wetlands

Birding Around Sydney – Honouring Our Local Birds – Part 1

Posted by aussiebirder on July 24, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Rainforests, raptors, Royal National park, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 12 Comments

Eastern Crimson Rosella

As you have probably heard there is a second outbreak of the Covid in Sydney, which has put us all on high alert. Last Sunday my wife and I needed to get out and walk, so we went early to the Royal National Park, to hopefully escape the usual crowd, but it is now near a new virus hot-spot and locals were already there in large numbers, with some Victorian number plates sighted as well. So we decided to find a trail which no one was on to explore an area where someone had mentioned Southern Emu-wrens were sighted, a bird we have never seen, on the Mount Bass Fire Trail. Sadly, due to a technical problem, I lost many of my photos and was unable to retrieve them all, so what I have here are the ones I could retrieve from our birding date.   This Eastern Crimson Rosella, is one of the many bird species from the Parrot family in Australia, the land of the Parrot. It is frequently seen and heard around the forests of Sydney.

Last week I asked some passing walkers what birds they have seen. The reply came: “I heard A Bellbird !” and I will respond saying “I don’t think so, not here in this park. But if you only heard one bird, it was probably not a Bell Miner (known as Bellbird) as they are a community bird, and they call to each other, so there are usually many. What you heard was most likely an Eastern Crimson Rosella. Listen for yourself to the chime of the Eastern Rosella calling to its mate, it can easily be mistaken. The Rainbow Lorikeet is calling noisily, as they do, in the background.

Now, before I get started on this birding date trail I want to explain that for the next few weeks I will be featuring the common local birds one can find around and in Sydney, where we live. We have many species, at throughout the year, and most local species remain all year round, and are very territorial, which means that when visiting birders ask me to take them out birding, and they name their list, I can usually find the bird they want with a reasonable probability.

Such as the Laughing Kookaburra which can be predictably found in the same location, sitting quietly watching as you pass by. We have these birds in our street, and they do occasionally visit our home and mark their territory, but choose to stay away rather then face abuse from the Noisy Miner coalition. These gentle patient birds are usually human friendly, and will come very close, especially if they see meat on your BBQ, or watch you digging in the soil. You can often get a shock when they fly suddenly down in front of you and grab a work you did not see. They have excellent binocular vision, being the largest bird in the Kingfisher family.  Listen to their territorial call, it is very difficult to film them calling, as they tend to stop if they see you watching, so this is shot from a distance excuse the movement due to hand held full lens extension. This is Australia’s morning alarm clock, calling its inhabitants to rise and shine at sunrise.

This series of local birds was inspired by a request made by a blogger friend and blog follower, Takami from T Ibara Photo who showed special appreciation in my Pacific Black Duck photo, asking if I could show more of the common local birds where I live, as these often get left out, as we have so many interesting bird species.

Red Wattlebird

Now back to trail. The first birds we heard calling and making a loud raucous metallic cough-like like sound were the Red and Little Wattlebirds, calling and feeding. The Red Wattlebird is our largest honeyeater in Sydney and is very aggressive and controlling, where as the Little (or non wattlebird as I call it) as it has no visible wattle, is not as common and mainly seen here now in Winter. Both species feed on nectar, blossoms, fruit, lerps and insects. Listen to calls and judge for yourself.

Red Wattlebird in flight
Red Wattlebird in flight
Little Wattlebird
Little Wattlebird

You will usually hear in the background the excitedly call of the Rainbow Lorikeet, in both above sound files. They are our most common small Parrot family bird and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo our most common large. Both birds are found nesting in the same trees and sometimes competing for nesting holes, as I have shared previously, it is all about the Sydney Red Gum (Angophora costata) tree. Both these birds pair for life. The cone or crest of the Cockie is raised when the bird is alarmed or excited to communicate to their flock, acting somewhat like an emotional gauge. It also aids as a deterrent to any threatening situation.  Both species feed on seeds, fruit, flowers, lerps and some insects, and both are featured in my book.

Rainbows drinking from tree
With raised cone
pair in flight

I love watching the Lorikeets feeding on our Bottlebrush tree each day. The excited chatter and call is continuous as the pair call to each other. So there may be many pairs feeding but they know the call of their mate. If a group alarm is sounded they are gone in a second, like airborne torpedoes they can fly with amazing accuracy past your head by an inch and through the tiniest space. I love watching the pair at the birdbath. I always get the best comments of appreciation from posting this colourful bird.

Probably the most common bird in largest numbers found around Sydney, and newly featured in the recently released 2nd Edition of “What Birds Teach Us”, is the Noisy Miner, one of the world’s most aggressive and brave birds, and Australia’s most aggressive native honeyeater. This bird has no fear when either alone or in coalition, to attack raptors, cats, dogs, humans and even kill smaller birds. This bird is a good example of a bully. It takes possession quite literally of an area of trees, and terrorizes any bird that they do not approve of, driving them from the area. They are very noisy as they put out calls to the coalition to come, and use their constant call as another form of harassment, like being in a house with the alarm going off, it is unbearable, especially to the ultra sensitive hearing of the bird.

The coalition of 6 visit my birdbath daily for their ablutions, at about 1:00 pm every day. The leader of the pack, pictured below, is now so use to me that he will often come and sit on the chair back next to me and just look at me for a few seconds. They know I fill their water for them, as all my backyard birds do. They will wait in nearby trees  and on power lines, till I refill the bath, and then converge on it, madly ducking and splashing and all the time making a noisy racket, which sounds like: ” Hey, get out its my turn !”

Noisy Miner making noise

Of course they soon disperse to the tree when the alpha male Magpie comes, he is king pin and nobody argues with his very strong beak, and his powerful bite, for this territory is shared by Noisy Miners, Rainbow Lorikeets, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Currawong, Australian Raven and Australian Eastern Black-Backed Magpie, which all drink and bathe here.

Australian Magpie bathing

 

This is the little guy I call My Little Mate who makes my heart rejoice every time I hear him call through the day his beautiful song. I reckon he laughs a better laugh and a happier one than the Kookaburra.

He is like a pet to me, and you may remember last year how he brought his two fledglings to show me (see above). This is a younger photo of him. I never feed him, he just drinks and visits each day, sometimes several times. His call can be heard all through the day, and he varies it, so it is not monotonous.

Grey Butcherbird calling

Here are his children later on calling in the morning like their dad from the TV areal next door.

What about the lonely Pied Currawong. These are very deceptive and covert birds, known for their opportunistic behaviour, for which they have been a new inclusion in my 2nd Edition. They do have many beautiful and interesting calls, often the first call before sunrise.  They silently sleek about and their bright yellow eye is constantly on the lookout for an opportunistic moment to score. In my book they teach the universal life principle of “A man reaps from what he sows.” or “What comes around goes around.” He is related to the Corvid family, and is uniquely Australian.

My Backyard Currawong usually only visits my birdbaths when no one else is around, bird or human. He is a bird of stealth and secrecy and quite shy.

Pied Currawong

Speaking of Corvids, the last bird I see near home, but rarely visits my baths is the Australian Raven, our most intelligent bird. A family flock moved into our neighborhood last year during the fires and at the beginning of the Covid. Now we have a large flock of them, but they keep well away from us and the Miners.

Our Australian Raven is quite a different bird to the crows of the Northern Hemisphere. Note its hackles beneath its chin, a distinct feature. This very intelligent bird, also has a tight social and complex structure similar to the also very intelligent Australian Magpie.

 

A bird I often see flying over head almost every day is the Australian White Ibis which has become in recent years a pest to Sydney gaining the name of the bin chicken. This is because it has learnt to remove garbage from bins and make a mess. Ornithologists have been studying this change of behaviour for some years now, as this recent increase in numbers within the city of Sydney has become a interesting problem. In one town nearby in the palm trees of the nature strip dividing one of the busiest roads, these birds are seen sitting on nests, perched precariously hanging from these palms while noisy traffic surges beneath. When roosting and nesting. like many flock birds, they find safety in numbers.

This bird is meant to be on mud flats and grassy fields prodding the earth with its long beak for insects and crustaceans.This is another new inclusion to my book, replacing the Glossy Ibis which is not an Australian bird but a migrant found worldwide.

Well, I have  deviated from my birding date somewhat and ending up in my backyard, where we have shared some of the most common birds we see every day in the Suburbs of Sydney. I will come back to our walk again next week. One bird that has become a very real problem, even worse than our own native Noisy Miner, is the introduced Indian Myna or Common Myna. Efforts to cull this fast breeding bird have failed, and it is taking over and pushing out many of our native species. It was reported on the front of the newspaper as “The myna bird has become a major problem.” Thankfully my little coalition of 6 keep them away and they thrive further down the street. These birds have infiltrated many parts of the world with amazing success.

Indian Myna (Common Myna)

I managed to share the common or local birds that visit my back yard, as I digressed from my birding date, which I will return to next week where I will feature more local birds that are not found in my back yard. I would be interested if other bloggers would share their local backyard birds as a one off, in a blog, as some of my blogger friends have already done.

If this is your first visit, I bid you a warm welcome to my blog and birding website.

Check out the helpful hints and interesting information about birding and how we can learn from the current research on birds from my Home Page and above menu.

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Check out the link to my book and consider it as a wonderful and unique gift for your young child or grandchild for Birthday or Christmas. The feedback and sales, even amid the Covid have been an amazing blessing. Thank you to many of my online blog followers who have purchased one or more copies for gifts.

IMG_1482.JPG

I guess the best message we can gain from this weeks post is that it is too easy to take the things we experience daily for granted. We are constantly exhorted in the Bible to give thanks in every situation, and rejoice in all situations whether seemingly good or bad, because they are all sent to mature our character and make us into endurable people who live more by faith rather than sight. The outcome is we worry less and trust and rest and know peace more. We can only achieve this level of peace and sense of safety if we have faith in a trusted and tested source. As Jesus tried to show his followers long ago, and stands today, it is not so much how much faith one has , but the object we place our faith in that matters. This takes the pressure off of us to produce the peace, and rests it with God, who has the power to do it.  (see Matthew 17:20). It is not science (though I am a scientist), nor mankind or luck, which are known from experience to be always unpredictable and constantly changing, but it is the unchangeable omniscient omnipotent loving Father God, with whom my wife and I find peace and rest in at this historically unprecedented turbulent and anxious time of uncertainty. I can understand now how the apostle Paul was able to say through the many and life threatening experiences he had: 

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” – Philippians 4:12 (NIV)

Have a wonderful week my dear friends and stay safe !

To privately contact the author of this website email: ashley@aussiebirder.com

otherwise, please leave your comment below.

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

‘To encourage young people to make good life choices,

using birds to teach important life skills.’

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.

 

Return to Birding Dates – Seeking Freshwater Birds (Part 2)

Posted by aussiebirder on July 16, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, raptors, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , . 22 Comments

Continuing from last week’s Birding Date, my wife and I took the opportunity to get another a couple of days later. Again we pursued freshwater birds, in particular the ever elusive and shy Blue-billed Duck, at Bushell’s Lagoon, a well known birding place I have shared many times before, nestled in the more rural northern side of Sydney surrounded by market gardens. We were surprised to find so few birds, even though the lagoon (lake) was quite full after recent rains. On arrival the above Whistling Kite was attempting to circle over the lagoon, which it does daily. 

A Masked Lapwing was noisily pursuing it. This Kite is often chased by smaller waterbirds, especially when they have young to protect, as these can easily become food for it, as well as, the four other species of raptor that cruise over this often bird filled lagoon. People ask, how come these large raptors which normally kill and eat such birds, do not turn on their pursuers and make a meal of them? The smaller more agile bird has the edge on the larger less maneuverable bird, which usually plucks its prey from the ground. I have observed one Noisy Miner chasing a Whistling Kite back and forth, for over twenty minutes, and trying to bite its back (as they do). 

This little family of Black-winged Stilt were feeding on the waters edge. You will note that junior has a black patch over its eye.

Black-winged Stilt in flight
Black-winged Stilt in flight
Stilt family
Black-winged Stilt in flight
Parent and immature Stilt

We saw several groups of Australasian Grebe, and this parent displaying breeding plumage had an immature with it.

Australasian Grebe

One of the Grebe couples was continually calling, which enabled a recording of their unique sound.

This Eastern Great Egret is always seen standing on this mound as if it owns the lagoon. I have not ascertained why it spends so much tine there.

Then there were the more normal Great Egrets, grazing and flying about. When Egret  stretch their neck tall, after sighting you, it is because this is their defence mechanism to ward off threats. The psychology is that by making oneself appear taller, appearing larger, it will deter confrontation.

This pair of Pacific Black Duck are often left out by birders due to their common appearance, but I did like this photo.

 

Our eyes were turned to the sky again as this Nankeen Kestrel hovered about, the second and smaller raptor for the day. The Sea-Eagle and Swamp Harrier did not appear.

About the same time this small flock of Straw-necked Ibis flying in formation flew over. In large flocks they can take ten and more minutes to work out the formation before they move off. Sometimes circling for ages constantly changing positions in the formation, till finally the leader flies off and the V shape is formed. They can fly great distances once they have worked it out. This means of conserving energy and changing position allows the weaker younger flyers to fly in the slip-stream of the others.

The bird that marked our day was a passerine which we have never seen in so great number here. Several pairs of Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike were present, looking for opportunities, with some immature from last season. The black face is often a challenge to photograph, and the light has to be just in the right place to catch their face. Here are three images where post production has given different outcomes.

We were delighted as we enjoyed seeing so many of this bird which often fleet away from us. The younger birds have less black on their face.

We were surprised to hear the call of an Olive-backed Oriole in a tree, calling in a most unusual manner. Normally this bird would have migrated north for Winter. We have noticed several birds which normally migrate, staying in Sydney for the winter. Of course he had choose the darkest tree covering, so it is light enhanced.

We were curious as to why this Yellow-rumped Thornbill was out and about  alone, as it is usually a flock bird found further inland. This unlike other Thornbill species, is more of a ground grazer.

Lastly this Silvereye caught our eye. After failing to get a photo of a very shy Golden Whistler we made our way to Windsor for our usual FishnChip lunch in the park observing the new bridge across the Hawkesbury River, after which we made our way home.

You may be interested to see this interaction between a mature White-bellied Sea-Eagle and an immature. It is difficult to understand what the adult is trying to do, but some have interpreted that the adult is displeased with the kind of prey the immature has lifted from the ocean, as we would be also. Here is the link to Daniel’s post. Click on the first photo and arrow through.

If this is your first visit to my blog why not check out my birding website HomePage for more helpful information.

If you have purchased my book “What Birds Teach Us” and would like to share it with a friend who may like birds, or have a child between 7 and 12 years why not direct them to:  https://aussiebirder.com/birdbook/ 

Most specie of Duck nest on the ground or in reeds over water, but the Australian Wood Duck nest high up in eucalypt trees, especially in the natural holes of the Angophora costata tree, and usually over or beside water. I have on previous occasions described this as the perfect nesting tree for the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Rainbow Lorikeet which we also have in abundance around Sydney. This is why these ducks nest and thrive along the river in the Royal National Park. It does seem interesting and somewhat out of place to find a non passerine waterbird, which does not have the clasping claws for perching, standing on a branch high in a tree.  These very faithful partners and parents are always found together as they pair for life.

Australian Wood Ducks (Male and Female)

If I did not know the Aussie Wood Duck nested in trees I could interpret their presence there as trying to escape danger below, which is often the case for the Lyrebird, another ground grazer. This teaches us how easy it can be to misinterpret people and their actions without finding out the full and true story.  This is what the Australian Raven teaches in my book “What Birds Teach Us”. We need to remind ourselves and others about the danger of making ‘Global Statements’

A Global Statement is one which says: “You always…” or “… all of the time.” “They all…”, when what we really mean to say, more accurately, removing the emotion, the need to justify oneself and any anger, is: “You have on occasions…” or “Sometimes you…” “I have noticed that recently many/some…”. This will help to defuse any argument that may arise, taking the blame away and helping to identify the problem in a fairer and more honest light. This helps the other person to identify and own their problem, because when we put a label on someone we have judged them, rather than their misdeed.

Australian Raven in defensive stance

For example, a person who tells a lie, yes that is wrong, but to call them a liar is to label them as one who perpetually lies, denigrating them and their character, when it may have been a one off event. “You have lied to me.” or ” You have told a lie.” is more accurate, and focuses on the wrong deed and not the person. Of course if they frequently lie. “This person’s word may not be trustworthy, as they have been known to frequently lie.” Thus focusing on their word (action) and removing the character destroying global comment  is a healthy, loving and honest way to navigate improving relationships. We all need positive encouragement to do life better, rather than judgmental accusations which tear apart one’s character and cause a person to go on the defensive to protect themselves. Both win when love has prevailed to bring correction and healing.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly [is impetuous or rash].” – Proverbs 15:1

“Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” – Proverbs 10:17

If you have not already gone to my new aussiebirder YouTube channel click here.

Why not subscribe to my channel. New material will be added from time to time.

Have a wonderful week and stay safe !

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

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.

 

Return to Birding Dates – Seeking Freshwater Birds (Part 1)

Posted by aussiebirder on July 11, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, raptors, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , . 11 Comments
Musk Duck male

With further lifting of restrictions in our state, my wife and I decided to enjoy 2 birding dates in the one weekend, where our main focus was on freshwater birds. I had prepared the night before having just launched my new promo video for my book with the help and expertise of my son David, who works as an editor for a Sydney TV station. You can view the new promo here.

Leaving early Friday morning we arrived at Leura in the Blue Mountains for breakfast which we thoroughly enjoyed and now recommend Leura Cafe. The service was excellent and very caring, which reflected their boss.  My wife enjoyed it so much she took the above photo. They complied strictly to the Covid rules, unlike some of the other shops in town.  I had planned to also engage 2 new booksellers in the Blue Mountains region west of Sydney, while we passed through to Lake Wallace. You can see why they call them the BLUE Mountains. The blue haze is created by the eucalyptus vapour from the millions of eucalypt trees in the mountains.

how blue are these mountains
Fire damaged forest
sheer rising walls of stone

Evidence of the recent horrific bushfires is seen in the centre photo above way down in the Grose Valley. I managed to plant my book in one  bookshop in Lithgow and a clothing boutique in Blackheath. I already have established markets in other towns nearby there.

Musk Duck male
Musk Duck female
Musk Duck female
Musk Duck immature
Musk Duck male
Musk Duck (mum and 2 kids)
Musk Duck immature x 2
2 immature Musk Duck
Musk Duck male tail submerging
Musk Duck tail submerging

The Blue-billed Ducks we usually see here were not found, but a Musk Duck family were there Dad, Mum and 2 kids. Blue-bills are often found with their Musk cousins, in fact the females of both species look almost identical. These are one of the most difficult birds to photograph due to their black shiny plumage. Similar to the Blue-bills, they are a diving duck which spend almost all their life on water, sleeping afloat also. Their body lies low in the water. The male has a very unique flesh protrusion hanging from his throat. He gets his name from the musk like odour he emits to attract the female.

The only other waterbird was this Great Crested Grebe, alone far out on the lake. Another bird who lies low in the water.

Also we saw the usual Australian Swamphen and occasional Dusky Moorhen.

Australian Swamphen
Australian Swamphen

Of the passerines an adult male Australian Magpie and his two youngsters came begging when my wife and I sat  by the lake to have our morning coffee and Anzac bickies, I had baked the day before. They were soon joined by an aggressive Red Wattlebird who also wanted a piece of the action.

Magpie family
Red Wattlebird

Other small passerines included Fairy-wrens and this White-browed Scrubwren.

Last of all this Galah

Afterwards we drove back to Leura for lunch (a gourmet pie from the bakery)  and shopping, then off home. Another wonderful birding date enjoyed, for which we were truly thankful. I will share our following Birding Date next week.

I have recently established an aussiebirder YouTube channel where you can view videos such as the one above. You might like to subscribe. It is in its early stages as I add more to it. The above video displays the amazing provision that our Creator has provided for the birds through Intelligent Design.

Have a wonderful relaxing weekend and Stay Safe!

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

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.

 

The Non Migrating Migrants – Bar-tailed Godwits and others

Posted by aussiebirder on July 1, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, raptors, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: . 15 Comments

As we pass through the middle of our Winter, the cold dark mornings and evenings with it’s shorter days, I thought it time to go to the river mud flats to see the migratory waders who did not make their yearly 16,000 km flight to Alaska and Siberia back in April. Last year in our most devastating Summer, I found no migrants stay over, even the young ones flew. It is like they were warned to go, as the poisonous smoke from the bushfires lasted months here in Sydney. 

It is worth noting that none of these Godwits show any breeding plumage, which means they are immature and not yet breeding age. It is customary for some Godwits, mostly younger ones, to miss migrating back their first year, it is fairly random. We found at least seven who stayed. They usually stay as a group, and an adult may also stay to keep watch, but not always. I found another two in a separate place across the bay, foraging together. Notice how they press their whole head into the moist sand as they hunt out tiny mud crabs and worms. The buff around their neck is also a sign of their immaturity, as is the dark primaries.

When one in the group has a catch, you often see them sleuth away to eat it, as the others can chase after them if they see they have scored. This is also a feature of the immature bird, looking for an easy feed or handout. Notice in the last frame, that these birds are smaller than the Silver Gull. The female is usually slightly larger and has a longer beak. Unlike their cousin  the Black-tailed Godwit with its straight beak, their beak is slightly upturned. 

I am grateful to my faithful blog followers who have already purchased my book.  They will know this bird is famous for having the quality of Endurance. Flying 8 days non-stop from Alaska to Australia across the Pacific Ocean each Spring, when they will return to our shores with new young to enjoy our warmer weather and grace our river banks once again.

The Bar-tailed Godwit teaches Endurance

Also on the beach was this pair of Pied Oystercatcher. an endangered species in NSW due to the increase in 4WD vehicles being permitted on beaches where these birds breed, which is one of the crazy things our National Parks allow. Dogs and people are the other threats, as our state is the most populated, and the threat is greater. See how synchronized this pair are even in their flight.

One of them had some preening exercises which made some interesting shots.

Afterward, I headed out to see if the whales were active as they passed by our city. Most have already journeyed past in the last few weeks and only small pods of stragglers are left. While I saw no breaching I did see this pair staying close and synchronizing their moves. Sadly I missed a brilliant photo opportunity when both tails rose and slipped beneath the water at the same time. A similar synchrony to the Pied Oystercatcher above.

This what we saw last week when over 130 passed by in a day. This one was a fair way off…

The rugged sandstone cliffs near Botany Bay are the first sighting of Sydney travelers see when coming into Sydney airport.

Sandstone cliffs along Sydneys coastline

As we stood on Cape Banks, one of the best shoreline viewing points for whales on the north side of Botany Bay, we noticed the Australasian Gannet at work flying back and forth past the cape.

Cape Banks

At first we saw an immature Gannet and then captured the parent with its youngster together, which is a rare capture, as these birds are usually hunting alone.

You will notice the classic brown and speckled wing coloring of the immature, and the lack of the yellow head.

To my delight in the cold wind on top of the Cape, I turned to see this Nankeen Kestrel hovering and about to pounce on something, but caught view of me out of the corner of its eye and made its departure. It looked beautiful and in full colour against a blue cloudless Winter sky.

