Australian Magpie Lark nest
Magpie Lark nest
Australian Magpie Larks are a resident bird species in our garden. We see our two on a daily basis as they scratch around in the garden looking for their food. When they both call to each other is can be quite noisy, especially when they are under the back veranda, a place they think is their own.
Earlier in the year they commenced a mud nest in a tall tree next to our clothes line. They were about to lay some eggs when we had several days of heavy rain accompanied by wild winds. Their nest was destroyed by the weather. When it calmed down they set about constructing a replacement. This time they were successful in raising a brood.
Magpie Lark
A flying visit from a Budgerigar
No Comments »21st December, 2010; Category: Aviaries, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Parrots and Lorikeets
Budgerigar
I has been quite a while since my last post here, and I certainly haven’t posted much in recent months. I’ve been very busy completing my thesis paper for my Master of Arts (Creative Writing). That’s now done and dusted, printed and bound and sent off to the examiners. You can read all about the journey – and how I went about writing my children’s novel here.
The week before last I took a short break from my writing and sat outside with a refreshing coffee. I needed to clear my head from all that editing, proofreading and rewriting on my book. I’d only just sat down and a brilliant flash of green landed in a tree in our back garden, just a few metres from where I sat enjoying my cuppa.
A solitary Budgerigar parrot had come to visit. Over 26 years living in the same house, this was only the second time we’d had a wild budgie in our garden. They are far more common much further north than where we live. Sadly, it was but a flying visit. It gave a couple of hearty chirps and flew off. It hasn’t been back.
There is some chance that it could have been an escaped bird from someone’s aviary; this species is commonly kept as a pet. It’s behaviour suggested otherwise – it was very nervous and flew off quickly, even when I whistled to attract its attention. Still, a flying visit is better than no visit at all.
And it’s certainly better than missing it completely while stuck in front of my computer.
Good birding.
Further reading:
Southern Boobook Owl
4 Comments »29th November, 2010; Category: Garden birds, Nocturnal birds, Owls Frogmouths and Nightjars
Southern Boobook Owl, Murray Bridge
Just as we were heading off to bed last night we heard a Southern Boobook Owl calling. It was calling persistently, even when I went up close to it with a torch. I raced back inside for the camera and managed two reasonable photos before it silently flew off again.
This owl species is wide spread throughout Australia where suitable habitat exists. Its call is familiar to many people but the bird is not as often seen. It has been quite a while since we last had one calling in our garden.
Other nocturnal species I have recorded in our garden over the years include:
- Barn Owl
- Australian Owlet-nightjar
- Spotted Nightjar
- Tawny Frogmouth
Southern Boobook Owl, Murray Bridge
Clever Magpie
One of our resident magpies gave us a good laugh yesterday. It was cold and wintry – despite it being in the middle of spring according to the calendar. The wind was bitterly cold and the rain was pelting down. Said magpie was spied sheltering underneath our car in the driveway. I guess any car in a storm is good. It was too far and dark to get a photo – so here’s one I prepared when the sun was shining.
Australian Magpie, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Willie Wagtails fly the nest
3 Comments »17th October, 2010; Category: Baby birds, Bird Behaviour, Flycatchers, Garden birds, Nests
Baby Willie Wagtails just out of their nest
Over recent weeks I’ve been keeping an eye on a Willie Wagtails‘ nest in our garden. The birds were very industrious for a few days while they built their beautiful nest which consists mainly of spiders’ webs. I’ve shown the nest in the photo below.
I’ve been very busy lately and a few days ago I saw that the little ones had hatched and were sitting in the nest being fed by the adults. I made a note to myself to get the camera out and get a shot of them in the nest.
They beat me to it. Yesterday I noticed them flying around and not settling or posing for a photo. So I had to use a photo I took last year – or was that the year before – see the photo above.
You can’t win them all.
Happy birding.
Willie Wagtails' nest in our garden
Willie Wagtail sitting on a nest in our garden