aussiebirder

Last weekend we spent the morning with a younger couple of ‘novice’ birders as they described themselves. This was our second outing together, and focused on Mt Annan Botanic Gardens in the hope that the endangered Swift Parrot flock, wintering here, which I had posted several weeks ago, were still present in the eucalypts of this park. Before we got out of the main carpark where we met up with our friends, we encountered again a phenomenon that occurred some weeks before with a White-faced Heron, where the bird could see its face reflected in our sunroof and side mirrors and was madly pecking at it. We felt it was looking for a mate and was hopeful it had found one. Click on images to enlarge.

In a similar way and with similar and repeated persistence, even when we tried to drive them off, this pair of White-winged Chough would continue to move from parked car to parked car peering and pecking at their reflected images. If you look at the second bird on the first image above you can see the edge of the white underwing which is predominant contrast to the black when they fly.

Finally we jumped into one car and drove around the gardens circuit and stopping firstly at the sundial hill.

We climbed the sundial hill in hope of finding the Scarlet Robin pair we saw last time we visited, but they had also left, though we did see several other birds including these Red-browed Finches and as my friend rightly noted these are also a member of our Firetail family, though they are all actually Finches of which we have many species. This name comes from the bright red base of their tale. Finches are grass seed eaters and spend much of their time on our extensive savanna and open grassland paddocks, especially this time of year when the summer grasses seed during winter months.

While we were on the hill this Australian Kestrel (Previously known as Nankeen Kestrel) was spotted in the valley on a dead branch, as is their normal raptor custom, which ensures good 360° vision. It might appear to be resting, but it is most likely looking to see if their is any movement on the field which might be worth investigating for a meal. They hover over their prey moving slowly down above it and then rapidly dive down on it. This is our smallest raptor and is featured in my book What Birds Teach Us. Click on image below to find out more about my beautiful bird books which are currently selling well all over Australia. The page will open in a new tab.

We revisited the Tawny Frogmouth previously seen last visit, but they had relocated and were found much deeper in the forest with the help of the Illawarra Bird Observers Club which were presently also in Banksia 1 viewing a Wonga Pigeon nest high in a eucalypt tree with parent on the nest. The Wonga Pigeon is a native rainforest pigeon found in Australia’s eastern coastal rainforests and is known for its classic location call, which rings through the forest in the early morning.

Notice the classic chevron markings on the Wonga Pigeon’s underbody. This bird is mainly a ground forager eating fallen native fruits, insects and seeds, It is mainly territorial as are most rainforest species and can usually be predicted to be in an area at a particular time. This photo was taken at O’Reilly’s rainforest Retreat near Lamington Mountain NP, southern Queensland where these birds are numerous and walking around the lodge. If you want a birding treat visit, you will not be disappointed. My books are also sold in the giftshop.

As we looked for the Swifties in the Eucalypts in the Banksia 2 area, we heard the flock of Bell Miner (commonly known as Bellbirds, though ornithologically this is incorrect, since we do have a species of birds called Bellbirds) ringing through the trees as they marked their ownership of this area as they harvest their supply of sugary food called lerps, which coats the larvae of the tree lice  or psyllids also known as jumping tree lice. Many birds feed on the lerps and the bell miner has learned to lick the white coating off the back of the leaf leaving the insect. Most honeyeaters and other birds will eat lerps as well as nectar, fruit and insects for energy boost, especially when flowers are few during winter.

Here a Bell Miner is eating lerps from the back of the eucalypt leaves. Notice the brown spots on the leaves where the insect has killed part of the leaf due to the acid substance it emits. Eventually over time these birds will create stress for these trees and possibly kill them causing dieback which government conservationists are concerned about. These trees have many dead leaves lying on the ground around them already.

Looking down into the creek area one of our friends spotted this male Satin Bowerbird resting. He soon took off when he saw us, as the males are very shy of humans and often hide when observing us, though the females are not so inclined. We could also hear the Eastern Whipbird calling down there also but it eluded my lens. The Bowerbird is also featured in both my books with photos of his bower and his unique courting ritual. These birds a clever mimics also, impressing their females with a repertoire of bird sounds in a similar way to the Superb and Albert’s Lyrebirds. The Bowerbirds are all rainforest fruit eaters and our young people can learn helpful tips about courting our partner from them. Click on image to view books

Lastly, we watched this young Whistling Kite circling quite high and distant overhead. They are named for their classic whistling call of which I have a previous example below. After lunch as the wind blew cold we departed having enjoyed a lovely time together.

Have a wonderful week and stay dry and warm. This has been the wettest year on record in Sydney and it continues to pour as I write this post, even for another week. It must be very difficult for the nesting birds, as it is for birders. I saw a an earth worm washed out of the soil trying to come inside the house.

I will be taking a break from posting for a few weeks.

A few days ago I lost my wallet while delivering a shipment of my books to the local Post Office. I frantically retraced my tracks twice but with no success. My wife and I prayed asking God to give us peace, believing that He will return it to us. This wallet not only had $200 cash I had recently drawn that day, but also all my bank cards and other important cards I needed for life. I was encouraged that my wife and her praying friends had a real peace from God that it would be found, as did myself. However, I did cancel my cards in case it fell into unscrupulous hands, as the Sydney demographic has changed and become less trustworthy in recent years. While we prayed and reported it lost we had words of knowledge from one of our Christian friends that it will be found and brought back to us. I prayed blessing over the person who would find the wallet, praying that if they needed the money it would bless them,

regardless of whether or not they return it. The next day, still having heard nothing from the police, I heard a car door close outside, thinking it was my wife returning from teaching her English for Living class. So I went out to the front of the house to help her in with her bags and I saw a small group of teenage boys, all in local high school uniform, standing outside my house in the rain, with umbrellas up, loudly talking to one another.

One of the boys smiled and asked if I had lost a wallet. Of course I replied that I had with great expectancy. He called to another boy down the street that this was the right place. A boy came running up to me with a big smile and handed me my wallet intact with all cards and cash. It was dry and not sopping wet as I imagined, and it was delivered to me personally by these seven lovely young and courteous teenage boys. It was returned personally to me as prophesied.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion, and more so when I offered some of the cash to the boys and twice they refused to take it. I told them how we had prayed it would be returned and thanked them for their integrity, honesty and kindness in returning it to me. I went inside and worshiped and gave thanks in tears, not just for wallet, but for another wonderful example of God’s love and truth to his Word. This was another one of the many miracles of his grace I have experience and acknowledge each week. I phoned the school and told the Principal and she was elated that she had such a good report for a change and even more so that the boys did not accept payment.

A couple of years ago I lost my mobile phone on the beach of our tidal river and it was carried out to sea and brought back on the tide. A 4 year old girl found it sopping wet and full of sand on the beach the next morning. Her mother managed to locate us using the emergency contact. As we were praying I was thinking the worse, since our lives now depend on these things and they are not cheap to buy. We immediately went to her home and she presented the phone which I cleaned out and is still working to this day. Everyone says “Its a miracle !” and that it is.

Nothing is impossible with our loving Father God when we pressing to his arms of love and trust him through life’s storms. The little 4 year old became a proud owner of my book ‘What Birds Teach Us’ as her reward, and she held it close to her chest cherishing it, which delighted my heart. Have a wonderful week.

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Adv. Dip. in Counselling and Family Therapy.

Member of Birdlife Australia

To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

And learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.

NOTE: All photos, videos and music used on this website are photographed, composed, performed  by the site owner and remains his copyrighted property, unless otherwise stated. The use of any material that is not original material of the site owner is duly acknowledged as such. © W. A. Hewson 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.