Trevor's Birding

Nature in the raw

1 Comment »10th March, 2008; Category: Bird Behaviour, Eagles Hawks and Kites

On our daily early morning walks I usually take a keen interest in the birds seen and heard. Normally I see or hear only the most common birds around this area. On Friday, however, I was delighted to observe an Australian Hobby (also called Little Falcon) sitting on a dead branch atop a mallee tree on the side of the road we were walking on. It stayed sitting there watching us as we passed by, giving us very good views of its markings.

This morning the same bird (I presume) was sitting on the same branch. As we approached it zoomed off low through the roadside trees and began pursuing a Common Starling. I lost sight of the chase as they headed towards a nearby scrub. I hope that the falcon caught his breakfast. Common Starlings are an introduced feral bird here in Australia. They are also a pest species, taking food and nesting sites from our native species. Most people do not like them as they do great damage to fruit crops.

The Australian Hobby is widespread but not all that common in this area. It is therefore always good to see this magnificent species.

I and the Bird #70

No Comments »8th March, 2008; Category: Carnivals, I and the Bird, Non-Australian birds

The latest edition of I and the Bird #70 has been posted over at the Earth, Wind and Water blog site. It contains plenty of good reading and lots of links to other birding blogs around the world.

I didn’t have time to submit a contribution this time. Next time. If I’m not so busy with my studies.

Crested Pigeons by the dozens

No Comments »4th March, 2008; Category: Pigeons and Doves

Last week when I was at college I had a short break between lectures. I took this opportunity to have a short ten minute walk through the grounds. Next to the student car park there is an oval and a grassed area where many local people walk their dogs.

Crested Pigeons

Using the term “grassed area” is being somewhat generous. With the water restrictions over the last year and the very hot, dry conditions during our recent summer months the grass is lacking any greenness and is almost dead. There must be enough seed left for the local population of Crested Pigeons to find a feed. I observed approximately 90 Crested Pigeons feeding in an area about the size of three tennis courts. They have obviously been prolific breeders in recent times. This area has many trees and low bushy shrubs in the parks and gardens nearby, so there would be plenty of nesting sites.

The above photo was not taken at the time. It was taken in Clare in another part of South Australia at a time when there had been some rain to green up the grass.

Apostlebirds

No Comments »2nd March, 2008; Category: Bird Behaviour

Last weekend we visited my sister-in-law in Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. She works as the cook in the local hospital. Whenever we meet she delights in telling me about the latest antics of the Apostlebirds that reside in the town.

It seems that the local small flock of about 15 to 20 Apostlebirds has discovered that the local hospital is the place to get a free feed. For some years now they regularly descend upon the hospital grounds mid afternoon, around afternoon tea time, and wait for some handouts from the elderly residents of the aged care facility attached to the hospital. At least one (and I suspect more than one) of the elderly patients puts out biscuit, cake and bread crumbs, not to mention the occasional piece of fruit for this gang of freeloaders. At one stage they actually had a problem with the birds following the residents into their rooms which open directly on to the garden and lawn area.

Apostlebird

Apostlebirds can be very tame around humans. On many occasions when camping at or visiting Hattah Lakes in north west Victoria we have been almost harassed by this species insisting on having a share of our food. They can be quite persistent and will hop on to the picnic table to have their share of the food.

The population at Peterborough is one of only a handful in South Australia. In northern Victoria and especially in New South Wales they seem to be everywhere in good numbers, but not so here in South Australia. I know of only one other population, and that is on my brother’s farm at Taplan, south east of Loxton and near the Victorian border.

Apostlebird

Australian Hobby

1 Comment »29th February, 2008; Category: Eagles Hawks and Kites

Last weekend we visited our daughter at Clare in the mid-north of South Australia. She was going away for the weekend and needed us to dog-sit for her. (You can read about the Adventures of Nancy – the dog with attitude here.) On the Saturday we went further north for a few hours to visit my wife’s sister in Peterborough. It had been quite a while since our last visit.

I didn’t have much opportunity to go birding while there; just a half hour in the garden before sunset was all. From previous visits over the years I have quite a healthy list for the district, about seventy species in all. On this occasion I only saw a few of the regulars: Galah, House Sparrow, Common Starling, Common Blackbird, Australian Magpie, Magpie Lark, Mallee Ringneck, Crested Pigeon, Yellow-throated Miner, and Red Wattlebird.

One unusual bird I saw was a single Australian Hobby (also called Little Falcon). This is one species I had not recorded for that area before. This bird was continually perching on a high television antenna (Peterborough is a long way from the nearest station) and then swooping down to attempt to catch its prey. At no stage did I see it catch or eat anything. This continued for about ten minutes while I watched it, before it flew off elsewhere.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a photo of the bird as it was about a hundred metres away.

Further reading:

Australian Hobby
What is your hobby? This article and the comments discusses the origins of the name “hobby.”