Baby Magpie learns to fly – sort of
33 Comments »3rd October, 2008; Category: Baby birds, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Magpies and Currawongs
Australian Magpie (juvenile)
Our resident family of Australian Magpies has been busy feeding two babies in the nest over recent weeks. The mother bird has been bringing tasty meals to the young ones who put up a great begging performance if she is too slow about it.
Meanwhile the male patrols the territory, seeing off any intruders – like the Brown Falcon who came visiting recently. (Details of that incident will follow tomorrow.)
Australian Magpie (juvenile)
Last week one of the babies decided to test out his wings. He left the nest – not at all gracefully and very hesitatingly. It was all downhill and into the wind until he came to the pear tree in the orchard, where he decided to cling to a branch for all he was worth.
I was watching this all happen from the verandah where we were having a well earned cuppa. I raced inside for the camera. Over the next five minutes I was able to carefully creep right up to about three metres away without disturbing the little fellow – still clinging desperately to the branch where he landed.
Australian Magpie
I quickly retreated, but not before mother bird came investigating to see if I was behaving myself. Soon she was happy to resume looking for the next tasty morsel to feed junior.
Later I was watching from the house. The baby had moved to another tree. He decided the fly down to where the mother bird was searching for food. The flight was okay – it was the landing that undid him. He landed on his face. Some techniques obviously need a little practice.
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Australian Magpie
White Winged Choughs nesting
White Winged Chough carrying nesting material
Earlier this week I was aware of plenty of noise in the garden coming from the local family of White Winged Choughs. About five or six of them were regularly flying into the garden from next door and then parading around. I noticed several of them collecting tufts of drying grass from the mowing I had done the week before (see photo above).
They were obviously then heading off next door to a tree about fifty metres away. It took only a few seconds for me to locate the partially built mud nest.
As I returned from looking at the nest I disturbed two more near our tank – where there is a slow leak. Ah ha – so that’s where they are gathering the mud for the nest. It has been a busy few days for the family. I look forward to the time when the babies are being fed. There will be a constant flow of traffic feeding them.
Rainbow Beeeaters on a flying visit
3 Comments »27th September, 2008; Category: Garden birds
Rainbow Bee eater
This spring has been a little unusual as far as our migratory birds are concerned. A few weeks ago I wrote about the lack of cuckoos here in the Murray Bridge district so far this spring. Another species that we often get a little earlier than this is the Rainbow Beeeater. Sometimes they just pass through on their way south, staying for a few minutes or perhaps a few hours.
Many years ago – probably about 15 years ago – we actually had them nesting nearby. This was a great delight as they would be constantly in or near our garden. In more recent years I have heard and seen a few just up the hill from our place – about a kilometre away. This is secluded bushland and quite suitable soil for their nests.
For my readers who were not aware of their nesting habits, let me enlighten you. The Rainbow Beeeaters make a small tunnel in the earth – say the side of a dirt road or in the bank of a creek, river, road cutting or small gully. This tunnel is about 30cm long, at the end of which they make a small nesting hollow where the eggs are laid.
When I was a child on the family farm in the Murray Mallee I remember always being fascinated by these nests on the edge of the track leading to our home. It always was an exciting time of the year when these beautiful birds arrived from up north and began digging a new nest.
Today I heard a single bird calling. It had gone before I had a chance to get outside and check it out. I hope this is the first of many, and that this year they will stay around long enough to find a suitable spot to nest.
Welcome Swallows
Welcome Swallow
Yesterday afternoon we were sitting in the lovely spring sunshine on our front verandah. We were enjoying the beautiful day while having a cuppa. As we sat there two Welcome Swallows flew in under the verandah and just over our heads. This was a delightful little event that thrilled us, mainly because they came so close – perhaps a metre or less over our heads.
I’ve seen Welcome Swallows do this kind of thing in many other places, but this is the first time we’ve seen it on our verandah. In fact, we do not see this species all that often over our garden. This is strange, because the species is very common in our immediate district. At times I have seen loose flocks of several hundred near or over the nearby river. At other times I have seen 50 – 100 resting on nearby power lines. For some reason they do not want to visit our place.
I know that they make a mess when they make their mud nest under a verandah or the eaves of a house, but it would be lovely if they thought our place was a suitable nesting site. I’d probably even be happy to clean up the mess they made.
Duck again
Over recent weeks we have had some old friends visit our garden. Well – actually, they are not so interested in our garden but rather something in our garden takes their fancy.
We have had two (a pair???) Pacific Black Ducks visiting our in-ground swimming pool. This happens almost every year about this time. On several occasions we’ve actually had ducklings come and visit too.
They are always nice to see – except for the terrible mess they leave behind!
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