Interrupted by a Kookaburra
I was sitting in my first lecture for the year this afternoon thoroughly enjoying what I was hearing.
Oh – sorry – regular readers are probably puzzled by that statement. I decided to go back to full time study this year to gain my Master of Arts in Creative Writing. (For more details click here.) I am not sure of the wisdom of studying full time when I’ve just celebrated my 60th birthday a few months ago. Consequently, posts on my three blogs will have to be less often and somewhat erratic.
Back to my topic – the lecturer stopped, looked out the window and said, “That’s a kookaburra calling. How interesting. I thought there would be nowhere for it to perch with all the [feral] pigeons we have on campus.” Indeed. The building is very old and there are many nooks suitable for the Rock Doves (Feral Pigeons) to roost and nest. Their droppings are an obvious eyesore around the campus.
Laughing Kookaburra
Near the student car park (strange calling myself a student after all my years of teaching) I also observed the native species of Crested Pigeons in great numbers. They were busily feeding on the grass of the rapidly drying oval and grassed areas. The only other species I observed today was the Noisy Miner; they are in almost plague proportions in that suburb. The day I enrolled I also observed dozens of Rainbow Lorikeets feeding in the trees near the car park.
Noisy Miner
Click on any photo to enlarge the image.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Thirsty time for the birds
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
After a very warm summer it was a relief to have a series of much cooler days recently. In fact, some days, and especially the evenings, were decidedly cool. The last few days have seen the return of some really hot days. Yesterday was over 40C and today is shaping up to be another sizzler. Last night was oppressively warm all night and at 6:20am when we went for our walk it was still very mild. As the sun rose the air quickly become warm again.
After our walk I had breakfast. I was fascinated by the constant parade of birds coming to the bird bath in our garden. First came the Yellow-rumped Thornbills – it seemed like there were dozens of them. They were quickly followed by a much larger bird, a single Grey Currawong. This was a new species to add to the list of birds that have come to visit the bird bath. A few moments later a Crested Pigeon came for his turn, and he made way for the bossy Red Wattlebird. Seconds later one of the resident Willie Wagtails came for his drink.
The next shift was taken by a mixture of Yellow-rumped and Striated Pardalotes, each flitting in and out in nervously. A flash of iridescent spots on an otherwise plain bird indicated that a Common Starling had arrived, followed quickly by another import, some House Sparrows. Another introduced species, a male Blackbird also skulked his way up the bird bath for a quick drink.
Interestingly, the single Wattlebird was the only member of the honeyeater family to pay a visit this morning. Usually the Brown-headed Honeyeaters, the New Holland Honeyeaters and the White-plumed Honeyeaters come in wave after wave of splashing excitement. But not today. Maybe they were at the bird bath earlier – while I was still on my walk.
Further reading:
- Time for a bath – visitors to our bird bath – includes a complete list of species observed.
Black Swans in an unusual place
My wife and I join a friend on a morning walk every weekday. On our way home we pass a small dam about half a kilometre from our home. This dam was constructed on a vacant block of land by our local council several years ago. It stores storm water from the nearby streets. Some areas near here have a flood mitigation problem only discovered about five years ago during an extremely heavy downpour one afternoon. The council workers pump water from this dam to use in watering street trees and to dampen road works where necessary.
I’ve kept an eye on this small reservoir ever since it first contained water. Generally all I see is a few Pacific Black Ducks, Straw-necked Ibis and a collection a Masked Lapwings (which have been seen breeding there). Welcome Swallows are also regular visitors, and I am sure the local population of White-winged Choughs use the wet mud on the edge of the water to construction their mud nests. One one occasion I also saw several Black-tailed Native-hens.
A few mornings ago I was surprised to see several Black Swans gracing the water. This species is not all that common around here, though I have seen several recently at the nearby Rocky Gully Wetlands, about three kilometres to the east.
One day I will get around to making a list of all the species I’ve seen in this dam.
And then I will need to find a way of encouraging the swans to fly over our land so I can count them on my garden list.
Black Swan with cygnets, Canberra
Corellas with a death wish
Last Friday evening I needed to drive the 25 kilometres across to Tailem Bend, south east of Murray Bridge in South Australia. As I crossed the Swanport Bridge I noticed a flock of Little Corellas settling down to roost in a row of tall eucalypt trees next to the river and near the bridge. It was dusk and getting dark quickly. Despite that I was able to quickly assess as I drove by that the flock numbered at least 500 individual birds. They were all congregated in three or four trees and they made the trees look as though they were covered in snow.
I regularly travel this route at least once a week. Over recent months I have noticed some of corellas sitting on the lights over the bridge. These tend to fly around quite a deal and almost seem to be playing “chicken” with the passing cars, trucks and buses. From the heaps of feathers regularly seen on the bridge some of them obviously come off second best.
I do not have a photo of a Little Corella in my collection. This is surprising as they are quite common in our district. I’ve never seen one land in our garden or on nearby trees though occasionally a flock will fly over. I must wander down to the river and get a few photos. In the meantime I will have to make do with a photo of a very similar species, the Long-billed Corella.
Long Billed Corellas
Australian Owlet-nightjar does exist
The Australian Owlet-nightjar DOES exist*.
This enigmatic little owl-like bird can be so frustrating. I have heard it calling many times in many places. It often calls at night from somewhere in our garden – but I’ve spent fruitless hours looking for glimpse of one. My only really good sighting occurred a few years ago in my neighbour’s garden. You can read about that here.
Finally I tracked down where our resident bird was roosting. It has taken up residence in the hollow of a tree branch about thirty metres from my office window. Almost every morning at about 10:30am this bird sits in the entrance of the hollow and will gives its chirr-chirr call once or twice before disappearing back into the hollow.
In the last week it has taken to calling once during the afternoon as well just on dark. On one occasion I was able to sneak outside, slowly aim the camera around the corner of the house and take a photo of it sitting in the entrance way. The photo below is not brilliant, but it is the best I’ve managed so far. I have thought of setting up a hide much nearer – in the form of a car with just a peep hole for the camera. Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
* John Tongue – please take note.
Australian Owlet-nightjar