Musk Lorikeets
While staying with my daughter in Clare in the mid-north of South Australia last weekend I was aware of the large numbers of Musk Lorikeets in and near her garden. Just over the fence in a neighbour’s back yard is a tall Eucalyptus citriodora (Lemon Scented Gum). It is about 10 metres high and covered in flowers. These are clusters of creamy stamens several centimetres long. And don’t the lorikeets love these flowers!
Lorikeets in the garden
While I was doing some gardening in the back yard on Monday morning I stopped a number of times to observe these raucous creatures. As they are feeding there is the constant contact calls, a relatively quiet screech – if that is not a contradiction in terms. They scramble all over and through the foliage seeking the next flower for its nectar. After a few minutes of this two or three of them would suddenly take off towards another tree, perhaps a few houses away or in the next street. Sometimes they would head arrow-like towards the park a block away, or towards the trees lining Lake Inchquin or the golf course next to it. As they fly they frequently emit high pitched screeches. You would have to be totally deaf not to be aware of these noisy birds zooming overhead.
Photo opportunity
As I watched one bird in particular I was aware that it was feeding on the outer foliage closest to where I was working. Of course the camera was inside. Would this flighty bird stay long enough for me to take a photo? I raced inside, grabbed the camera and crept as unobtrusively as I could back to my spot. The lorikeet in question must have been very hungry; he was still there. Over the next five minutes I managed to take some photographs, mainly of the foliage! Eventually I did manage a reasonable shot of the bird on the outside of the leaves and in full sun. The brilliant colours show up quite well, especially the bright grass green of the back and sides and the brilliant red forehead.
Musk Lorikeet
Lorikeets in South Australia
Lorikeets are widespread throughout southern South Australia. There in the Clare Valley the Musk Lorikeet seems to be the dominant species, but I have also recorded Rainbow Lorikeets from time to time. The Purple Crowned Lorikeet may also be found in this area. In Murray Bridge where I live, however, the latter species is the most common, followed by the Rainbow Lorikeet. The Musk Lorikeet is not observed nearly as much in our area.
UPDATE: for related articles and more photos click on these links:
This article was updated on October 3rd 2015.
Birds of Geranium
No Comments »13th May, 2006; Category: Birds, Eagles Hawks and Kites, Honeyeaters, Pardalotes, Parrots and Lorikeets, Pigeons and Doves, Ravens and Crows, Thornbills, Whistlers, Wrens
Last weekend we attended a native plant sale at Geranium. This is a small town of only about 80 residents. It is about an hour drive from Murray Bridge and is situated in the heart of the Murray Mallee. It is set in a wheat and sheep farming district and so much of the land has been cleared for this purpose. Along the road sides, however, there is a rich remnant vegetation strip and this provides a reasonably adequate habitat for a range of mallee loving birds, especially when it is in flower.
Honeyeaters
The area is dominated by honeyeaters. Over the last decade I have recorded the following honeyeater species in or near Geranium:
Red Wattlebird
Brown Headed Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
Singing Honeyeater
White Plumed Honeyeater
White Eared Honeyeater
Yellow Plumed Honeyeater
Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater
Purple Gaped Honeyeater (rare)
Raptors
The common birds of prey include the Black Shouldered Kite, Nankeen Kestral, Little Eagle and Australian Hobby. I am not sure of the status of the magnificent Wedge Tailed Eagle in this district. Down through the years since settlement this species has been seen in a negative light by many farmers who have shot them to prevent loss of lambs from their sheep flocks.
Pigeons
The Crested Pigeon is very common throughout the region as is the Common Bronzewing Pigeon where the habitat is suitable. The delightful tiny Peaceful Dove must also occur in this region but I have not personally recorded it. Around the town, especially the wheat storage silos, the introduced feral Rock Pigeon is present in the hundreds. They are also present around farm sheds.
