the total flock (it was dispersed across several trees and quite a few of the birds were feeding on the ground).
Each yellow speck is a bird that I identified looking at a full-sized image. I counted 56 in the image, so with my estimated percentages there were roughly 170-220 birds in total (I recorded 200 in eBird - as about 10 of them were in my GBS area I have counted them there as well). It was very impressive when they occasionally all took flight.
My next guess is that about 95% of them were White-browed Woodswallows . This was the best snap I got showing a white brow!
The higher bird is I think a female and the lower a male. I would take a guess that sexes were approximately even.
The remaining 5% of birds were Masked Woodswallows of which this is I think a female. (I saw about 10 birds like this, but not one definite male of this species.)
After a fair time marvelling at this flock I decided to go a little further up the block to check on the orchid situation. Then I saw this bird. After my brain had travelled through, and rejected, Hooded Robin and Restless Flycatcher I realised it was a male White-winged Triller.
Shortly thereafter at least 3 females of that species appeared. Initially at least they displayed some interest in monstering ....
... a Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo which was also in the area. Note the rufous just visible at the base of the tail.
I moved on considerably more slowly than this fox, which had been getting the rounds of the kitchen from sundry Magpies, Currawongs and Choughs attracted by the hullabaloo!
To complete the excellent event I found 4 flowering examples of Glossodia major.
Each yellow speck is a bird that I identified looking at a full-sized image. I counted 56 in the image, so with my estimated percentages there were roughly 170-220 birds in total (I recorded 200 in eBird - as about 10 of them were in my GBS area I have counted them there as well). It was very impressive when they occasionally all took flight.
My next guess is that about 95% of them were White-browed Woodswallows . This was the best snap I got showing a white brow!
The higher bird is I think a female and the lower a male. I would take a guess that sexes were approximately even.
The remaining 5% of birds were Masked Woodswallows of which this is I think a female. (I saw about 10 birds like this, but not one definite male of this species.)
After a fair time marvelling at this flock I decided to go a little further up the block to check on the orchid situation. Then I saw this bird. After my brain had travelled through, and rejected, Hooded Robin and Restless Flycatcher I realised it was a male White-winged Triller.
Shortly thereafter at least 3 females of that species appeared. Initially at least they displayed some interest in monstering ....
... a Horsfields Bronze-Cuckoo which was also in the area. Note the rufous just visible at the base of the tail.
I moved on considerably more slowly than this fox, which had been getting the rounds of the kitchen from sundry Magpies, Currawongs and Choughs attracted by the hullabaloo!
To complete the excellent event I found 4 flowering examples of Glossodia major.
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