Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Tara

The Regent Parrot is one of three species in the genus Polytelis. The parrot is also known variously as the Rock Pebbler, Rock Peplar, Black-tailed Parakeet, Murray Smoker’, Marlock Parakeet and sometimes Regent Parakeet.

Two subspecies are recognised. While the western subspecies (Polytelis anthopeplus anthopeplus) is listed as “lower risk” or “least concern”, the eastern subspecies (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides) is listed as endangered.

Regent Parrots are easily seen in Dryandra Woodland & Stirling Range National Park, both of which are an easy drive from Perth, Australia. It was pure magic to watch them bathing in the bird bath at Stirling Range Retreat!

Range:
P.a. anthopeplus: Inland SE Australia, near middle of Murray and lower Darling Rivers and corresponding tributaries in far SE New South Wales and NW Victoria to nearby E South Australia.
P.a. westralis: SW Australia, north to Lake Moore district and east to eastern Goldfields, Balladonia district, and Israelite Bay.

LEARN MORE ABOUT REGENT PARROTS

Environment South Australia

Biodiversity Australia

VIDEO

Beautiful close ups from YouTube!

Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius)

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Tara

The Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius), also called the Pileated Parakeet is an Australian species of broad-tailed parrot. I took the first 3 shots at Foxes Lair. The middle one is a juvenile.

The species occurs from the Moore River southwards in southwestern Australia. Its natural habitat is Marri (Corymbia calophylla), but has adpated to farmland, orchards and suburban landscapes in Perth. Sadly some farmers consider them a pest and will shoot them.

Bird watchers have the best chances of seeing them at Foxes Lair, Dryandra Woodland, Stirling Range and a few lucky people in the Perth area see them in their backyards! Use your miles to get to Australia, then any of these destinations is a few hours drive from Perth.

This charming bi-lingual book is about an Aboriginal legend of the Red-capped Parrot which is called “Kaawar” in their language. I bought a copy at the gift shop at Yanchep National Park but it can also be ordered online.

Kaawar book

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-CAPPED PARROTS

VIDEOS

Foraging in the grass at Bremer Bay, WA

Short but a good close up of a wild bird. Most videos were of captive parrots so I took the best I could find!

Birding Foxes Lair, Narrogin, Western Australia

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Tara

Foxes Lair is a small reserve on the outskirts of Narrogin, Western Australia. It makes a perfect complement to nearby Dryandra Woodland, especially for parrot watchers.

Google Maps don’t show it but it is where I have made the yellow highlights.

Foxes Lair

It’s well worth planning both a morning visit and an afternoon visit here as you can get different birds. I saw more Carnaby’s Cockatoos & Galahs in the morning and in the afternoon, I got my first look at Red Capped Parrots and Regent Parrots and of course more Port Lincoln Ringnecks.

Here’s a few pics of the birds I saw over 2 days. Sorry about the silhouettes of the Carnaby’s Cockatoos, it was around 5:30am-ish! You can see birds both on the side of the road near the caravan park opposite Foxes Lair and then drive into the reserve where there is a car park and a few trails you can follow.

You can stay in Narrogin where there are several options such as Bella’s Country Place (where we stayed-my review), Albert Facey Motel & Narrogin Motel.

Western Rosella (Platycercus icterotis)

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Tara

The Western Rosella (Platycercus icterotis) less commonly known as the Stanley Rosella, Earl of Derby’s parakeet or Yellow-cheeked parakeet, is the smallest species of rosella and is found in the South West of Australia in Eucalypt forests and timbered areas. I took the first 2 photos at Dryandra Woodland and the last one at Stirling Range Retreat.

And here’s a close up from Wikipedia as my shots don’t do this beautiful bird justice!

Although Western Rosellas can theoretically be found anywhere in South Western Australia, they are sadly becoming harder to find. I was really happy to have 2 sightings during my trip in Feb 2014 – Dryandra Woodland & Stirling Range Retreat.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN ROSELLAS

VIDEOS

Everyone loves a picnic!

This is on my other post but it’s worth watching again, especially if you really care about these beautiful birds.

Lodge Review: Bella’s Country Place, Narrogin, Western Australia

Posted on April 5, 2014 by Tara

Bella’s Country Place is a fairly new bed & breakfast in the town of Narrogin near Dryandra Woodland. It has all the charm you could hope for in a small town B&B and Lizette, the friendly, cheerful owner goes out of her way to make her guests feel welcome.

