25/04/2023
Birdlife Australia Gluepot, Reserve
“Scarlet Trip”
Hello Again,
Just back from a trip to another one of my favorite locations, Birdlife Australia, Gluepot Reserve South Australia.
This trip was a bit special as I had heard on the grapevine a very special little Parrot may be around, to say I wasn’t a bit excited and very apprehensive is a understatement but with a bit of help and some looking around we managed to find and spend some beautiful moments with the stunning Scarlet-chested Parrot (Neophema splendida)…hope you like some images of this special little bird?
Many more images are to come, have so many still to got through….
I for one will never forget this experience and felt so privileged to have seen, let alone have the chance to make these few images, hope you like them too?
The natural colours of this bird almost seem surreal, nature hit it out the park wen this one was made!
Scarlet-chested parrots are strongly sexually dimorphic – the males have those wonderful bright rainbow colours and the females boast a lovely combination of blues, greens and turquoise,
Male Scarlet Chested Parrot
Capturing this little Parrot was a real challenge as it blast through the scrub down low, not a bird to fly high all that much as it mainly keeps down low as to not been seen by predators
What can I say….
The colours are just amazing
A stunning adult Male Scarlet Chested Parrot
Hello…Those bright rainbow colours are unique to scarlet-chested parrots; other species, such as turquoise parrots (Neophema pulchella) and rock parrots (Neophema petrophila), are predominantly decorated in blues and greens and yellows.
Scarlet-chested parrots belong to the Neophema genus of grass parrots – a group of six species known for their preference for feeding on grass seeds and fallen fruits.
A Female Scarlet Chested Parrot, so beautiful too even without the scarlet chest
Airbrakes on!!
Female Scarlet
Female Scarlet
What can I say….
Two more stunning Male Scarlets
The green on top of their body blends in so well with the surroundings
Juvenile Male Scarlet
Juvenile Scarlet
Female Scarlet
Male and Female
Two Juvenile Male Scarlet’s
Spot of preening
So beautiful
The scarlet-chested parrot (Neophema splendida) is one of Australia’s most beautiful (and arguably underrated) birds. It’s endemic to arid and semi-arid parts of central South Australia and inland southern Western Australia, particularly throughout the Great Victoria Desert.
Despite being such an attractive bird, it’s among our most poorly understood. What makes it so difficult for scientists to study this species is that it’s nomadic. Rather than there being established colonies, group of them will appear in certain areas, feed and socialise – and perhaps even breed if the conditions are particularly good – and then disappear without a trace, moving on to the next feeding spot.
Of course no trip to Gluepot would be complete without a few more birds seen around the property!
The hoary-headed grebe (Poliocephalus poliocephalus)
The Australasian grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
The mulga parrot (Psephotellus varius)
The hooded robin (Melanodryas cucullata)
The Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) Male
The Red-capped Robin (Petroica goodenovii) Female
The inland thornbill (Acanthiza apicalis),
The Australian owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus)
Striated Pardalote (Black-headed) Pardalotus striatus
The mulga parrot (Psephotellus varius)
The yellow-throated miner (Manorina flavigula )
Club Med Gluepot
Always a fabulous place to visit and will be back for sure…please click the links bellow to both the Gluepot web site and visitor information on how to get there and many more details about this stunning reserve
More images to come from this trip