Have I mentioned what a great holiday I had?  As I’m not a coast dweller, I hadn’t really appreciated how beautiful and mesmerising Australia’s water birds are.  Let me show you just a few of the water birds that my True Love (TL) and I saw when we visited two of the man-made dams in Queensland, Australia.

The Great Egret and the Royal Spoonbill were regular visitors to Lake Boondooma.

Two white birds

You can tell the Great Egret from the Intermediate Egret by looking at the bill and eye.  The bill extends beyond the bottom of the eye for the Great Egret.

I was amazed by the faux yellow eyes of the Royal Spoonbill.

An Australian White Ibis, known colloquially as the “bin bird”, also paid a visit.

Australian White Ibis

The White-Necked Heron impressed me with its strength and grandeur.

White-necked heron

While the White-Faced Heron took my breath away with its sheer elegance and poise.

White-faced heron profile

The pelicans were copious at both Lake Boondooma and at BP Dam, Yallakool.  Their antics made me smile.  The cormorants also liked to hang out with them.  Can you spot the Australasian Grebe in the first photo below?  The Australasian Grebe played cat and mouse with us for the whole trip, quickly swimming out of camera reach every time we spotted one.

At Yallakool, we spotted a Grebe that will be more familiar to my international Readers – the Great Crested Grebe.  In the same area was a male Hardhead duck.  The male, unlike the female, has a white eye.  The Hardhead duck is Australia’s only true diving duck.  Sorry that the colour of the water is so blue.  I confess to a few image manipulations to bring out the bird adequately.

The Whistling Kite regularly circled overhead.  I saw it plunge down into the water from a great height.  I am not sure how it could see anything at all in the muddy water.

Whistling Kite

I will show you the smaller terrestrial birds from these areas next time.   As you know, my TL is usually the bird spotter.  One morning, I just got lucky.  You’ll see.

Anyway that is your lot for today.

Kind Regards
Tracy

This is also my response to the Ragtag Daily Prompt – Copious.  Click on the link if you would like to join in the fun.

If you missed Part 1 and Part 2 of my Holiday Bird Diary, click on the links given.

 

 

31 thoughts on “Holiday Bird Diary – Part 3”

  10. I didn’t know Ibis are called ‘bin birds’ but it’s very appropriate! Fascinating about the Spoonbill’s faux eyes too- I didn’t know that either!

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