Koalas do not fly like birds
Koalas are generally quite docile animals.
It is not unusual to see them sitting or dozing up in a eucalypt tree. They prefer not to be on the ground as they probably feel most vulnerable there. When on the ground they are often quite slow moving.
Imagine my surprise then, to see a koala RUNNING across the freeway last week on my way to Adelaide. In fact, it was surprising that the poor creature was not killed. A six-lane freeway with a concrete barrier in the middle is not the place for a Koala. The transport authorities have placed many weld-mesh “ladders” over this barrier at regular intervals every few metres to assist the Koalas crossing the road. It is pleasing to see that not many koalas actually do get hit. Considering all of this then, it is a pity that Koalas cannot fly like birds; the freeway would not be such a barrier to them then.
I’ve only witnessed two interactions between birds and Koalas over the years. The first was on the Mornington Peninsula south east of Melbourne. A Koala was asleep in a tree. A honeyeater (I forget the species) was busily collecting the Koala’s fur and taking it to line its nest. As it picked each beak full, it looked like the honeyeater had whiskers!
Koala and Magpie
The other incident is shown in the photo above. This sleepy Koala was being harassed by the Magpie for having the temerity to be in its territory. The photo was taken in the Wittunga Botanic Gardens in the Adelaide Hills.
Further reading:
- Great Birding Moments: Koala
- Wittunga Botanic Gardens part 1
- Wittunga Botanic Gardens part 2
- Wittunga Botanic gardens part 3
- Wittunga Botanic Gardens part 4
Large flock of Galahs
6 Comments »31st January, 2008; Category: Bird baths, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Parrots and Lorikeets
Galah
We had a visit from over a hundred Galahs this morning. A visiting flock of this size (or bigger) happens every few weeks. Most of them tried unsuccessfully to access water from the swimming pool. This one in the photo above shows the only one that tried to drink from the bird bath. It got to within a metre before taking fright and flying off. So far I have not been able to record this species actually drinking from one of our bird baths. It must happen sometime.
There is one downside to having such a large company of this beautiful Australian species in our garden.
The noise can be deafening.
The following photo was taken last summer.
Galahs
Further reading:
- Galahs come for a swim
- Parrots and Lorikeets – articles from my archives
Willie Wagtails calling at night
Willie Wagtail
I recently had a comment from a reader about Willie Wagtails calling at night. This reader and his wife were constantly being woken at night by the loud calling of a Willie Wagtail in the tree outside their bedroom window. It seems that this was driving them crazy and wanted to know if I’d heard of this happening before, and what can be done about it.
Nocturnal Song
This calling is known as the bird’s nocturnal song. Other Australian species, like the Magpie, also call nocturnally. It is a widespread and commonly observed action and is well documented in the literature and from studies of these species. There is quite a lengthy discussion on this in HANZAB (Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds) which forms the basis of what I have to say on this matter.
Moonlit nights
The nocturnal call of the Willie Wagtail is most commonly heard during moonlit nights and especially during the breeding season (August to February). From my own experience, the presence of a bright street light or car park lighting can also contribute to this phenomenon. Once started, the song can continue for lengthy periods, often stimulating other birds nearby to also call.
Reasons
It is thought that the nocturnal song in Willie Wagtails is used to maintain its territory. During the night there is no need for parental duties such as feeding the young or protecting the nest, so the song can be used to consolidate the territory. Sound tends to carry further at night and there are fewer sounds in competition and this adds to its effectiveness. It has been found that most nocturnal songs are from a roosting bird some distance away from the nest.
Solutions
Unfortunately for my reader there is no easy solution I know of for this problem. Moving to sleep in a room in a different part of the house may minimise the impact of the noise. Double glazed glass and better insulation may also help. Wearing ear plugs is another possible way out.
A change of attitude might help too. If a native bird is calling outside my bedroom window at 2am in the morning I can respond in several ways. I can get very agitated and annoyed and consequently will have a restless night. I could also take a more phlegmatic view and ignore it, not letting it get to me. I take the same approach when sleeping in an unfamiliar setting with plenty of traffic noise. One soon learns – by choice – to block out the noise, becoming accustomed to it. Or I can delight in the fact that this lovely little creature chooses to reside in MY garden. This positive feeling allows one to relax and get back to sleep.
Annoying ravens
My last suggestion didn’t work for us last summer. We had a Little Raven that would come at first light every morning and bang his thick, strong beak at his reflection in the glass of our bedroom window, calling raucously as he “attacked” this interloper. Being woken by such a noise about a metre from one’s sleeping head is not nice. Not nice at all. We were pleased when it stopped after about a month.
Related articles:
- Great Birding Moments #4: Willie Wagtails
Birds and Dogs do not mix
My wife had an appointment in Adelaide on Wednesday. I remained in the car in an adjacent park, fortunate to get a shady park on such a hot day. At one point my attention was distracted from doing the crossword in the paper.
A lady entered the park nearby and released her dog from its leash. The dog immediately sprinted across the grass chasing the half dozen or so Australian Magpies and Magpie Larks. The birds abruptly stopped feeding and flew frantically to nearby trees. They did not return to foraging for more than ten minutes after the dog and owner moved out of the park. During the two hours I was there this process was repeated about a dozen times but in less dramatic ways. Most of the other dogs were much more docile, and some were on leads. At one point another dog disturbed a flock of about twenty Crested Pigeons feeding on the ground.
Crested Pigeons
Dogs on the loose can severely impact the feeding habits of many species of birds. For ground nesting birds, especially on beaches, the impact can be devastating. Eggs can be trampled on and broken and nestlings killed and eaten.
There is little I could have done to protect the birds or to make a complaint to the dog owners in this situation, however. The park is one of very few in metropolitan Adelaide as a designated dog park, meaning that the dogs are able to run freely. This has been an area of contention over recent years because there are so few such parks where dogs can roam freely. In my experience dog owners are very vocal and local councils generally listen to their lobbying.
Very rarely does someone speak up for the birds, and that is a concern.
Related article:
Birding in the heat
It is hot.
Really hot.
The last week here in South Australia has seen us enduring some really torrid heat. Most days have been over the 40C mark with yesterday the temperature reaching 44C (that’s 111.2F) under the shade of our front veranda. It certainly doesn’t encourage one to go out birding in that kind of heat. Possibly the best spot in the house is near the air conditioner watching the endless parade of birds coming to our bird baths in the garden. On days like this they really appreciate the ready supply of water. It’s a lazy way of birding, but forgive me. It’s the best I can do at present. I don’t feel like going out birding anyway because I have a heavy head cold at present. Colds are bad enough in winter, but in summer they are doubly uncomfortable because you cannot curl up in bed and wrap yourself up in all your miseries.
Just to keep all my readers happy, here are some articles from my archives about birds, heat, water and bird baths:
- White-browed Babblers and water
- Diamond Firetail Finch
- Birds and communal bathing
- Rufous Whistler
- Time for a bath
Mallee Ringneck Parrot