Dear Birders
The birds in and around my garden are in full breeding action, not that
I have any nests actually in my garden as the new trees and shrubs are
still far too young and sparse to invite them. But from the constant
activity, chasing off possible predators or food rivals, and catching
insects and taking nectar, several have kids at home. The Pee Wees have
fledged 3 young, all sitting hopefully in a neighbour's gum tree.
Yesterday we had a violent storm but they survived that, and today when
the wind came up and rain threatened (but didn't fall) they moved to a
lower, less windy branch. The Red Wattlebirds keep most other species
away with a lot of chasing - they don't succeed with the Noisy
Friarbirds who just avoid the action but stay around, still doing a lot
of what I assume is courtship, chasing in pairs. So many species are
singing throughout the day, Silvereyes, Rufous Whistlers, Yellow Robins,
Scarlet Honeyeaters, White-throated Gerygones, Pied Butcherbirds,
Magpies and those flying rats the Indian Mynas. The resident male Satin
Bowerbird keeps up a constant growling and wheezing as he patrols his
bower, and then pursues reluctant females up into the gum trees next
door, dancing and almost falling off the branches in his tragic efforts
to get the right response.
My mulberry tree is full of fruit and therefore full of Satin Bowerbirds
and Figbirds that erupt when one walks underneath. Yellow-tailed Black
Cockatoos are around - 19 on Tuesday in one hit, but raptors have been
absent from the skies overhead these last couple of weeks except for
whistles from the Whistling Kites. A pair of Shining-bronze Cuckoos paid
a very brief visit, quickly seen off by the Pee Wees and Wattlebirds,
and today I surprised a male King Parrot almost under my deck eating the
green seeds of a Hovea acutifolia.
Watching the Red Wattlebirds feeding in my garden, they exclusively use
the native shrubs and trees and feed on the ground as well as at all
levels above. There is a small Eremophila maculata presently covered in
purple spotted tube-shaped flowers - a RWB yesterday carefully took
nectar from almost every flower, methodically starting at ground level
and then hopping up into the bush to reach the higher levels. It took an
occasional sip from a grevillea flowering alongside but obviously
preferred the eremophila.
The Magpie Wars are continuing, mainly outside on the grass verges and
in the middle of the road. Two more young have recently been told to
move but won't go, and one of the previous brood is still hanging around
- even comes onto my deck and runs under a chair to avoid a furious
property owner, presumably its parent. There's now quite a large flock
that have decided to dominate one end of the street, thus reducing the
size of the resident breeders' territory and causing all the mayhem and
endless yodelling from first light to first street lights each evening.
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