And the bush has friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him, In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended, And at night the wonderous glory of the everlasting stars.

Banjo Paterson (1889)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Broome Finches

Easter is almost here, so planning our Easter bird trip is in full swing. It looks like we are going to be heading northwards into the dry Mulga areas looking for hard elusive birds such as Grey Honeyeater, Gilbert's Whistler and an extreme long shot, Scarlet-chested Parrot.

It doesn't look like there will be rain, so it's going to be a camping 'swag under the stars' holiday, and this time with a couple of friends in another 4WD. That makes it a lot safer, especially if your camped at least two days walk from any help (as usual).

Here are some more photos from the last bird holiday up in Broome.




Long-tailed Finches coming in for a drink at the Broome Bird Observatory. These are the WA form with the yellow bill, the Northern Territory/Queensland form have a red bill.




One of the most common finches in Australia, Zebra Finches. The male at the front is a lot more colourful with the orange cheek patch and spotted chestnut flanks.




The beautiful Double-barred Finch. This is the kimberley form annulosa with the black rump (white rump on bichenovii in eastern Australia).

6 comments:

penny said...

Your bird shots are so crisp and clear, they are stunning, Richard.
Hope you and you wife have a wonderful bird hunt.

Wilma said...

I do love finches and love to hear them. Many of them sound like little electronic games. Hope your trip is wonderful!

cheers,
Wilma

Delwyn said...

Hello Richard
I have just come across your blog and am going to love your educational interesting and beautifully photographed posts. I am over in Qld at Noosa and spend my time walking in the National Park and along the river...

It is nice to have met a fellow Au in the blog world.

Happy days

Madibirder said...

The finches are absolutely beautiful. Have a nice trip.

Richard King said...

Thank you everyone. I hope you all have a happy and safe time over Easter. I'm sure I will have lots to tell when I get back.

JRandSue said...

Whata stunning image.