Ed Forum birdwatching 2008

Just catching up on the list for the database, so I thought I'd share my Crete list.
Looks like I got a new species - Hoopoe (ETA - a 2nd one - Griffon Vulture)

Crete - Livadia, 8 Sept
Mallard
Water Pipit
Gray Heron
Ruddy Turnstone
Buzzard
Nightjar
Greenfinch
Little Ringed Plover
Domestic Pigeon
Wood pigeon
Raven
Hooded Crow
Jackdaw
Little Egret
Lanner Falcon
Kestrel
Crested Lark
Oystercatcher
Barn Swallow
Red-backed Shrike
Yellow-legged Gull
House Sparrow
Magpie
Green Woodpecker
Dunnock
Goldcrest
Stonechat
Common Tern
Collared-Dove
Sardinian Warbler
Green Sandpiper
Winter Wren
Blackbird

Crete - Malia, 10 Sept
Rock Partridge
Griffon Vulture

Crete - Heraklion, 14 Sept
Hoopoe
 
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sphenisc said:
BJ's mystery bird's a Noisy Miner

http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/finder/display.cfm?id=10

and I think the duck is Australian Wood Duck (or Maned Duck) Chenonetta jubata

http://pds5.egloos.com/pds/200704/08/11/b0002311_09040986.jpg
Click to expand...


The Noisy Miner is a definite match.

2800b49.jpg
noisyminer1.jpg


The Australian Wood Duck doesn't seem to match, but it seems the bird loses it's facial stripes and the white ends to the feathers over the wings as it matures. So I'd say the bird I shot was a young adult.

EDIT:
Oops, no, mine is an adult female as opposed to the adult male featured in shenisc's link.

woodduck.jpg
9blq8h.jpg


Male on the left, female on the right.


Further EDIT:

I actually had the male in the same picture that I cropped the female from!
The male is pursuing the female:

296g185.jpg




Furtherer EDIT :D
I see I have already been corrected - and within ten minutes of my post!
Incredible!!!
 
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sphenisc said:
The wagtail seems to be a Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa

http://dl.id.au/g.php?c=1&i=319
Click to expand...


:o

(Is there a good reference for identifying (Australian) birds?)

So the birds from last weekend are
- Galah
- Noisy Miner
- Grey Fantail
- Australian Wood Duck
Are any of them new to the list?


EDIT:
I found the link in EHocking's signature.
It seems all but the galah are new to the list :)
 
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BillyJoe said:
:o

(Is there a good reference for identifying (Australian) birds?)
Click to expand...
My preferred field guide is the Simpson and Day.

EDIT:
I found the link in EHocking's signature.
It seems all but the galah are new to the list :)
Click to expand...
Yes they are. Get in while the going's good tho'. I'll be visiting family and friends in Oz in December so will be looking to get the last few Aussie birds into the list!

In the meantime I have two, possibly three, more trips to make Mercutio jealous before then and should certainly add new species as well as new countries to the lists.
:p
 
EHocking said:
Yes they are. Get in while the going's good tho'. I'll be visiting family and friends in Oz in December so will be looking to get the last few Aussie birds into the list!
Click to expand...


Today was a public holiday, "Show Day"!
And the weather was perfect.
Unfortunately a niggling back pain from earlier in the week turned into a minor spasm,
sufficent for me to have to amble back home after only an hour or so. :(

Before that I managed to get two more newbies (I think):


A female Black Duck?

2vv9jlv.jpg




A couple of Australian Straw-necked Ibises?

2n8blgx.jpg



I think I need a longer telephoto, because I still have to crop these.
 
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BillyJoe said:
Today was a public holiday, "Show Day"!
And the weather was perfect.
Unfortunately a niggling back pain from earlier in the week turned into a minor spasm,
sufficent for me to have to amble back home after only an hour or so. :(

Before that I managed to get two more newbies (I think):

A female Black Duck?

http://i34.tinypic.com/2vv9jlv.jpg
Click to expand...
I'm more inclined to think that it's a female Chestnut Teal.
The eye looks red rather than brown and it doesn't have the distinctive head markings of a Black Duck (unless it's a juvenile). But I'd go for the Teal.
A couple of Australian Straw-necked Ibises?
http://i33.tinypic.com/2n8blgx.jpg
Click to expand...
Ayup.
I think I need a longer telephoto, because I still have to crop these.
Click to expand...
I can't remember. Is this a dSLR or film?
ETA: Oh, a Canon EOS 400D digital I see from the EXIF info.


You can get teleconverters, also known as "doublers". These are a cost effective alternative to expensive glass. I would suggest the 2nd hand places on (and off) the top of Elizabeth St near Latrobe St. Tamron 2x is fine.

I've been using a 2X on my 100-300mm F4.5 for years and can handhold for bird shots. Just needs a bit of practice and set the camera for shutter-priority (let the aperture look after itself - you're going to have little depth of field to play with anyway!).
Rule of thumb to reduce blur due to shake is a shutter speed 1 divided by lens length, e.g. 1/100sec for 100mm, 1/250sec for 300mm and 1/500sec for 600mm.
 
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Look what I bumpted into today (well, technically yesterday but whatever...)

http://www.arthwollipot.com/photography/portfolio/wildlife/rosella

I know it's a rosella, but it's not the normal Crimson Rosella that we commonly get.

And yesterday (technically, the day before...) there was this. I've no idea what this is, and I've never seen it before in this area. I've made a wild guess that it is a stork of some kind, but as soon as anyone can tell me what the heck it is I'll change that.

http://www.arthwollipot.com/photography/portfolio/wildlife/stork
 
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arthwollipot said:
Look what I bumpted into today (well, technically yesterday but whatever...)

http://www.arthwollipot.com/photography/portfolio/wildlife/rosella

I know it's a rosella, but it's not the normal Crimson Rosella that we commonly get.
Click to expand...
Eastern Rosella. Speaking to a friend who breeds these, there is a movement to "lump" Rosellas merely by cheek colour (as most can interbreed) - blue, white, yellow.
And yesterday (technically, the day before...) there was this. I've no idea what this is, and I've never seen it before in this area. I've made a wild guess that it is a stork of some kind, but as soon as anyone can tell me what the heck it is I'll change that.

http://www.arthwollipot.com/photography/portfolio/wildlife/stork
Click to expand...
Er. White-faced Blue EgretHeron.

Hey, not bad from memory (OK, the Rosella was easy).
 
I posted this yesterday but it's not here???

No wonder I couldn't match that bird.
I googled "australian duck" :rolleyes:

And thanks for the advice on the "doubler" and the shutter speed.


BTW, where did you find the info about the camera?
 
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