Rainbow Lorikeets feeding
Rainbow Lorikeets, Victor Harbor, South Australia
We recently spent a few days in Victor Harbor on the south coast of South Australia. We stayed in the caravan park close to the beach. The park boasts many fine mature trees, including some eucalyptus trees which were heavy in flower. The local Rainbow Lorikeets were flocking in large numbers to feed on the nectar in the flowers, making a constant racket as they fed. During the day this was not much of a problem, though it did get on the nerves a little as it went on hour after hour.
The main problem came at first light, just when one is trying to get that last few minutes of sleep. A Rainbow Lorikeet screeching to his friends a few metres above your caravan is an unsettling alarm clock.
Related Articles:
Rainbow Lorikeets, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Rainbow Lorikeets, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Crested Pigeon resting
No Comments »10th April, 2010; Category: Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Pigeons and Doves
Crested Pigeon, Murray Bridge, South Australia
A few days ago I took a series of photos of one of the Crested Pigeons resident in our garden. This bird was sitting in one of our bird baths. Normally they just sit on the edge and take a short drink, but this one must have felt the need to sit in the water. I don’t think there was much water in it, but it still looked rather comical.
Subsequent photos show the bird in various poses before it decided to fly off.
Crested Pigeon, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Crested Pigeon, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Crested Pigeon, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Crested Pigeon, Murray Bridge, South Australia
Masked Lapwing, Victor Harbor
Masked Lapwing, Victor Harbor
Masked Lapwings are birds that are easily recognisable to many Australians. They are found throughout the eastern half of the continent and the northern parts too, where suitable habitat exists. They are common in parks, ovals, grassed areas, swamplands, and the edges of watercourses, dams and lakes. They are notorious for their habit of fiercely and noisily defending their territory by swooping anyone who dares to come near to their nest on the ground or the young.
While they are known to also inhabit beach areas, I haven’t often seen this species right on the beach like the one shown in the photo above. Mind you – this one is actually walking on the piled up seaweed along Encounter Bay at Victor Harbor.
Related articles:
A gathering of magpies
Australian Magpie, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Last weekend we went to Victor Harbor on the south coast of Fleurieu Peninsula, about an hour’s drive south of Adelaide and just over an hour from home here in Murray Bridge. we took the caravan and stayed with a group of friends in one of the lovely caravan parks in the town.
On the Sunday afternoon my friend Rod, who lives in Victor Harbor, took us on a cruise in his 1928 A model Ford. It was a great – though little breezy – drive. He and his wife Jan took a picnic basket and we had a wonderful cuppa and nibbles part way up The Bluff. as we were having our cuppa a family of Australian Magpies joined us. They were probably expected some tasty handouts from us picnickers. Sadly, they went without a tidbit.
One of the interesting things was the presence of several juveniles, still in their downy plumage and still very much in begging mode as the parents tried to satisfy their needs. The breeding season is well and truly over, but the juveniles will continue to beg for food for many months after leaving the nest.
Australian Magpie (juvenile), Victor Harbor, South Australia
Australian Magpies, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Australian Magpies, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Encounter Bay, Victor Harbor, South Australia
A bird in the hand
I had to laugh at a line in a regular column in our daily newspaper this morning.
‘A bird in the hand is safer than one overhead.’
I disagree.
Yes – sure – I’ve been pooped on from above on a number of occasions. The most memorable of these was twice in the space of a few minutes while exploring the streets of Kathmandu in Nepal.
But having a bird in the hand is no guarantee of safety. I’ve handled a few birds over the years, including in aviaries and birds in our garden stunned from flying into windows. I’ve been pooped on the hand more than once from nervous birds.
Most birds have rather sharp claws and small parrots have needle like bills. I have never handled a larger parrot, one such as a Galah, without some form of protection for my hands. I reckon that our large black cockatoos would do some serious damage to a finger given half a chance. I prefer not to test out that theory.
Being pooped upon is only one of the hazards of being around birds. Some birds are very cantankerous given the right circumstances. A few years ago I wrote a long article about dealing with aggressive bird behaviour. It has proved to be one of the most popular articles on this blog.
Happy birding.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Sulphur Crested Cockatoos