Common Blackbird nesting
Common Blackbird sitting in nest
Just before Christmas we stayed for a few days in my brother-in-law’s holiday home in Christies Beach just south of Adelaide. It was a week of lazing by the pool, reading and sleeping after a very demanding and busy year.
I wasn’t intending doing any birding while I was there, so the birds came to me. My b-in-law has a car port attached to the house and enclosed on three sides. One of the cross beams supporting the roof was too enticing for the local resident Common Blackbirds. They’d made a very cosy nest in the corner right up against the roof. We had several days of very high temperatures while we were there so it would have been very cosy indeed!
Common Blackbirds are very opportunistic and creative when it comes to choosing a nesting site. We’ve often had them nesting inside our garden shed – in some empty plant pots. Some of my readers have told me about nests in pot plants – even those with plants in them, nests in hanging baskets and nests in all sorts of locations.
Galah
1 Comment »8th February, 2010; Category: Bird baths, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Parrots and Lorikeets
Galah
The well known Australian parrot, the Galah, is a very common bird in our district. Flocks numbering in the hundreds are common sights. I can confidently say that this is one species that we would see every day of the year, either flying overhead or perching somewhere in our garden.
Flocks are very common, as are pairs flying overhead. Occasionally I will see a single bird, like the one in the photo above. This one came in to have a drink from one of our bird baths recently.
Providing watering points like this in a home garden is the most effective way of supporting our native species, especially in the harsh, hot and dry climate we have here in southern Australia. If placed close to the house where you can see the birds but they can’t see you – or aren’t disturbed by you – can provide many hours of great birding.
Aggressive birds
This morning I was on my way to take my mother-in-law shopping. As I passed the local golf course an Australian Magpie flew low and rapidly across the road in front of my car. Nothing unusual about that.
Hot on its tail, however, was a New Holland Honeyeater, aggressively chasing the much bigger magpie and snapping at its tail feathers.
It always amuses me how some of our smallest birds will actively and quite aggressively harass birds many times their size. Probably the most bizarre example I’ve seen is a Willie Wagtail coming in at about 20 cm (8 inches) attacking our largest bird of prey, the Wedge-tailed Eagle at about 110 cm (44 inches) and a wing span of 280 cm (112 inches).
These little birds know instinctively that the larger birds often prey upon their nests, taking eggs or baby birds. They seem to know no fear as they protect their little ones.
Australian Magpie
New Holland Honeyeater
Willie Wagtail
Birds in the heat
Thornbills and honeyeaters sheltering on a hot day
We are only half way through summer here in South Australia and already we’ve had some very hot days and several heatwaves. (In this part of the world a heatwave is considered to be five or more consecutive days of 35C (95F). ) During this last week we had several days where the maximum hovered around the 42 -45C mark (45C = 113F).
During our hot days, and especially during a heat wave, our native birds suffer terribly. Many beat a path frequently to the various bird baths we have in our garden. On a few occasions some of them have gathered near the windows where the cool air from our evaporative air conditioning leaves the house.
A few days ago I saw a different technique for keeping cool. The wind was blowing a gale from the north and the temperature reached 45.2C. A flock of 17 Yellow-rumped Thornbills, two Brown-headed Honeyeaters and a Willie Wagtail gathered on the leeward side of the house in the shade. It seemed to do the trick on a very nasty day.
I nearly hit a Barn Owl
3 Comments »15th January, 2010; Category: Bird Behaviour, Nocturnal birds, Owls Frogmouths and Nightjars
Every Friday night I have a small job to do. I used to be a relief driver for a local courier company until my back told me I’d better quit. I’m still on the payroll, however, doing a small but light delivery job every Friday night. Truth is, none of the regular drivers wants to do a Friday night job. This simple delivery involves taking some newspapers and several light boxes to nearby town, leaving at about 9:30pm. Not much good for seeing any birds.
Except nocturnal birds.
A few weeks ago I had just pulled out of our driveway when a Barn Owl swooped down from a nearby tree, snatched something from the road surface and then flew off with its supper, probably a mouse. If I had been going at speed it would have become another road kill. I was just only beginning to accelerate, so I didn’t hit it.
Barn Owls are common and widespread throughout South Australia but one usually only gets to see one in the car headlights as it crosses a road at night, or being mobbed by smaller birds while roosting in a tree.
Sadly, I don’t yet have a photo of this species. UPDATE: I forgot that do have several photos – see one below.
Post updated on July 12th 2015.
Barn Owl, Taronga Park Zoo, Sydney