We ‘twitchers’ often see birds at dawn or late in the day, in silhouette against the sky. Here in the Blue Mountains of NSW they are balm to my soul.
In a world that is increasingly full of stress and strife, chuckling kookaburras herald the new day with reassuring optimism.
If you hear a gentle clucking early in the morning it’s likely to be courting Australian wood ducks. They nest in tree hollows. The female on the right looks rather underwhelmed.
Here is a currawong providing the final meal of the day for its hungry chick.
A bit later and the chick was becoming independent. Mind you, I’m not sure how confident he felt after venturing along this dead branch;
Sulphur crested cockatoos sit in silhouette above Mosman Bay on Sydney’s north shore. No doubt they were contemplating their good fortune in living in such a delightful place. Or were they dreaming up more mischief for the morrow?
Black cockatoo feasting in the pine tree. Don’t stand underneath or you may be knocked out cold by a dropped, rock hard cone.
The Halloween kookaburra, spooky eh?
Below is a little New Holland Honeyeater on a favourite perch in a hakea. See the nuts?
This even tinier bird is a silvereye. It was feeding on the highest bloom of a rhododendron tree. Sorry, couldn’t resist replacing his eye!
Not exactly a silhouette, but there is something very appealing about a bird on a wire. It’s a bit of a miracle to see a grey fantail at rest.
This delightful silhouette image of lovebirds is by Rob Baker. A perfect finale thanks Rob.
