
The Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney Australia are an urban bird paradise.

I found this pair of magpie larks singing and dancing happily in the park.

The name magpie lark is a misnomer as these handsome birds are neither magpies nor larks, but are members of the giant monarch flycatcher family.

Magpie larks are musical prodigies who sing co-ordinated duets together, timed by the metronomic movements of their synchronized dancing. See: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160803-the-strange-reason-magpie-larks-dance-when-nobody-is-looking

Cheers to you from the magical birdies of Oz~
What an interesting sequence to observe.
Yes. They are fascinating creatures. დ
Beautiful
They are special aren’t they! დ
Of course they are
დდ
Such a cute couple, Cindy. 😍
Aren’t they dapper, all decked out in tux and tails! დ
What a site to see Cindy. Thank you for sharing.
Leslie xoxo
Thank you more for appreciating them Leslie & cheers my friend დ
They sound so amazing together! Awesome photos! Love the flower and birds!
So glad you listened to them. They are incredible aren’t they! Cheers to you & thank you დ
Wow.. So pretty 💯
I am happy you like them! დ
They have a good “angry bird” look about them. Talented birds. What’s the plant?
It is a protea, possibly a King, and yes they do have a rather stern visage! 😉
Thanks for the beautiful pictures!
Thank you more for appreciating them დ
Wonderful birds. 🙂
Happy you like them & be well my friend დ
Cheers to you for sharing, Cindy!!
Thank you Sheila and cheers back to you my friend დ
I’m so glad you posted this. I’m meant to be going to Oz and NZ on a cruise in November and have a very limited time in Sydney so want to make good choices on my visit. I have been a city tour on VR and so can see some sights that way. The botanical garden has been recommended by others. What do you think Cindy? I have probably only one actually free day there.
In a one day visit, I would definitely go to The Royal Botanical Garden. It is near the cruise ship terminal and central to everything including the Opera House and bridge. You can walk to all of this. დ
Thank you very much!
დდ
Fascinating – and so lovely!
Yes, both beautiful and interesting, these two things often do not go together! დ
Oh, Cindy, your posts always make my day! I’ve pretty much stopped reading blogs except for yours. Thank you for this lovely virtual trip to Australia! x
You make every trip better. Thank you Teresa & stay well my friend დ
How wonderful…thank you!
You are most welcome & cheers! დ
Interesting that their name is wrong on both counts. Regardless, they are wonderful. Love the proteas too!
Thank you Janis, a rose would two other names!! დ
Thank you for posting this. These birds are simply amazing. I watched a short video where two of them are singing together in perfect synchronization.
Incredible isn’t it! And they don’t have to practice like humans do. დ
What a delightful post – thanks for showing these lovely birds.
Thank you more for appreciating our feathered friends & cheers to you დ
I’ve never heard of a magpie lark—thanks for the intro 😊
So happy to have made the introduction! დ
Wow. Just…wow.
Ahhhh, thanks so much! დ
Beautiful.
Thank you Tangie & cheers! დ
Wonderful birds! Amazing. 🙂
Talented and handsome chirpers! დ
I’m always amazed at how you capture them so naturally. Interesting how they got their names that don’t belong to them. 😉
I think it was a mistake as they resemble magpies and larks. DNA analysis proved the morphological similarities were misleading, as looks often are! დ
🙂
Beautiful shot of these magpie larks !!
Thanks so much Isabel & cheers to you დ
We belong to a beautiful world. I enjoy seeing the world through your lens.
And I just enjoyed listening to your wonderful recitation of Shakespeare დ
Life forms are endlessly amazing. That’s an understatement!
Fascinating bird behavior! Thank you for providing the link to additional information.
Thank you for your interest Liz & take good care my friend დ
Thank you, Cindy, you, too.
დდ
What a striking contrast of blacks and whites! Thanks for the link to more info about these flycatchers!
Thank you for caring and following up on our feathered friends Kathy დ
Would you believe I’ve never been there Cindy. I live here about 6 hrs up the road from Sydney but each time I go to the ‘city’ its usually some important visit and I never have time to go in. Plus its pollution doesn’t do my lungs any favors so I keep it short anyway.
