I found some double bar finches in my back garden this morning, there were several of them:

A closer view of one of the finches, in flight:

The above finch was in flight because it was having repeated altercations/interactions with another finch (?), seen here in flight:

Another view of two of the finches:

I also took photos of a couple of other bird species this morning, & something else - but you'll have to wait for those!

I was in my back garden this morning, & I heard a noise from one of my many trees nearby.  On closer inspection, I discovered four white cockatoos, being more quiet than usual.  They sometimes shriek very loudly when flying overhead.

Here is one of them:

Here are two more:

They are such large, beautifully white birds!

I was birdwatching again this morning, in my front garden:

I don't know what these birds are called, they're quite common, & they hop along (on two feet).  I think they eat insects:

The above is from one photo, but I moved the birds in closer together so it was still a closeup picture.

The following two photos are of double bar finches, which are very small & cute:

Can you tell that birds are welcome in my garden?!  :-)

I spotted a kookaburra first thing this morning, & managed to get a couple of good photos out of the 18 (!) I took while trying to sneak up on it, with my Sony Cybershot 7.2 megapixel digital camera - aren't digital cameras wonderful?

This camera shy kookaburra flew away from me four times while I gradually snuck up on it.

I think most people think of kookaburras as being black & white birds - but as you can see, they also have blue & brown patches.

Kookaburras 'laugh', often together.  Their call is like this:  Koo koo koo koo kakakaka!  The koos start as high notes, & the kas are lower notes.  Kookaburras' calls together overlap, they sound like they are chortling together!

I managed to get a last, unfortunately out-of -focus photograph of the kookaburra in flight:

In Primary School we learnt this song:

"Kookaburra sits in an old gum tree,

merry, merry king of the bush is he.

Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,

gay your life must be!"

(Of course, the lyrics were written before 'gay' was commonly used to mean 'homosexual'.)

Maybe this has inadvertently become a birdwatching blog?!

In my front garden this morning, enjoying the birdbath, were six Yellow Rosellas (parrots) & a Peewee.  I took this first photograph through my front screen door:

The Rosellas were rather shy, & kept flying away as I approached, but here are some of them, in two different trees:

Lastly I was alerted to the presence of what I think is a Restless Flycatcher, by its unusual call, like a circular siren, but also percussion-like, & it's quite loud.  This photo was taken through my back screen door.  The Flycatcher was sitting on my laundry trolley:

It is somewhat similar in appearance to a Willy Wagtail.  They have different calls, but there is some similarity.

A bird nest found in my front garden this afternoon:

It must have fallen from a tree.

I think it was finished with - no sign of baby birds nor eggs, thank goodness.

Take a look up close, at the 'weaving'.

As soon as I was finished taking these photos, the dog grabbed it as though it was a toy, & promptly pulled it apart, tsk tsk!

It takes all kinds of people to make up this world.

There are the laid-back people, who probably have a whale of a time feeling relaxed & not stressing about anything - which just makes it worse for the particular people, those who give attention to detail!

If the world didn't have people who paid attention to details, we'd be in an even worse mess!  A world populated only by laid back people wouldn't have any 5 star + resorts is my guess, because who would have made sure that everything was taken care of, that all needs - & wants - were met, that everything was spotless & in pristine condition?  Then again, perhaps nobody would mourn the lack of 5 star plus resorts, because the entire population would be so laid back that even a primitive camping trip would be fun fun fun enough!

As one of my favourite school teachers, who taught me during my first three years of primary school, said when I visited her as an adult:  "You always were a fussy little thing!"  :-)

Here's how to request the perfect suit by email, courtesy of moi, aujourd'hui: 

"Hello ********,

Through my kitchen window I just saw what looked like a blue kingfisher in a tree in my backyard.  I've seen it before, too.  I dashed out with my digital camera & took photos before it flew away.  Unfortunately I couldn't get too close to it:

I believe it was a Sacred Kingfisher, click here to read about them.

The more common kingfisher here is a kookaburra.

My mother's mother died on Thursday, the 23rd of February, 2006, at 3:10pm, after suffering a massive stroke about twelve hours earlier.  She would have been 95 in June, on my birthday!

 This is Grandma, at about age 19:

Born in Mt Garnet, north Queensland, Australia, Grandma became a wife, mother of two boys & two girls, & later a postmistress in SE Qld, was involved in real estate, & was a member of the CWA for several decades.

Grandma had many visitors, so often each day people would just drop in to her home to see her - until she outlived them all!

Look at the lovely flowers delivered to me, in sympathy, from our lovely music teacher, who I have known for over eleven years:

Grandma had psychic experiences, including that she saw & spoke with both her father & her elder son, after they had died!  One of my sisters & I have also 'seen things', I'm not sure about our other siblings.

I love you, Grandma, & always will.

Vale Muriel!