Wednesday 9 December 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday 176 - Brown (or Common) Noddy

I may get into trouble here with any passing taxonomists, but I was introduced to this rather elegant dark tern as a Brown Noddy, but I have since found it referred to as a Common Noddy.  I will have to check what the most recent guide books say - but at present I will stay on first name terms.

The Brown Noddy (Anous stolidus) is about 40 cm long - and most of the ones I saw on Lord Howe were loafing about on the beach.  Their dark colour and the bright light from both above and reflected from the sand was a bit of a challenge all in all - there was much fiddling of camera setting on my behalf.  The birds were very accommodating - if you follow this link you can see just how accommodating I mean!

The name given to this bird is not really flattering - with Noddy being a bit of an insult and its formal name meaning 'really stupid bird' - I'm not making this up!  Seems a bit harsh if you ask me.

Anyway, apart from loafing on the beach they also seem to have a commitment to looking scenic with mountains in the background and an equal commitment to making sure that there their species will still be there next year.

All of these pictures were taken on North Beach on a wonderfully sunny day!










Now, once more its over to you click on the blue button to join in with WBW - and maybe send the link to my blog as a early Christmas present to your friends and relatives!

37 comments:

  1. They are handsome with white on their heads to contrast with their brown bodies and wings.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A handsome bird indeed and I've never seen one like it!! The white on his head really does make him stand out!! Terrific captures as always !! I hope your week is going well!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. A wonderful bird I had the pleasure to see in Queensland. I only wished we had more time. They were fun to watch. Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. They couldn't have just called them Black Gulls!?

    Shameful naturalists. Shameful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Stewart, it is a handsome bird. Great photos, I love the scenic mountain background too.
    Thanks for hosting, enjoy your week!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The brown noddy is like a little crow. And I agree about the name. The bird I linked up is the brown creeper and I thought they could have come up with something a bit more creative. Thank you for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very handsome bird - love the contrast of the silver head against the darker body. Someone should have a talk with whoever named birds in the past - they seem to have stuck some pretty awful names on some very nice-looking birds. Two of my least favorite names here are "Common Yellowthroat" (bright yellow with a black mask like a raccoon and VERY tough to photograph - so fast!) and "Orange-crowned Warbler" (try as I might...I have yet to see even a hint of orange on one of these birds LOL)

    ReplyDelete
  8. You certainly exhibited the subtle shades of brown. I see two lenticular clouds over the mountain peaks in the background. I rarely saw any of these when I lived in the mountains of New Mexico.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sorta looked like a crow until I saw it's head..Love the shading of it's feathers..nice scenery..Hope you are having a good week..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh that is a harsh name reason for such a lovely bird. And I followed Ian Hutton's link and see what you mean about the birds being accommodating. Thanks for sharing this unusual bird with me. I'll link up tomorrow (Wednesday) Thanks for hosting this meme, Stewart. Greetings, Jo

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can appreciate how challenging the camera settings were Stewart. Dark bird, dark eye, bright light, sandy background - the stuff of photography nightmares. Not to worry as your pictures are super - especially like the low level ones against the dark blue sky.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great pictures of these birds. That silvery head looks great against the brown body and the scenery behind them looks spectacular.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Holy Cow! Post card worthy shots. Stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful birds! They should have been given a pretty name as well. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. A fantastic bird to see and your images are wonderful. I am off tomorrow to Malawi. Have now heard that Daniel has 2 fracture in his face. Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Interesting bird and love that white on their heads. Diane

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dramatic, sharp shots!






    Warm ALOHA,
    ComfortSpiral

    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_('')

    ReplyDelete
  18. Good Morning from Japan; Wow handsome and brave looking bird♪ As you might guess, I had no idea about the name;I think these gorgeous birds deserve different name :-)
    Sincerely from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
  19. Not sure why it was given a name inferring it's stupid, but the bird is handsome! Love the photos! The background in a couple of them is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  20. It looks like the birds were not the only ones hanging out at the beach! That was a real close-up you shared in the link. Quite an interesting-looking bird. Thanks for sharing, and hosting.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great photos of the bird - especially the ones with blue sky in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great photos!
    Interesting how the white on top of their heads echo the clouds over the mountains in the background.

    ReplyDelete
  23. They don't look stupid, lol! That dark eye patch actually makes them look a bit scholarly. Great shot, Stewart!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Well, I think he is a gorgeous bird and definitely unworthy of his name! You have some fabulous images here Stewart! I love them all but the ones with the landscape behind really add an extra something!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm loving the habitat behind the Noddy. What a beautiful bird!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Absolutely beautiful birds! Love their coloring...shame about the name! Great photos, Stewart!

    ReplyDelete
  27. A very smooth looking dude. Looks like he had some smooth moves too.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Stunning photos Stewart. Not often you get a backdrop like that against which to photograph.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Well seeing you lying there less then a foot from the Brown Noddy, I would say maybe stupid works, but then, I would prefer tame. They are a rather handsome bird and apparently the males and females like each other's company. I love the Terns. They have an angular, artsy look to them. You did well with this set of pictures given that the birds were quite happy to pose for you.

    I will not apologize for being late this time because, it is, after all, Wednesday in the States though I assume it is Thursday where you are. I am in a state of Christmas panic. An annual affair here because I am not good at planning ahead ... but I never miss visiting your WBW. It is one of my favorite routines :) Be well, Stewart.

    Andrea @ From The Sol

    ReplyDelete
  30. Handsome fellows...birds of a feather flocking together! :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Wow, Stewart, these are really some excellent shots.

    ReplyDelete
  32. That's great looking bird. It reminds me of a Tern.

    ReplyDelete
  33. It's a great series of photographs. It's always really rewarding to come across these dark terns that look so different from the "usual" terns. I have come across this species at sea but never on land. Lord Howe Island was good to you!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Great photos!!! And I see what you mean about the mountain back drop. Fantastic!

    ReplyDelete