The Bird Nerd

The Bird Nerd Welcome! I'm an amateur bird and wildlife photographer from Melbourne, Australia 📷🦜🌏

• Chestnut Teal •(Anas castanea)Location: Braeside ParkIt's been a little while since I did a birding day trip, so I hea...
07/06/2026

• Chestnut Teal •
(Anas castanea)
Location: Braeside Park

It's been a little while since I did a birding day trip, so I headed down to Braeside wetlands for a quick photography session a couple of weeks ago. The early morning light made for pretty good conditions and the local teal were very relaxed. The pictured bird is a male, with an iridescent green head and deep chestnut breast.

• Bar-tailed Godwit •(Limosa lapponica)Location: Cairns Esplanade This was a first...seeing a godwit feeding in some gra...
18/05/2026

• Bar-tailed Godwit •
(Limosa lapponica)
Location: Cairns Esplanade

This was a first...seeing a godwit feeding in some grass along Cairns esplanade earlier this year. These birds have one of the longest migrations of all shorebirds, with a single individual travelling over 13,000km in one non-stop flight.

• Shining Flycatcher •(Myiagra alecto)Location: Lockhart RiverThis was one shot from our FNQ trip that I was super happy...
11/05/2026

• Shining Flycatcher •
(Myiagra alecto)
Location: Lockhart River

This was one shot from our FNQ trip that I was super happy with. We saw these flycatchers very regularly but they have a range of calls, which meant we ran in circles for the first day or two until we had them memorised. This male was happy to perch pretty close to us and have a sing.

• Leaden Flycatcher •(Myiagra rubecula)Location: Kutini-Payamu NP (Iron Range)While looking for a range of new birds aro...
29/04/2026

• Leaden Flycatcher •
(Myiagra rubecula)
Location: Kutini-Payamu NP (Iron Range)

While looking for a range of new birds around the national park we lucked into some pretty good views of a Leaden Flycatcher with a feed. We saw these birds most days and when we didn't see them, we heard them. A pretty cool bird going about its day.

• Pied Heron •(Egretta picata)Location: Lockhart RiverI've seen these birds on multiple occasions throughout the Norther...
21/04/2026

• Pied Heron •
(Egretta picata)
Location: Lockhart River

I've seen these birds on multiple occasions throughout the Northern Territory and tropical North Queensland but this was the first time I managed a decent shot. They are typically feeding in swampy wetland areas, but this perch was a very nice change.

• Australian Brushturkey •(Alectura lathami)Location: Mount Hypipamee These strange looking birds are all throughout nor...
13/04/2026

• Australian Brushturkey •
(Alectura lathami)
Location: Mount Hypipamee

These strange looking birds are all throughout northern NSW and into QLD all the way up the Cape. Their nest building practices are quite specialised and restricted to a small number of Australian species, the megapodes. They dig a massive pile of leaf litter covering their eggs and warming them for incubation. If it gets too hot, the birds remove some litter. Once they hatch, the chicks dig their way free and wander into the surrounding habitat completely independent.

• Red-backed Fairywren •(Malurus melanocephalus)Location: Lake Mitchell (Quaids Dam), QLDWhile searching some scrub for ...
06/04/2026

• Red-backed Fairywren •
(Malurus melanocephalus)
Location: Lake Mitchell (Quaids Dam), QLD

While searching some scrub for Black-throated Finch between torrential downpours (which we found), we came across a small group of these fairywrens. Initially, they were super timid, but this male decided to perch in the open only a small distance from us. Typically they're found in dense, swampy grasslands and vegetation throughout their range.

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• Opalescent Pendant-Snail •(Leptopoma perlucidum)Location: Crystal Cascades While out looking for frogs (which turned o...
03/04/2026

• Opalescent Pendant-Snail •
(Leptopoma perlucidum)
Location: Crystal Cascades

While out looking for frogs (which turned out to be a very difficult task) these beautiful little snails revealed themselves. These gastropod molluscs are found in northern Queensland and photographing them, or any snails for that matter, was something I'd never done before. So I was pretty happy with how this turned out, showcasing their striking white shells.

• White-faced Robin •(Eopsaltria leucops)Location: Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) NPThese small robins are endemic to the no...
29/03/2026

• White-faced Robin •
(Eopsaltria leucops)
Location: Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) NP

These small robins are endemic to the northern Cape York peninsula in QLD, and were probably the most confiding species to photograph on our recent trip. This individual was actually banded, to my surprise, and posed nicely for this shot in a very dark area of rainforest.

• Palm Cockatoo •(Probosciger aterrimus)Location: Lockhart RiverThese large black cockatoos are one of the major drawcar...
24/03/2026

• Palm Cockatoo •
(Probosciger aterrimus)
Location: Lockhart River

These large black cockatoos are one of the major drawcards to Cape York, and seeing them feed through beach almond trees was a big goal of mine for the trip. They're super intelligent, known to drum on tree hollows with sticks during courtship displays, and their massive bill and red face are unmistakable. We had the pleasure of watching them feed and socialise on multiple mornings just out of Lockhart River.

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