Give the birds a drink
White-browed Woodswallow
It has been a year of great weather contrasts this year in South Australia, and in other parts of the country too. At various times it has been freezing cold, fiery hot, bucketing with rain, wild storms and everything in between. We have also had the occasional beautiful day as well. Our state has had terrible bushfires, devastating floods, power blackouts from storms, crop damage due to large hail and silently creeping frosts.
Now we are about to feel the full force of summer weather. Christmas Day tomorrow promises temperatures in the low 40s (40C = 104F). In fact. our capital city Adelaide is forecast to be the hottest capital city in the world on Christmas Day. Still, at this time of the year, we expect some days in the 40s and many days in the 30s.
Heat and birds
The heat can adversely affect our birdlife here in Australia. One of the best things people can do in these hot conditions is to put out clean water for the birds. I have several birdbaths dedicated to the birds in our garden. A constant stream of birds come to have a bath or a drink on hot days. Even on mild days, the bowls are very popular.
Place the bird bath in a shady location near to a tree or bush. This can help protect the smaller species from birds of prey; it gives them a place to escape. It can be on the ground but is better if it is elevated a little. This will give the birds a clear view of any approaching cats.
Try to remember to clean the bird bath regularly, and during our hot weather this summer, top it up every day.
Photography
I have found over many years that having a bird bath near a window makes it easy to get good photographs of the birds while they are drinking or bathing. My wife and I find it very relaxing sitting in a cool room on a hot day, watching the parade of birds coming to drink.
Further reading:
- Time for a bath – a list of birds and animals we have observed at our bird baths
- The importance of bird baths – another article about bird baths
Good birding,
Trevor
Southern Grey Shrike, Morocco
Southern Grey Shrike Morocco
Several years ago we visited Morocco and fell in love with the country. It is a land of great contrasts and beauty, and we found the people to be friendly and welcoming. During our tour, we visited many wonderful and beautiful places. One of those places was the Sahara Desert. It did not disappoint. Over recent weeks, I have posted a few of the bird photos I took at the time.
The highlight of our visit to the desert was a camel ride into the Sahara on sunset. This was on Christmas Eve, so it certainly was a Christmas with a difference and certainly one to remember. We slept in a Berber tent in the desert overnight. The next morning – Christmas Day – we rode back to a local hotel where we had a late breakfast. While we were eating I managed some good photos of several local bird species. You can read about them here and here and here.
Today I feature another bird species seen at that location, the beautiful Southern Grey Shrike. This bird posed cooperatively for me on a light fitting just a few metres from where we were sitting. I love it when the birds pose like that – so considerate of them. This species, a member of the shrike family of birds, is found in northern Africa (except in the heart of the Sahara), Spain and through to Pakistan and India in the east. It is a passerine bird of medium size. It eats rodents, insects and will even take small birds as a part of its diet.
Further reading:
- Southern Grey Shrike – the article on Wikipedia
- Eurasian Collared Dove – an article about another species I photographed in the same location
- White-crowned Black Wheatear in the Sahara
Southern Grey Shrike Morocco
Southern Grey Shrike Morocco
Southern Grey Shrike Morocco
Happy 10th Birthday to Trevor’s Birding
Happy Birthday to Trevor’s Birding.
10 years old today.
Goodness, how the years have flown since my very first post on this site. That was actually on a different platform and has been updated several times over the years.
A few statistics
- A total of 1668 articles about birds and birding
- Well over 5300 comments from my readers
- Several thousand photos shown
- Visitors from over 200 countries and territories
- Over a million pageviews from well over half a million visitors
Travels
Wherever I travel I take my camera, binoculars, notebook and field guide and fit in times of birding (bird watching) and bird photography whenever I can. On many occasions I also go out and about near my home for the deliberate purpose of birding. On my return home I then enjoy writing on this site about the birds I have seen and sharing the best of my photos. Some of these travels take me to other states in Australia as well, especially when we visit family in Sydney, and friends in other places.
Archives
Some of my readers may not be aware of the many hundreds of articles in my archives – 1668 articles to be precise – and growing every few days with new articles. These can be accessed via the button at the top of each page and range from the most recent to the very first article. Here is a treasure trove of writing about birds.
Contents
Another way of accessing articles on specific areas of interest is via the Contents on the side bar, including
- How to be a birder
- Glossary of Bird Words – to help my readers understand any jargon used here (and it needs some editing – as well as be completed)
- Favourite Birding Spots – some of my favourite places to go birding (and it needs some serious updating!)
- Great birding moments – those special times when I saw a special bird, or got a lovely photo
Categories and search
Another way of searching for specific information on this site it to use the search facility (in the top right hand corner of each page). Just type in what you are looking for – you might be surprised what comes up. The categories section on the sidebar is another area where you can search for articles on a particular species or topic. If all that doesn’t work, try the contact form – also at the top of each page. Send your questions to me via email and I will reply as soon as I can, noting that there will be a delay if I am busy out birding and away from my computer.
Comments
Every article has a comments section and I would love to have many more. The 5300 comments so far are just the beginning. Just remember that they are moderated, and I reserve the right not to accept, or delete, or even edit comments, so keep them civil and in good taste. Children often read the articles here.
Photos
Over the years I have shared many photos here, with many more to come. Today, however, I decided to share a few of my favourite ones (see below).
Enjoy.
And keep coming back for more.
Good birding.
Trevor
Further reading:
- My first blog post
- Archives – you can access the complete list of articles on this site here or via the button at the top.
Crested Pigeon
Female Galah, Laratinga Wetlands
Male Variegated Fairy-wren
Musk Lorikeets
Hey Duck! Look here!
Pacific Black Duck, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker
The Pacific Black Duck is a common bird in many parts of Australia. Wherever there is a dam, pond, lake, wetland, swamp, river, estuary or other body of water the observant birder will often see this species, frequently in large numbers. Many tend to overlook this species because they are so common, but I love to photograph them whenever I get the chance. I guess, to be honest, I just like taking photographs of birds.
On a recent birding visit to the Laratinga Wetlands in Mt Barker, South Australia, this Pacific Black Duck was resting on the wooden walkway over one of the ponds. I zoomed my camera lens in to get a good shot but it kept looking the other way. I tried asking it to turn my way but it generally ignored me. Eventually it sort of looked towards me – see the photo below – but wasn’t really interested in becoming the next big photographic star on the web.
Can’t say I blame it. It was freezing cold that morning. It was probably just trying to get warm in the early morning sun.
I will post more photos from from this site of more cooperative birds in the coming days.
Good Birding.
Trevor
Pacific Black Duck, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker
Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia
Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia
One of the best places for birding near my home is the Laratinga Wetlands on the eastern edge of Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It is just over a half hour drive from my home. I have featured birds from this spot on a number of occasions in the past – you can access them by using the search facility above.
While these wetlands are actually the sewage treatment works for the town of Mt Barker, the area is very pleasant and well landscaped. The treated water comes out in the final pond as reusable for local irrigation purposes. The various ponds have wide, flat walking and cycling tracks around them with plenty of seats to rest and just watch the birds. Hundreds of nearby resident use these paths daily for walking, jogging or cycling and many of them also use the barbecue and picnic facilities.
I’m not going to write about the many birds seen here; I will keep that for the coming days. Instead, I am just going to show some photos taken on a recent visit.
Good Birding.
Trevor
Picnic area, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia
Picnic area, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia
Reflections, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia