A Tawny Frogmouth family portrait

[shakyHands]

Another day another lake. This little family of Tawny Frogmouth are reliable at the lake as long as you can find them in the group of trees they frequent. I was about to give up when I looked up and they were right in front of me almost as eye level.







The rest of the lake was fairly quiet except for a large number of Grey Teal and Pacific Black ducks, and a lot of large carp lying in the shallows (another introduced menace).
There were a couple of Great Egrets stalking in the shadows -







Two kinds of Ibis - the Australian and the Straw-necked. The Australian is showing off its pretty pink toes, while the Straw-necked is just glittering in the sun. We also get a third Ibis, the Glossy Ibis, but I see them much less frequently -





Finally a White-faced Heron (Australia, New Zealand and the nearby South Pacific islands)

[griffljg]

What a lovely set of images. But especially the tawny frogmouths. Very well spotted. Their excellent camouflage makes them very difficult to spot.

[Keith-369]

A very nice set. Those frogmouths are so well camouflaged I suspect that the only way you spot them is if they move.

[Joe_T]

Nice shots. That is quite an assortment of birds.

[MJ224]

Fab Set...

[antpitta]

Lovely set of interesting birds - most I've yet to see! I'd love to see any Frogmouth: we failed to see Sri Lankan Frogmouth in both India & Sri Lanka many many years ago which was the only species we "should" have seen based on range.

I guess Frogmouths are the Old World equivalent of the Potoos of Central/South America which similarly pose in full view but depend on their exquisite cryptic plumage to remain largely undetected.

This is a Great Potoo brooding its (slightly paler) large chick in Costa Rica a couple of years ago: