queensland

This is a juvenile male Bourke's Parrot he is just developing a blue forehead streak and blue on the wings. He's a cutie too, isn't he.

This gorgeous Bourke's Parrot is one of the harder ones to find, as they're one of the harder parrot species to come across. They're mostly crepuscular and found in the outback mulga areas. It really was a good move by Hans to get us to the dam early that morning!!

... for a bit Hope you don't mind seeing another picture of these honeyeaters, but I adore them! This was the last one I saw for a few weeks, when I was much further south.

They are such attractive birds these I think, very neat guys. Generally I saw cuckooshrikes up on a branch or telegraph wire, so it was great to find this one on the ground for a change.

.... wish I owned that many diamonds LOL. They're so pretty these doves and I did rather fall for them.

Hans was very keen for me to get a picture of the Spotted Bowerbird which showed the pink nuchal crest. I was so lucky that he turned his back on me with the light highlighting it. Pretty, don't you think.

....or Baker's Dozen perhaps. This was the only time I saw so many of them together... I'd counted every group and never came up with 12, let alone 13.

There were 4 Crested Pigeons down at the waterside, but I've only shown you one of them this time. Hans made me promise not to take too many pictures of the same old species today... well, I did try;) But it's hard with the cute ones, isn't it.

We also had a group of Major Mitchell's Cockatoos come in, but none of them would give me an erect crest sadly. I still think they're beautiful birds.

This was confusing to me, as the Maned Duck has a couple of other names, both used locally in Australia... (Australian) Wood Duck, but nothing like the Wood Duck found in the North America and also Maned Goose. It is rather goose-like, isn't it, with that short bill. Anyway.... Hans wanted to...

We'd not even got through the gate when a Whistling Kite was spotted overhead.... so out I get to get a few shots. I was quite pleased with this one.

We were just about to set off after lunch, when a movement in a tree attracted our attention. It turned out to be a new Lifer.... a Rufous Songlark. The was the first image; I'll maybe upload another in a different position later on, as there aren't too many of this species in the Gallery.

Another early riser down on the Homestead Dam was a Masked Lapwing.

How pretty the iridescent patches are on this pigeon. I've not really noticed it so much before. It must have been the early morning sun. They are rather cute, aren't they.

Also up early was this female White-winged Triller waiting for the first rays of sun to reach her tree-top. Sweet wee birds these.

I was awake long before breakfast on this our last day at Bowra. The sun was beginning to rise so I went out to see what was around. The light wasn't yet good enough for much in the way of pictures, especially at the start, but I did get this Australian Ringneck up in a tree. This one is the...

.... not in a tree!!! This was my first Australian Treecreeper! A nice looking bird, isn't he. And very kindly he came out into that wee strip of sun just for a couple of shots. And a lovely bird to finish off the day.

We were back at the homestead now, evening coming with low sun and long shadows. A Little Corella was feeding in the yard. Australian birds are really clever at keeping out of the sun LOL

I do so love these wee dotterels, so hope you don't mind me showing you another one. Black-fronted Dotterel is in the charadrius family, which is my favourite group of small waders. Fortunately I was able to see a lot of them!!

The next Lifer at Bowra was this beautiful Crimson Chat.... but oh my how difficult it was to get a picture! The best part of 10 minutes chasing them up and down the track trying to find one out in the open as they found something really interesting to eat in the plants on the verge!! It was...

Not the best of pictures, but a new woodswallow for me. This is a Black-faced Woodswallow, at bit distant and high in a tree. Nice bird though and it doesn't appear to be the most commonly seen one. This is the first picture to come in for nearly 2 years.

Just as we got back to the homestead gates we found this large family of Emus. We sat and watched them for a few minutes, as eventually they wandered off back into the bush.

Things quietened down at the dam late morning, so we took the long route back to the homestead for lunch. We came across this Gould's Sand Goanna on the road, so got out to get some pictures of course.... well you can't just pass by, can you!

This is a a small part of a little flock of Cockatiels that came in to the dam. I've extracted a section that shows various flight poses etc. There's a male at the back, the one with a white head.

.... well not so long as stilts and things, but certainly for a passerine. I think Magpie-Larks are rather odd looking birds, but still very dapper.