Christmas in Perth

This year we visited family in Perth for Christmas.  I managed to do a little birding while I was there, and added two "lifers" (bird species seen for the first time). It was very warm there, with every day over 30C (86F) and a couple of days over 40C (104F), so birding wasn't easy. I had made contact with a couple of local birders through a birdwatching e-mail list so I had some local spots to try.

One of the most common birds around Perth's northern suburbs is the local variant of the Australian Ringneck, "Twenty-eight Parrot". These were seen in the garden everyday

The local park was also "birdy" with many common species. They are also used to people so gave good opportunities to get close. Australian White Ibis and Pacific Black Duck were plentiful, and tucked in amongst them was a Female Musk Duck.

Further along the lake edge were some Little Black Cormorants, Maned duck, lots of Little Corellas and Straw-necked Ibis.

One of my target species was Western Wattlebird, but every Wattlebird I got my binoculars on to was a Red Wattlebird.

I had a day trip out with a local birder, but it was very hot and tough going.  At one little waterhole we did find a couple of endemic Baudin's Cockatoos, along with some Red-tailed Black Cockatoos.

One spot I wanted to try was Victoria Dam. It held two of my target species, as well as two other endemic species.  There were a few gum trees in blossom, and both Singing and Brown Honeyeaters took full advantage. The local Golden Whistler was in good voice letting everyone know he was there.

 

 

Splendid Fairywren is by far the most common of the fairywrens here, I even saw them in a reserve only metres from dense housing. At Victoria Dam I was almost tripping over them! While photographing them, I saw a small movement out of the corner of my eye, and got a nice surprise! A Western Rosella, my first lifer of the trip.

 

Other common birds here were Yellow-rumped Thornbill and Laughing Dove. While checking through the fairywrens and thornbills I almost missed lifer number two, Red-eared Firetail.

all in all a great trip, and a lovely finish to 2015.