Last week my wife and I went for a longer than usual walk into the rainforest in the Royal National Park. We have been enjoying these long walks in the fresh sunny Autumn weather, and it has been therapeutic emotionally and physically as I continue to come to terms with social distancing, accepting retirement, my camera still being repaired and my book promotion put on hold.
Continuing from my previous post we left early in search again for the female Superb Lyrebirds nesting, as Autumn is the time when she builds the nest and lays her eggs, while the male continues to do his song and dance performances to woo his female fans for mating. Click Here for some of my previous footage, which some of you have seen, to give you an idea how they dance to their own beat, and use their repertoire of mimicry to impress the female.
Male Lyrebird performing mimicry
Male Lyrebird dancing to his own beat.
Like the Bowerbird, the males spend most of their life, and time practicing their performance for that short period of several weeks when they mate. Notice the female photo above (again the work of my dear wife, who wants to thanks those who complemented her for her beautiful Fairy-wren photo featured last week)) has an ordinary feathered tail and a rufous throat, unlike the beautiful male tail. As we walked deeper into the forest we noticed increased scratchings by the track, and soon we started finding the females preparing their nests and just very quietly foraging for food.
It was not long before we found what we were looking for, a female collecting sticks and moss for the nest. Again, she was very careful to not give away the location of the nest. I watched how particular she was collecting the correct stick. She would stop, add to the bundle, pick it up and move to her next pick up.
This particular day we saw no males, though the following week I saw 3 males and 3 females. As we made our way through the forest our stress levels fell and we felt more relaxed.
We started hearing and then seeing the White-throated Treecreeper ascending a tree, silently. Usually you only find them by hearing their load repeating call. This is a female, because of the orange spot on her ears.
As she ascended you will hear in the background the sound of another Treecreeper climbing, foraging for grubs and insects in the bark of the eucalypt tree. This is a bird seen in greater number during the colder months.
The Golden Whistler is quieter during the winter months also. The males are usually hard to spot during Winter months, as they are shy and not singing as much as they Sing in Spring. The females on the other hand are very curious and will come close to get a good look at you.
One bird you will always hear in our rainforest all year round is the Lewin’s Honeyeater. Their call is similar to the Treecreeper but much faster in staccato. You may remember the call from a previous post, it was also in the background of the female Golden Whistler clip (above).
On this occasion I was able to get closer. Most of our Honeyeaters migrate around following blossom, and avoiding colder weather, but the Lewin’s is a rainforest Honeyeater and is usually territorial remaining all year round, similar to the Miners and Wattlebirds.
One of the encouraging signs after the drought beginning to break from recent rains, is the sound of the many Eastern Whipbirds, which went very quiet during the driest part of last year, as they forage on the forest floor turning moist leaf litter for grubs and insects, in moist gullies. They are very elusive birds, and in my early birding years had me standing for hours trying to catch a glimpse. This one eluded us also.
Eastern Whipbird sees us and plans his escape
Eastern Whipbird making his gettaway
As we finished our 9 km walk we noticed this Australasian Darter resting, and doing an excerpt from some Bird Ballet for a few seconds.
Darter Ballet
My contemplation for this week comes from the following film clip during my rainforest walk this week. The National Park was spared the horrific bushfires this past year, but has been burnt out years ago in 1994 with a horrific fire click here to see some of the photos. This tall straight forest hardwood in the thick of the rainforest was burnt out but continues to grow strong, because enough of the vital cambium layer just under the thick bark, which feeds the tree, survived the intense heat and fire.
This tree reminded me of me, when years ago I suffered burn out from being too busy and too stressed from the demands of job, family and life itself. Thankfully with God’s provision and help I survived and managed to to come back even stronger, like the tree, which spurred me on to study family counselling and write the books. While I remain connected and rooted firmly to my Life Source I can continue growing and enjoying life, having learnt how to avoid further burn out. My birding walks help achieve this,in a mindful way, like Adam (the first man) I can walk and talk with God alone in his beautiful garden, and be at peace, because I have come to realize his faithful love and provision for me. If you feel safe to check out my Birder Sanctuary pages you will see some of the principles that helped me through the difficult times, and continue to. Interesting enough God used birds to teach, help and even feed man many times throughout history, and Jesus mentions them more than any other animal.
Enjoy your week, and especially enjoy a fresh appreciation of freedom, food, family and friends and our beautiful country as we begin to navigate a new normal as we hopefully come out of the Covid Crisis.
My Mission: To encourage all people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
One day last week to set off early to miss the walkers and walk through Royal National Park and search for Lyrebird we knew was nesting near the track, as unlike most birds they nest in Autumn and Winter. We had only just stepped out of our car and we heard the Superb Fairy-wren family twittering right beside us. We always see them in this area, where I researched them for my book. A beautiful male in eclipse or female-like non-breeding plumage was happily twittering and drawing our attention away from his wife and children who were escaping behind him. He stayed as his curiosity gave me some lovely footage, but notice the speed of his every movement, which shows how much faster their thought processes and metabolism is to ours.
The lovely feature photo at the top of the page was my wife’s, as I continue to await my lens repair, which is meant to be concluded this week, however the part has not come in yet. Here is a photo in his breeding plumage last Spring:
Since the Covid crisis my wife and I have been taking longer walks deeper in to the rainforest areas of our National Park to get much needed exercise, to refresh our spirits and distance ourselves even further from the dramatic increase in walkers due to the virus restrictions and the need to exercise. However, walking but no loitering or picnicking allowed. As you can see below the Cafe is closed and the picnic benches taped over, as the people-less grounds will soon be joined by a leafless introduced tree as it approaches the Covid winter of my life.
Royal NP Cafe outside empty
Picnic tables taped over under a changing introduced tree.
Walking amid the coastal rainforest of eastern Australia is one of the most beautiful and refreshing experiences, especially when one enters pockets of constant bird song, as mixed feeding flocks feed on nectar rich native flora which at this time of year is limited mainly to Banksia ericifolia, which helps carry them through to early Spring.
Our main mission which moved us further into the forest, this particular walk, was to search for the female Superb Lyrebird building her nest. You may recall in this recent previous post the male Lyrebirds have recently been performing to attract females to mate with, as is their custom this time of year. Now the pregnant female is gathering sticks, moss and soft foliage to build it’s unique dome nest. When looking for Lyrebirds one looks for fresh track-side scratchings. These became more extensive the further we moved into the forest away from people.
Evidence of a recent Lyrebird foraging
Keeping my eyes ever looking ahead, I finally spotted a male foraging quite some distance ahead on the side of the track. This explains the poor quality of video.
The easiest way to discern the sex of a Lyrebird is by it’s tail. The male has the beautiful streaming tail with streamers and net like frills, and the female has a shorter, simple dull brown-grey feathered tail, as does the juvenile.
As we walked further we saw evidence of moss being gathered, and then to our surprise, as well as the female Lyrebird’s, we caught her carrying moss to her nest, though she made sure we did not find the nest.
You can learn more about this bird and the next bird mentioned, in my book “What Birds Teach Us”
We heard the sound of a male Eastern Whipbird calling as he made his morning rounds, but there was no female response. He could be a young male who may find a mate and breed early Spring.
The female response always immediately follows the male whip call. It is only a second after his, how amazing is that. When she hears him she waits and calls precisely after his call. This is what it would sound like if she were there foraging nearby:
It was interesting to find this single male Yellow-tailed Cockatoo calling from a tree. This bird is always found in flocks and pairs, so this fellow either lost the flock or maybe lost the plot as he seemed disorientated. This time of year we see flocks of this bird on the coast exploring the cones from the many pines planted, especially Norfolk Pines planted along the coast.
While we were walking, the flock eventually flew over but without this guy. Listen to their unique call. Birders get excited and run outside with their cameras when they here this sound, especially if a large flock is passing over, they are so loud, even at a high altitude.
The tiny constantly moving Brown Thornbill, an insectivorous local is always seen year round calling and moving through trees, often in MMFs (Mixed Feeding Flocks), delights us with his classic call.
The Sulfur-crested Cockatoo have usually finished breeding in the south, but because of the warm Autumn some are breeding here, as if they are far north. This guy is on nest-watch.
A companion breeder to the Cockie is the Rainbow Lorikeet who competes for tree holes since they often share the same trees at the same time. However, the Rainbow Lorikeet can breed all year round, producing 2 eggs each time, where as the Kookaburra breeds only in Spring. This pair may be checking out this white-ant nest, which has been traditionally the nest of the resident Kookaburras, and has previously caused controversy between the two over the years, which I did show on a previous post last year. Notice how one stands guard while the other looks inside. Not sure what is happening here, whether they are using it at present, before Spring arrives later in the year, or just doing a pre-auction inspection, as this is prime luxury real estate.
Later before leaving we heard the loud sound of many Rainbow Lorikeets in an Angophora tree. We focused our lenses high up in the tree to discover that these birds had discovered a small pool of water sitting in a bowl formation upright in the tree. This unusual tree, which I have shared about many times, is an important part of this bird’s habitat, due to its unique branch formation, and branch ejection system, leaving pockets and holes which birds use to nest in or in this occasion to drink from and bathe in after rain.
Rainbow Lorikeet flying in for a drink, scattering the others.
One bird we always look for along the river before we leave the park is the Azure Kingfisher. We usually spot him zipping in and out of the river. Though it would appear to a brief onlooker he is just resting, he is actually hard at work looking into the water for his next catch, which he will pluck out of the water with precise accuracy and speed, returning with it to the same perch.
The Kingfisher family (of which the Kookaburra is the largest member) have binocular vision, to enable accurate distance assessment using triangulation. In addition they also have the ability to correct for light refraction in water, which enables them to accurately target and catch their prey. It is interesting that what can appear to one person from the context of their own experience to be resting or non-active is actually quite the opposite. It is only when one studies, observes and investigates the facts fully, they can make an informed decision otherwise a false assessment can easily be made, by making a comparison with ones existing knowledge. The chapter on the Australian Raven in my book sheds light on this also. It is one thing to gain knowledge (to know what), and even greater to gain wisdom (to know how to use knowledge) but the greatest treasure one can procure is understanding (to know why wisdom works). The wisest man King Solomon says:
“The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.” – Proverbs 4:7
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his.” – Job 12:13
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;” – Proverbs 3:5
If you have not done so already please take advantage of my Book Launch Special Offer discount. Find out more about my book and purchase safely online:here.
