Varied Sittella
No Comments »24th April, 2009; Category: Garden birds
One of the regular tasks I usually attend to each week is to hang up the washing on the clothes line. I enjoy this simple task for a number of reasons. Importantly it gets me away from the computer keyboard or my study books for a break. Good for the eyes. Good for the brain to crank down a little. And good for the lungs to get some fresh air.
But the most important reason I enjoy doing it is for the birding I can do. When one is hanging up the washing, your eyes are often cast skywards. In this way I am able to see birds I normally would probably miss. Then I will also hear birds I couldn’t hear from in my office.
This is what happened a few weeks ago. Nearby I could hear some birds chirping. I immediately realised that this call was not one of the normal species we have in our garden. I raced inside for the binoculars. Sure enough, the birds I heard proved to be a small flock of Varied Sittellas. These wonderful little birds are widespread in our district without being common anywhere.
Sittellas are widespread throughout much of Australia. There are 5 or 6 distinct races but there is hybridization where the races overlap in their distribution. They are very communal birds, moving through woodlands in a small family group of 5-7 individuals. They feed on insects found under the bark of trees, hopping along the branches in their quest for food.
I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo on this occasion.
To see several photos, and to read more information about this species go to the Birds in Backyards web site.
Golden Whistler
Golden Whistler (male)
Over the last few days we have been hearing several whistlers in our garden. Yesterday afternoon I finally obtained a good view of the male Golden Whistler – in all his beautiful plumage. All afternoon he had been calling, one of the delights of having this species in our garden.
As I observed him another whistler was skulking in the foliage nearby. I didn’t have my binoculars with me, and I only saw a silhouette of this second bird, but it certainly looked like a female. The male seemed to be calling to her and also displaying his best side to the female.
Golden Whistler (female)
28 Choughs just flew by
White Winged Chough carrying nesting material
We regularly have a family of about 8 – 10 White-winged Choughs in our garden. I can’t really say that they are a resident species, but they do come for a visit almost every day. Sometimes they hang around for an hour or two, digging little holes in the soil or searching under leaf litter for lunch. Sometimes they just fly through on their way next door, or down the road. We are usually aware of their presence; they can be noisy at times.
Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in the sun on the back veranda reading a magazine. Without a warning call, a large flock of White-winged Choughs flew past less than five metres away. They headed over the fence into our neighbour’s garden. I went after them but didn’t have time to grab the camera. Just as well – they didn’t hang around long enough for photos. They created quite a hullabaloo – I’m not sure what the issue was, but as they flew off down the road I managed to count them – at least 28 birds. This is the most I have seen here (from memory).
Intriguing.
For readers of this post, please note a new feature on this blog.
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This post was updated on November 1st 2016.
Superb Fairy-wren, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Male Superb Fairy-wren, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Any visitor to the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra should aware of the many Superb Fairy-wrens present in the gardens. They seem to be everywhere.
But just because they are everywhere does not necessarily mean that they are easy to photograph! The male in the photo above gave a few minutes of excitement but wouldn’t sit still long enough and in sunlight to get a good shot of him. Never mind. I managed a better shot later in the week (I’ll post that in a few days time.)
Superb Fairy-wrens are one of our most spectacularly beautiful birds. They also happen to be one of our most recognisable species too, as they seem to love gathering where people get together – in parks, zoos, gardens, picnic areas and so on. And they have become relatively tame in many places, affording the keen photographer many opportunities for that great shot.
It’s just that this little fellow decided to tease me. Oh well – there’s always next time.
Flowers, Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Australian Magpie, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
Australian Magpie, Botanic Gardens, Canberra
A few days ago I wrote about the small group of White-winged Choughs I watched in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. While I was watching them digging around for food and them being most obliging to pose for my camera, the magpie in the photo above came swooping down from a nearby tree and clacked his beak. Not at me – but at the choughs. Seems that they have a little rivalry going on there. Perhaps the magpie was protecting his little patch of the gardens and didn’t want any other birds taking his food supply.
I’ve noticed a similar thing at home here in Murray Bridge, South Australia. Some of the magpies, especially the males, can be very aggressive towards other species. The will fly straight at them, almost hitting them with their wings and giving loud clacking beak noises.
Another thing IÂ noticed about the magpie shown in the photo is that it looks very much like the White-backed race of Australian Magpie. Most of New South Wales has the Black-backed race except the south coast from Bateman’s Bay on towards Victoria. The distribution of the White-backed Magpies might be even broader than this as my observations in this area are quite limited.
I’d be interested in readers’ comments.
Flowers in the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra