>Can I suggest that next week people post something about what is happening
>birdwise in your garden this weekend. No long lists, just a summary of
>what your garden is like, where it is, what interesting birds you had in
>over the weekend and whether you have noticed autumnal changes (have
>migrants started moving through, the summer birds have disappeared etc etc
>etc).
Thanks David for the excuse to post something. Even though we have been
thoroughly enjoying our garden and its birds for the 6 weeks that we have
been living here (and resubscribed to birding-aus), I have been waiting
in vain for something really exciting unusual or otherwise worthy of a
report.
Much of our daily enjoyment comes from watching our population of Superb
Fairy Wrens which are out and about from daylight until dark. They are
much more omniverous than I realised - today I noted one feeding on the
remains of a bunch of grapes, pecking at the little bit of flesh where
the berries had been removed. The flock/s of delightful Red-browed
Finches are the next most numerous and obvious (and still actively
nesting in some mistletoe) but they are not around the house and its
watering points so much in the middle of the day. Most noisy and also
very numerous are the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and as well as being very
noisy they are also 'attacking' our red gums and casuarinas - leaving a
carpet of foliage on the ground. Love watching the Crimson Rosellas too
but wish that they didn't want most of our fruit - the orchard looks
pretty untidy because of our attempts to deter their enthusiasm with nets
and soft toys etc but we did get some of the fruit. The Pied Currawongs
which have been here daily, are also loud but a little more secretive.
Also apparently resident are Rufous Whistlers and Grey Shrike Thrushes
(both now starting to call again after about 4 weeks of silence), a few
New Holland, White-plumed and Brown-headed Honeyeaters, Yellow-rumped and
Buff-rumped Thornbills, Spotted and Striated Pardalotes, Restless
Flycatchers, Willy Wagtails, Magpies, Kookaburras, Galahs, Blackbirds and
a couple of House Sparrows
The Rainbow Bee-eaters are flying around daily in (possibly increasing)
numbers but do not appear to be moving in any particular direction yet
and the Grey Fantails are still present.
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrikes are with us intermittently as are Red
Wattlebirds, Welcome Swallows, Wedge-tailed Eagles (up to 3),
White-winged Choughs
I was excited last week to see our first Gang Gangs (for only about one
minute) and we have had occasional flying visits by King Parrots, a Brown
Falcon, Magpie Larks
On and around the dams Wood Duck and White-faced Herons have been often
seen and once only sightings of an Australasian Grebe and a White-necked
Heron. Lots of Grey Teal, Black Duck, Pelicans, Straw-necked and Sacred
Ibis, Masked Lapwing have been noted on nearby dams and I have also seen
Starlings and Mynahs within 2km or 3km
---------------------------------
Barry & Roberta McLean
'Koornong'
Long Gully Rd
Violet Town Vic 3669
03 57981213
0418 584433
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