Re: Wildlife November 2009

[mark smyth]

This is terrible. How can a stadium full of people cheer for someone who killed a bat
http://deadspin.com/5394558/argentina-tops-transylvania-in-batsketball

[Roma]

Can anyone tell me what the insect is in my Crocus caspius flower?

[Anthony Darby]

It's one of the plume moths Roma.

[Gerdk]

It's one of the plume moths Roma.

In German ' Geistchen ' =  little ghost

Gerd

[Paul T]

Howdy All,

A couple of photos of a bird I happened upon on the bus trip I went on on the weekend (to an iris nursery and rare plant nursery..... predictable, aren't I?  ).  I'd never seen these before and had to come home and work out what they were.  They were a group of at least 3 adult Blue Faced Honeyeaters (this is their official name, just clarifying that after the discussion a while back on honeyeaters as a term we use here.... this one has it as part of it's name) caring for 2 dependent young.  They were way up in the trees and I just had my usual pocket camera, so I was pleased to get any pics at all.  They were all keeping a careful eye on me as you can see from the example of the bird in the pic.  They were perhaps 30cm long or so, so a reasonable sized bird.  The references say 240-300mm when I looked them up, so I was fairly right in what I was thinking they looked, size-wise.

It was nice to see something different, in fact something I'd never even heard of before.  

There was also a Willie Wagtail (a member of the fantail family) having a bit of a bath in a pool under a tap in the park.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[Ragged Robin]

Very exiting to spot new birds and they are smart aren't they?  What sort of things do they eat, is there a special flower they prefer, Paul?  Willy wagtails are some of my favourite birds - we have a smaller version!

[Paul T]

Robin,

No idea as to the specific dietary habits of the birds unfortunately, but they eat insects as well as drink nectar etc.  I saw the carers carrying beakfuls of insects etc to the babies.

[Paul T]

Here's a couple of pics of a hoverfly I found on an iris the other day when I went to photograph it.  I detoured a bit and took a few pics of the hoverfly (they usually don't seem to sit still for long enough to photograph) before it flew off, then went back to photographing the irises. 

I have no idea of exact ID, just that it is a hoverfly as it only has one pair of wings.  You can see so much more detail with the pics on a computer than you can see on the insect when you're looking at it in person. 

Enjoy.

Please click on the pic for a larger version.

[angie]

Paul

Amazing pictures of a the hoverfly . I took my laptop through to show my mum ( who is housebound ) your pictures and she couldn't believe that a photo could show so much detail,she was amazed,  she said its changed days when she was young they coloured in the photos, Thanks for sharing.

Angie

[ranunculus]

Superb detail Paul ... very impressed! 

[mark smyth]

According to my 'Photographic Guide to Birds of Australia' the 13 honeyeaters belong to the Manorina, Meliphaga, Lichenostomas and Entomyzon famalies. Pauls bird belongs to the last one. The food of only one is described - fruit, nectar and insects

[Ragged Robin]

Superb detail Paul ... very impressed! 

Like Cliff I think these are superb photos of a hoverfly, Paul - the detail is so clear on the wings and head, just incredible 

[Lesley Cox]

What flower is the hoverfly on Paul?

[mark smyth]

well done Paul

[Paul T]

Thanks all.  Glad you enjoyed the pics.  

I was just amazed that the little blighter sat still for me for long enough to photograph it.

Mark,

Fruit, nectar and insects fits many of the honeyeaters, although the smaller types such as Eastern Spinebills I think the nectar content would be far higher than the others.  I have no idea whether they go for fruit at all, but if so probably only to lap at the juice of damaged fruit etc.  I'm really not sure.

Lesley,

It's on an Iris...... Iris 'Lotus Land' to be precise.  I lovely soft apricot-pink shade, with lovely ruffling.  This one was in my garden at home here (not many flowering this year for some reason, unfortunately), but I have taken so many pics of irises over the weekend between here, my friends place, and the iris nursery we visited on the bus trip.