Australian Bird of the Year

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Great photos TP.

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Wendy Harmer, Kevin Rudd, Tim Flannery, Tim Winton, Simon Hill, Lenore Taylor, Anton Enus, Adam Liaw and Thomas Keneally on the Australin Bird of the Year:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/01/tim-flannery-thomas-keneally-wendy-harmer-tim-winton-and-others-on-their-birds-of-the-year

[David]

Okay, this has officially gone too far now.

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[think positive]

thanks WPT!

love that link!

i have to admit, i wasnt much of a bird watcher before i got my camera, now i just love them, im always on the look out! the thing i noticed most in Europe (since i lugged around the 100-400mmL and a 1.4X extender, total weight about 1.5kg, and only used it about 3 times) was the lack of birds! even hubby noticed. except the swans in Bedford park, which were bloody ginormous!!!

pelicans, i love pelicans! and i have been feeding a raven, which now magically appears at the sound of my voice whenever im down there! it sits on the light pole next to the house and waits for me! I call him Chibs as i thought he was a crow (only valid info if you watched SOA!)

i really like the bin chickens too!

and the little fast things, (the ones against the grass and yellow flower background) they are tiny, and not easy to track, so i waste lots of time trying! i love them!!! cheers

but yes, go the Mighty Magpie!!

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Now the Pollies turn to choose their “Australian bird of the year” 🦅

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/barnaby-joyce

The government could well vote for Michaela Cash as shreikus galah

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This is simply appalling; The Galah has not made into the top 10 of the 2019 Australian Bird of the year rigged

I want to know what sort of Drongos voted here

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/live/2019/nov/08/bird-of-the-year-2019-tense-wait-finals-spot-round-one-vote-deadline-live

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Hold the Press:

Voter fraud detected in Guardian's Australian bird of the year poll

Automated voting has been observed for the rainbow lorikeet, the cockatoo and the black-throated finch

Birds with a Russian accent are implicated

https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2019/nov/11/voter-detected-in-guardians-australian-bird-of-the-year-poll

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Current status for the top 10 as at 2251 hours AEDST 11/11/2019

Voting closes tomorrow: Vote early but only once

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The endangered Black-Throated Finch wins the Australian Bird of the Year.
The Tawney Frogmouth Owl comes in second

"...The magpie, which won the inaugural Guardian/BirdLife Australia 2017 bird of the year, slumped to fourth, with 2,725 votes, and the ibis, which came second in 2017, dropped all the way to 10th, and only 1,147 votes.

The superb fairy-wren came third, with 2,875 votes, the magpie fourth (2,725) and the laughing kookaburra fifth (2,650).

The wedge-tailed eagle (2,402), the sulphur-crested cockatoo (2,341), the willie wagtail (1,970), the rainbow lorikeet (1,711) and the ibis followed...."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/15/black-throated-finch-wins-2019-bird-of-the-year-as-tawny-frogmouth-comes-second

[pietillidie]

A face only a mother could love...

[think positive]

Tawny frog mouth? I love those birds! Was on a walk with a photography group, and I’m like “nother nice tree?” So hard to spot! Gorgeous

[pietillidie]

^Definitely one of my faves, too.

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^ Tawny Frogmouth was my vote too!