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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you, Anuradha. I've never heard the tui described as that, but as we don't have crows, I suppose it works. Tui didn't used to be common. Their numbers have really increased in the last 20 years. Twenty five years ago you probably wouldn't have seen one in Wellington.

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you. 😁

Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 6d

Thank you. 😁

Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 6d

I took this photo out of the upstairs hide (aka my bedroom) on Friday. If you look closely you can see the house, and me leaning out the window - how is that for branding a photo? Tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

#nzbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #tui #birds #nzbirding

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 15d

Yes, I live in a constant state of slight embarrassment.

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 15d

🤣 Yes, personally I've been misidentifying birds for over a decade now. Although less so as time goes on. Just don't ask me about the shearwaters here - I tend to stay away.

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 15d

Thank you, Glen. Actually, someone just corrected me on fb, it is actually the orange-fronted parakeet (almost identical, but the stripe above the beak is orange rather than red). I don't think bsky has an edit function!

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 16d

A beautiful wee yellow-crowned parakeet / kākāriki (Cyanoramphus auriceps) at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Mt Bruce, Masterton. Not much bigger than sparrows, and our smallest parrot species.

#nzbirds #birding #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025 #parakeet #parrot #NewZealand #bird

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 18d

Mute swan looking very elegant, Henley Lake in Masterton.

#nzbirds #swan #muteswan #birding #birdwatching #birdsseenin2025 #NewZealand #birds

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 20d

Who's a naughty bird, then? Kākā / brown parrot (Nestor meridionalis) just before it started stripping bark off a tree at the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, Mt Bruce, Masterton.

#nzbirds #kaka #parrots #mastertonnz #birding #birdwatching #NewZealand #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 22d

A very busy, teeny, tiny female rifleman / tītitipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris) gathering nesting supplies. Today at the Pūkaha Wildlife Reserve at Mt Bruce. These are New Zealand's smallest bird, weighing 4-6 grams.

#rifleman #tītitipounamu #newzealandbirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #nzbirds #birds

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 27d

#birdoftheday #yellow

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 27d

Nesting pied shag / kāruhiruhi (Phalacrocorax varius) rocking the 1970s Maybelline makeup range. Waimanu Lagoon, Waikanae.

#piedshag #birds #cormorant #waimanulagoon #waikanae #nzbirds #birdphotography #BirdsSeenIn2025 #NewZealand

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 28d

Wow, nice shot, Gibson. 👍

Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 29d

I had thought that these birds were imaginary - I had never seen one before, and the name sounds more like a Shakespearean insult. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus), Edwardes Lake, Melbourne.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Aussiebirds #birds #grebe #Australia

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · 29d

No point in being that good looking and not letting everyone know.

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 18

Royal spoonbill / Kōtuku ngutupapa (Platalea regia) with itchy bits. Can relate. Waimanu Lagoon, Waikanae.

#royalspoonbill #kotukungutupapa #newzealandbirds #birdphotography #birdwatching #waikanae #waimanu #spoonbill #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds #NewZealand

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 17

This lovely little lass is the female superb fairy wren. Port Campbell, Victoria. Definitely understated compared to the males.

#superbfairywren #fairywren #australianbirds #birdphotography #birdwatching #portcampbell #wildlifephotography #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birds

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 10

Congrats! I think I'm in the low 200s, but I live in New Zealand. I'm definitely going to have to head to Australia more often!

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 10

A male superb fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) was glowing (well, his bottom was) in the early light at Port Campbell beach, Victoria. Spectacular little birds.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Australia #birding #birds #fairywren #birdwatching

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 8

What could be more Australian than a couple of rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus) having a wee pash in a gum tree.

#BirdsSeenIn2025 #Australia #birds #aussiebirds #parrots #rainbowlorikeets #birding #birdwatching

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 4

Just like my grandma's lounge wall. Rest her soul.

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 4

One of several gorgeous galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) I saw around the Melbourne area - this one along Edgars Stream in Coburg North. What a stunner. Such a nice colour for spring.

#galah #parrot #australianbirds #birdwatching #birdsofaustralia #birding #aussiebirds #BirdsSeenIn2025 #springvibes

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Sep 1

This spectacular looking chap is a male red-rumped parrot (Psephotus haematonotus) - the missus was dressed much less flamboyantly. Woodlands Reserve, Hume, Victoria, Australia.

#redrumpedparrot #parrots #aussiebirds #birdwatching #wildlifephotography #birds #birdsseenin2025 #birding #australia

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Louise Thomas @loutheartybirder.bsky.social · Aug 31

They set each other off as well. If one starts, they all have a laugh.

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