Wild Bird Wednesday 466 - Malleefowl

The Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) is a rather remarkable bird - and I was lucky enough to get decent views of these birds when I was in..... The Mallee!

Like many species the Malleefowl was once more widespread and abundant, but these days you have to go to the right place to have much chance of seeing them.  Luckily I was in the right place!

Malleefowl are remarkable for many reasons: they are members of a small group of birds with large feet called the megapodes, ( they are also known as incubator birds or mound-builders).  These birds - well the males mostly - build large mounds of earth and vegetation in which the eggs are incubated by a combination of the heat from the Sun, and from the heat generated by the decomposing vegetation.  In these pictures you can see these birds large feet! The birds weigh up to 2.2kg and are about the same size as a domestic duck.  (I am unsure it that is a metric duck or an imperial duck!!)

 In some places in Australia you can still find the incubation mounds, long abandoned as the only evidence that Malleefowl once lives in that area.  The mounds can be 2 or 3 feet high in the middle, and can be used for many years.

The eggs hatch in a well developed chick which is capable of independent living from the time they emerge from the eggs and burrow out of the incubation mound.  As a result parental care is close to zero.

Perhaps more remarkably than seeing Mallewfowl, was the fact that I heard them too.  This species is essentially silent, and my guide on the day said he knew Malleeflowl specialists who had never hear the low oom oom oom contact call we heard that day.  It's reasonable to say we were pretty excited!

So, here are the picture of the Malleefowl in the Mallee!

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Wild Bird Wednesday 465 - Yellow-plumed Honeyeater

Another of Australia's many Honeyeaters this week.  The Yellow-plumed Honeyeater (Lichenostomus ornatus) is found in the dryer regions along the southern edge of Australia, making it another bird I don not see very often.  It will therefore come of no surprise to regular readers (viewers?) that these pictures were taken while I was in the Mallee a while ago.  

This bird paid a visit to a hide I was sat in, stayed in the branches of a nearby small gum tree for a while and then left.  

Honeyeaters are a wonderful group of birds.

So far it seems that my reduction in work hours has not been noticed by my employer - in fact it feels like I may be given more, rather than less work!  As a result I am so terribly far behind on blog visits that it's not even funny anymore!

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Wild Bird Wednesday 464 - White Eared Honeyeater

While parrots may grab all the headlines, the group of birds known as the Honeyeaters are also classic Australians with about half of al know species of this group being found here.

They can be difficult to photograph as they dash from flower to flower, but these White Eared Honeyeaters (Nesoptilotis leucotis) had become used to drinking at a water station in The Mallee and were a little easier to photograph than normal.

This is a medium sized honeyeater, is found in the South West and South East of Australia, but is absent from much of the interior and north.

 

 

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Patchewollock Silo

In the north-west of Victoria there is an art project that involves painting image on some of the many gain silos in the area.  There is an example of one of these silos in Patchewollock. Painted over a couple of weeks in October 2016, the giant mural depicts local sheep and grain farmer, Nick ‘Noodle’ Hulland.

At some time in the future I intend to see more of these art work - but for now, here are some picture of the only one I have photographed.

 You can find more pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday and image-in-ing Cheers:  SM

Wild BIrd Wednesday 463 - Mulga Parrots

One of the reasons I went to North West Victoria a few weeks ago was to look for Mulga Parrots (Psephotellus varius).

When you get to the pictures, you will probably see why I wanted to see them.  The Mulga Parrot is found over much of south and central Australia, but never seems to make it to the east coast.  As a result it was not a bird I had seen before. 

There is a marked difference between the males and females of this species, with the male being more brightly coloured.  The scientific name refers to the fact that the bird possess a varied mosaic of colours. In fact one name used for this species in the past was the Various Parrot - which must be one of least helpful names I have come across!

These medium sized birds were photographed from hide at an established watering point.  It was one of those days when you needed less than the maximum zoom on the lens.  Fabulous.

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We are still in lock-down here even if infection numbers are low, but with luck restrictions will be lifted on Thursday.  SM

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Stubble, Open Spaces and Colour

Here are some more images from my recent trip to the Mallee in North West Victoria.  I decided to process these in a different way to the last batch from this trip.

You can find more pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday and image-in-ing Cheers:  SM

Wild Bird Wednesday 462 - Red-Rumped Parrot

The Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) is a common enough parrot in my part of the world.  I often see them in small flocks on sports ovals, golf courses and other such grassy places.  Despite being rather colourful,  they can be hard to spot in longer grass - and many of the times I see them they are heading off into the distance just after I  have flushed them!

However, when I was at Patchewollock a month or so back a flock came into the bird table / water feature in the yard.  I never thought otherwise, but they are a wonderful looking little bird - and for once in these pictures you can see why how they got their common name.

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We are back in lock-down here even if infection numbers are low.  All encouragement gratefully received.

SM

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