Autumn conditions following a very dry
summer has meant bare paddocks and very few flowering plants and trees across
western Victoria and in south east South Australia. In response the birds have
been scarce.
On arrival at the Lake Albert Caravan Park
in Meningie, a small town near the Coorong and Lakes Albert and Alexandrina, we
were greeted by the loud screeching calls of lorikeets when we got out of the
car to set up the van.
The lorikeets were feeding in small gums
loaded with large red flowers. The gums were planted around the caravan park
and elsewhere as street trees, in and around the town. I first thought it was Little
Lorikeets based on the calls, however on checking I was pleasantly surprised to
find Purple-crowned Lorikeets, a species of lorikeet we don’t see in East
Gippsland. The last time I saw Purple-crowned Lorikeets was several years ago
in southwest Western Australia.
Having struggled on this trip to find many birds
to photograph I soon had the camera out to grab some shots in the welcome sunny
conditions. As usual the lorikeets were hard to capture as they moved quickly about
through the dense foliage from flower to flower, never stopping long and rarely
presenting a clear view.
Eventually I managed a few acceptable shots
with many “deletes” off the camera. During my session some Musk Lorikeets
turned up to feed so my time was then divided between photo opportunities for
both species. I was expecting to see Rainbow Lorikeets, however to my surprise
none appeared.
|
Purple-crowned Lorikeet |
|
The purple crown can often look blue and is described in some field guides as blue or purple. |
|
Busy feeding, the tongue is inserted briefly into a flower for the nectar and then the bird moves on to the next flower. |
|
It was hard to get a clear view of the birds free of shadows. |
|
Now and again a bird would stop feeding to check on me! |
|
Musk Lorikeet |
|
Musk Lorikeet sipping nectar. |
|
The Musk Lorikeet withdraws from the flower showing the orange bill and tongue. The lorikeets must insert their tongues into thousands of flowers during the course of a day's feeding. |
The much larger Rainbow Lorikeet has
undergone a range expansion following new habitats created by the widespread
planting of Australian native trees in urban areas. Many trees are selected for
their attractive flowers, and many of these are also nectar producers,
providing an abundant food supply for nectar and pollen feeders such as lorikeets
and honeyeaters.
You never know when or where you might come
across interesting native birds to photograph and sometimes it is in urban
areas and cultivated habitat. In the dry conditions around the Coorong, these
lorikeets were enjoying the food source provided by the initiative of humans to
plant trees.
No comments:
Post a Comment