Peaceful Dove
Peaceful Dove, Cleland Wildlife Park
When working in the garden we often take a break for morning tea. We take our cuppa out on to the front veranda where have several comfortable chairs. This gives us a good view of part of the garden and the surrounding trees. It is a very relaxed form of birding, for sitting quietly we can often observe the birds going about their everyday activities. This includes visits to the nearby bird bath.
Several days ago we were enjoying our cup of tea when a Peaceful Dove came into the garden. We could hear it calling but couldn’t see it. It flew off before I could locate it. This species is common and widespread in the district but it does not often visit our garden which is a shame. We love hearing its gentle and soothing “doodle-doo” call.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Common Starling bathing
Common Starling (with female House Sparrow)
The bird baths in our garden give us many hours of entertainment. There is a constant stream of birds coming to drink, especially during the hotter months.
Quite often the antics of the birds bathing makes us laugh. This Common starling really got into the idea of having a thorough bathe. The result was not a pretty look – not like their usual sleek and well kept plumage. The new ‘hair-do’ … or should that be ‘feather-do’ might catch on.
The female House Sparrow in the back ground had to wait her turn for a bath – or was that a drink?
For more articles about our bird baths, click here.
Striated Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
One of the more common resident breeding birds in our garden would have to be the Striated Pardalote. These delightful little birds are present every day, and we enjoy hearing their ‘peep-peep’ call as they forage for food in the leaf canopy of trees near our home.
We have two species of pardalote present here, the other one being the Spotted Pardalote. That one we affectionately call the ‘squeaky gate’ pardalote, because that’s what its call sounds like.
Both species nest in a hollow. The hollow can be a small tree hollow, or it can be in a burrow dug in the sandy soil around here. They will also utilise a small hollow in buildings, such as between bricks and woodwork.
The Rabbit and the Honeyeater
Rabbit in our garden
Yesterday I saw one of our resident rabbits hopping through the garden near our rose bushes. It stayed long enough for several good photos. Until earlier this year we only ever saw hares on our property. There were very few rabbits here over the last decade or more – since the accidental release of the rabbit calicivirus in 1995. This year has seen the return of rabbits immune to the virus; not in huge numbers but worrying all the same. We have at least two living on our five acre block.
After taking the photos of the rabbit, a Singing Honeyeater flew in to collect several insects on the window. It paused briefly on the window sill, long enough to get this good photo. It was less than two metres from me.
I love special birding moments like that.
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Singing Honeyeater on a window ledge
Galah
Galah
We have a great variety of birds in our garden and on our five acre property. Some of these birds are resident breeding species, others are regular visitors while some are only occasional visitors.
Galahs are regular visitors, either flying over in flocks ranging from less than a dozen through as large as three or four hundred at a time. Sometimes one of these large flocks will land in the large tree near our driveway; their screeching can be a little noisy at times.
A few days ago the individual shown in the photo above decided to investigate our bird bath. He was very hestitant about the whole affair, and flew off wthout drinking. I’m pleased he decided to stay long enough to get a nice photo.