Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Paying account to some bills

Female Rufous Whistler (Pachycephala rufiventris) shows strength of versatile bill, prying large chunk of bark from branch (cheesewood tree, from memory) in search of insects, in Tyto last week.


Brown-backed Honeyeater (Ramsayornis modestus) with all-purpose reddish bill adds webbing to nest (now completed) in Leichhardt tree over creek pool.


Male Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis) displays specialist long curving, nectar-probing bill (even longer tongue not on display).    

5 comments:

mick said...

Hmm! A study like that would make much more sense in the birding books rather than just showing shapes of bills. Good idea, Tony.

Snail said...

Whistlers and their ilk are always prying some bit of bark off something! Industrious little birds.

Tyto Tony said...

Too kind, as always, Mick. I just stare at the pictures sometimes and hope to find a worthwhile theme tying them together.

I do the same on occasion, but not to eat anything found crawling underneath.

Anonymous said...

Tony do you have BB honeyeaters all year at Tyto? They appear to move on from Daintree about May and return in August but we did see them in Lakefield in June...??

Metallic Starlings have returned - earlier each year it seems.

Tyto Tony said...

Hi Barbara: A few BBs pretty much all year - with numbers soaring when lemon papaerbarks flower - though short periods when hard to find. Two pairs late nesting right now.

I thought all Metallics long gone from here, but came upon flock of mainly immatures at back of rainforst block near airstrip just the other day. They'd have to be never-wents!

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