But as for the birds, I’ve always called them a peewee. Short with a high pitched ‘peewee’ sound. I think the definition in the dictionary says its in reference to someone small, diminutive trying to speak up and be heard. Their call is quite high and you certainly can’t miss them 😂 🤣
And I think the one on the left is a young’un as it still has a slight dullish black color and not full black yet and the one on the right seems to be dad with his white ‘eyebrow’ 😀
Great shots dear lady, even the flower is gorgeous, thank you for sharing. I can at least know what some of the gardens look like now. Or at least its inhabitants anyway 😀
Yes, people call them peewees or peewits, which really is a much better name isn’t it. And double yes (smart birder you), this was a teenagerish bird singing for his supper, there was quite a song and dance going on! Locals often pass on tourist destinations so I can well relate, and there is so much actual natural nature to see in wonderful Oz. We toured the government house this visit by ourselves and chatted with the politician who lives there. I googled her after but don’t remember her name. She was lovely and so was her house in the middle of the park. The park itself really is wonderful, and I imagine especially so now, with the brakes on tourism. You as a local can have your tourist destination to yourself, and that actually applies to all of Oz! Lucky you დ
How cute, Cindy! I bet there were dancing to the tune of their chirping.
They were definitely show stopping talents! დ
The Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney are an urban bird paradise. cathynative77@gmail.com Pastor Cathy Native
Thank so much for your thoughtfulness Cathy. The birdies and I are most grateful. Take good care! დ
I e never seen a magpie bird. I wonder if they’re in the US? Will have to check. Beautiful gardens!
There is a magpie in the US. It is the black billed magpie. If you are nice to them, they bring you presents დ
I’m usually not a fan of the ‘presents’ that birds bring, or leave. Yesterday, I watched from our front window as a robin left 3 ‘presents’ in 10 seconds as it perched on our pink dogwood tree just on the other side of the glass. It spoiled my coffee break. 🙀
Oh dear! Birds definitely are capable of giving good or bad gifts, and I have seen them do the latter, quite on purpose. დ
That was like having a hot fudge sundae with extra fudge. I loved it that much.
Ahhhh, hugs to you. I want one of those, now! დ
Great post and beautiful captures!
Thank you very much დ
Such beautiful photos. I have a friend who’s a “docent” at the gardens. She gave us a tour on one of our visits there.
Alison
Your friend is a lucky person. I can’t even imagine all the wild life she sees, and this is major cities garden! დ
Delightful! Thank you for this share! Loved the duet!
They are truly amazing aren’t they! Happy you enjoyed & thank you დ
You’re welcome!👍😁
დ
Brilliant! You’ve captured the founding feathers of the musical prodigies. ♪♪♪ ヽ(・ˇ∀ˇ・ゞ)♡♡
Tee hee hee….. I did! I captured the fledgling maestros. 😉
♡( ˘⊖˘)♡
დ
Great shots, thanks Cyndy.
Thank you & thinking of you my friend დ
Fascinating info on the duets!
Such beautiful birds, Cindy. 😊I’d love to see that dance.
They are wonderful aren’t they! They are good sized birds, but have such delicacy about them. დ
Great photographs, loved them so much. Thank you, Love, nia
I am happy you enjoyed them & appreciate you telling me დ
wieder toll, vielen Dank, herzliche Grüße aus dem heißen Norden kommen von mir zu dir, Klaus
Vielen dank mein lieber Freund Klaus und frohe Woche! დ
vielen dank, alles gute
Ich bin froh, dass Sie gut sind. Bleiben Sie gut mein Freund დ
Wonderful birds.❤
I <3 my friends who <3 birds!
AMAZING WORK
Thank you so much. Most appreciated! დ
Such a cute couple. In one picture, one was trying to tell something while the other was intensely listen to.. very nice duet.
They listen and respond in such a remarkable way. Wonderful isn’t it! დ
Amazing captures,👌 beautiful duet ! Cindy
Thank you. Singing and dancing are a good way to spend your days! დ
Absolutely!
დდ
Absolutely stunning captures, Cindy. Kudos to you!! You need to pat yourself on the back for these pictures. I just loved viewing birds we don’t see here. Thank you! xo
Awww, what a kind and thoughtful comment Amy. Thank you very much my friend & cheers to you დ
There’s something to be said for living things that spend their lives singing together.
Yes. It certainly is better than American politics isn’t it! დ
Oh my….if that’s not the truth!
დდ
As Joe Gargery would have said:”What larks!”
I love Pip & Joe!! Mrs Haversham, not so much. Thank you for this დ
🙂
Dapper fellows with a clever song and dance act!
They have their tux and tails routine down pat! დ
Agreed! 🎶
დდ
Interesting! Thank you!
You are most welcome & cheers! დ
This is more like an opera than just birds
Yay! I can comment on your blog!
Obviously I am having WP issues with comments.
However, no issues with these beauties and this wonderful post. What a feast of photography Australia is! Thank you, Cindy!
