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.
Frogmouth is an interesting name for a bird! But I do think I see a resemblance. ;)
ReplyDeleteawesome looking birds!
ReplyDeleteHello 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. :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos! Thanks for hosting!
lol, they were very sleey when I saw them too. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you. May birding be great throughout the year.
Always lovely t see these birds and it was great that you say so many. Thanks for hosting
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool bird!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting. They do camouflage well against the bark of the tree. Thanks for sharing and hosting! Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteWow, what a neat looking bird. And such an unusual name.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos! I would love to see one so much! They are the same thing as Nightjars, right?
ReplyDeleteI can certainly see why they are mistaken for owls. Suzy
ReplyDeleteWhat 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:)
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From The Sol
An amazingly exotic bird for us here.
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to see new birds !
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures !
A wonderful serie!
ReplyDeleteI wish you a Happy New Year, Stewart!
Stewart hij zit daar wel heel mooi op die tak.
ReplyDeleteThey look somewhat like a nighthawk, great photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of the Frogmouths. They are fascinating birds. I think they are much more shy around my area.
ReplyDeleteHe looked a little cranky.
ReplyDeleteThey're such cool looking birds even if they appear perpetually grumpy!
ReplyDeleteThey are a neat looking bird but I don't think they'd be in the running for any beauty contest.
ReplyDeleteHi 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)
ReplyDeleteOh, how lovely they are!! Terrific shots for the day as always, Stewart!! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThese Tawny Frogmouths are such a fascinating bird. Great photos Stewart!
ReplyDeleteInteresting bird, great captures.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting bird and one I have never seen before!
ReplyDeleteSuper photos. Fascinating explanation too. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, and happy new year.... if it's not too late for that.
They are cute little birds. I have never even heard of them, let alone seen one.
ReplyDeleteI feel like a wild bird today! :)
ReplyDeleteHi 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
ReplyDeleteHi Stewart,
ReplyDeleteIt'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
Although I never heard of this bird nor saw one, it is a cutie...so stout and well camouflaged! ...:)JP
ReplyDeleteThey do have a good camouflage! Neat birds and nice shots!
ReplyDeleteWhat 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!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting-looking bird.
ReplyDeleteSuch cute looking birds!
ReplyDeleteI 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
ReplyDeleteThat's a very interesting bird.
ReplyDeleteNot 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.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with the Tawny Frogmouth. I like it's looks!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting little bird.
ReplyDeleteI love this bird!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting name for the bird. It sort of sounds like a nighthawk , but looks like an owl.
ReplyDeleteI 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 :)
ReplyDeleteI think this has got to be one of my most favorite birds. Owl or nightjar? Or both?:) Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a frogmouth, either in person or on camera, and I love this little bird!
ReplyDeleteI 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.
The camouflaged feathers are so neat! I like your shots of the bird, it would be fun to see one.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen, or even heard of these amazing looking birds until this moment. Great photos! Thanks for the info also.
ReplyDelete