One of the commoner #parrots on Australia's SE coast.. the Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #lorikeets

Hi Dan. That is so cute. Babies are babies, no matter how large they get. What a patient, pretty parent! 😊 #birds #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #magpies

A fledgling Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen) demanding to be fed. Sound on. 😄 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #magpies

Brown Thornbill (Acanthiza pusilla) .. one of the commoner LBJs in the coastal forests of SE Australia #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #thornbills

Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina). It's hard for me not to think of the Currawongs as a small crow or a giant grackle, but they are not related to the corvids or icterids. More closely related to woodswallows and butcherbirds. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #currawongs #BirdingVictoria

Another image of Magpie Lark (Grallina cyanoleuca). It's neither a magpie nor a lark, but a member of the Monarch #flycatchers . A bit strange as it seems to spend most of its time on the ground. #BirdingAustralia #birdingMelbourne #FlycatcherFriday

Crimson Rosella (Platycercus elegans) at the nest hole in a huge eucalyptus. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #parrots #rosellas

Another image of Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) at Dandenong Ranges National Park. One of the smallest in the honeyeater clan. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #spinebills #honeyeaters

Wet eucalyptus forest in Dandenong Ranges National Park east of Melbourne. Great birding spot. During my trip, it was the only place I was able to find and observe Superb Lyrebirds and King Parrots. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria

Ibises and bunnies on the alert! 😄 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne

The commonest Calidrids we saw in Australia was Red-necked Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and this one.. Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #sandpipers #waders #shorebirds #WaderWednesday

Pied Stilt "CMU". Didn't bother reporting the bird because all the #stilts at the Western Treatment Plant with orange leg flags were banded locally. Not much info to be recovered except that they are real home bodies. 😀 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #WaderWednesday #shorebirds

The commonest heron in both New Zealand and southern Australia ... the White-faced Heron (Egretta novaehollandiae). Really should be White-faced Egret. 😄 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #herons #egrets #waders

Another image of ibis vs magpie. Magpies are known to be aggressive during breeding season, but I couldn't see any nest or babies nearby. Surprised that the ibis stood its ground and took that abuse for a full five minutes. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #ibises #magpies

At Braeside Park in Melbourne I witnessed a fight between a Straw-necked Ibis and an Australian Magpie. Usually when birds get into a tiff, it's over in seconds and they go their separate ways. But these two were going at it for five minutes. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #ibises #magpies

Another common ibis in Australia.. the Straw-necked Ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #ibises #waders

Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca). How nice to have something like this as a trash bird. 😀 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #ibises #waders

Another denizen of the scrubby, coastal heathland ... White-fronted Chat (Epthianura albifrons) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #chats

Another portrait of Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis). This one was in full song and couldn't care less that I was only meters away. 😃 Unmistakable song... a insect-like buzz followed by a bubbly, musical hiccup. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #warblers #cisticolas

One of the commoner Aussie #ducks .. the Gray Teal (Anas gracilis). Unlike most teal species, the male and female have identical plumage. #BirdingAustralia #waterfowl #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria

There was hundreds of Pink-eared Ducks at the Western Treatment Plant SW of Melbourne but they were always distant and it was a dull, overcast day, so just couldn't manage a decent photo. But so nice to see so many of these unique #ducks #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #waterfowl

This Black Kite was flying in formation with the pelicans. No doubt taking advantage of the upwash vortex created by those huge pelican wings. 😄 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #BirdingVictoria #pelicans #kites

Another portrait of Australian Pelican (Pelecanus conspicillatus). A huge bird, but I don't think it is the largest of the world's eight pelican species. That honour belongs to the Dalmatian Pelican. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #pelicans

A magnificent crane... the Brolga (Grus rubicunda). It's not really migratory but like so many Australian birds, it's a bit nomadic, moving to where the water and food conditions are most favourable. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #cranes

White-plumed Honeyeater (Ptilotula penicillata) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #honeyeaters

Speaking of common birds... here's one of my fav. The Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). In SE Oz, it is all over the place. If you're out birding or hiking, it's impossible not to see several of these beauties. 😀👍 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #fairywrens

The commonest cormorant in Europe is also one of the commonest in Australia ... the Great Cormorant (Phalacocorax carbo). It should be singing 🎵 Round, round, get around, I get around... 😀 #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #cormorants

Little Pied Cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos) #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #cormorants #BirdingMelbourne

One of the more famous Australian birds.. the Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen). It is like a small, black & white crow, but it is not related to the corvids at all. It is more closely related to the woodswallows and butcherbirds. Ubiquitous in Oz. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingMelbourne #magpies

Another cool cockatoo from Australia.. the Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris). The cutthroat parrot. #BirdingAustralia #BirdingVictoria #BirdingMelbourne #parrots #cockatoos