Thank you so much my dear Blog Following Friends who have already purchased my book, and some have purchased several copies. A school teacher who bought several of my books, exclaimed how much better it was to the first edition, which was very encouraging.
We have planned to have my official book launch at a special Primary School assembly Post-Covid. I did a presentation at this school a couple of years ago and they loved it and sold many books of which $5 from every book sold went to the school. The same school has already purchased 2 books for its library. Find out how your school or club can benefit also if you live in NSW here.
Please, if you have purchased, write a review on your website (as some of you did for my 1st edition and I was most appreciative) or in the Comments field at the foot of my BirdBook page or send it by email and I will publish it: ashley@aussiebirder.com
Enjoy your week and stay safe!
My Mission: To encourage young people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
One bird that is being seen each year in decreasing numbers is the Pardolote, in particular the Spotted Pardolote. It is one of Australia’s smallest birds and resembles a gum leaf, having the body shape and the size, making it difficult to detect when feeding in the dark canopy high in a eucalypt tree. It feeds mainly on insects and Lerps. Because it feeds also on the Psyllid larvae as well as the Lerps (which is very sought after bird candy covering of the Psyllid larvae) it is attacked brutally and often killed by larger more aggressive birds, in particular the Bell and Noisy Miners.
Bell MIner eating Lerps from a gum leaf. Notice the brown spots where the leaf has died due to the Psyllid larvae.
This is because the Miners are known to harvest Lerps as a family industry, preserving the larvae to produce more Lerps. They have coalitions of police Miners to mark their territory to harass and attack intruders, thus keeping the Lerps and other foods to themselves. Sadly because the Miners have learnt to lick the lerps and leave the Larvae, eucalypt trees can suffer stress and even die due to excessive guarding by Miners.
The Spotted Pardolote numbers are reducing each year as a result of bird aggression towards them, and their nesting holes being destroyed. Since they nest in soil embankments, making small tunnels which they fly into and out of, they sometimes build nests in soil piled at construction sites which later gets moved or used, thus destroying their nest, and sometimes both birds.
Here is a recent slideshow video honoring this amazing little bird. Enjoy:
Don’t miss out on the Book Launch offer while it is still on. Thank you to those both in Australia and overseas who have already purchased the 2nd Edition. If you want to know about the book “What Birds Teach Us” click here. If you want to take advantage of the special Book Launch Offer (only for a short time) click here.
Stay Safe and enjoy any opportunity to get out and about that you can to stay sane.
My Mission: To encourage young people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
As we enter the second week of my book launch which unexpectedly coincided with the virus lock-down and social distancing laws, making it impossible to physically market my now published book, I have had to resort to online advertising more than ever. To my friends, fellow bloggers and followers I extend a special invitation to access my: Special Offer Book Launch Page to purchase your Second Edition: Improved and Enlarged of “What Birds Teach Us” at a lower than usual price, for a short time only. This is a great gift for school aged children and especially bird lovers. If this is your first visit to my blog or website click here to view last weeks blog which will give more information about the book or here for even more information.
Young Magpie Learning about the Magpie from my book
Most of my birding has been at the birdbaths around our backyard court yard where we receive many visits per day by several species of our local birds. This has resulted in the bird baths being filled many times a day now that I am home more. This solitary Rainbow Lorikeet (unusual to be found alone) has become my most recent visitor.
One of the features of being home more often and having the birdbaths in the back yard is that the birds are learning to trust me as they become accustomed to me being around. They watch me filling the baths from nearby and then come. The most important rules for me to observe to earn their trust are to not look at them while I pass them (many wild animals or birds see eye contact as a stance of aggression or confrontation, as it is for some primitive human cultures). When I move past birds resting within very close range or using bird bath, the next rule is to move very slowly with fluid movement, not changing speed or suddenly moving. This conveys acknowledgement of their fear and respect for their concern. Noisy Miners and the alpha male Magpie trust me to be only a couple of feet away as they wash now. A month or two ago this was not the case.
It is important, if you want the birds to come, to also to clean out the baths weekly, otherwise mold and slime from the water being stale and feathered will coat the bath. Refill with fresh water. I have learned that each bird has a routine of when they know they can safely come without the threat of other birds, especially from the harassment of the always very noisy Noisy Miner coalition. You always know when Miners are bathing by their endless racket. This changes when the Male Maggie arrives.
If you sit quietly and wait, eventually the birds will come to you.
This is one of the key birding principles, when out in the bush, in a park or at home seated several feet or more from your bird bath. Birds are alarmed at movement, noise and sustained visual contact. They hear and see more acutely and respond faster than us, so if you sit and wait eventually a feeding flock will pass through, or a bird may even come and out of curiosity look you over, as is often the case at home. They also will come quite close, when they do not feel threatened, when they know that you have not harmed them in the past. They will drink and bathe and preen right next to you. Below is an excerpt from my Home Page on the ways to draw birds to your back yard and earn their trust.
The Enjoyable Daily Experience of the Humble Birdbath
One of the most enjoyable experiences we have each day is watching our local native birds drink, wash and cool off at our birdbaths. This can be quite entertaining. Birdbaths can be purchased from Garden and Landscape Centres or homemade by just fixing a large dish or bowl, firmly to a small table or very secure base. It is important the bowl does not move when birds land on it, otherwise they may not return.
Refill it with fresh water daily and clean it weekly, and let the birds do the rest. We have found having a large and small bath next to each other advantageous, as it allows several birds to make use at the same time.
I often get asked: “What can I do to attract our native birds to my backyard?” or “Is it alright to put seed, fruit or meat out for birds?” In Australia the land of drought and hot summers water is the bird’s most pressing need. Providing a constant source of clean water is the best we can do for our native birds, and a birdbath is the most practical means.
Australia is the home of several of the worlds most aggressive birds. Feeding native birds can not only lead to a dependence but more so to aggression from particular bird species, which can result in personal and property damage. Australian birds can find food most of the time and it is in their own interest to do that.
All birds need water, especially in time of drought which has been 4 years now for us. They need to drink and bathe and cool off, just like we do. The best thing you can do for your local birds is to buy or build a birdbath or two, and keep it filled daily, and cleaned weekly. If you want to feed your birds, in particular the many honeyeaters we have, plant nectar producing native shrubs, especially Bottlebrush (Callistemon) and Grevillea.
Plant native fruit trees, these include varieties of native fig, Lilly Pilly and other native fruit trees trees as most of our birds are fruit eaters. Many birds are small seed eaters so allow your grass to seed at the end of summer and any other seed producing plants.
female Figbird enjoying native figs
My message from all the above is that Trust is earned when we have Learned what is needed for others to trust us. As with the birds, when we respect their needs and understand what makes them feel safe, so it is with us parents when with our children. This lock-down period is an excellent time for parents, in particular fathers, to spend time with their children and respect their needs of relationship with their dad. What better way than to read and explain from my book, especially if the dad can share his own personal experiences. The father can reinforce better than anyone by sharing time to read the book with them and explaining the wisdom of the life skills learnt from each bird. This is what is most precious to a growing child.
Stay Safe, Stay at Home and Enjoy your local birds with your family!
My Mission: To encourage young people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
You may have wondered why the Red-tailed Tropicbird is used as my avatar and brand for aussiebirder.com. This was the bird that captured my attention and drew me away from nature photography to a love of birds. It was not the visual aspect (photographics) that so much attracted me, though important as it is, but the behavioural characteristics, that brought my admiration for this bird.
Lord Howe Island viewed from Malabar headland
I traveled to Lord Howe Island years ago, specifically to find this elusive bird which is only found soaring above inaccessible sea cliffs around the islands of Australia and the Pacific.
It was the assertion that these birds were able to fly backwards when performing their courting ritual that caused me to seek out ‘the backward flying bird’. It is the way these birds continuously effortlessly soar over the cliff faces for hours on the breeze, performing occasional aerial acrobatic that attracts me to them. Their red streamer (tail extension) assists them in their acrobatic skills.
We always get excited when we see them. They do not appear to be feeding or busy like other birds, they just enjoy soaring like eagles on the thermals and playing as they use their unique ‘butterfly flight’. This makes them very difficult to capture on movie as you can see below.
The Tropicbird feeds mainly on flying fish which it catches in the air, and can dive from 50 metres directly into the ocean to catch fish or squid also so food is always on tap. It does not build a nest but nests openly beneath pine trees on cliff edges or inside caves which are usually inaccessible to humans. Visitors to the islands often mistaken these birds for gulls as they only see them from a distance, but their black feet and black facial mark set them apart which a birder would detect.
I have always been a creative person, and enjoyed exploring different means of creative expression, like these birds. It is good to accept who I am and enjoy being uniquely different. Being uniquely me as I was created to be, and not trying to be someone else. This week I would like to share another aspect of my creativity which you may have noticed as the musical backing to many of my video clips used on the website. Today in this time when we are restricted to our homes, and our National Parks are locked up I will share some of my music. Please bare in mind that I am not a trained musician, do not read from music, but play by ear. These tracks are all recorded on my computer. You may remember hearing this backing I called New Beginnings:
I track the background and then overlap the lead later. Experimenting with nature sounds, such as the sounds of a wetlands at night I composed this one called Sounds of the Night:
Another concept I used for my DVD set The Beautiful Series which was produced six years ago and now unavailable was to use bird call backing, waterfall backing and ocean backing to complement my sound. It is quite astounding that the many people who have commented on my music, as unprofessional as it is, have all used the same descriptive word soothing to describe it. Here is some backing used for previous posts. Because the clip is short the lead does not occur.
As some of you are aware I do like playing blues, a love from my past. There are occasions where this fits in nicely also.
I also enjoy creating encouraging clips for Facebook and my website homepage. Here is an example using water and bird calls together. I am currently creating new productions.