This bird is featured in my book for its Healthy Expectancy as it hovers over areas, and how we can learn to pursue healthy goals and wait for opportunity.

Another interesting synchrony of birds my wife and I witnessed while in Wagga Wagga last week was this small pod of Australian Pelican working in perfect synchrony together to fish the freshwater lake. My wife said it looked like a ballet.

They would move and submerge their heads as one. Pelicans are known to fish in pod, similar to a pod of Dolphin. Usually they make a V formation and push the fish to the shoreline,  which is shared in my book “What Birds Teach Us”

But here they display a different technique.

Moving slowly in tight pod together
Stop suddenly and submerge heads
Moving again slowly in tight pod
Stop suddenly again
This time going deeper
Australian Pelican resting

If you enjoyed this post and this is your first visit to this blog, why not become a follower and receive weekly emails of the latest post. You will not only learn more of the unusual behavioural characteristics of our beautiful and amazing Australian birds but also life lessons we can learn from them. Explore my website to find useful tips on birding and also lessons we can learn from birds.

It was so interesting and entertaining to watch the Pelicans work the lake (above) with such precise unity of function and purpose. We have heard the Covid catch-cry “We Are All In This Together” which actually means we can achieve success by us not physically getting together, but social distancing. Thus the meaning is in synchronizing  the concept of doing together and not the act of being together. It is failure or refusal to recognize the difference that has been responsible for so many lives lost this year, and why Covid outbreaks occur in pockets in the community. The wonderful truth is that we can achieve great things together, without actually being physically in the same place, like the Pelicans. We can pray for those suffering, send financial help, encourage the anxious by making phone contact, assist elderly neighbors to get their needs, to name a few. But we are in synchrony of purpose: To stay safe, be safe for others and maintain hygiene vigilance. As a very wise man once said…

“Wisdom and good judgment live together, for wisdom knows where to discover knowledge and understanding.” – Proverbs 8:12 (Living Bible)

Enjoy your week and stay safe.

W. A. Hewson (Adv. Dip. Counselling & Family Therapy).

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.

 

The Music Behind the Blog – Aussiebirder Unplugged !

Posted by aussiebirder on April 14, 2020
Posted in: Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Rainforests, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , . 11 Comments

Red-tailed Tropicbird (aussiebirder’s avatar)

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; come before him with joyful songs.” – Psalm 100:2

“Sing and make music 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).

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.

 

Where Have All the Birds Gone? – An Autumn Birding Date

Posted by aussiebirder on March 17, 2020
Posted in: Australian Birds, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Outings, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , . 22 Comments

Nankeen Kestrel (female)

Autumn with the changing season brings with it beautiful birding weather, and an opportunity for my wife and I to have a birding date. Last Friday we drove off to Bushell’s Lagoon, north of Sydney, a birder’s delight, which has been a good provider of interesting birds over the years. We went early hoping to see flocks of waterbirds and see many passerine species. Set in the fertile Hawkesbury River flood plains surrounded by market gardens. To our surprise, when we arrived, the trees were almost birdless and the lagoon had become a lake after the recent heavy rain, but also devoid of birds. Compare the lagoon from late last year to now…

Lagoon full after heavy rain

It was good to see it refreshed and the blue-green algae gone. However, there was just too much water for waterbirds to feed, so they had moved on for a spell. Our first encounter was a small family of Australian Black Swan. The fact that they had only one surviving signet indicates that the several species of raptor that hunt over these wetlands have reduced the brood, as this pair normally have a clutch of around 5 to 6 young.

Black Swan family
Black Swan family
Signet and Eurasian Coot

These graceful birds gave a beautiful reflection in the still waters. 

Swans feed mainly on water weed which they pull up from below the shallows. Watch the signet as it learns to feed, from copying the parent.

Yes, my lens is still waiting for parts, maybe the virus epidemic has infected it or at least had some affect on its delay! So again the photos are my wife’s work and the movies mine. You may remember the Australasian Bittern I posted here several times how this super-sleuth moved through the reeds right next to us. Now those reeds have died off and have been swamped, so there would be no way a Bittern in its right mind would be found here. This is how it previously looked.

Here is the same space now…

The other waterbird which is usually seen in large flocks was a pair of Pink-eared Ducks. The male is largest in size and  has a more profound pink marking on the ear. There is usually alarge flock moving about this area, but not at the moment. The photos were taken some distance from the birds. As explained in my recent blog post on Australian ducks, the Pink-eared (or Zebra Duck) filters the water with its purpose designed shovel-like bill for tiny marine creatures.

One passerine that featured the whole time we were there was the Willy Wagtail. This brave and feisty little bird was singing its heart out the whole with its melodious song the whole time we were there. This is often the first bird we see and hear on each birding trip anywhere in Australia. This little fan-tailed flycatcher has a white line above the eye which changes in intensity and visibility depending on the emotional state of the bird. The more anxious the more white is seen. 

Willy Wagtail
Willy Wagtail

So this is what a small part of what was encountered on our walk along the lagoon track. A female Superb Fairy-wren, an Australasian Swamphen, the sound of the Willy Wagtail constantly calling and an Australian Reed-warbler.

Another passerine not seen here for a while, was a pair of Sacred Kingfisher looking beautiful in the sunlight.

Here are a few shots of this bright and beautiful bird in flight as it flew to its mate (movie stills).

Another bird that welcomes us everywhere we go of course is the Welcome Swallow.

 

Not finding much else, we made out way to Windsor for coffee and cake and shared crumbs with a Magpie pair who came inches from my feet. It was interesting when I experimented with the male, by pointing to a particular spot behind the table, it immediately ran to it and waited as if for more instruction. I was intrigued that it did not look around for food as other birds do, thinking I had thrown something.

male Australian ‘black-backed’ Magpie

Magpies are known to point using their whole body to inform their clan of danger or an intruder. Our next venture was to drive to Pitt Town Lagoon, another key waterbird haven nearby, which has also been filled after drought, and guess what?…

It proved to be even more birdless than Bushell’s. So we left and had fishnchips at our usual place in Windsor. As we made our way home my wife spotted a Nankeen Kestrel (one of  the smallest falcons /raptors) on an electrical wire, just sitting quietly. It looked to be a female with its rufous head cap and tail. These raptors do not rely on speed to catch their prey, but have a hovering technique which I explain in more detail in my book “What Birds Teach Us.” which is soon to be republished in its 2nd Edition.

