Purple-crowned Lorikeet (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala)

The Purple-crowned Lorikeet, (Glossopsitta porphyrocephala) is a very small lorikeet, approx. 16 cm in length, with a purple crown, orange forehead and ear-coverts, green upper parts are bright green and a pale blue belly. There is a small patch of bright blue at the bend of wing, with underwing coverts bright red, and obvious in flight.  They are easier to hear than see, often calling in flight. The call is a high-pitched  ‘tzeet, tzeet’.

IMG_5438a IMG_5429a IMG_5388aThe Purple-crowned Lorikeet is found in southwest Western Australia, and in southern South Australia, east from the southern Eyre Peninsula, through the Gawler Range and southern Flinders Ranges and across Victoria to East Gippsland. It is also found on Kangaroo Island.  I was lucky enough to come across a flock at Jerramungup while enroute to Ravensthorpe.

Approximate location of Jerramungup within the Purple-crowned Lorikeet range.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE-CROWNED LORIKEETS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

NSW Environment & Heritage

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Getting ready for his close-up!

An Afternoon At Two People’s Bay

Two People’s Bay is just stunning so it was kind of sad we only had an afternoon there but we did try to make the most of it.  First order of business was a picnic lunch so we bought some food in Albany and took the road to Two People’s Bay.

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There is an information centre with a large map on a board (that I forgot to take a photo of) and you can see where the picnic area is and the entrance to a historic walking trail.

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Some magpies and a Buff-banded Rail were hanging out and inviting themselves to lunch.  The Maggies weren’t taking “no” for an answer either!IMG_5339 IMG_5349There is a Heritage Trail just off the picnic area that looked very interesting as it traversed prime Rock Parrot habitat and people do see them in this area.  It did look a bit tough for me as I would have had trouble climbing over the rocks so we drove to the other end of the trail, walked down and found an easier place to walk around.  We didn’t see Rock Parrots but the scenery was fantastic!  With wild birds sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you aren’t!  The bird list is pretty good so I do recommend checking this place out if you are in the area.

Two People's Bay

Two People’s Bay

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The other end of the Heritage Trail

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Nice view of a New-Holland Honey-eater

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RESPONSible Travel Peru

Sometimes you can help conserve wild birds with just a simple Facebook “like”.

Click here.

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The original page is in Spanish but Google Chrome will auto-translate it.  Here is some of the text:

What is the target of the campaign Likes Responsible?

This campaign aims also to reach more people with the same vision of responsible and sustainable tourism, sponsorship 24 hectares of Amazon forest ArBio be protected by a conservation project that seeks to protect the rainforest and stop the negative impact of Inter-Oceanic Highway, ArBio read more about here .

How to achieve this?

For every 200 likes, ie 200 new followers or fans on our Facebook page, Responsible Travel Peru agree to donate the amount of money corresponding to sponsor an acre (10,000 m2) located in the concession area ArBio. As you probably know, is worth more intact forest conservation and the generation of oxygen, a reforestation area. Thanks to our community of followers or Facebook fans, this hectare may have the people, equipment and other resources to be monitored and protected from all threats, ensuring their preservation against deforestation illegal mining, ranching, agriculture and poaching.

Currently, respons is collaborating with the protection of 10 hectares, but have set the goal of caring for an additional 24 acres with the help of our supporters, and keep safe 34 hectares of Amazon forest.

How much time do we have to do?

This campaign has a start date of April 22 and only have 30 days to reach the goal set, ie only until May 22, 2014, however, we hope with your help to reach the goal before then and then continue with new RESPONSible actions.

How to know the progress of this campaign?

All developments of this campaign will be posted on Facebook and the pair create an article on this blog that constantly update with all the latest news: ha achieved, certificates attesting donating money to ArBio, pictures project and everything you need to keep you constantly updated .

How I can help protect those 24 acres of forest?

If you want to support this initiative to have a better future, the first thing to do is become a fan of our Facebook page giving to click “like”. If you already are, then help us spreading this article and all Facebook posts to people who, like you, they like RESPONSibly traveling through Peru, working with the sustainable development of communities and the protection of our natural wonders through campaigns like RESPONSible Shares.

Remember: every 200 “likes” on our Facebook page is a new hectare of Amazon forest safe.Help us keep! We and we appreciate the jungle!

Likes RESPONSible Why?

We have two main objectives. On the one hand, we want to help preserve more than 24 acres and 10 we sponsor to help slow deforestation and climate change. Furthermore, we aim to create an online community of people interested in travel involving economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability in order to disseminate more than 70 Peruvian communities we work together for development, as we are the link between these communities and the tourism market.

If you need more information you can leave your comments or questions below.

Support us with a “like”

 They are just over 1000 “likes” so that is 5 protected hectares already………………let’s keep it growing!

 

Albany – The Crossroads Of Western Australia’s National Parks

Albany is the 6th largest city in Western Australia, but more importantly to the eco-traveler lies withing reach of several of Australia‘s top birding destinations and national parks.  At around 420 kilometers from Perth, it’s too far for a day trip but can easily be added to a larger tour of Western Australia.

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Coming from Stirling Range, it’s about an hour’s drive south to Albany and the beautiful Two People’s Bay Reserve.  The main attraction for me was the chance to see Rock Parrots.

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To help you find the best place to go birding for the species you are most interested in, here are some bird lists from Frank O’Connor’s excellent website.

Albany

Cheyne’s Beach

Fitzgerald River

Albany can be a good choice for a birder who is traveling with non-birding family members or friends as there are plenty of beaches for the non-birders to visit.

