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In my garden at Sorrento in southern
Victoria a large number of correas have been flowering profusely for a couple of
months and hopefully will continue for many more. In past years it
has been Red Wattlebirds and Singing
Honeyeaters coming to these plants. This year, as well as the
ever present singing honeyeaters, Eastern Spinebills have been
feasting daily. There are usually two but on occasions there have been up
to six. I love hearing their call when they fly up to a nearby branch to
draw breath or go to the bird bath to wash.
Quite often I see a singing honeyeater and
eastern spinebill feeding together. When one moves to a nearby correa so
does the other. Is this a common observation?
Last year I had two Crimson
Rosellas come in and nip off some of the correa flowers to get at
the base of the flower. Luckily they have kept away this
year.
The Brown Thornbills,
which are constantly moving through the garden, are also seen often seen feeding
in the correas with a singing honeyeater and an eastern spinebill. A
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater prefers to do its own
thing and can been seen sitting a overhanging branch looking into the large
correa outside my back window.
Up until a few weeks ago I was lucky to
have a female Pink Robin in my garden. This bird was
first observed on April 21and if not seen through the window it was nearby until
the beginning of July. This is the third year I have observed a female
pink robin in my garden and am assuming it is the same bird.
Most days I would have either a
Golden Whistler or Grey Shrike-thrush but
never the two together.
Eastern Yellow Robins are often seen in the mornings, out there with
their 'headlamps' on, almost at it before the Common Blackbirds
are up and about. The blackbirds are terrorised by the three resident
Australian Magpies [one male and two females] who will
swoop at them at any time. However they are nowhere near as vigilant as
the previous magpie pair who could sense a blackbird from at least 300metres
away. One day I saw them with a blackbird pinned to the ground and
repeatedly stabbing its head which resulted in one less blackbird.
Spotted Turtle-Doves are also moved on by the magpies.
White-browed Scrubwrens
and Grey Butcherbirds are also daily visitors.
New Holland Honeyeaters visit the properties on either side -
hopefully they will stop for a while when my first banksia flower is fully
developed.
As others have written winter is a great
time for birding in southern Victoria.
Val Ford
17/7/01
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