Autumn is known to have a change in bird numbers in particular passerines, but it was a surprise to see so few waterbirds. Despite this we both had an enjoyable day together on our birding date ending the day with an attitude of gratitude for the lovely weather and the birds we did see. Disappointment comes as a result of unfulfilled expectations. Each time we go out we ask “Father, what special gift have you got for us today.” Quoting the famous words of Forest Gump “You don’t know what you will get.” This is the element that makes birding so exciting, since birds can fly and move about, and flocks can move overnight. Unexpected visitors or migrants may  pass through and rest awhile in places they are not normally seen. 

A positive thankful attitude is actually healthy and strengthens the immune system, relieves stress and  settles the heart rate and blood pressure. It has been found that prayer and trust to a higher being has an even more profound result. This can be particularly relevant at the moment with this contagious virus on the loose, with many anxious, afraid and panic buying, having to cue for hours to wait for the next shipment of toilet paper and tissues to arrive. There is One who has authority over all that is happening to us at this moment. God has not lost control as some think, even though our country has experienced devastating drought, then fires, then floods and now virus. He says over 360 times in the Bible: “Do not be afraid, for I am with you”.  Someone once wrote from their deep faith and trust in God, where interestingly enough, God is depicted as a great protective bird, possibly an eagle:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God in whom I trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter [those who seek to do you harm – terrorist?]
    and from the deadly pestilence [disease such as CORVID-19?].
He shall cover you with His feathers [ his peace and security],
    and under His wings you shall find protection;
    His faithfulness shall be your shield and wall.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
    nor of the arrow that flies by day;
nor of the pestilence that pursues in darkness,
    nor of the destruction that strikes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side
    and ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it shall not come near you.”  – Psalm 91:1-7 (NEV)

My wife and I have found there is an unsurpassed peace and rest when we press into God,  trusting him at his word even when life does not seem to make sense in the midst of the storm.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with gratitude, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will protect your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7

If you are interested in exploring this further, and learn more of what Jesus taught from the birds, visit my Birder Sanctuary page.

Have a wonderful week and stay safe! The book is finally at the printers.

If this is your first visit to my blog, why not explore my birding website via the HomePage  which has had a recent face lift with some additional pages and changes in preparation for the next book release. Learn about the value of installing a Birdbath.

A new Young Birders Page will be available soon targetting 8 to 12 year olds and will have a special place where they can learn about our birds. If you would like to preview it you may, and if you know children who might be interested tell them. This will be geared toward my schools presentations and book sales.

Birding for Beginners is now a more complete compilation of my birding hints and instruction, in one place. It might be worth an explore if you have not explored before.

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.

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Dining on the Lake – Its about the Bill

Posted by aussiebirder on February 13, 2020
Posted in: Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Outings, Uncategorized, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 8 Comments

Male and female Australian Shelduck on Rottnest Island, WA.

This week, since my camera is still in the hospital having surgery, I wanted to showcase many of our Australian duck species and how they each dine differently, even though they spend most of their lives on or near fresh water lakes, rivers and swamps. It is all about the bill and how it has been constructed as to the cuisine of each species. There remain many uninformed who mistakenly think Australian native ducks eat fish as their main diet, because species in the northern hemisphere do. However, each duck species uses its own particular means  along with its own peculiar bill structure to obtain its own particular food source as granted them by Intelligent Design. In other words duck species in Australia vary considerably in their main food sources and how they obtain them. 

Grey Teal pair dabbling bottoms up

1. The Dabbling Ducks: These ducks mainly feed along the perimeter of lakes and rivers in the shallows, dabbling on whatever they can find that is edible. They are often seen bottom up when feeding in the water. These include the Chestnut Teal, Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck. They mainly feed on aquatic plants, seeds, insects in the water and along the shoreline. Grey Teal and Pacific Black Duck are our most numerous ducks. The rarer endangered Freckled Duck (which has been seen in NSW in recent years due to drought etc)  and the Radjah Shelduck of Far North Queensland and NT are also basically dabblers.

Grey Teal pair

Chestnut Teal pair (male on the left)

Pacific Black Duck showing speculum 

Freckled Duck male breeding (red lores)

Radjah Shelduck

2. The Diving Ducks: These ducks dive below the water surface to obtain food such as aquatic plants and animals, particularly mussels and freshwater shellfish.  They have a stronger bill structure. The Hardhead is a smooth diving duck (the male has the white eye). The Blue-billed Duck will dive but also eats many kinds of insects and some shoreline plants. The unusual Musk Duck is the second heaviest diving duck in the world. The Wandering Whistling Duck spends its time mainly on water diving and dabbling. 

Hardhead pair (male with white eye)

Blue-billed Duck male in breeding

Blue-billed Duck male and female (our shyest duck)

Musk Duck male (the lowest in the water)

 Wandering Whistling Duck

The Blue-billed Duck and Musk Duck spend almost their entire life on the water, rarely walking on land, they even sleep on the water.

Musk Duck resting afloat

3. Grazing Ducks: These include ducks that mainly feed on the land in pastures and along the shore on insects, seeds and plants. This includes the Australian Wood Duck, Plumed Whistling Duck, and Australian Shelduck (pictured in flight also on feature photo). These ducks may also dabble waterside but they feed mainly on grassy areas.

