Trevor's Birding

Grey Butcherbird

93 Comments »26th August, 2008; Category: Garden birds

Every few days we hear the local Grey Butcherbird calling nearby. From time to time one of them will come into the garden.

Yesterday afternoon I was entertained by one individual calling regularly quite near to the house. This went on for nearly half an hour. I really enjoy hearing its rich, melodious call, especially up close like that.

The resident honeyeaters do not take the same view. Their warning calls indicate that they were upset by the presence of the butcherbird. Perhaps they have eggs or young in a nest somewhere (that I haven’t discovered yet). Grey Butcherbirds take delight in robbing a nest of either eggs or the chicks.

To learn more about this bird and to hear its lovely call, click here.

Here is a photo of a Grey Butcherbird I took some time ago.

Grey Butcherbird

I and the Bird # 82

No Comments »23rd August, 2008; Category: Carnivals, I and the Bird

The latest edition of the wonderful I and the Bird carnival can be found over at Sycamore Canyon.

As usual there are many excellent bird photos to look at as well as the usual dozens of links to stories about birds from all over the globe.

Alas – there is no contribution from me this time around. [sigh]

Australian Magpies nesting

2 Comments »22nd August, 2008; Category: Garden birds, Magpies and Currawongs

A few weeks ago we noticed the resident Australian Magpies in our orchard busily gathering nesting material to refurbish the nest they used last year. All has been quiet for the last few weeks – until this morning.

As I was walking down the driveway to collect the newspaper I heard the very distinctive begging calls of a baby magpie in the nest. I guess we’ll have a pair of very busy parents kept occupied feeding the hungry youngsters over the coming weeks.

Australian Magpie

Foul accident on the freeway

No Comments »18th August, 2008; Category: General

One morning last week I was travelling on the South Eastern Freeway on my way to university in Adelaide. As I was passing Mt Barker I passed what appeared to be a dead chook on the side of the left hand lane.

I guess it was a foul way for a fowl to leave us. Someone in a nearby house must have missed their egg for breakfast that morning.

Sadly, on the way home on the same day there was a dead kangaroo on the side of the freeway almost opposite where the chicken had died. I suspect that there may be a connection between the two deaths, and foul play may be the culprit. This o-pinion could be me jumping to conclusions, however, for I have been known for my feather-brained thinking on many occasions.

How much can a koala bear?

2 Comments »16th August, 2008; Category: Bird Behaviour, Birds in the News, Ravens and Crows

For those of my readers with access to today’s Adelaide Advertiser newspaper, there is an amusing sequence of photos of a ‘crow’ (probably a LIttle Raven) harassing a koala.

I’ve seen this type of thing with other species, including an Australian Magpie. On another occasion I witnessed a honeyeater pulling out tufts of fur from a sleeping koala, obviously to line a nest.

The photos have been posted here, but the link may not work after a few days – I’m not sure how long such items remain on the site.