We’ve come a long way – 800th post on this blog
New Holland Honeyeater
Only a few weeks ago this blog saw its 3rd Birthday.
Today we celebrate another milestone – 800 articles about birds. Wow – it has been an exciting ride.
This blog has survived where many have fallen by the wayside or lie dormant and unloved.
The longevity of this blog is mainly due to all of my readers and those who frequently comment on what I have written. There are now over 500 visitors every day so a great big THANK YOU to all who have stopped by – especially those who keep on returning. So many of you have left great comments and the discussions have been stimulating. Often I am sent scurrying for my reference books to find the answers to your questions. Keep ’em coming folks.
Three Invitations:
- You are all invited to leave appropriate comments and questions in the comments section underneath each article. Remember – comments are moderated – so keep it polite.
- Alternatively, you can email me privately using the contact form here.
- I also invite you to dig deeper into all those articles on this blog. If you have recently discovered this blog, I have 800 articles about Australian birds waiting to be read. You can access then in two ways: click on the archives link here or click on any of the categories or contents pages on the side bar.
Musk Lorikeet
Photo gallery:
Don’t forget the family photo gallery here. Over 2000 photos from all over the world taken by members of my family. Not only bird photos – plenty of scenery, animals, flowers, historic places – well – just go and have a look. We are adding to it regularly too, so you are invited to return often.
Birds are a distraction
Magpie Lark
I am currently at my daughter’s home in Clare in the mid north of South Australia. I am busy – trying to study. The birds in her garden are a wonderful distraction from my books and writing.
Yesterday afternoon I took a break from my studies to mow her lawns. Actually – it would be more accurate to say that I removed the jungle. She has been overseas for the last five weeks and it has grown almost out of control. Not for the first time has Dad come to the rescue.
The resident birds are enjoying the cut grass. I guess I stirred up a lot of insects and exposed them to the birds. The Australian Magpie Larks were the first to move in, strutting around as if they owned the place. The Red Wattlebirds do not like their patch being invaded and will think nothing of swooping the poor Peewees (a common local name for the Magpie Larks). The Australian Magpies were not too slow on the update either, coming to feed and then rewarding us with their beautiful warbling and caroling right at the back door.
Australian Magpie (Black-backed race)
The Common Blackbirds quietly scamper from the bushes for a sortie or two before scurrying off to the next bush to hide, their alarm calls warning others. The Crested Pigeons strut purposefully across the grass, pausing every now and then to peck at some tasty morsel. Nearby, the New Holland Honeyeaters flit and parry, swooping down to capture an unsuspecting insect for breakfast.
The only species I haven’t seen at this veritable smorgasbord has been the local Willie Wagtails. They are often the very first to take advantage of such a feast. I guess they have better pickings elsewhere.
I must get back to my studies.
Willie Wagtail
Bird Word: Ornithology
Ornithology: the serious study of birds, the habits, life cycle, habitats and characteristics of birds, often involving keeping of detailed records and writing articles or books about birdlife.
I guess one could call me an amateur student of ornithology. I do take this hobby quite seriously at times, I have written many articles on this blog about birds, I certainly keep detailed records of my sightings and observations but I haven’t written any books about birds (yet). Nor do I make my living from studying birds.
Footnote:
It has been over six months since I had my last entry in this series of articles about words peculiar to this fascinating hobby of birding. I’ll try to get back to regular postings on this topic in the coming months. Meanwhile – check out the archives here and the Glossary of Bird Words here.
Below is a photo of me taken by my wife. I am pretending to be a serious student of ornithology.
Typical Pose of Husband
I’m still here
Contrary to what my regular readers may have thought, I have neither dropped off the planet nor shuffled off this mortal coil.
I’ve been busy.
With my nose in the books.
I’m in the thick of studying for my Master of Arts in Creative Writing course. Plenty of assignments due at the end of term yesterday. We now have a two week mid-semester break. Time to catch my breath – and hopefully catch up on a few birds. And catch up on some reading.
Things have been rather quiet around home recently as far as birds go. The hot weather we had in March seems to have flown. We’ve had some very pleasant days, some very windy days with gale force winds, and we’ve had a light sprinkling of some wet stuff from the atmosphere. I’d hardly call it rain. We are still desperately waiting for the rains to come; things are starting to look rather desperate.
One downside to having much cooler conditions has been the lack of visitors to the garden birdbath. The Pardalotes still come from time to time. The Red Wattlebirds, Common Starlings and House Sparrows are still reasonably regular visitors. And about once a day the resident Willie Wagtail comes for a water-wasting bath; he splashes water in all directions. I tried telling him we are on strict water restrictions, but he just ignores me.
Birding in South Africa
Africa is one place I would love to go birding one day. Seeing all the animals would be wonderful also. Perhaps. Perhaps one day I will get there. I guess a large number of my readers would also love to go there for a visit to go birding. If you have already been there, share some of the highlights with my readers by leaving a comment or two.
Meanwhile, most of us will have to be content with seeing videos and reading books about the wonderful and exotic fauna of Africa – or we can regularly access Casper’s website called Birding in South Africa.
I’m jealous. Casper lives a short distance from the Kruger National Park!
Oh – and he offers free accommodation to all birders.
Now – where did I put my passport?