I am worried the Australians are going to get tired of me hijacking their country with my photos. Sorry guys, your country is a minute by minute photographic feast! If it weren’t for my family, I would probably still be there! დ
Definitely not worried Cindy…but just imagine being stuck here because of the virus, 6 months at least while this thing is going on 😀
Would you like me to give a call to customs, I’m sure I could convince them you’ve stolen all our birds and they must bring you back for questioning…and then you can’t go back because of the virus, when they realise you’ve only taken their pictures lol 😂 🤣
Yes! Please! Thank you! Please do this. Would it be to much trouble, to charge my husband, my son, my daughter, her husband and the two twin 20 month old boys???? Think how much they would like to meet a wallaby on a walk, a wombat in the garden, an echidna in the driveway, and then of course, the birds, the dolphins in the bay….I could keep going on. You lucky Aussies you. Love to you and your awesome continent. If I get arrested, I will be so thanking you 😉 დ
Lol, I’ve never heard anyone so keen on being arrested. I’ll see what I can do Cindy. Was that 3 months or 6? 😂 🤣
I think we all need 6 month sentences, close to the coast preferentially…… 😉
Sold!!! 😂 🤣
😉 დ
These birds are not coloured at all but what a personality!
Yes and beauty in black and white დ
I love how one of them looks at the other. It is so much said!
You have a discerning eye Alexander. There is a lot being said here. This is a nearly near adolescent bird dancing, fluffling, singing, wanting more food from the parent. The parent has that jaundiced look, thinking I can’t keep doing this….. I see this with so many bird parents here at The Holler. It is a hard break for the fledgling, and for the parents დ
Thank you, Cindy. I just like to observe and sometimes find something what catch my eyes.
Thanks God, we do not need to feed our kids anymore… Lol…
Poor birds do it, at least, once a year!
That’s a spectacular bird! I watched the BBC video, and it’s incredibly how they coordinate their movements and calls.
Aren’t they amazing! Bird brained means brilliant brained and I love the scientist who came up with the replica idea, you could tell he had fun with this study! დ
Yea, we clearly can’t lump all birds together and say they’re dumb. I don’t have much faith in Canadian geese though…
Oh my gosh, they are so adaptive, which means clever and survivable. They migrate everywhere they shouldn’t go, to the high desert near to us, to the mountains with the snow near us. I mean they are claiming prime southern california real estate without paying a penny! And they are staying. Why not. Free rent. People here think they are awesome and exotic and feed them (my family and me too). They fly in. Stay. Own it. Never pay a penny. I should be so smart! 😉 დ
Haha be careful, those geese will take over everything! I guess that’s a sign of some level of intelligence, though. But, one thing I know for certain is that they have no idea how to navigate traffic. No matter what side of the road they’re on when you approach them, they always run straight in front of your car…sort of like squirrels, but larger.
My son explained the squirrel thing to me. He said over the process of evolution, bolting fast, even towards a large predator when it is also moving fast, can distract the predator and increase the odds of the squirrel escaping. It may have been a good strategy for the eons of evolution for squirrels, that and bolting into holes. Cars, evolutionarily speaking, they are super newbies on the block, so maybe we need to give the squirrels more time…..
Beautifull 🎀
Thank you and I am happy you like them დ
Beautiful
Thank you & cheers to you დ
☺☺
Reblogged this on Musings on Life & Experience and commented:
Pictures of members of the giant monarch flycatcher family taken in Australia by Cindy Knoke.
Our feathered friends, and me, your friend, are grateful for you Patricia. Stay safe დ
Amazing! I love the birds. Thank you for the educational information.
Ahh, I love that you love the birds. I hope you know they love you too. Be well sweet lady დ
Thank you and I can see that the birds love you.
Nice captures, never heard of these birds, there are just too many different ones. We will be looking for bee-eaters, etc. on Saturday, our 2nd guided ornithlogical excursion this year – with COVID19 precautionary rules – after finish of lockdown several weeks ago. Quite disturbing and bizarre times also here in Germany. Stay safe 🙂 Ulli
How exciting to see the bee eaters! I look forward to hearing about your experience. Stay and well. These are strange days indeed. დ
Bee eater feature to follow within 10-14 days showing the Northiest site on Earth where they live a short time in summer here with us. 🙂
So looking forward to it! დ
Thank you Beverly. It is most mutual. Stay safe and well my friend დ
Dancing must be serious business judging from their almost angry expression 🙂
Be safe, wherever you are 🙂
Laughing….I think this dancing and singing involved an adolescent trying to cage food from a tired parent, hence the fed up expression. They still did sing and dance though. And thank you, you stay safe too დ
Lovely photos. I had no idea what a magpie looked like, so thanks for educating me. They’re quite fun to look at!
Thank you and you are most welcome. Their behavior is quite fun to watch too! Cheers to you & be well my friend დ
Cindy, thank you for sharing your wonderful photographs!
I am always honored that you like them Charles. Thank you my friend and be well დ
Cindy, you are very welcome, and be well.
