Trevor's Birding

Where are the cuckoos?

2 Comments »15th January, 2011; Category: Bird Behaviour, Cuckoos, Garden birds, Migratory birds

Pallid Cuckoo, Round Hill, NSW

I’ve recently been busy updating my database of bird sightings. I must admit that while I have been doing my degree over the last three years that the database is sadly out of date. Still, I’m a bit more organised once again and making good progress on catching up on all those sightings.

One of the things that I suddenly realised while adding recent records to the database was the almost complete absence of cuckoos in our garden over the recent spring/summer seasons. Usually we hear them calling incessantly over many days, especially when host species like the honeyeaters are nesting.

The cuckoo species we usually get here here in Murray Bridge South Australia include:

Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo
Pallid Cuckoo (see photo above)
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
Shining-bronze Cuckoo (once only)

This year I’ve only heard the Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, and then only a couple of times. Strange.

I don’t think I said or written anything to upset or offend them.

Will have to wait until later this year to see if they come back.

Good birding.

Magpie Lark washing its food

1 Comment »14th January, 2011; Category: Bird baths, Bird Behaviour, Garden birds, Larks, Magpies and Currawongs

Magpie Lark

In recent weeks we have had a minor locust plague. They weren’t in numbers sufficient to cause us great inconvenience, not like some other rural areas of South Australia in recent months. As they moved in we were delighted to see some of our resident Australian Magpies gorging themselves on this feast.

A few days ago, however, we saw an Australian Magpie Lark catch a locust and bring it to one of our bird baths. We were having lunch at the time and watched fascinated as this bird proceeded to wash its food in the water. I had heard of some birds species doing this, but this was the first time I’d actually witnessed it. Pity the camera wasn’t handy at the time.

Now we have two Eastern Rosellas

4 Comments »13th January, 2011; Category: Garden birds, Murray Bridge, Parrots and Lorikeets

Eastern Rosella

Over the last six months or so we’ve had an Eastern Rosella in our garden. It comes and goes but we see it most weeks. It appears to be trying to form a loose alliance with our resident Mallee Ringneck parrots, but they have consistently rejected his friendship.

The Eastern Rosella is a common bird in the eastern parts of Australia, and in the south-east of South Australia. It has been introduced to the Adelaide region. The nearest one I have seen was about 60km to the west. At first I thought that the bird visiting our garden was an aviary escape. A few days ago, however, I saw two of them flying away from our pear tree.

This caused divided feelings on my part.

If this species is establishing itself in our town and its environs then this is a significant extension of its range, and this both interests and excites me.
On the other hand, I felt annoyed because they had obviously been feeding on the near ripe pears in our orchard.

Oh dear, it seems that we can’t have both beautiful birds in our garden AND fruit on our trees.

Eastern Rosella

Ducks upside down

No Comments »12th January, 2011; Category: Bird Behaviour, Ducks Geese and Swans, Waterbirds

Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

On my recent visit to Laratinga Wetlands at Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills I saw many water birds, including plenty of Pacific Black Ducks. This is a common Australian duck species found throughout much of the country where suitable habitat exists. They are often found in wetlands like this one, but also swamps, lakes, rivers, creeks, reservoirs, ponds, parks and gardens and even in suburban home swimming pools. We’ve had ducklings in our swimming pool on many occasions.

What amused me on this occasion was capturing a number of them upside down – see the photo below. They were all feeding on the bottom of the pond, tails stuck up in the air.

Pacific Black Ducks, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

Pacific Black Duck, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, South Australia

Australian Reedwarblers in full song

2 Comments »11th January, 2011; Category: Good Birding Sites, Waterbirds

Australian Reedwarbler, Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, Sth Aust

During my visit to the Laratinga Wetlands in Mt Barker, Adelaide Hills, last week the reed beds were constantly alive with both Little Grassbirds and Australian Reed-warblers singing. Every patch of reeds seemed to have 4 to 6 individual birds of each species. I didn’t do a count as it would be very hard to do this considering that both species can be very secretive in the reeds. I tried to get photos of the Little Grassbird, but they were too shy and stayed mostly in the reeds. I did see the occasional one flit from one reed patch to another but far too quickly for a photo.

The reed-warblers were a little more cooperative. I stood patiently for about half an hour on the jetty in the middle of the photo below. One section was about 3 – 4 metres from the clump of reeds in the photo above. Several reed-warblers kept flitting around on my side of the reeds, in full sun for my benefit. After many failed attempts I was able to get one reasonable shot as shown above.

I took a much closer shot of this species some years ago, and I’ve posted this at the bottom of this post. This photo was taken at Cleland Wildlife Park of a captive bird in a walk-through aviary.

Laratinga Wetlands, Mt Barker, Sth Aust

Australian Reedwarbler