Australian Magpies on a hot day
No Comments »31st January, 2011; Category: Bird baths, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Magpies and Currawongs
Australian Magpies sitting in the bird bath on a hot day (43C or 109F)
As I write this article the temperature has just topped 43C (109F) under our back veranda. I haven’t seen or heard many birds all morning which is understandable. As we were having lunch we watched three of our resident Australian Magpies sitting in the bird baths. They came to sit in the water and occasionally have a sip of water.
Before lunch I filled a bucket of fresh rainwater to top up three of the bird baths we have in our garden. The magpies shown in these photos moved only about a metre away while I tipped in the water. They obviously were too hot to move further away. As soon as I left they were back in the water again and have stayed there for the last few hours. Can’t say I blame them. It’s mighty hot out there.
During lunch the only other birds to come for a drink were a solitary Crested Pigeon and one Australian Magpie Lark. I’m not sure where all the other birds are holed up against the oppressive conditions. Usually there is a steady procession of honeyeaters (at least 5 species), thornbills (2 species), pardalotes (2 species), sparrows, parrots (3 species) and doves.
For a complete list of species that have visited our bird baths, click here.
Australian Magpie sitting in the bird bath on a hot day (43C or 109F)
Australian Magpie sitting in the bird bath on a hot day (43C or 109F)
Weird looking honeyeaters
New Holland Honeyeaters in bird bath
We get a great deal of pleasure in watching the wide range of birds in our garden. Their favourite spot would have to be the bird baths. Ours too. I’ve strategically placed the bird baths where we can sit or eat our meals and watch the passing parade of birds visiting for a drink, especially on hot summer days. The list of species we’ve seen visiting the water is long and growing one.
Possibly the most frequent visitors are the resident New Holland Honeyeaters. They tend to come in numbers, sometimes a dozen or more at a time and they are always noisy, especially when they are bathing and not just drinking. Their splashing looks like a mini-sprinkler is sitting on the bath, water spraying everywhere.
A few days ago I captured these endearing shots of several having the time of their lives. Methinks they are in serious need of a hair – er – feather dryer.
I’ve included a few more photos of them below.
Good birding.
Further reading:
- Time for a bath – a list of the species visiting our bird baths
- Great birding moments
- New Holland Honeyeater
- New Holland Honeyeater nest
New Holland Honeyeaters in bird bath
New Holland Honeyeaters in bird bath
New Holland Honeyeaters in bird bath
Superb Fairy wrens, Laratinga Wetlands
Superb Fairy-wren, Laratinga Wetlands, South Australia
The Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker in the Mt Lofty Ranges in South Australia have been established now for over 11 years. During that time the various ponds and the surrounding areas have been planted up with many native trees, bushes, grasses and water plants. The area is now an excellent habitat for both water birds and bush birds.
Every where I walked along the various paths on a recent visit I heard and saw families of Superb Fairy-wrens. There seemed to be plenty of them, but sometimes they can be frustrating little birds to photograph. They can move so quickly when chasing flying insects to eat that one has to be very quite focussing on them to get a shot. Many times I’ve taken excellent photos of the twig or branch where the bird was sitting a fraction of a second earlier!
In other places this species can be a delight to photograph as they pose on picnic tables or hop around between your feet. I guess I have to be grateful when a bird poses nicely with enough light and time enough to focus and compose the shot. It certainly makes this an interesting and challenging hobby.
Related articles:
- Wrens and cockatoos (this one has a better photo of a male wren)
- Great Birding Moments: Superb Fairy-wrens
- Superb Fairy-wren, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Where are the cuckoos?
Pallid Cuckoo, Round Hill, NSW
I’ve recently been busy updating my database of bird sightings. I must admit that while I have been doing my degree over the last three years that the database is sadly out of date. Still, I’m a bit more organised once again and making good progress on catching up on all those sightings.
One of the things that I suddenly realised while adding recent records to the database was the almost complete absence of cuckoos in our garden over the recent spring/summer seasons. Usually we hear them calling incessantly over many days, especially when host species like the honeyeaters are nesting.
The cuckoo species we usually get here here in Murray Bridge South Australia include:
- Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo
- Pallid Cuckoo (see photo above)
- Fan-tailed Cuckoo
- Shining-bronze Cuckoo (once only)
This year I’ve only heard the Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, and then only a couple of times. Strange.
I don’t think I said or written anything to upset or offend them.
Will have to wait until later this year to see if they come back.
Good birding.
Magpie Lark washing its food
1 Comment »14th January, 2011; Category: Bird baths, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Larks, Magpies and Currawongs
Magpie Lark
In recent weeks we have had a minor locust plague. They weren’t in numbers sufficient to cause us great inconvenience, not like some other rural areas of South Australia in recent months. As they moved in we were delighted to see some of our resident Australian Magpies gorging themselves on this feast.
A few days ago, however, we saw an Australian Magpie Lark catch a locust and bring it to one of our bird baths. We were having lunch at the time and watched fascinated as this bird proceeded to wash its food in the water. I had heard of some birds species doing this, but this was the first time I’d actually witnessed it. Pity the camera wasn’t handy at the time.