დდ
You are so thoughtful Charles and very much appreciated my friend. Thank you & stay safe დ
Beautifully illustrated Cindy, your closeups are really a credit, they bring out the beauty in detail.
I am very happy you enjoyed them & thank you! დ
The detail in your photos is gorgeous, far more than what we could see up close and in person. Thank you, Cindy!
Awww, thank you more for liking the birdies Jennie & cheers to you დ
My pleasure, Cindy. And, many thanks and cheers to you!
დდ
Oh my goodness. I love the magpies!
Aren’t they wonderful and delicate looking too. დ
Nice pink protea. 🙂
I think I’m going to plant some….. დ
Nice post 👍👏👏
Thanks much & cheers დ
Just read a children’s book called ‘Johnathan Crow, Detective. I’m sure one (or more of the short story chapters featured a meadow lark. 😀
Crows remember bad things people do to them and the people who did it, for years, so I think they would make excellent detectives! დ
I think I was surprised when the book related that Johnathan Crow was over twenty years old. I do chase the crows from the bird feeder from time to time, but I also give them turns.
I think some of them have learned to share… the feeder that is. 😉
That is amazing! I would love to see them share. They certainly are smart enough to learn to do that დ
Not often but I’ve seen the crow and a catbird on the feeder at the same time. Sometimes a Cardinal and wrens will be on the feeder and a crow will be on the ground below and visa versa 😀
I have only seen one cardinal in my life. I would love to photograph your feeder! დ
Just thought I’d let you know I saw a crow and a wren on the same feeder. I’m not sure that the crow knew the wren was actually there though 😉 Often the crows will be on or fighting for the feeder, but under the feeder there will be different birds catching the seed they knock down 😀
Oh how funny & wonderful! დ
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here are more beautiful photographs from the wonderful photographer Cindy Knoke!
Urban Paradise indeed. Beautiful images. Thanks for the adventure.
Thank you for joining me & cheers! დ
Two for joy 😊
A duet team, like you and your fiance, albeit, a lot more flighty! 😉
I love visiting botanical gardens. Beautiful photography.
Thank you very much Russel! Much appreciated დ
I love the magpies. They look like they are having a great conversation.
They certainly seem emotionally engaged don’t they! დ
Cindy, those birds are a bit weird, just wathching them again….. they are freaky
Laughing…. Gotta love the freaky birdies Charly! დ
Beautiful…
Grazie mille! დ
Lovely birds and the pink flowers! 💖💗
Grazie mille Amy & hope all is well with you! დ
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord Blog Magazine and commented:
Brighten your day as it did mine.. these amazing Magpie Larks who sing duets..and dance.. there is a video to watch that is enchanting.. more wonders of the natural world.. this time from Australia.. courtesy of the photography of Cindy Knoke.. beautiful.
Awww, you are the best Sally! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. I am happy the wild birdies brighten your day as they do mine. Stay safe and well my friend დ
You too Cindy ♥
დდ
Lol -They are both looking a little bit excentric. Seems the right one is the leader of the duo. 😉 Thank you for sharing another wonderful birds with me, Cindy. Unbelievable how intelligent and famous birds are all over the world. Be well and stay save. Michael
Happy you enjoyed Michael and yes bird brained means brilliant!! Stay safe and well my friend დ
That is attractive and beatiful watching
Thanks so much, most appreciated & cheers to you! დ
Thanks ,easy come tou You
დდ
So interesting and beautiful. Great post! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you more for your very kind appreciation & cheers to you Laura დ
Cindy, these birds are beautiful indeed and you did a fine job on capturing the Black and White colors with perfection! It is hard for me to get the details of the blacks without blowing the whites with such a photo but you nailed it beautifully.
Pingback: Sunday Post – 5th July, 2020 #Brainfluffbookblog #SundayPost | Brainfluff
So happy you enjoyed these magical birdies and cheers to you! დ
I love your Blog!! 🌸😊💕
I am enjoying your blog posts too, especially because I miss traveling due to covid. Take good care დ
What pretty little birds they are! Love meeting new species – thank you. ❤️
So happy to make the introduction & cheers to you Kerry დ
💖
Such a lovely sight❤️
So happy you enjoyed & thank you! დ
Beautiful birds! We don’t often see a black-in-white combo in nature, I think. I can think only of the zebra, panda, the lovely dalmatian. I’m sure there are actually quite a few, but it’s still striking to me. Cheers to you, Cindy!
Yes, I agree. Black and white is always elegant. Birds in tuxedos! დ
Lovely birds, Thank you Cindy. 🙂
You are most welcome dear friend დ
Thank you Cindy. 🙂
Thank you for the like and also for sharing your awesome post. 🙂
Stay well dear friend დ
Good shots!
Grazie mille Sande დ