aussiebirder

Some of my blog readers will recall in my last post how I mentioned our state government had back-flipped on a Conservation bill to protect Koalas. There is good news ! Three days after my post they flipped back again due to both public petitions and outcries from their own party, where significant numbers of their party threatend to cross the floor on the vote. I was notified by email yesterday, here is an excerpt from the email.

Another year has passed for me and my loving Father God has graciously blessed me to enjoy another birthday. Next year I will reach my three-score-and ten milestone, though I continue to have the spirit of a one much younger, this again is by virtue of my Lord Jesus. To celebrate the day, my wife and I headed off to our favorite outdoor cafe in our favorite local national park for a big brekkie and a long walk.

As we were waiting for brekkie, we watched this juvenile Australian Magpie following its father, giving the usual squawk for food, which does not seem to peeve the father, he just keep walking on. The juvenile classically has dark eyes, dark beak and brown mottled plumage with down like chest. The father and other male relatives have the responsibility to feed and train the youngsters. We watched this all happen from our table outside of the cafe.

After a really delicious brekkie we both made our way to begin our walk down Lady Carrington Drive, as it is known, which is closed off from vehicular traffic. The sound of Spring nesting was constant along the track as many families of Golden Whistler were in process of becoming. I managed to capture this footage of one male.

This is my favorite Spring bird, as it has many different calls, and sings almost constantly throughout Spring and Summer becoming much quieter during most of the colder Winter months when it is not nesting or training young. Here is its contact call when it is locating the female as well as marking its territory. Click on photo to enlarge.

As we walked past the river we heard a Little Corella calling as it was playing across the river on a vine. These birds are known for their playful antics as they show off to their females like typical teenagers.

We noticed that more native wildflowers were out, while others had finished flowering. This tiny orchid flower was a beautiful find by my wife. We were unable to find a listing for it.

Other flowers included the Bush Fuchsia (Fuchsia Heath) and Red Spider Flower

We managed to catch a glimpse of this pair of Eastern Whipbird resting between playing and chasing each other together. We were not sure if they were courting or not. The male on the left is seen calling while the female sits obediently below and keeps her eyes on him. They were some distance away, as they are very shy, which affected the quality of these shots. These birds run and fly at extremely fast speeds, and remind me of the American RoadRunner, as they almost appear to run mid air when one slows video of their lower ground flight. These birds along with the Golden Whistler are featured in both my books which are available here online, and make excellent Christmas gifts, introducing your loved ones to our amazing and very clever birds.

Listen to classic whip sound which is amazingly very loud in the bush. See if you can detect when the female answers the male. Below you will here the female respond after each second call of the male.

This Eastern Crimson Rosella was resting in the midday sun, but soon took off on our approach.

It was pleasing to meet several birding couples on our walk and have long chats with most of them which added a lovely note to our walk. Of course our rainforest walk is not complete without hearing and seeing a Superb Lyrebird. At first we found this very tame young female Lyrebird. The juveniles tend to have less fear of humans. The females tend to be quiet most of the time while foraging for worms and other insects in the wet leaf litter. Both sexes of Juvenile Lyrebirds look identical to the female except for size and lesser amount of orange under beak. It takes several years for a male to reach maturity and gain its full lyrical tail plumage.

We were hoping to find a male, and soon after this we did. They are usually heard practicing their song and dance routine somewhere in the bush, which makes them easier to find than the female. This young male was practicing his song but had not yet got the mimic down pat, with only partial bird sounds of the Kookaburra, Pied Currawong and other birds. The Kookaburra is one of the more complex sounds it copies, and usually a sign of maturity when they master it. The Lyrebird nest during the Winter months. The female builds nest and raises the chicks alone, while the male maintains his stance on his courting stage, performing his routine to impress any present female to mate with him. Some of the less flighty Lyrebirds seen on the track may be juveniles from this years clutch.

Young Superb Lyrebird male practicing his repertoire

We were also please to spot the resident Black-faced Monach, which is present here in the summer months while it breeds. It usually tries to evade our view, with just its large dark eye peering at us, as if it is hidden.

The extraordinarily wet year has meant protection from bushfires and also very lush native palms and grasses. This Fan Palm s an example.

As we walked back to our car we shared what a wonderful morning we had, and a most lovely Birdthday Birding Brekkie.

Have a wonderful week. Much of our state is devastated by floodwater as thousands of homes are ruined and unlivable, with many more families displaced and homeless. The many rising rivers in the west of our state, and the torrents of water are the worse than ever recorded in our history. This disaster no one saw coming, as the rain continues to come in massive torrents. Our hearts and prayers go out to them at this time.

My birthday is time I solemnly consider my life and give thanks for the mercy and grace shown me by Father God, my creator and sustainer, through the passing year and look positively and expectantly for God’s blessing as I walk into the new year.

It is easy to go about my daily life without a thought to my lifespan, it is unpopular and strikes fear in many. Shakespeare in Hamlet’s soliloquy so well puts it: ‘When we shuffle off this mortal coil.’ However, knowing that there is more to life than death, and that there is purpose and meaning to it all is a great comfort and peace to me, but not as much as knowing the one who formed me also loves me, and that his heart for us is to bless and save me as King David the song writer of old puts it in Psalm 139:13-18 (NIV)

“For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
  My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
 Were I to count them,
    they would outnumber the grains of sand—
    when I awake, I am still with you.”

Though on the other side of this he writes in Psalm 39:5 how fragile and fleeting life is:

“You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure.“

There is much wisdom for us not only to live a good and honest life but to consider the purpose and reason for our existence. Is it really only about me or is it about someone else, who made me ? These three considerations also help us to remain on track:

>>> Consider how short my life is.

>>> Consider how little I have left of it ere on earth

>>> Consider how uncertain the timing of my end is.

All of these uncertainties drive me to faith rather than fear, and to wisdom rather than frivolity. There is much more life than we are aware, and the wise seek it out and possess it. Jesus Christ the most dynamic man who ever lived simply said: ‘Those who ask and keep on asking will receive it, Those who seek and keep on seeking will find it and those who knock at life’s door and keep on knocking will have it open to them.’ – Luke 11:9,10

John the apostle of Jesus also said: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” – John 17:3

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To introduce people to our amazing Australian Birds

To learn from them better ways of living a healthy happy life

Adv. Dip. of Counselling and Family Therapy

© W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023