Australian Wood Duck family grazing (male on right)

Plumed Whistling Duck

Australian Shelduck (female with white eye ring)

4. The Filter Ducks: The Pink-eared Duck and Australasian Shoveler are our unique filter billed ducks, and are often seen working alongside each other. These ducks rely on their unique shovel like bill structure to obtain their food which is made up primarily of tiny aquatic organisms and insects which it filters out through grooves on the edges of the bill.  The excess water drains through the bill and the organisms are captured.  They also feed on aquatic plants from the bottom of the lake. They feed by disturbing the shallow silt lake floor and then filtering out and trapping their food. They use several ways of stirring up the lake bottom. They may do it themselves by bottoming up and stirring it up with their feet. They may do it as a pair or in a line of three or more where one follows the other close behind. They may as group of up to 12 ducks use their unique  vortexing technique, where they swim around in a tight circle with heads below water tightly following each other. This enables every duck the advantage of feeding simultaneously.

Pink-eared Duck pair (male is larger and heavier but otherwise identical)

Australasian Shoveler pair (male on the right with non-breeding pale head)

The two species of filter ducks filtering together (male Shoveler in breeding plumage – blue head)

5. The Goose-like Ducks: The Pygmy-Goose is the smallest duck and has a goose like bill, hence its name. These ducks are basically surface dabblers but are only found in the tropics in northern  Queensland, northern NT and north of Australia.  The two species are not endemic and are seldom seen on land. The Cotton Pygmy-Goose is often difficult to see as it is shy of humans and remains in centre of lakes.

Green Pygmy-Goose (male followed by female)

Cotton Pygmy-Goose (in foreground female with black line through eye, male to the right)

So there we have it, most of our Aussie freshwater ducks. Some of the above dabblers can tolerate brackish water. Below is an interesting photo. See how many different species you see.

The Pink-eared Ducks preening on the waters edge (they are typically a flock bird so you will usually see many). With them stand a pair of rarely seen endangered Freckled Duck, photographed inland NSW. One sleeps as one keeps watch. In the water foreground are three Australasian Shovelers. Notice the male leading the line has his head out of the water as he stirs up the water on the lake bottom with his feet and moves forward feeding from the surface while keeping watch ahead. The female and male following behind with heads submerged are filtering the stirred up sediment for food. 

These different kinds of feeding techniques can be likened to us humans in the way we feed our lives or more so our minds which control our lives. We can ask ourselves: ‘Am I a dabbler, a diver, a filterer or a grazer ?’.  The easy access to modern media and its concurrent internet addiction has resulted in our duck like feeding behaviour.

As a dabbler: or a flicker as I call them, one is seen flicking through all the latest news and media feeds each spare moment, stopping occasionally to ingest something that catches the eye or gives a laugh, but never gaining anything much of great significance for life;

As a diver: One dives straight to the bottom of the dark cold media lake where the smut and mud lies looking for tasty morsels of corruption and disreputable or even immoral material;

As a grazer: One is more selective of their sources and mainly only go to their familiar sites and generally only use the internet to find what they want. They feed on land clear of the media pond most of the time. However, they do indulge themselves at times to explore the media and get hooked at times in their occasional need to escape their boredom of solid ground where they may use online television channels and other media productions.

As a filterer:  One is careful to filter what they process in their minds, by quickly filtering out and not allowing themselves to be caught or trapped in the media lake. They filter out all the excess water and only take in what is good and nourishing for life, a positive enjoyable good life. They choose, not the media, what they digest and remain free from the propaganda of the news and popular opinion that is fed to the masses. This requires determined self control, alertness and awareness that there is an enemy at work behind the scenes attempting to subvert, mislead and hold us in the media lake. 

Would you be surprised to know that ducks can actually drown? Yes, if a duck spends too much time in the water it may loose its waterproof oil covering and sink like a stone to the bottom. This illustrates what I am sharing here, and why we may need to have a serious talk to our children, grandchildren and possibly ourselves.

‘Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.’ – 1 Peter 5:8 

If this is your first visit check out the rest of my website at my HomePage menu for birding info and lessons we can learn from our beautiful Australian birds

Have an enjoyable week and stay safe! We are enjoying and giving thanks for the torrential rain we received recently, that after much prayer came unexpected since the gloomy long range forecasts saw none imminent. 

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.

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A 20/20 Look Into 2020

Posted by aussiebirder on January 7, 2020
Posted in: Australian Birds, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, National Parks, Nature, Outings, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . 18 Comments

Cattle Egrets with developing breeding plumage. They would normally be nesting now.

A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to you all! As you are aware from the many news reports our country is suffering the worst Summer season on record. A drought in its 4th year, strong winds, dry thunderstorms and merciless raging ravaging incinerating unstoppable firestorm bushfires have turned our holiday season into a state of emergency and declared catastrophic conditions. Millions of hectares destroyed, millions of wildlife incinerated, thousands of homes and properties and livestock destroyed and 17 humans dead, and we are only just into Summer. Many had their holidays terminated or cut short, and many more fled with their lives from their holiday grounds. It is just not safe to travel anywhere at the moment, as these fires can strike and move suddenly, without warning. Here is a brief video excerpt from On Demand News on YouTube.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the many homeless and now traumatized residents, where in some places whole towns have been wiped off the map. It has affected most of the east coast of Australia in populated areas, and the thick toxic smoke continues to be the daily norm for most of us, as it has been for over the last two months. It has affected the lives of most Australians either directly or indirectly.

The sun breaking through a smoke filled sky

So many brave firefighters from home and overseas have rallied to the fire front, including our defense force. These fires along with the drought are rewriting our Bird Field Guides for location and  even for the existence of species in our country. It will not be known till further down the track if we have recently added more species to our critically endangered or extinct classifications. Our local Oatley Park Reserve’s main pond in one week has been gradually drying up as many birds leave with only a  only a few remaining.

Last Sunday.
Yesterday.

This pair of of Chestnut Teal are not worried at all. They have raised their young already, and now taking it easy in the murky ponds. 

This male wanted aussiebirder to include him in his next post, so I obliged.

Other then the Teal and a few Australian White Ibis a single Great Egret and Royal Spoonbill stood together in the diminishing pond.

The Spoonbill had breeding plumage which I always find quite amusing, as well as their sweeping filtering bill action.

