We get visits from this bird from time to time, I've been trying to get a pic for ages, but today he/she posed for me.



Nothing exceptional, but just something I've been after for a while.

Black face

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djt91184 said..
Black face

Ya carnt say that.

I don't think the shrike will mind

White breasted

perhaps closer to grey

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Buster fin said..

djt91184 said..
Black face

Ya carnt say that.

What

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lotofwind said..
White breasted

cant say that either .. white fronted

I still remember seeing a Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike at school camp in Jarrahdale 30 years ago
Haven't seen one since. Nice.

Also called a butcher bird.

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shi thouse said..
Also called a butcher bird.

Nup, nothing like what I think is a butcher bird, we get them as well.
Similar I guess, but definitely different.

Coincidentally, we had one fly into our window just this week (in Mt Lawley)! The kids picked it up and "cuddled it" for it a bit while it regained its composure, then it flew off back into the inner-suburban tree-scape.

My young bloke had to go off Googling to find out what it was.

Am (very slowly/planning to) build a bird watching site/web app with my kids. There are many out there, but they don't cater to Australian birds very well, if at all, and they don't "gamify" the experience.

Good to see you have actually managed to photograph them well. Birds usually require a whopping big zoom lens.

I think pornhub has beat you to it

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evlPanda said.. >>>Good to see you have actually managed to photograph them well. Birds usually require a whopping big zoom lens.

Thanks Panda. I guess I'm fortunate, our balcony is quite close to a few places birds perch, there power lines in this shot one of the favourites. There's a stretch of scrub opposite, and the power lines offer a good view of potential prey.
Here's the Shrike when it first landed on the wire.


Obviously something it had found over the road.

It's not a humongous lens, 55/300, but adequate if the subject isn't too far away.

Here's another one from the wire.


We couldn't figure out what these swallows were doing until I photographed them. then it was obvious.

Here is the window-crasher. It seems to have less black on its face and neck than Decrepit's version. Might be juvenile or the opposite sex?

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AUS1111 said..
Here is the window-crasher. It seems to have less black on its face and neck than Decrepit's version. Might be juvenile or the opposite sex?

very much a juvenile...downy feathers...the cuckoo shrike is also known as a "shuffle wing" because of the way they shuffle their wings while perched...

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decrepit said..

evlPanda said.. >>>Good to see you have actually managed to photograph them well. Birds usually require a whopping big zoom lens.

Thanks Panda. I guess I'm fortunate, our balcony is quite close to a few places birds perch, there power lines in this shot one of the favourites. There's a stretch of scrub opposite, and the power lines offer a good view of potential prey.
Here's the Shrike when it first landed on the wire.


Obviously something it had found over the road.

It's not a humongous lens, 55/300, but adequate if the subject isn't too far away.

Here's another one from the wire.


We couldn't figure out what these swallows were doing until I photographed them. then it was obvious.

Crop that last one a little, and submit it to Nat Geo.

We had a fruit bat fly into our house the other evening. A ****ing fruit bat. Very cute little face, but once it started moving a scratching around I became like a little girl, and couldn't pick it up. They are kinda freaky.

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rick deckard said..

the cuckoo shrike is also known as a "shuffle wing" because of the way they shuffle their wings while perched...

Yep I've seen them do this many times as a kid. Takes them ages to get themselves settled down after they stop flying.