Thank goodness for a few inches of good rain over a few recent days.
There was an immediate response from the creek, which grew overnight to a
trickle and subsequently once again into a stream extending from bank to
bank in front of the house, for the first time for a few months. And an
equally spontaneous response from the birds.
An exquisite Rufous Night-heron has taken to spending part of every day on a
mid-creek log right in front of the house. We see night-herons quite often,
but it's a treat to get such close-up and uninterrupted looks at an adult
bird with brilliant orange (nankeen) wings and back, glossy black crown and
long white plumes from the nape. Late the other afternoon, two Little Egrets
came to rest just alongside the night-heron - all three with nuchal plumes
blowing in the wind. Beautiful!
Azure Kingfishers have reappeared from more upstream quarters; and
surprisingly, Plum-headed Finches have taken to visiting a bird bath in the
garden. We see them around from time to time, but this is the first time
they've been seen drinking from a bird bath.
A Cicadabird has been calling in the garden for two days now, sometimes very
close to the house; more Fork-tailed Swifts yesterday morning, this time
heading east; Little Bronze-cuckoo, Pallid Cuckoo, Koel and Channel-billed
Cuckoos calling most days.
Bill Jolly
"Abberton",
Lockyer Valley, Queensland.
Visit our website at http://www.abberton.org
Email:
Ph: (+61) 7 4697 6111 Fax: (+61) 7 4697 6056
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