This photo best highlights there head dress. It is one which I have previously entered in an art show as a canvas print.

 

The reptiles, including young Eastern Waterdragons and Skinks are not affected by the drought and make their presence known in Summer as they bathe in the warm sun.

This little skink had a perfect place to hide and rest from the heat. When it saw me it quickly slid back into its hole in the tree. It needs to be careful, as Kookaburras and Pied Currawong check these holes for food.

As my wife and I walked through the almost deserted park trail, as normally this time of year many bird species would be feeding and calling, we heard one loud raucous sound which drew our attention. It was a juvenile Channel-billed Cuckoo being fed by a adult Pied Currawong. You may remember in my previous post on Channel-bills, that I mentioned how the Cuckoos migrate south in Summer and lay/plant their eggs in the nests of unwitting birds to be surrogate raised. Here is a great example, watch. The much larger Cuckoo has an insatiable hunger that keeps the poor Currawong flying off to find food.

As we continued back down the track we had a very exciting surprise as a pair of Buff-banded Rail ran across the track up ahead. They were fast so initial images were poor. We had reports of sightings of this bird but this is the first time we saw them here. The jerking of the camera was sadly unavoidable.

We later saw them again in more shaded bush.

As we walked further along the track the resident male Eastern Australian Magpie was foraging in his territory. This bird both knows me and trusts me, allowing me to walk right next to it. A lady passing by, caused it to run away, only to return beck next to me again after she passed.

I always see this bird every time I visit around the same area, usually with another male or female. My blogging friend David of the blog birdsaspoetry.com has engaged in his Magnificent Magpie 2020 Project, which will be worth following.

We are both enjoying Gisella Kaplan’s book The Australian Magpie which is to date the greatest work on this most intelligent and clever bird. As I write this I can here my resident alpha male Magpie calling to me. He usually does it after his bath in my birdbath.

A little further along the track and we could here another unfamiliar sound from a nearby eucalypt. It was difficult to see these two birds and make out what they were as the bright diffused light in the background and the smoke made it difficult, so again I apologise for the photos. They appeared to be 1st year juvenile Brown Goshawks waiting possibly to be fed. We did not see the adult, and the birds sat in the same spot watching and waiting. We had never had a sighting of this bird in the park that we know of so it is a new finding.

 

Approaching the creek which flows into the Georges River from the wetland, we saw these two birds. Now, on first observation one might think them two distinct species of Egret, but with binoculars it can be seen that they are both Great Egrets, one in full breeding plumage with turquoise lores, dark beak and fine streaming back feathers and the other with  only very early breeding plumage yellow beak and  back streaming feathers.

check out the neck extension
breeding with pre-breeding
Great Egret in breeding plumage
Great egret pre-breeding

Before I finish I would like to correct an identification on my previous blog post on Lake Albert, Wagga Wagga where I thought the flock of Terns I was viewing were Common Terns. On further observation and talking with other birders they are actually Whiskered Terns (previously known as Marsh Terns). These two species of Tern do look very similar, however the Whiskered has the darker belly and distinct white throat, which is seen here. These are predominantly fresh water Terns found on inland lakes and rivers where they mainly fly close to the water surface to catch insects over and on the water as well as dive for the occasional small fish and crustacean. The heavy smoke made it difficult to photograph them with clarity. Sadly, the waterbirds of Lake Albert’s wetlands I featured recently have gone, as the wetlands are also drying up as the lake diminishes and becomes more shallow.

As we move into 2020 and get a 20/20 vision of what lies ahead, entering a catastrophic period of uncertainty and a most unpredictable Summer, we ponder as to what the future holds, and what birds will be left for us to enjoy, and where they will relocate. Most of our native wildlife is territorial and non migratory, so it will be difficult for them to find new areas, as tension will arise with birds of the same species already established in unburnt areas. 

Interesting enough a friend posted this reminder, that times such as these have occurred in the past, captured by one of our renowned poets.

My second edition of ‘What Birds Teach Us’ is now with the publisher and when it is launched I will have some changes to my blog post and website. I will also be available for talks and seminars in schools and organisations, especially targetting Primary School aged children. I am delighted that despite the bushfires ravaging our national parks, my 1st Edition continued to be purchased as they sold out in National Parks gift shops there is only a hand full left. If you want to grab one of the last click here. I am hoping to publish my second book, targetting 16 years to adult, later in the year. 

Birdbath Blessings

The birds love it and love you for it and it is so simple to install. Eventually they will wash and drink and allow you to sit and watch them only feet away from them, as they trust you and know that you care about them.

small and large birdbaths in shade
large for larger birds Magpies, Currawongs Ravens
small for smaller birds Miners, Rainbows Butcherbirds
places for landing access

One of the best things we can do for our birds during this 4th year of drought is to install a birdbath or 2. My publisher and my sister both bought their family one for Christmas and are enjoying seeing birds come to drink and bathe. Our Australian birds are wild and aggressive around food, so it is recommended not to feed them, as they are best to gather their own, as they can become aggressive, demanding and destructive if they develop a dependence on your kindness, as many have found out the hard way. However, they do need and appreciate our contribution of fresh water. Your family can enjoy the experience watching the different local species come to your birdbath at different times of day. Children especially enjoy this. Just top up the bath daily and clean it our weekly and the birds will do the rest. Funny enough, when I arrived home from Wagga Wagga on New Years Day both birdbaths were depleted and no birds anywhere. I cleaned and filled both baths, walked up stairs and in seconds 7 birds came immediately and noisily drinking and bathing as if they had been watching and waiting for me to replenish it, as they know I do. Why 2 baths ( a small and large? because that allows both the smaller and larger birds to choose the best option and bathe at the same time. Also is is good as you will see in this photo to make sure the baths are shaded under a tree and have approach landing access, a tree, chair, post nearby, as they like to land and survey the bath before plunging in. Treat yourself to a birdbath, it will amuse and give you much enjoyment as it has us.😊

Have a great week and STAY SAFE! 

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