Wednesday, 7 January 2015

Wild Bird Wednesday 130 - Tawny Frogmouth

My first morning of birding in 2015 yielded some nice birds, and for a few minutes I was tempted to start a year list, but I have never been much of a lister (life list excepted) so I let the idea slide!

The undoubted highlight was finding a roosting group -possibly a family - of Tawny Frogmouths.  There were four in one tree, and another (probably unrelated) pair a little further on.

Somewhat frustratingly most of the birds were high up in the trees and were rather too silohuetted against the sky for lots of pictures.  Having said that, I managed to get a couple of views where the birds were not just an outline against the sky.

I tend to see Tawny Frogmouths in the evenings, around street-lights and perched on power wires.  These birds are nocturnal hunters, with large wide opening beaks.  They are often mistaken for Owls, but are not in the same family as these other nigh time hunters.

Going by the name of Podargus strigoides means 'gouty bird like an owl' - which seems to be a reference to their weak feet, and owl like form!

During the day these birds rely on camouflage and remain more or less motionless.  The 'cryptic' nature of their plumage does make them hard to spot at times, and they do have more than a passing resemblance to a broken branch!




If nothing else, these pictures show how much the light can change on windy days, with big puffy clouds!

Now, for the first time in 2015, its your turn to join in with WBW.  Click on the blue button below and off you go.  Please feel free to invite new bloggers to WBW as I would like WBW to grow!  Cheers SM.
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47 comments:

  1. EG CameraGirl7 January 2015 at 03:04

    Frogmouth is an interesting name for a bird! But I do think I see a resemblance. ;)

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  2. TexWisGirl7 January 2015 at 03:04

    awesome looking birds!

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  3. eileeninmd7 January 2015 at 03:07

    Hello Stewart, the Frogmouth is such a cool bird.. I can not imagine seeing them in the wild. I have only seen them in zoos. So I am a little envious. :)

    Awesome photos! Thanks for hosting!

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  4. NatureFootstep7 January 2015 at 03:08

    lol, they were very sleey when I saw them too. :)

    Happy New Year to you. May birding be great throughout the year.

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  5. Margaret Birding For Pleasure7 January 2015 at 03:19

    Always lovely t see these birds and it was great that you say so many. Thanks for hosting

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  6. Maude Lynn7 January 2015 at 03:23

    What a cool bird!

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  7. Rebecca7 January 2015 at 03:34

    How interesting. They do camouflage well against the bark of the tree. Thanks for sharing and hosting! Have a great week.

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  8. Mary Hone7 January 2015 at 03:34

    Wow, what a neat looking bird. And such an unusual name.

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  9. A Colorful World7 January 2015 at 03:43

    Great photos! I would love to see one so much! They are the same thing as Nightjars, right?

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  10. Rustic Vintage Country7 January 2015 at 03:43

    I can certainly see why they are mistaken for owls. Suzy

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  11. Andrea @ From The Sol7 January 2015 at 03:48

    What an awesome if not handsome bird. We have a group of birds that have that grumpy look. They are called Night Jars. There are three different ones and they all have that grumpy old Grandpa face. I love these pictures. The best birds are not always the prettiest :) Nice way to start out a new year ... I think:)

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  12. Revrunner7 January 2015 at 04:08

    An amazingly exotic bird for us here.

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  13. Ela7 January 2015 at 05:33

    Always nice to see new birds !
    Great pictures !

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  14. HansHB7 January 2015 at 05:49

    A wonderful serie!
    I wish you a Happy New Year, Stewart!

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  15. Bas.7 January 2015 at 06:31

    Stewart hij zit daar wel heel mooi op die tak.

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  16. Hootin Anni7 January 2015 at 06:32

    They look somewhat like a nighthawk, great photos.

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  17. mick7 January 2015 at 06:53

    Great photos of the Frogmouths. They are fascinating birds. I think they are much more shy around my area.

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  18. Author R. Mac Wheeler7 January 2015 at 07:13

    He looked a little cranky.

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  19. Brian King7 January 2015 at 09:56

    They're such cool looking birds even if they appear perpetually grumpy!

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  20. John @ Beans and I on the Loose7 January 2015 at 10:02

    They are a neat looking bird but I don't think they'd be in the running for any beauty contest.

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  21. Sue (this n that)7 January 2015 at 10:13

    Hi Stewart, you certainly got a scoop with your Tawny Frogmouths! Great shots amongst those beautiful eucalypts. The last photo really demonstrates just how good they are at camouflage too... it's a beauty :D)

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  22. Sylvia K7 January 2015 at 10:18

    Oh, how lovely they are!! Terrific shots for the day as always, Stewart!! Thanks for sharing!

