One lump is all you need

As an amateur photographer I rely on seeing things to take a picture. Recently I have participated in a number of bird surveys where the expert twitchers marked down that a bird had been ‘sighted’ when they have heard its call. This initially astounded me but of course it makes sense that if bird calls are unique to a species then hearing the call is just as valid as seeing the bird…and far more productive. It has opened up a whole new dimension as to how I ‘view’ nature.

Last week I HEARD a bird call I did not recognise emanating from the top of an old pine tree. In the uppermost branches sat a bird which was hard to photograph because of the bright sky background and the fact the camera kept focussing on the multitude of branches between me and the bird. What I did notice in profile however was the lump on its beak and that was all I needed to identify it (see picture above). In this part of the country it could only be a Noisy Friarbird (Philemon corniculatus).  Australia has several species of friarbirds with bill knobs but the others are restricted to northern Australia.

Friarbirds are species of honeyeaters so called because their heads are bald, similar to the friars of old, and in large groups create a lot of noise with their constant chatter. Their alternative name is Leatherhead. In spring/summer they migrate down the east coast to breed in southern Australia. They feed on insects, fruit and nectar.

Even though the call was quite distinctive I don’t think I would recognise it again. I think I’ll stick to visual identification. Seeing is believing.