Lastly, Here is me unplugged playing the popular tunes of the past which are not my own but have my bluesy touch to them. Here is a few. Please remember these are played off the cuff without preparation, so the odd strange note or two my occur.
The House of the Rising Sun (recorded by the Animals in 1964) was one of my favorite songs we did through the years.
Cotton Fields ( first recorded by Lead Belly in 1940 and later by Creedence CWR in 1969) another fav from the old days.
What a Wonderful World is another (recorded by Louis Armstrong 1967 and written for him by Bob Thiele and David Weiss to assist in integration of race in America. They thought Louis was a great ambassador for this purpose). I love this song and I love his bluesy voice singing it.
Anyway, if you are locked up at home like me in isolation maybe these tunes will help soothe, as one famous quote says: music soothes the savage beast. which was a misquote of William Concreve’s 1697 line: music hath charms to sooth a savage breast. This is why Music Therapy has become a new form of therapy in medicine used in hospitals, while waiting on phones and in shopping centres to help soothe reduce aggression, fear and ease suffering. We all use music as a therapy at times when alone or when we need a pickup. Like our choice of food and acquaintances, music choices are important and can subconsciously lift us up or press us down creating anxiety, sadness and stress. We need to filter what we hear. Too many people today just listen to whatever, because they are told it is popular, the latest or because a radio station has chosen it for them, without realising its hidden impact. We were created to sing and enjoy song and music, and worship our Creator joyfully (a word used many times in the Bible in relation to worship) with music and song, as this is not only encouraging but holds a positive health benefit also, strengthening our immune system and lifting our emotional state. So when circumstances like the present are causing you to feel gloomy, frustrated or sad, joyful music and song with positive lyrics may be therapeutic. Music is the language known by all peoples. My blogger friend David from BirdsAsPoetry blog shared this video in a recent blog post which speaks of the unifying common thread that music has across the world. If you like blues and soul you will love it.
“David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.” – 1 Kings 10:12
“Worship the Lord with gladness; comebefore him with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:2
“Sing and makemusic from your heart to the Lord,” – Ephesians 5:19 (NIV)
Enjoy your week ! Stay Safe! We continue to enjoy our staycation this week and my wife and I have had a very peaceful time cleaning out clutter from the past and just enjoying the peace and quiet around us, as well as each other’s company.
My Mission: To encourage young people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
In response to an email from NSW National Parks, my wife and I made our way to our local Royal NP for an exercise walk, after a week in isolation at home. It was interesting to see the police and ranger presence, but even more interesting was that there were more people present on this beautiful Autumn Sunday in the NP than I have ever seen at one time, and I am a frequent attendant. It was impossible not to pass another person, but of course always maintaining the 1.5 m distance. It was the most therapeutic option for us locals given the circumstances. Families playing together enjoying the sun on the grass, bike riders peddling past, and many couples and families walking the trails and dodging the many mud puddles along the way, evidence of recent good rainfalls. The creeks and waterfalls were all flowing again. At the start of our walk on each occasion we always scan the banks of the river where 80% of the time we spot the Azure Kingfisher (or its cousin the Sacred, or both). Sure enough my wife spotted it across the river on the far bank.
This beautiful little bird is always a delight to watch fly and fish. Funny to watch is his head as it bobs up and down every time he moves it. My wife is again the photographer of the stills, and these shots were from some distance away, I could not see the bird at all. As we walked we noticed how quiet it was with very few bird sounds, like last week. My wife was cautious, looking out for the Red-bellied Black Snake again, that we saw a couple of weeks ago. Sure enough it was again on the side of the trail hidden in the grass catching the warmth of the sun, hiding from all the passers by, and thankfully quite unperturbed by our presence.
Red-bellied Black Snake sun bathing
It was lovely to see many of the local Gymea Liliy plants preparing to send up stems. This park is known for them as they are a native plant endemic to the coastal areas around Sydney. We even have a town nearby called Gymea which the lily is named after. This healthy specimen has sent three stems up which will be flowering soon.
This is what the flower head will look like when it opens…
Gymea lily in full flower
Gymea Lily
Since we were here last week the Banksia ericifolia flowers have started coming to full bloom, which becomes one of the main nectar sources for honeyeaters during the early Winter months, as does the Bush Fuchsia, flowering also at the moment. This Lewins Honeyeater is enjoying a feed.
We often would hear the high fast staccato call of this bird as it seemed to follow us down the track. You will get to see it calling in a later video in this post, and how it involves its whole body. Finally, we arrived at Bill’s Rock as us locals know it. This is where Bill a large male Superb Lyrebird flies up to from across the river, to make his way up the embankment on the other side of the track. The amazing Angophora tree is growing on top of the rock, where we and others sometimes sit and wait for Bill.
Bill’s Rock with Angophora costata tree growing on top of it.
Lo and behold, we were both confronted with the sounds of several Golden Whistlers calling to one another nearby, quite out of character for the season, though they were communicating and the male was not delivering his courting and nesting warnings, as that season had passed.
We looked for them and finally laid eyes on both a male and a female. My wife took the lovely photo of the male featured at the beginning of this post. They called continuously to one another the whole time we were there. There may have been a youngster also as there were several callers.
Lo and behold again! We could hear Bill calling from below near the river, practicing his display for his courting dance and song, which consist of a repertoire of mimicry formed from the sounds of neighboring birds and noise making things. Listen as I identify some of the sounds in the following video. At this stage the Superb Lyrebird male is performing out of sight in the bush below the cliff face. He will have his tail feathers up over his head and will be dancing to his own music.
Here is another recording to listen to…
Finally, as we both stood together on Bill’s Rock, we saw him in the bush scratching for worms and insects in the leaf litter.
While he was calling continuously, our Lewins Honeyeater who was following us came to take a look at us. You will hear the Lyrebird calling in the background and at the end of the clip see and hear the call of the Lewins Honeyeater as he declares his presence.
We also caught a glimpse of this Eastern Spinebill, another nectar eater common to the park, usually in great numbers during the Summer months, but numbers are reduced due to lack of nectar producing flowers.
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My Personal Bird Reflection for this Week
Several times I have posted the following photo when visiting the Royal NP because of the beauty and aspect of this Angophora tree as it hangs over the bend in the Hacking River. It is one of my favorite pics.
These remarkable trees seem to grow in the most unexpected and impossible places, where other trees could not survive. The weight and size of the tree make one marvel at this tree, which almost crosses the river with its topmost branches, as it remains solidly fastened to the rock base. These trees appear to grow out of the rock. See also the tree on Bill’s Rock previous.
Angophora costata (Sydney Redgum)
It is in times like the present, when many of us are having our ability to stand strong and secure tested, that we need to ensure we are firmly and securely planted. Many would say we need faith to ride the storm, but faith is of no use if it is not in something that is strong enough to hold us as we lean or falter. It is not faith that saves, but the object of our faith, what we are believing in that has the saving or securing power we seek that brings peace. Even as we lean perilously out over deep river, it is not our ability to hold on that saves us, though it is an important factor, it is the solid, secure, unmovable rock my roots are fastened to. Yes, it is the platform or base upon which our faith is grounded that holds us safe and secure, bringing peace in uncertain times. Jesus explains this using a parable comparing the house built on sand and the house built on rock. When they are tested, or put under trial, only one remains.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” – Psalm 40:1,2
“The Lord has become my fortress, and myGod the Rock in whom I take refuge.” – Psalm 94:22
Enjoy your week ! Stay Safe! We commence our staycation this week and will have to decide which part of the house we will travel to, since we are not travelling over seas as was the plan.
My Mission: To encourage young people to make good life choices, using birds to teach important life skills.
W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).
White-throated Treecreeper quietly creeping up the tree
As we move into lock down and the new terms self isolation and social distancing now become part of our vocab, as well as the latest catchphrase: ” Stay Safe!”, like Leut. James Cook, we chart and map new waters and places we have not been to before in this pandemic plague. Since midnight we are now discouraged strongly from venturing out into our local national parks, which are now closed with staff forced to take leave, so this post comes from my wife and I last Friday, where we socially distanced alone in the forest of our local Nasho (i.e. Royal National Park).
Of course from today this is now changed, and many of us are figuring out how to navigate the coming weeks with the government’s imposed changes. This will have some impact on birders and birding blogs. Thankfully this is a time of year when bird numbers and species are fewer in our area. It may mean for some, photographing the birds they can see from their homes, such as these Kookaburras who called on the TV areal next door for the first time ever, having been chased by a coalition of Noisy Miner. Notice the aggression, finally they both left. Now I know why we never see them here anymore.
Last week I mentioned how my wife and I noticed the spooky quietness of an usually noisy bird filled forest as we walked together in the Nasho. However, returning a week later we discovered why. It was not that the birds were not there, they were just not singing or calling to one another, they were quiet, which is customary during non-breeding season for many honeyeaters and whistlers to mention but two. We found small pockets of birds at a time where very few native plants were flowering or fruiting. I spotted this White-browed Treecreeper climbing and foraging in the bark for insects and grubs. It is usual to hear its loud call as it ascends the eucalypt tree, but no sound was heard. Notice his bark flicking technique as burrows for insects and grubs.
You can see why this bird is difficult to see, and usually only detected by its call, so I did well to find it. My wife took the still shots, as my lens is still coming, like a lot of other things including life as we have known it, put on hold at present.
Here is an example of what this bird would normally sound like.
Walking further my wife spotted a male Golden Whistler, who usually sings his heart out while courting and nesting during Spring and Summer, but is now quiet, shy and difficult to find. His female partner turned up also, but she is not as timid, and as per usual, came close, landed and looked at us out of one eye, and left. Here is the male.
Here is the female. Notice as with many birds the mature adult male has the bright coloration, which is the hallmark of the species and the female the more earthy brown, green or grey plumage which affords protection when nesting, giving camouflage protection from would be predators.
As we walked we did hear the call of the Lewin’s Honeyeater which we always hear here, but did not see it. I noticed this tiny yellow object sitting high in an Angophora tree, near a hole, which is a classic of this tree used by cockies, lorikeets for nesting and owls for living. Usually this resident Eastern Yellow Robin would greet us as we passed by and sometimes follow or lead us along the track, but not today.
