infocus Loc: Australia

Very, very hot today (45.8C) 114.4F Birds came back for a drink, as they did earlier in the week.

The kookaburra was back and a bird I have never seen around here in the 28 years I've been here.

The original shots were taken in apart of our garden where we have recently blost a very nice azalea (hence the blank space), so in the 2nd post I replaced the background - which do you like best?

BA Loc: Arkansas

like #3, looks very nice. I have in the summer turned on the sprinkler and watched the hummers enjoy taking a cool shower.

zneb240 Loc: New South Wales - Australia

Infocus…we’re copping the heat as well on the south coast - 46.7C (roughly 116F) today. In fact my two chickens collapsed in the heat and would have died had I not brought them into my (air conditioned) house, wet them down and put a fan onto them!!

Anyway, enough of my issues - onto your photos! The unidentified bird is a very good image of a female Common Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea). In fact, I study birds and it's one of the clearest images I've seen of this species, not just because it’s technically good but the Koel is a very secretive, well camouflaged bird and very difficult to photograph well.

At the risk of sounding like a know-it-all (I read a lot!!), the Koel is of the parasitic Cuckoo family. It does no nest building of it’s own but lays it’s single egg in the nest of other birds including the Friarbird, Wattlebird, Figbird, Paradise Riflebird, Magpie Lark and other mid-sized birds. Once hatched, the cuckoo hatchling violently ejects everything from the nest including the host's eggs or hatchlings. It is subsequently raised by it’s new mum which is oblivious to all this - you can often see a quite large juvenile begging non stop for food while the often much smaller mum is run ragged trying to keep food up to it. As an aside the quaint English term when a man is “cuckolded” is derived from this behaviour. (If you don’t know what I mean and must know - Google!)

The Common Cuckoo winters mostly in PNG or Indonesia but has been recorded as far north as China and India. It's a breeding migrant from Aug to May - mostly in northern Australia though it does occur down the east coast to about the Victorian border. Your water supply brought this usually secretive bird into the open - well photographed. :thumbup: :thumbup:

BTW... I much prefer the background of the second Cuckoo photo - nicely out of focus and slightly vignetted draws attention to the main subject...IMO.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

The birds are so impressive on their own, I think the added backgrounds detract. Maybe something less busy?

infocus Loc: Australia

Thanks for looking BA. Yes, we had our sprinkler on for a while too.

infocus Loc: Australia

Hi Warren, thanks for that information. I know very little about birds except I like to photograph them when I can. Knowing what they are is nice though.
Glad you managed to save your two chickens.
Thank you for looking and identifying the bird - that's great :thumbup: :-)

infocus Loc: Australia

Thank you Linda, appreciate you looking. I tend to agree with you, the backgrounds I used were the first two I could find quickly. Bad way to make a decision I suppose.

Erv Loc: Medina Ohio

Very nice set. Great sharpness!! I would put a plan back ground in. Something lit blue? :)
Erv

infocus Loc: Australia

Thanks for looking Erv, always appreciated. I think you may be right, I'll try a gradient background with a vignette.



:-) :thumbup:

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Great looking shots!

infocus Loc: Australia

Thanks for looking rlaugh, always appreciated.

Treepusher Loc: Kingston, Massachusetts

Beautifully sharp, clear shots of these hot birds. I agree, the implanted background is a little too busy and the bird's getting lost in it.

Great capture of that cuckoo-type exotic. Can't say I blame him for coming out of hiding to find water in that terrible heat.

Bamboo Loc: South Carolina

Beautiful birds. Great shots. I think a black background would work too.

DK Loc: SD

I like the backgrounds on 1 &2 because there is more emphasis on the birds and less distraction. The bush on the right adds too it and kind of frames the bird.

If it is that hot, I think you need a bigger bird bath. Ha! We are looking at 7 degrees F tomorrow. Our birds will be skating on a bird bath. I think I will take my 7 over your 114.

pfinck Loc: California

Thank you for posting these. They are awesome shots. I have a 13 year old geometry student who is obsessed with musical instruments and kookaburra birds. I will have to show her your pictures.
:thumbup: :thumbup: