Pieces of Eight, Pieces of Eight!

As this is a transit day here are a few photographs of members the Parrot family I have seen in Australia, some of which are from a previous trip there. I have chosen the Psittacines partly because of their colourful and varied plumage, but mostly to 'bug' Dave (Parrotface) Penney. Dave's absolute passion are the Parrots, as a former breeder, and because of his e-mail when he saw the Australian King Parrot photographs recently, which simply read Greeeeeeeeeeer! My flight is via Bangkok, Thailand which is a 9 hour leg, 3 hours 'stop over' then onward to London, Heathrow which should take a further 12 hours. I feel a WINE coming on.

Crimson Rosella

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Regent Parrot

Double-eyed Fig-Parrot

Red-capped Parrot

Eastern Rosella

Ringneck (Port Lincoln)

Little Corella

Rainbow Lorikeet

Elegant Parrot

Red-collared Lorikeet

Galah

The seriously endangered

Distribution

Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, confined to just a small area within the Stirling Range Mountains of South West Australia.

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

It is hoped to get a post published tomorrow either from one of the airports, or even home.

Australia - Manic Street Preachers

My final day in Australia is nearly over, a week goes so fast but worth it for all that. These won't be the last photos as I have a few 'in the can' ready for tomorrow.

Crested Pigeon

Grey-tailed Tattler

Dollarbird is a bird of the roller family, so named because of the distinctive blue coin-shaped spots on its wings.

Little Wattlebird

Buff-banded Crake

Gull-billed Tern

Eastern Curlew

Shore Crab

Grey Teal

Black-tailed Native-hen

Masked Plover we noted one of these feeding in the middle of the main road as we drove down to the beach.

Chestnut Mannikin

Nutmeg Mannikin

Black-shouldered Kite

The strange looking Musk Duck (male)

and Musk Duck (female).

Peaceful Dove

Red-capped Plover

All the fun of the fair for Fred & Alex.

The last time I was trusted to feed a 'living thing' was at the zoo, and even then I got the wrong end! It did seem rather a small mouth for a Hippo.

Mummy Lisa with the Candy Coloured Clown.

Sitting In The Park - Georgie Fame

Another wander today, this time to the Estuary of the Lane Cove River but still under the Stewardship of the New South Wales National Parks & Wildlife Services.

Australian Grebe

Black Swan

Red Wattlebird

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike

Australian Pelicans

Bell Miner

Australian Painted Lady

Black-fronted Plover

Red-browed Firetail

What a magnificent creature?

Royal Spoonbill

and don't you just love this sub-adult Silver Gull? Peter Harrison, who probably knows a little more about the subject than I, describes this in his 'Seabirds' book as a 'First Winter'. Surely a bird hatched in the summer is still considered a juvenile a few months later in its first winter and a 'Second Winter' in its second 'calender year' winter. Comments via the normal channels please.

Spotted Turtle Dove

Superb Fairy-wren front,

back
and Female.

Here they are again, Frederick the Third

Alexander the Great

Alex eating his toys with Mum

and Fred paddling at the sea-side with Dad.