Rainbow Lorikeets
Rainbow Lorikeet
Yesterday afternoon I was taking the washing off the clothesline before the next shower of rain came along. Hanging the washing on the line, or taking it off the line are excellent birding times. They force one to look skyward.
This time I was not disappointed. A small flock of four Rainbow Lorikeets flew high overhead. This is always a lovely species to see, with all those bright rainbow colours on their feathers. This species is widespread throughout the district around Murray Bridge without being in the large numbers one can observe in the Adelaide Hills or other parts of the Mt Lofty Ranges.
Rainbow Lorikeet
Rainbow Lorikeets are only occasional visitors to our garden. We more often have the smaller Purple Crowned Lorikeet.
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Related articles:
- Close views of Musk Lorikeets – seen at Victor Harbor
- Great birding moments – Budgerigars
- Great birding moments – Sulphur Crested Cockatoos
- Eastern Rosella – seen in the Wittunga Botanic Gardens
This post was updated on 1st March 2017.
Close views of Musk Lorikeets
2 Comments »2nd May, 2007; Category: Parrots and Lorikeets
Musk Lorikeet
A few days ago we travelled from home in Murray Bridge down to the south coast of South Australia. My wife wanted to attend the native plant sale in Victor Harbor. This was one plant sale we had never attended. After talking to the various people there that I knew I went out to the car to wait for my wife to finish talking and buying.
While sitting in the car my attention was attracted to the many Musk Lorikeets feeding on the flowers of the street trees. These trees were mainly bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp) in full flower. It was a delight to get so close to these beautiful little birds.
Musk Lorikeet
Distribution:
Musk Lorikeets are found in many parts of south-eastern Australia. They are found along coastal NSW and inland to the western slopes and plains, throughout much of Victoria, parts of Tasmania and southern South Australia. They are slightly larger than the well-known Budgerigar but with a shorter tail.
Habitat:
Musk Lorikeets prefer eucalypt woodlands and dry forests, roadside vegetation and timbered watercourses. They are also happy to raid orchards and are becoming common in parks and gardens were suitable flowering trees and bushes are present. Those that I saw in the street trees in Victor Harbor must have numbered in the dozens; their constant “zzitt-zzitt” calls as they fed was quite noisy.
Related articles:
- Great birding moments #17: Musk Lorikeets
- Victor Harbor – more articles from my archives about this delightful town.
POSTSCRIPT: This is the 500th posting on this blog. If you liked this article, why not visit some of the many other articles I have written? You can click on the Contents section on the side bar or you can choose a category that interests you lower down on the side bar. These will take you to listings of articles from the archives. Choosing the Archives in the Contents will give you a complete listing of all articles. Many of the articles have photos I have taken of birds.
This article was updated on 1st March 2017.
Galahs come for a swim
The hot and very dry conditions in our district over this summer have produced many visitors to our bird baths. (Click on the category “Bird Baths”) The other day, however, I was alerted to a flock of noisy Galahs in another part of the garden. About sixty Galahs had settled in the trees near our swimming pool (read “Swamp” – it is green because we have not maintained or used it this summer).
Galahs
Some of these Galahs decided that they needed a drink, so they settled on the brick paving around the pool. The water level was far too low for them to reach the water. This was because of the water restrictions during the current drought here. It made a spectacular sight and they allowed me to approach quite near before they flew off into nearby trees.
Galahs
As Sick as a Parrot
I have been writing about various idioms on my writing blog. Some of these relate to birds in some way. Today I discuss an idiom I don’t ever recall hearing before.
This week’s idiom: “As sick as a parrot.”
It may seem strange but this is one idiom I don’t think I’ve ever come across before reading it in a book of idioms. “As sick as a dog” I am familiar with but that has a different meaning. To be as sick as a dog is to be very sick.
Meaning:
To be as sick as a parrot is to be very disappointed or depressed.
Origin:
This saying may have several origins. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries people were said to be as “melancholy as a (sick) parrot.” In thinking about this, I have a theory. Parrots are fairly uncommon in Europe. Some early collectors of birds would have returned to chilly Europe, a climate quite unsuitable for tropical parrots, for example. Naturally the parrots would not have been happy on two or three counts, the cold climate, being in captivity and most likely alone. Can one blame them for being ‘melancholy’ and even becoming sick?
Another origin could have been in relation to a disease called psittacosis, or parrot fever, a common illness in cage birds. This disease is transferrable to humans. Since the 1970s this has been something of a problem for aviculturalists.
A third possible origin relates to its common usage in a sporting context. It has been suggested that this phrase was coined by an imaginative footballer describing his utter despair at losing an important game.
Example:
I was as sick as a parrot when my team lost the Grand Final.
Photo:
I have included below a photo of a very healthy parrot, a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, a common species here in South Australia and one kept world wide as a pet. This one was very much active and healthy and in the company of a small group of other parrots. It did not look at all melancholy for it was investigating hollows in this tree with the aim of nesting.
Disclaimer: no parrots were hurt or became sick in the making of this article.
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Silvereyes come to visit
Silvereyes are delightful little grey and olive-green birds – unless you happen to have ripe grapes on your grape vines, when they will descend upon your garden with great delight and feed on the grapes using their sharp pointy beaks to pierce the skin of the grapes.
Silvereye
Silvereyes are found throughout eastern and south-eastern Australia, as well as south western Australia. There are several races recognised with each race having distinctive colour variations. The white eye ring is conspicuous and diagnostic. Two similar species, the Pale White-Eye and the Yellow White-Eye are found in northern Australia.
Their thin call (‘psee’) as they pass by in loose flocks is a common call in many parts of their range. I’d been hearing this call in our garden for some weeks, so they have been around. Tracking them down is another matter as they tend to be a little sneaky around here. Finally one came to the bird bath for a drink, so I was able to get a reasonable photo.
They haven’t caused us any angst in the orchard – yet. We don’t have any grapes on our vines this year. I wish I could say the same about the Ringneck Parrots; they sometimes eat our pears before we get to them, and before the pears are ripe. We were sneaky and stripped the trees before they did too much damage this year. Now we have to wait for the pears to ripen.
Mallee Ringneck Parrot