Silver Gull eating a rabbit
Silver Gulls, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Silver Gulls are the most common species of gull in Australia. They are found in all coastal regions around Australia as well as far inland near to water courses and lakes. Here in my home town of Murray Bridge in South Australia they are quite common along the River Murray which is about 4 kilometres from my home.
Last Saturday morning on my way down to the CBD of the town I needed to avoid hitting a Silver Gull feeding on, of all things, a dead rabbit in the middle of the road near our place. Silver Gulls are known for their scavenging habits, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one eating a rabbit.
I didn’t have my camera with me at the time. My readers are probably relieved for that; the dead rabbit was not a pretty sight!
Magpie Larks nesting
Magpie Lark
Magpie Larks are a breeding resident bird in our garden. We see them every day, the strident calls filling the air on many occasions throughout the day. Although the call is sharp and loud it is melodious and not at all annoying – unless the bird is only metres away.
Throughout the day they flutter around from fence post to roof gutter to tree top. Then they soar down to ground level and search for some tasty snack on the ground.
Magpie Lark
Over the last two weeks the pair of Magpie Larks living around our house have been very busy gathering mud, grass and feathers to make a nest near our back veranda. The bowl shaped nest took quite a few days to construct.
Yesterday I saw the pair violently pursuing an Australian Magpie away from the nest, so I assumed they now have eggs to hatch. Sure enough, one of them was later seen sitting tight on the nest, only its tail protruding from the nest (see below – just the tail can been seen on the left hand side).
It has been quite a few years since they nested in our garden. In more recent times they have preferred the large gum trees in our neighbour’s garden.
Magpie Lark's mud nest, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Lunch time visitor: Eastern Rosella
Eastern Rosella in our garden
While we were having lunch today I noticed a beautiful Eastern Rosella feeding on some flowers in our garden. I wasn’t quick enough to get a new photograph, so I’ve used one I took some months ago.
This bird has been hanging out with our resident Ringneck Parrots. It is not a species normally found in this part of South Australia, so I am assuming it has escaped from someone’s aviary. It has been resident in our garden for most of the year. I much prefer it flying around than in an aviary anyway.
Reporters chase a different kind of pollie
We are in the midst of an election campaign here in Australia. Politicians of all persuasions are being chased by reporters to get the latest breaking news.
In my home state this morning, reporters were chasing a different kind of pollie – an escaped parrot from Adelaide Zoo. A Blue and Gold Macaw escaped from the zoo and led the keepers on a chase through the parklands, with a string of reporters in their trail.
After a chase which kept reporters and zookeepers on their toes, an escaped macaw has been coaxed back into a cage in Adelaide.
The blue and gold macaw Tambo was getting some outdoor flight training at Adelaide Zoo on Wednesday when children frightened him and he flew off.
The two-year-old macaw faced attack from other birds in city trees which may have scared him even further afield.
Zoo bird keepers kept watch and called the bird as he took up roost in a 15-metre casuarina tree on the banks of the Torrens in the city.
To see photos, a video and to read the rest of the story click here.
One very lucky penguin
My daughter sent me a link to a Youtube video about one very clever – or lucky penguin.
It is certainly worth taking out two minutes to watch it. Click here to view it.
What I want to know is – how foolish are the observers? There they are sitting in a rubber dinghy in a sea boiling with killer whales only a metre or two away.
Yikes – I’d be terrified too – move over little penguin!