It was a dark and stormy day
Last week we went on a short five day holiday to the south east region of South Australia. I was accompanied by my wife, her mother and our adult daughter. It was our daughter who chose the destination: Robe on the Limestone Coast of southern South Australia.
Robe is a lovely seaside village with a very interesting history. Many original buildings from the middle of the 1800s are still in regular use. Oops – this is starting to sound like a travelogue – I’ll be writing more about that kind of thing on my travel blog here.
Back to the birding.
We left home in Murray Bridge mid-morning. The storm clouds had been gathering, along with a strengthening wind. By the time we reached Meningie it was time for lunch.
Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia
It was useless trying to have a picnic lunch on the beautiful lawns on the shore of Lake Albert in the main street. I parked the Mazda Bravo directly into the prevailing wild wind, lowered the tailgate and tried to assist my wife preparing some lunch. Mother-in-law and daughter wisely stayed in the car. We had to hold onto the food – it was in danger of being blown into Victoria!
Lake Albert, Meningie, South Australia
White Caps:
Later we attempted to make a cup of tea. As we carried the mugs from the back of the car to the front to hand them through the window, white-caps appeared on the surface of the tea, splattering it all over the car. That’s wild wind. And it was bitterly cold.
I had to be content to do my birding from the driver’s seat in the car while I enjoyed my meal and cuppa. I didn’t take too many photos – there were very few birds to be seen. They’re not silly – they were probably sheltering somewhere sensible!
Camera trouble:
While trying to get a few shots of the scene I had some camera trouble. Actually the camera was fine – the batteries were flat, as were the next two sets of batteries I tried to use. It was one of those things I neglected to check before leaving home. Lesson learned. Fortunately I had a third set of batteries that kept me going during the short five day holiday. Just as well – I’d left the charger home.
A few hardy birds:
I did record a few hardy birds while we had our lunch. Several Australian Pelicans battled bravely with the wind out on the lake. A small flock of Silver Gulls huddled near some rocks, along with a solitary Dusky Moorhen. Two Little Pied Cormorants courageously sat atop a post on the jetty, defying the wind to blow them into the water. I also observed two Masked Lapwings on the roadside verge as we entered the town, along with several Australian Magpie Larks. Just out of town I saw a single White Faced Heron way out in a paddock – well away from the lake and the wildest of the wind. Two Crested Pigeons clung for dear life on a power line; I was amazed that they hadn’t been blown clear across the country. I think I saw several House Sparrows in bushes near the car, along with a Willie Wagtail and a Common Blackbird.
It was not an auspicious start to birding activities on my mini-holiday.
I’ll write about the rest of the week over the next few days.
An Icy Egret
Winter is well and truly in full swing here in South Australia. We have had some good rains to open the season for the farmers and more recently we have had plenty of cold showery days. In the last two weeks however, the frosts have come in with a vengeance. We normally get several dozen frosts every winter with temperatures around 1 to 4 degrees C.
Over the last two weeks the temperature has dropped below zero on many occasions. It is very tempting to linger awhile snuggled up in bed. A few days ago I needed to drive into town quite early in the morning. On my way home I took an alternative route past the Rocky Gully Wetlands. I wanted to check out the bird life there. These wetlands are quite close to the main road and consist of several large ponds.
The frost was still lying heavily all around, and the first rays of sunlight were sending spirals of mist from the water. Traces of fog lingered over the nearby River Murray. I saw a few Australian Pelicans on the shore of the wetlands. These were accompanied by dozens of Silver Gulls trying to warm up in the early morning sun.
Only one bird seemed brave enough (or was that silly enough?) to enter the freezing water. A solitary Little Egret was standing statue-like in one of the ponds. I’m not sure if it was frozen to the spot or just being very still trying to catch an early breakfast.
I didn’t wait around to see if it moved; I was racing home to my lovely warm fire and the morning paper.
Australian Pelicans, Rocky Gully Wetlands
A Panic of Pigeons
Winter has hit with a vengeance here in Murray Bridge South Australia. Last week we had a series of severe frosts. Normally I wouldn’t mind; I’d just snuggle into my nice warm bed for a little longer. I didn’t have that luxury last week as I needed to be up well before dawn for work. I temporarily went back to full time work as a relief driver for a friend who runs a courier business; he needed a holiday.
On my rounds around the town delivering parcels I am able to observe various birds as I drive, mainly on the power lines along the streets. Last week I noted quite a few Crested Pigeons sitting in rows on the power lines. Sometimes these loose groups of pigeons numbered twenty or more.
Now this week the frosts have given way to bitterly cold winds from the south with occasional scudding showers. We need another good soaking rain again like we had a few weeks ago, not just a few showers. A few days ago I was out getting in some more firewood to keep us warm while I write. A sudden noise attracted my attention; about forty Crested Pigeons were flying at great speed just overhead.
They seemed to be in panic mode.
I’m not surprised; a few seconds later a Little Eagle lazily glided overhead.
For more articles about pigeons check out my archives here.
White Browed Babblers and water
Some time ago I wrote about White Browed Babblers and water. In that article I stated I’d never seen this species coming to drink:
White Browed Babblers are frequent visitors to our garden. They come in their family group, scuttling through the low bushes, scurrying up the branches of the mallee trees searching for insects and spiders and filling the air with their cat like calls.
From time to time their foraging antics bring them close to the bird bath. Sometimes they get as close as a metre away. I have never seen them land on the bird bath, let alone take a drink or bathe.
Proved wrong:
I have been proved wrong.
A few days ago a group of babblers came to the part of the garden near the bird baths. One of them landed on one of the bird baths and briefly stopped for a drink. I was fortunate to have the camera ready for this shot. It’s not a great photo but is it made more interesting by having caught a House Sparrow in flight and about to land on the bird bath too.
White Browed Babbler
Related articles:
- Birds at our bird baths – a collection of articles from my archives where I have written about the birds that come to the bird baths in our garden.
Attracting Birds to your Garden
Some of my best birding moments occur in our own garden. An added bonus is that many of my bird photos have also been taken in our garden. Many people ask me how to attract birds to their gardens so they too can enjoy the bird life that is found in their area.
Here are some very effective ways of bringing birds into your garden:
- Water: Provide a constant source of water, such as a pond, bird bath or dripping tap into a bowl. This is the one most reliable way of attracting birds to your garden.
- Food: Provide a variety of native trees and bushes that become a suitable food source. (In Australia – never put out food like parrot seed for them). Native trees and bushes are not only attractive to birds of course; many other species will love your garden too, from insects through to lizards and butterflies. The extra vegetation will provide nesting and roosting spots for the birds. They will make your garden their home too.
- Protection: Never let your cat roam the garden – and actively discourage neighbour’s cats from entering your garden. In fact – don’t even have a cat; they are a bird’s worst enemy and can also kill many other creatures, like lizards and possums.
- Safety: Provide a safe environment for the birds by not using any poisons like snail bait in your garden.
These are simple and effective methods of ensuring a safe and happy habitat for the birds in your garden.
For extra reading, click on these links:
Links:
- How to attract birds to your garden – an earlier version of this article. It has links to other useful sites and articles.
- Food and Water – a very detailed article about attracting birds to your garden on the Canberra Ornithologists Group web site. Plenty of useful information.
Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater
The Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater (shown above) is a resident breeding species in our garden and a frequent visitor to our bird baths.
Click the photo to enlarge the image.