Two People's Bay

Two People’s Bay

ACCOMMODATION

Not a lot of choices for stays on points.  Wotif.com tends to have the best deals for smaller Australian cities and towns.  Here’s a sample of what’s on offer.  Prices vary by season.  Just taking a cursory look – Emu Beach Chalets are jumping out as “my kind of place”.

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Miles For Mother’s Day Flowers

It’s that time of year where we honor our Mothers!  Mother’s Day is only 2 weeks away so it’s a great time to decide what you are going to do to make your Mother feel special, even if you happen to live far away from her such as I do.  No woman can resist a beautiful bouquet of flowers and the good news is that flowers can easily be ordered online and sent to your Mother anywhere in the world……………………and by using the right links you can get miles for them!

ULTIMATE REWARDS

Usually Chase’s Ultimate Rewards is my first port of call for click thru portals so I had a look here to see what was on offer.  Always check ALL portals before making a decision as you will see later on.

Best offer here is FTD for 15 extra points.  During the year, this is probably your best bet but around Mother’s Day, most airlines will put on special offers through their own portals.

UNITED AIRLINES

I’ll use United as an example but the same principle applies to all airlines with shopping partners.

From the airline’s main website, go to the tab with the frequent flyer program, then look for the retail shopping partners.  I don’t mean United’s online shopping mall (though they will also have flower offers) but the partner section.

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You will see lots of offers and the one we want is right at the top.

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30 miles per dollar is pretty good!  Before you take that offer, it’s a good idea to check all the airlines you are collecting miles in such as American, Delta, British Airways or whatever to see if they have better offers.  Since I am actively collecting United’s miles for a goal, I basically just need to compare Ultimate Rewards and what is on United’s website.

You will know you are in the right place if you see the United Airlines welcome message at the top.

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After you have chosen your flowers, there is still one last step to insure you get your miles.  On the very last screen where you put the payment information, there is a place to fill in your United Mileage Plus number (or whatever airline’s program you used to click through).  Don’t forget this step or you won’t get any miles!

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Miles usually post about 2 weeks after delivery.  Enjoy your flowers and more importantly, appreciate your Mother, you only get one!

Bargain Airfares From Copa

Irresistible Offers from USA!

If you have been reading my posts about Central America from last year or wanting to go to Peru for Tambopata, you are in luck!

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Discover all the advantages of flying through the Hub of the Americas in Panama with Copa Airlines.  There’s great birding in Panama if you take a stopover there!  Or connect to Costa Rica which has lots of birding options whether you are a beginner or advanced birder!  Don’t forget my insider’s tip on using Vegas as your gateway airport to avoid the more congested international gateway airports.  Take advantage of these cheap fares to save some miles and make your eco-tourism adventure come true!

Movie Review: A Birder’s Guide to Everything

This charming movie captures the excitement of birding, especially when a rare species is seen and builds it into the story of an awkward teenager coming of age.  If you are a birder, you will probably recognize yourself as a “watcher” or a “lister” and maybe have come up against some of those ultra-competive hardcore birders you will meet in this film.  I can’t say anything more or I will spoil it!  But here’s a trailer and a nice clip of some North American birds.

It makes me wish I had gotten into birding when I was younger……………and had more energy and physical stamina!

The movie is available on Amazon.com (my affiliate link) as an instant download or dvd to pre-order for 25 May.

Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus)

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The Dusky Woodswallow (Artamus cyanopterus), is a bird species of forests and woodlands in tropical and subtropical regions,in eastern and southern Australia.  The name “woodswallow” is a misnomer as they are not closely related to true swallows. Instead, they belong to the family Artamidae, which also includes butcherbirds, currawongs and the Australian Magpie.

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They are commonly seen within their range in medium sized flocks of 30-50 birds.  You will often see them huddled together on a tree branch such as the photo above taken at Stirling Range or in even larger “huddles”.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Nice close-ups here!

Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans)

IMG_5100The Elegant Parrot was originally named by the renowned ornithologist and artist John Gould in 1837, its specific name Latin for “elegant”. It is one of six species of grass parrot in the genus Neophema, and within it a member of the subgenus Neonanodes. Its common name is Elegant Parrot, but has also been called Elegant Parakeet, Elegant Grass Parakeet, and Grass Parrot in the past.

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It can be difficult to tell the Neophema species apart in areas where they overlap.  Elegant Parrots overlap with Rock Parrots in Western Australia.  In South Australia and Victoria, they overlap with Blue-winged Parrots and Orange-bellied Parrots.  To see the physical characteristics of each, see this leaflet.

Here’s some more photos I took in Stirling Range National Park which is one of the easiest places to see Elegant Parrots.

IMG_5024a IMG_5027a IMG_5069 IMG_5077 IMG_5078 IMG_5105 IMG_5270 IMG_5280LEARN MORE ABOUT ELEGANT PARROTS

Wikipedia

World Parrot Trust

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO

Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)

The Australian Owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) is a nocturnal bird found in open woodland across Australia and in southern New Guinea. It is colloquially known as “Moth Owl“. It is the most common of the owlet-nightjars, and the best known of this secretive family. It is the most common nocturnal bird in Australia, and despite suffering from predation and competition by introduced species it is not considered threatened.

IMG_5047 IMG_5051a IMG_5285Close-up from Wikipedia since I only got shots in the nest.

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They have a huge range – basically all over Australia so you could get lucky enough to see them on any birding trip in Australia. The best thing is to ask the lodge owners or rangers at national parks if they know of a nesting pair.  I saw them at Stirling Range Retreat.  You can also try searching the species name on the Surfbirds trip reports if you are targeting this species.  I wasn’t targeting them but just got lucky that they were found at a place I had already planned to visit and they were a delightful bird to watch as they peered cautiously out of the nest!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Birds in Backyards

VIDEO