Hello all,
I happened to be at home during my lunchbreak today and was treated to a
bit of a spectacle on the back lawn. Until the last 12 months or so the
Indian Myna was a bird that we never saw in our 3/4 acre well vegetated
block on the ridge above Excelsior Pde, Toronto (central NSW). Part of
the block is a heavily planted garden, most of the rest is natural
bushland. Noisy Miners have been common ever since I can remember and
have been the cause of the low abundance of small passerines that we get
regardless of the natural bush. There were Mynas not far away mind you,
but the combination of bush and Miners seemed to keep them at bay.
However, since the block next door has been cleared and partially
developed (the developer went bankrupt after the clearing took place)
the writing has been on the wall with Mynas getting closer and closer.
When I left for work this morning there were 4 Mynas loitering with
intent around the garbage bins on the roadside.
As I sat having my lunch at midday, 4 Indian Mynas flew in and landed on
the back lawn. This was the first time I've seen them within the
property boundaries. Within seconds, a riotous crowd of Australian birds
gathered to express their anger at the newcomers. There was one
butcherbird, 2 magpie-larks and 15 Noisy Miners. They squawked and
divebombed the Mynas for about 5 minutes with only the slightest
reaction from the Indian immigrants. Eventually, one of the magpie-larks
landed within about 30cm of one of the Mynas and gave it a close-range
blast of magpie-lark. The Myna responded by flying straight into it.
There was no question over who won. Within the next minute the
Australians all moved off realising that they were wasting their time.
I then made a token effort of chasing the Mynas out of the yard but the
writing is on the wall. I think its time I left suburbia.
No cheers,
Mick
PS. Could someone with Google Earth email me a link to the Werribee
Sewage Treatment Works? I'm going to be passing through Melbourne a bit
in the next month or two and am looking into some of the places I've
never been to. Just curious about where it is.
--
Michael Todd
Wildlifing Images & Sounds of Nature
Latest Additions: Squirrel Glider, Tetratheca juncea, Pectoral Sandpiper
www.wildlifing.com
Toronto, NSW, Australia O41O 123715
===============================
www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
To unsubscribe from this mailing list,
send the message:
unsubscribe
(in the body of the message, with no Subject line)
to:
===============================
|
