Australian Atheists Forum

pipbarber wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 4:56 pm That's a great photo of the kookaburra. It's unusual to see the tail feathers from that angle. The juvenile king parrot's a beauty too.

The tail feathers are out because the NBN cable it's on is thin and wobbly. When it needed to balance it extended its tail. Sheer elegance. It could easily have popped over to my nice stable power cable a few metres away, but no doubt it enjoys the challenge, a fine skill for a predator.

I am guessing the king parrot speckles indicate a juvenile... the green will fade away and when it's fully grown it will have the showy red of a big man?

I have total respect for your birding skills and knowledge, Pip, always!

Don't particularly want to be political on this thread, well actually it's just biology, but i have seen an intersex king parrot in the wild - mottled green extending to the belly. I've also seen same sex king king parrots getting it on, and flying off together, (males, although i'm sure both sexes have a gay cohort). Their sexual dimorphism is so stark, and they're so abundant, variations are often noted. How awesome is that? What a great bird!

pipbarber wrote: ↑Sun Mar 02, 2025 6:05 pm Don't particularly want to be political on this thread, well actually it's just biology, but i have seen an intersex king parrot in the wild - mottled green extending to the belly. I've also seen same sex king king parrots getting it on, and flying off together, (males, although i'm sure both sexes have a gay cohort). Their sexual dimorphism is so stark, and they're so abundant, variations are often noted. How awesome is that? What a great bird!

Yes they are a great bird. Some of them are phenomenally tame, eating out of my hand and letting me scratch their chins.

My related observation was when a male and female came to enjoy some food on my back verandah, and the male was aggressive in keeping the female away, so I nicknamed him "Sid the sexist". A few days later a group of about five or six came to visit, and there were a couple of females who were being absolute bullies to all and sundry, so I had to adjust my assumptions about male dominance and female submission. It's probably fairly basic pecking order behaviour, or maybe just random biffo, but it's still a wonder for me to behold.

Had a pair of magnificent wedgies circling over our gully last Thursday and they were low enough and close enough (about less than 50 away) that we could see the colours on the top of their wings and backs.

We have seen them a few times before but usually disappearing on a thermal.

No photo - dammmmit!

Saw a powerful owl this morning. Out in Knox LGA, outer eastern suburbs of Melbourne. There's a wetland/creek system that runs parallel with the Dandenong ranges and it's a great area for birding.

Quite intimidating, this owl. It was perched on a branch across the track so i had to walk under it. It was only about two meters above my head. When i got behind it and looked around it had done the exorcist swivel and was staring at me from over its shoulder. They're very big, and those talons would do some big damage if employed on my face, and i was disturbing their sleep. A couple of quick photos, an admiring gaze, and off i went.

I've had a fun birding trip to Mildura. I was a bit hampered by the heat though, Saturday particularly was scorching, mid 40s. But i did see a malleefowl, at long last. Here's a crappy photo. My camera is pretty average and i really just wanted to watch these amazing giant fowl.





Here's a better photo of a juvenile whistling kite