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  23. DeniseinVA7 January 2015 at 11:18

    These Tawny Frogmouths are such a fascinating bird. Great photos Stewart!

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  24. Janice7 January 2015 at 11:29

    Interesting bird, great captures.

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  25. Lois7 January 2015 at 11:48

    An interesting bird and one I have never seen before!

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  26. Lovable Derek7 January 2015 at 12:20

    Super photos. Fascinating explanation too. Thanks.

    Oh, and happy new year.... if it's not too late for that.

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  27. Grandma Barb's This and That7 January 2015 at 12:21

    They are cute little birds. I have never even heard of them, let alone seen one.

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  28. Lee7 January 2015 at 13:19

    I feel like a wild bird today! :)

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  29. Jo7 January 2015 at 13:35

    Hi Stewart, the Frogmouth is a fascinating bird. It reminds me more of our night-jars than an owl. Every year I toy with the idea of making a list and then I scotch it; the idea, I mean! Thanks for hosting this meme. Have a great day. Jo

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  30. Irma7 January 2015 at 22:18

    Hi Stewart,
    It's always nice to see a new type of bird.
    I've never heard of this species.
    Very well photographed.
    This week no birds to the wild bird Wednesday, I hope next time again.
    Best regards, Irma

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  31. jp@A Green Ridge7 January 2015 at 22:58

    Although I never heard of this bird nor saw one, it is a cutie...so stout and well camouflaged! ...:)JP

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  32. Bethany Carson8 January 2015 at 01:08

    They do have a good camouflage! Neat birds and nice shots!

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  33. Sheila at WolfSongBlog.Com8 January 2015 at 01:37

    What an interesting bird; of course I have never heard of them. Thanks so much for what you do with your blog and for sharing your beautiful photos. Happy Birding in 2015!

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  34. Anonymous8 January 2015 at 03:37

    Such an interesting-looking bird.

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  35. Karen8 January 2015 at 04:16

    Such cute looking birds!

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  36. tiptoethruphylsgarden.blogspot.com8 January 2015 at 05:37

    I can see why they would be mistaken for owls, wow, they really blend in, beautiful scene in the tree as well, thanks for hosting! Phyllis

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  37. Unknown8 January 2015 at 05:44

    That's a very interesting bird.

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  38. Phil Slade8 January 2015 at 06:42

    Not so strange looking when you realise they are a tubby version of a nightjar but all the same very interesting. You took some excellent shots there Stewart.

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  39. Linda8 January 2015 at 16:32

    I'm not familiar with the Tawny Frogmouth. I like it's looks!

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  40. Linda8 January 2015 at 22:11

    What an interesting little bird.

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  41. Sallie (FullTime-Life)9 January 2015 at 08:51

    I love this bird!

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  42. thewovenspoke9 January 2015 at 14:43

    What an interesting name for the bird. It sort of sounds like a nighthawk , but looks like an owl.

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  43. CountryMouse9 January 2015 at 17:06

    I love the Tawney and Papuan frogmouths. I'm not sure if there are any others. I learned about the papuan one from a zoo in town here. They basically look the same except the colour of their eyes, maybe a light difference in feather colour. Anyway I do love the interesting birds that a pretty in their weirdness like emus and such. Their mouths are so yellow on the inside, pretty cool. I remember them from when I was a kid, snoozing in the ironbarks while we played below in the school playground. I wonder if they are still there. Their feathers make for a great close up (I've got that from the zoo) and even at the zoo when you know what area they are in sometimes you overlook them and need a second or third glance to find them. Great pics :)

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  44. Rohrerbot10 January 2015 at 03:06

    I think this has got to be one of my most favorite birds. Owl or nightjar? Or both?:) Great photos!

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  45. Christine10 January 2015 at 05:59

    I've never seen a frogmouth, either in person or on camera, and I love this little bird!
    I am new to your blog and wish I had the time to go out and capture more wildlife photos (I usually concentrate on plant and sky shots). I am feeling inspired with all these great photos, though, so who knows?
    Putting you in my reader now.

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  46. Hannah10 January 2015 at 22:21

    The camouflaged feathers are so neat! I like your shots of the bird, it would be fun to see one.

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  47. Pat Tillett11 January 2015 at 17:49

    I have never seen, or even heard of these amazing looking birds until this moment. Great photos! Thanks for the info also.

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