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I wasn't going to put anything more in for a while,
but yesterday I had the privilege of watching a Letter-winged Kite
for about 5 mins.I see these birds from time to time on my way into town
but they always fly into the dense scrub of the Warrego River. This one was only
about 2 klms. from the house in a Cypress Pine sandhill which comes up out of a
little creek.The kite was at tree top level[about 30 feet] and flew from side to
side only a little bit higher with each pass. I got the binoculars out and
watched it slowly soar higher and higher until it was out of sight.I was on my
way down to my son, 50 klms. from here, to help in the sheep yards and wasn't
looking forward to it at all.After seeing this beautiful bird for so long and
having such a great view of it, my day was made, and the sheep work was no
problem at all.
We've had a little bit of rain here and the weather
has been beautiful.
The Striated Pardalote is busy in
the little hole in the wall, so here's hoping another lot of chicks will be up
and flying before it heats up again.
The day after it rained we were expecting a lot of
people for lunch, after they had driven down to the creek, that wasn't possible,
so they walked around the house paddocks for a while and saw a Spotted
Bowerbirds playground which he is sprucing up [should it be
bower?]and heaps of the other birds we have in the house surrounds. I think the
highlight of the few hours was, while we were having lunch our
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters were being very busy and we discovered
their nest about 3 metres above us, in the tree which we were having lunch
under.
The Red-capped Robins are in
abundance and I saw a lot on my way down to the sheep work as well as a
Nankeen Kestrel. Ian says there is a pair of these nesting in a
big Bloodwood tree not far from where I saw the Kite.
I was running very late to the dreaded sheep as I
also stopped and watched some Hall's Babblers underneath a patch
of very shady Mulga trees.We have a lot of Chestnut-crowned Babblers
hopping around the house yard every day.I think the colours of this
bird are quite magnificent, and no illustration or photograph could possibly do
it justice.
Our Whitewood trees have been flowering for some
time now and I've noticed that the Suplejacks will follow them. Over the years I
have noted that one species of tree usually starts to flower when another one is
just about to finish and set seed, thereby providing a fairly continual supply
of food for lots of animals.The Lignum is also flowering at the moment and if
you get the chance, have a look at these little flowers, they are quite
beautiful and delicate looking.
There's heaps more on our birds but will leave it
for another message.
Cheers,
Julie McLaren.
"Bowra",
Cunnamulla,Qld.4490
PH. O746551238
FAX
0746552368
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