These unique holes form when the branch dies inside and falls, as the tree repairs itself. This tree known as the Sydney Red Gum has a nickname to the early European settlers as The Widow Maker because when the branch fell, there was no warning of it breaking, it just silently fell out of the hole, killing anyone below.
As we looked through the trees another silent inhabitant, the Eastern Water Dragon, was sun bathing in the warm afternoon sun over the river which follows our track.
We were hoping the Rufous Fantail had returned for Autumn, but no sign as yet. This is the palm forest we usually find them flitting about in.
As we returned, we noticed a flock of Australian Wood Duck, usually seen grazing on grass seed beside the Hacking River. They are very tame and carry on eating while we stand right next to them. These birds pair for life, and have the father assists the mother duck throughout nesting and fledging.
Our last observation was this small family of Magpie, dad, mum and the juvenile. Interesting there is only one this season, as this couple usually have two or three young. A human family are having fun playing together nearby as they social distance themselves, while a Magpie family help themselves to picnic leftovers. Notice the aggressive behaviour of the father to junior.
Magpies in small family groups tend to be successful breeders, as they hold their territory and do not have the complex social structure of the magpie clans that also exist. This magpie family have held this choice area for some years, which is a credit to the male. The next territory is about 100 meters away. Because the pickings are so good here, everyone appears to tolerate each other well.
The juvenile is still learning the craft of Magpie wisdom and would be a product of the last Spring. Most of the young of our large black or pied omnivorous birds have brown plumage with dark eyes and beak. They will undergo changes for the next 2 to 3 years to full black and white adult.
Juvenile Aust. Eastern Magpie
On a different note:
Silvereye trapped in netting (photo by Tony D’Abrera)
You may remember I quoted from Psalm 91 a couple of weeks ago, which Moses is attributed to writing: “Surely He shall deliver you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence…” The Fowler trapped and caught wild birds as an occupation, to sell or eat for food. My brother-in-law Tony in Canberra, showed me this photo of him holding a little Silvereye, which he had found entangled in the netting (seen in background) to protect his fruit tree from birds and bats.
A bird in the hand. You would think this bird was his pet. The bird does not look distressed. This bird was set free from being trapped, which is the direct opposite to that of the action of the Fowler or enemy that seeks to destroy our lives. This is the beautiful illustration of how God saves us, out of the enemies snare, and holds our life in the palm of his hand. Many at this time, in our current circumstances, are turning to Psalm 91 as an appropriate prayer of faith. Another beautiful aspect this photo depicts is how God:
“For I am the Lordyour God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13
“You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me…” – Psalm 139: 5,6
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalm 139: 9,10
This pandemic is an opportunity for many to pray and seek God, who is Love, and has taken the initiative to breach the broken relationship we each have with him by sending his son Jesus to suffer on our behalf, so that we can become his friends again and establish a relationship of peace and trust that enables us to have the hope and assurance that he is with us through this pandemic storm, as Moses declared in Psalm 91 when he describes God to be like a large bird, protecting its chicks under its wings.
Interesting as it is, Jesus referred to the obstinate and rebellious Jews of his day, who trusted in their own selfishness pride rather than in God’s saving power, as chicks:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” – Matthew 23:37 & Luke 13:34
There are at present, at this unprecedented time, more podcasts and online presentations by churches and people of faith than ever before in internet history. As we are confined to our homes there is time for us to take a break from our busy lives, reflect, contemplate and explore the meaning of life. You may like to explore my Birder Sanctuary Portal through which one can discover how Jesus, also a birdwatcher, used birds to relate aspects of faith for living the best life possible.
Enjoy your week as best you can. Stay Safe and Stay Sane!
As we globally enter the season of social distancing and voluntary isolation, life as we have known it has changed. Thankfully, we do have our National Parks and Reserves to escape to, to bring healing and some normalization to our lives at this uncertain time in history. Though this also could change in the coming days. My wife and I continue to escape when we can to these havens. Last week we visited Dolls Point to see how our wader friends the Bar-tailed Godwit are doing, as they eat incessantly to fatten themselves for the journey north, which I thought they may have already flown. But with the warm weather remaining longer, they may leave in the next week or two.
As you can see they are at various stages of breeding plumage, with the male in this clan brightest orange and the females now showing a much fainter orange. There are also some not showing any breeding plumage which may be immature.
This Godwit below is possibly a female, showing the lighter breeding plumage. The females are also slightly larger and have slightly longer beaks.
A small company of Light-blue Soldier Crabs marched across the mudflats.
As we watched the Godwits to our surprise my wife noticed this small bright green object, which stood out like a sore thumb on the sand. We knew it was a native bird of our country, and suspected it to be an escaped pet as Green Parakeets are American birds. It appeared quite tame and came right up to us, but was not in any distress, but just rested on the sand with other birds nearby.
One think I have learnt as a birder over the years is that birds of the Parrot family as pretty and innocent as they look, are not to be reckoned with lightly by other bird species. They have one of the most painful bites. Even the Noisy Miner gives respect to the Rainbow Lorikeet here in Sydney. Watch how this much larger Silver Gull responds when he approaches this lovely little Parakeet.
