Sunday, September 6, 2009

Cisticolas among attention seekers



Some days Golden-headed Cisticolas (Cisticola exilis) seem almost to be calling out and demanding pictures be taken. It's not always possible to oblige, since they inhabit scruffy areas of tall reeds, grasses and weedy shrubs, replete with obscuring stems and twiggy branches.

But it is somewhat surprising, in retrospect, how rarely I've managed to capture good pictures of birds with prey. Don't even know if the tiny object (above) from midmorning today is prey or an unwanted remnant of flora that happened to stick temporarily to the bird's bill.


Less inclined to pose nicely for the camera, this Brown Honeyeater (Lichmera indistincta) did slow down for a second today.


But it could take lessons from this Tawny Grassbird (Megalurus timoriensis), surveying the scene last month from a low guava bush.


Finally, also from the back file, Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus) shows the others how it should be done.



6 comments:

James said...

Thanks for sharing some more superb photographs. I love the warm glow in some of them - the second photo is my favourite.

Duncan said...

Excellent photo of the cisticola Tony, one day I'd like to get one half as good.

Unknown said...

Those cisticolas are posers, aren't they?

;)

cheers,
steve.

p.s. lovely photos, tony. :)

Tyto Tony said...

Thanks James. Nice to share a warm glow.
Duncan: Too much praise for me and too much modesty for you.
Sure are, steve. Pity some rare species don't follow their lead.

Snail said...

Cisticolas look like scruffy urchins. (Street, not sea, of course!)

Great photos, Tony.

Tyto Tony said...

Know what you mean, though mention street urchins and I think mudlarks.

Head up for dragonfly, head off for fish head . . .

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