Parrots
The most common parrot in this area would have to be the Galah. Flocks of hundreds can often be observed throughout the Murray Mallee districts. Little Corellas may also be present though I have not seen any near Geranium. The large Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo may also be a vagrant but not resident due to a lack of suitable food trees. Sulpher Crested Cockatoos may also occur in this district but I haven’t seen any. Purple Crowned Lorikeets are common, and Rainbow Lorikeets have been recorded. Other parrots resident in or near Geranium include:
Mallee Ringnecks
Red Rumped Parrots
Cockatiel
Blue Bonnets
Blue Winged Parrots
Budgerigars
Mulga Parrots
Other Birds
My total number of species for this area stands at 56 species. Here is a list of some other birds I have recorded in the district:
Willie Wagtail
Grey Fantail
Restless Flycatcher
Hooded Robin
Golden Whistler
Rufous Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
White-browed Babbler
Superb Fairy-wren
Variegated Fairy-wren
Brown Thornbill
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Yellow Thornbill
Weebill
Southern Whiteface
White-fronted Chat
Spotted Pardalote
Striated Pardalote
Silvereye
Magpie-lark
White-winged Chough
Dusky Woodswallow
Grey Butcherbird
Australian Magpie
Grey Currawong
Australian Raven
Little Raven
Common Starling
House Sparrow
Unusual Sighting
The most unusual sighting I have made in Geranium is a single Cattle Egret feeding on the school oval.
Call to Cull Corellas
South Australia’s longest serving member of parliament, Graham Gunn, has called for a cull of corellas in the mid-north of the state. He is advocating the use of strychnine. I heard him being interviewed on the radio this morning and he admitted that the use of strychnine was illegal in our state, but thought that National Parks Rangers could be employed to deal with the problem.
In parliament yesterday he even gave a suitable recipe using strychnine which would have them “falling out of the sky like Spitfires.” He went on to outline the great damage the species is doing in his electorate. He claimed that they were in plague proportions.
During his interview on the radio this morning, a very distraught caller rang in to remind listeners of the story of America’s Passenger Pigeons. Once seen in flocks of millions not a single bird remains.
Some might suggest he is focusing on the wrong “pest” species that needs culling.
To read the article in The Advertiser click here. (Sorry – this link no longer works)
Updated: May 30th, 2017.
Chucky Goes AWOL
This blog is usually about Australian birds but I couldn’t resist writing about Chucky the South American blue and gold Macaw. Chucky is a resident here in Murray Bridge South Australia.
Twitchers* – at ease!
Now before we get a huge influx of twitchers* here in my home town , let me explain. Chucky is not a wild bird – well, not normally. He usually lives in an aviary belonging to the Bozetti family. Earlier this week he was spooked by a sudden noise, escaped and flew off into some tall pines in Pine Park in the centre of town. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade was called on to help but Chucky remained up in the tree enjoying his taste of freedom on the wild side.
Fear of Heights
Finally a local engineering firm was called upon. Ignoring her fear of heights Mrs. Bozetti used their cherry picker to go up to 30 metres to where Chucky sat. Everyone was relieved when Chucky calmly walked on to her arm – to much applause from the crowd down below. I guess his bid for freedom comes at a price. Because he is valued at about $9000 I think he will be watched very carefully in future.
*Twitchers
A twitcher is a bird watcher who will travel great distances or make extra special efforts to see a rare bird or a bird not seen before. For more details read the article on bird watching in Wikipedia (click here).
Galahs in the rain
The Galah is possibly Australia’s best known parrot. We often have flocks of Galahs flying over our house and garden. Sometimes these flocks land in one of the large mallee trees on our 2 hectare (5 acre) property. These flocks vary in size from a half dozen or less up to 50 to a hundred.
During some rain recently I was aware of some noisy Galahs in the tall tree just outside my office. It seemed to be more than the usual few noisy individuals. Sure enough, on checking outside, there were some 60-80 in the tree. No wonder they were noisy. I must have disturbed them because they all took flight. They only went about fifty metres before alighting on the power lines out the front of our place, joining the 250 or so already lined up along the wire.
Large flocks of this size are not unusual. They can be quite noisy when they all start calling together.