Well if you think that this was an unexpected find, so was the much larger bird resting on the shoreline which caught our attention. Yes, it was a Kelp Gull, a bird we seldom see here on our beaches. The lipstick bottom beak identifies and differentiates it from the total lipstick beak of the almost identical Pacific Gull found in southern Australia.
On Sunday afternoon we walked in our local Royal National Park (or Nasho to the locals) , and found not only sparsity of people but also of birds. It was so quiet, as I kept saying to my wife, “It is so quiet! Autumn is usually quiet, but this is too quiet!” As we walked the streams, creeks and waterfalls were all flowing, which was a wonderful sound we have not experienced for a long time. As searched for the Azure Kingfisher beside the river we were greeted by a family of Pacific Black Duck, which are actually brown, not black as named. Yes, these are my wife’s pics, as I continue to wait from my lens repair.
Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Black Duck
This Dusky Moorhen stood by the water flicking its tail, a feature of some waterbirds, including the Australasian Swamphen. There are several ideas as to why they flick their tail of which I find too diverse to settle on one. We do know it communicates to other birds of the species, some say it may mean a warning or even intention to mate among other suggested reasons… mmm!
Soon after a young pair of Australian Wood Duck were strolling by the river eating grass seed, as this is what many grazing ducks and other passerines are eating at the end of Summer as the seasons change. Also, on this occasion the Kingfisher eluded us and flew some distance down the river.
As we walked quietly along the trail we were surprised there were no scratchings of the Lyrebird, nor any sounds of them. Since the months of smoke from bushfires I have not seen or heard them. It is disconcerting, as at this time of year the male will be preparing his mound and beginning to display for the females and mate, as Lyrebirds nest during the winter, unlike most birds. Suddenly, we heard a chattering nearby. It was a single Red-browed Finch, a fast moving little a seed eater.
I had to slow down this video clip so you could see him.
At this time of year there are the least number of nectar producing wildflowers, which means less birds, as most honeyeaters follow the blossom. Even the Banksia were all finished, and as Mountain Devil is not usually seen in the park, the Bush Fuchsiar flower was present in small numbers, which provided food for the non migratory Noisy Miner, which many find hard to believe it is actually a honeyeater, so here is the proof.
The tingling of the Eastern Crimson Rosella also caught our ear as it proceeded to feed from native berries above our head. On seeing us of course it tried to make itself unseen.
Another unexpected surprise for this time of year was to see a juvenile Black-faced Monarch. These birds usually migrate north to New Guinea and Northern Queensland during our winter months, so this one, born here in the park has not yet left. So we knew the parent was nearby. We saw the parent but it eluded any decent photo. The immature Monarch has much less black on its face. As it matures so the black increases. I slowed down the video so you could see its face before it flew. They are very shy birds, and don’t like their photo taken.
Here you can compare the juvenile and immature with the adult bird. There bright orange underbelly makes them easy to spot. These birds have a beautiful song which often makes them easy to find, but they were not chiming on this occasion.
Black-faced Monarch juvenile
Black-faced Monarch immature
Black-faced Monarch adult
Last of all as we turned to return to our car, my wife saw this Red-bellied Black Snake slithering away beside us on the trail. These are venomous but usually a shy snake,and and seldom cause any problem. They are the most common snake seen in the Sydney area. Unlike other more aggressive venomous snakes, Red-bellies do not need to hibernate through the Winter months. Often to the surprise of many international visitors to the Nasho they can be seen basking in the warm winter sun on the trial. If you approach stamping your feet, usually they will slither into the grass, as they have very poor eyesight and like most snakes have sensory devices on their body to detect ground vibrations. If they stand erect and challenge you, it is usually because they have young with them or you are standing between them and their nest, so just leave.
To top off the walk and having asked God to show us something special in the quiet forest, my wife potted a large entwined object hanging far out over the river, from a dead tree. It was a large Diamond Python, a beautiful harmless snake which many Aussies have as a pet. They are excellent mousers and ratters, far more effective than cats. Though my son’s little Toy Foxy dog was also better than cats as a mouser. It just slept in the afternoon sun, away from any contact. It must have heard the Prime Minister’s speech about practicing social distancing.
One of the important lessons from this virus plague is that it stops us in our busy tracks to consider how we are doing life, and how we might do things better. As from our two outings above, things were different, some were unexpected intrusions or inclusions. How we view change affects our emotional and physical well being considerably. The uncertainty of the untraveled path we are all travelling causes some anxiety for many, but one thing which I have come to know and believe over the years is that there is a Treasure in every Trial to be gleaned out. So I often say to those who ask for help: Don’t Miss the Treasure in the Trial. God may speak to us through our times of suffering and difficulty, and sometimes it is just a nudge to tell us he is there for us so just trust him and lean on him to take you through it. Unexpected change can bring good things into our lives also, we need to be looking for them with an attitude of gratitude as we all take notes in the Master Life Instructor’s school room of life.
Enjoy the rest of your week and stay safe as best you can.
