Australian Pied Oystercatcher

The name Oystercatcher is something of misnomer for this species, because they seldom eat oysters which are found mainly on rocky coastlines.

The Pied Oystercatcher is black with a white breast and belly. All oystercatchers have a bright orange-red bill, eye-rings and legs, and a red eye. Young birds are similar in appearance to the adults, but lack the intense red-orange colours, and are brown rather then black.

The white breast and belly distinguish the Pied Oystercatcher from the closely related Sooty Oystercatcher, which has all black plumage.

The bird is found in coastal areas throughout Australian continent except for areas of unbroken sea cliffs such as the Great Australian Bight. Pied Oystercatchers have probably declined throughout much of their range and the current population may be as low as 10.000. Closely related forms are found in almost every continent in the world.

The Pied Oystercatcher prefers mudflats, sandbanks and sandy ocean beaches and is less common along rocky or shingle coastlines. Although rarely recorded far from the coast, the Pied Oystercatcher may occasionally be found in estuarines mudflats and short pasture.

The Pied Oystercatcher breeds in pairs. Abreeding teritory of some 200m is formed and is defended by both birds. Nesting takes place on sand, shell grit or shingle just above high water mark on beaches, sandbars, margins of estuaries and lagoons. The eggs are well-camouflaged, being pale brown with darker-brown and black blotches and streaks. Both sexes share parenting duties.

Photo- Jozef Skubin, 1,2,3,4, Walter point, Swan River. 29.06.2014

Text references.

Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds.

The Shorebirds of Australia

Grey Fantail

It is very difficult to capture this bird, because is so fast and never more then one second seats on the branch without flying around . The Gray Fantail is most easily recognised by its constantly fanned tail and agile aerial twists and turns. It's a small bird around 15cm, both sexes are similar in appearance, grey above, with white eyebrow, throat and tail edges. This species is quite inquisitive and will closely approach to the observer.

Similar species to Gray Fantail are Willie Wagtail, also described in this blog, and Rufous Fantail. 

The Gray Fantail is found throughout Australia in most treed habitats and appears undergo a partial northern migration during winter. The birds occasionally visits densely planted urban gardens, particularly during the winter migration. Often makes use of eucalypt trees. Feeds on flying insects, which it catches by chasing them from the edge of foliage at all levels in the canopy.

Its nest is build in a thin tree-fork, unusually between 2 and 5 meters from the ground. It is made of fine grass bound together with large amounts of spider web. The bottom of the nest is drawn out into a long stem, resembling that of a wine-glass. Both parents share nest-building, incubation of the eggs and feeding of the young when they hatch.

Photo Jozef Skubin

1,2,3,4 Cannington river, Canning regional park W.A.

References

Field guide to Australian birds.

Field guide to birds of Australia, 6th Edition

The Robins and flycatchers of Australia

    

Nankeen night heron

Because it spends much of the day roosting hidden among dense foliage, only emerging in the twilight, the Nankeen night heron is generally under-reported. Nevertheless, they occur throughout eastern and northern Australia, as well as in the western half of Western Australia. The species breeds in colonies which often comprise hundreds of pairs, with the largest colonies supporting thousands. Most of this large colonies are in the Murray-Darling Basin, and their numbers may build up quickly during wet years, and disperse when conditions deteriorate.

The Nankeen Night Heron is a stocky heron with rich cinnamon upperparts, white-buff underparts, a black crown, and yellow legs and feet. The head is large, the neck short, and the legs relatively short. During breeding the beck of the head bears three nuptial plumes. The bill is dark olive-green, and the eyes are yellow. Young birds are heavily spotted and streaked white, brown and orange-brown. As they mature, the black cap of the adult develops first, with the body plumage remaining streaked for some time. The Nankeen Night Heron is also called the Rufous Night Heron.

The Nankeen Night Heron is found throughout Australia, wherever there is permanent water. It is uncomon in Tasmania, lives in frequents well-vegetated wetlands, and is found along shallow river margins, mangroves, floodplains, and swamps. 

It is feed at night in shallow water on a wide variety of insects, crustaceans, fish and amphibians. Breeds throughout the year, depending on food availability. Breeding takes place in colonies, often together with egrets and cormorants. The nest is a loose stick platform over water. Both sexes incubate the eggs.

Photos- Jozef Skubin 1,2,3,4, Herdsman Lake 15.06.2014

Text references- Birdlife Australia      

Silvereye

The Silvereye is a small bird with a conspicuous ring of white feathers around the eye, and belongs to a group of birds known as white-eyes. The Silvereye shows interesting plumage variations across its range. The gray back and olive-green head and wings are found in birds trough the east, while western birds have a uniformly olive-green back. Breeding birds of the east coast have yellow throats, pale buff flanks (side of the belly) and white on the under tail. To complicate this, the birds in the east have regular migrations within Australia and may replace each other in their different areas for parts of the year. Birds in Western Australia have yellowish olive, rather than gray backs.

There is only one similar species found in Australia. The Yellow White-eye, lives on north and north-west. It is more brightly coloured above, is lemon yellow below and has a smaller white eye-ring. The ranges of the two species do overlap slightly.

Silvereyes feed on insects prey and large amounts of fruit and nectar, making them occasional pests of commercial orchards. Birds are seen alone, in pairs or small flocks during the breeding season, but form large flocks in the winter months.

Silvereye pairs actively defend a small territory. The nest is a small, neatly woven cup of grasses, hair, and other fine vegetation, bound with spider web. It is placed in horizontal tree fork up to five meters above the ground. The nest is constructed by both sexes, who both also incubate the bluish-green eggs. If conditions are suitable two to three clutches will be raised in a season.

Photos

Jozef Skubin 1,2,3,4,5,6, Canning river, Cannington W.A. 10.06.2014

Text references

Field Guide to the Birds of Australia.

Reader s Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds

The Honeyeaters and their Allies of Australia