I wish I had gotten more photos but I was so distracted by all the birds in the area, I had completely forgotten to get photos of the rooms! There are some pics on their website, some rooms are ensuite and some have shared bathrooms.

What I really liked is that the house is far enough from town so there is a lot of birdlife nearby but it’s close enough for quick trips into town for meals or shopping. There is also a well-equipped kitchen if you choose to self-cater and some washing machines and a clothesline which is great news for birders on a budget.

Breakfast is included in the very reasonable rates and Lizette is happy to prepare packed picnic breakfasts if you are making an early start to Dryandra for birding.

I really enjoyed my stay at Bella’s Country Place and am happy to recommend that birders heading to Dryandra Woodland and Foxes Lair stay here!

Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Tara

Dryandra Woodland offers amazing birding only a couple hours drive from Perth! Use your miles to get here and then hire a car so you can explore this beautiful park on your own.

Although you could visit Dryandra Woodland as a day trip from Perth, I highly recommend staying a night or two here so you can visit all the water holes and birding areas. You can stay either in the park or in Narrogin, about a half hour’s drive from Dryandra.

The Lion’s Dryandra Village has the advantage of being right inside the park so no commuting and you can easily do the night tour at Barna Mia. You do need to be completely self-sufficient and bring your own food and bed linens.

Otherwise you can stay in the closest town of Narrogin where there are several options such as Bella’s Country Place (where we stayed-my review), Albert Facey Motel & Narrogin Motel.

The official park website has a brochure you can download. I have marked some prime birding location in yellow on the screenshot below. The Old Mill Dam was the best place, I personally saw several Western Rosellas, Australian Ringnecks, Rainbow Bee-eaters and more (see bird list links below).

Dryandra birding spots

The bird list is very impressive and Frank O’Connor’s website has some great location details complete with co-ordinates for your GPS. Eremaea also has a bird list for Dryandra Woodland.

Here are some photos I took at Dryandra Woodlands.

Australian Ringneck

Common Bronzewing

Scarlet Robin wants a bath

Some New Holland Honey-eaters join in.

TBD

Western Rosellas wait for the chance to drink. I was really happy to see them after I saw a video that they were disappearing.

Although this Ringneck didn’t approach too close to the Rosellas, they still flew off when he was joined by others. It’s clear the Ringneck is the dominating species.

The Kookaburra wasn’t fazed by the Ringnecks at all or vice-versa.

Rainbow Bee-eaters put on a great show diving down for a drink and quick bath.

Willie Wagtails were everywhere!

A few kangaroos came down for a drink.

More Bee-eaters

Australian Magpies were also everywhere!

More Australian Ringnecks

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Tara

The Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family Meropidae. It is the only species of Meropidae found in Australia. They are brilliantly colored birds that grow to be 19–24 cm (max 28 cm) in length, including the elongated tail feathers.

Close up from Wikipedia.

Rainbow bee-eaters are a common species and can be found during the summer in forested areas in most of southern Australia excluding Tasmania. They migrate north during the winter into northern Australia, New Guinea, and some of the southern islands of Indonesia. They may be found in open woodlands, beaches, dunes, cliffs, mangroves, woodlands and they often visits parks and private gardens. The first two photos above were taken at the watering hole near the Dryandra Village. They were quite entertaining as they whizzed down for a drink at the speed of light! Dryandra Woodlands is an easy 2 hour drive from Perth.

Known to the Noongar as “birranga”, the bee-eater’s beauty and character set it apart from other birds and it is the traditional totem of an important family group in the eastern Wheatbelt..

An Aboriginal Dreaming story tells how birds came into being when a rainbow shattered and its colourful shards fell to earth, and the basis for such a tale can be appreciated in the rainbow bee-eater’s startling yet muted oranges, gauzy greens, powder-puff blues and soft yellows.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

Wikipedia

Birdlife

Australian Wildlife Conservancy

VIDEOS

Nice close up footage eating an insect

Feeding chicks in a nest

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Tag Archives: Dryandra Woodland

Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus)

LEARN MORE ABOUT REGENT PARROTS

VIDEO

Red-capped Parrot (Purpureicephalus spurius)

LEARN MORE ABOUT RED-CAPPED PARROTS

VIDEOS

Birding Foxes Lair, Narrogin, Western Australia

Western Rosella (Platycercus icterotis)

LEARN MORE ABOUT WESTERN ROSELLAS

VIDEOS

Lodge Review: Bella’s Country Place, Narrogin, Western Australia

Dryandra Woodland, Western Australia

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS BIRD

VIDEOS