wild flowers

A Rare Encounter with a Rarely Seen Bird – Barren Grounds NR

Posted by aussiebirder on January 21, 2021
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature Reserves, Outings, Rainforests, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 13 Comments

Last Thursday I baked a batch of Anzac Bickies, you guessed it, for another birding date with my wife the following day. We decided to take a drive up on the Southern Highlands to visit Barren Grounds Nature reserve, as it has been some time since we visited. Last time many months ago, heavy rain had made the road impassible and we had to turn back.

This nature reserve consists of many acres of low lying dense heath-land, under which the rare and endangered Eastern Ground Parrot dwells, or is meant to be found, though many a birder has come here quite excited and left quite disappointed. It is by providence that any one sees it, and then it is usually a flash of green as it flies back under cover. As you can see it is a beautiful bird. Click here and see eBird’s photo. I have posted the Eastern Bristlebird, another rare and endangered species, here in previous years, but neither of these birds were found on this occasion.

Eastern Bristlebird @ Barren Grounds 2016

On arrival at the car park after out 2 hour drive we proceeded to set up for morning coffee and bickies in the picnic shelter provided. It was quite warm but a lovely cool breeze made it pleasant. As we sat and chatted we noticed no birds, only the monotonous sounds of cicadas, classic of January, which can cause many birds stress due to their very sensitive hearing. To our surprise and extreme delight this unusual bird appeared foraging about eight feet from us, and though it saw us, continued foraging nearby. 

At first I spontaneously blurted out it was an immature Bowerbird, but my wife with her binoculars said it looked like a Bassian Thrush, which to our surprise it was. An extremely timid rainforest bird which is usually only seen in the dark depths of rainforest crossing the track, is here in broad daylight for us to see, on this dry scrubby heathland forest. We saw this as gift, an unexpected blessing from our Father. We managed to get many views as it moved around the car park and we followed. These birds are usually found foraging alone. It made no attempt to fly away, but just kept its safety exclusion zone. 

Blending, blending, blending just stay still
If you blend in well enough you won’t be seen parking
They can’t see me Parking so I’m safe

You may have already noticed from viewing the above photos a feature of this birds plumage. Yes it is a work of intelligent design that it blend in with whatever background it forages in. Usually under normal circumstances this bird will completely freeze and remain amazingly still for minutes after it sees you, blending into the background with its camouflage plumage, in a similar way to the Australian Logrunner, featured in the first edition of my book. We just admired it beautiful plumage patterns.

Eventually we set out on our walk, checking for Bristlebirds in the usual places, but none found. We did hear many Little Wattlebird calling to each other in the usual form as throw their whole body into the call. I love how their tail rises and falls after each call. You may recall me mentioning that a birds voice box or syrinx is deep down at the bottom or base (not at the top like ours) of the trachea where the bronchi separate into the lungs. This is how small birds can  make such loud calls, and even call with their mouth’s full.

Birds have a very unique uni-directional respiratory system that allows them consistent one directional flow of oxygen to their lungs, unlike our bi-directional, breathe in breathe out. Click here to learn more. This is how they maintain their body cooling system as well as being able to call continuously without exhausting themselves, as they contain, in addition to lungs, several air sacks around their whole body.

As we walked we were surprised by the absence of many birds we usually see here, especially the Eastern Yellow Robin who always greets us at the same spot along the track. But we were delighted to hear and finally see the male Rufous Whistler. Unfortunately he did not want his picture taken at this time. 

Along the track we noticed these Christmas Bells still flowering which added a lovely dimension to the green. In a few months this track will be ablaze with wildflowers. 

As we walked I noticed how quiet it was, no engine noises, and the total absence of people, how the cool breeze tempered the hot day so well for us, reducing the humidity and making it a most enjoyable experience.We also noted the edge of the heath land where we enjoyed this beautiful wall of delicate ferns.

We saw and heard several New Holland Honeyeaters feeding from the nectar rich blossom of eucalypt trees.

We also discovered this unusual fungi.

 

But it was more of a discovery to see this lone juvenile Eastern Spinebill, another honeyeater common to these parts, though we did not see its parents.

We decided to walk down a track where we last saw immature Gang Gang Cockatoos a year ago, but the many spider webs and absence of birds caused me to turn back onto the main track.

Moving further along the main track we sighted a Brown Thornbill, but in the diffused light was a challenge as usual.

Before turning around and coming back we heard and finally located this White-throated Treecreeper, always a difficult bird to photograph at any time, as they ascend the tree, usually on the dark side and look identical to the bark.

Compare the before and after post production lighting.

As we walked to the car we were delighted that our little Bassian friend was there still foraging, but also this lying with flies over it on the drive way of the carpark. A dead Copperhead Snake killed by a car that had recently parked on the other side of the carpark. My wife was concerned she would see this venomous snake along the track, as we know they are active here. It was good to see what it looks like.

Copperhead Snake head
Copperhead Snake

We made our way to a lovely cafe Raw & Wild  at Bowral, where we had a most enjoyable lunch looking toward the mountain. On the return journey we stopped in at the Southern Highlands Visitor Information Centre at Mittagong, and established a new market there for my book. We returned home thankful for a most peaceful and enjoyable birding date.

Have an enjoyable week. We keep you in prayer, especially those in counties where the virus is out of control. It appears that we will be limited in our interstate and overseas birding pursuits for some time yet, so it teaches us to be thankful for our local birds.

If you have not already checked out my book or not seen the promo for the next one which is currently with the publisher click here.

Is function determined by one’s ability or one’s capacity to perform it ?

Capacity is inherent but ability is learnt, and is the developed use of capacity, so both together are important. Interesting enough, birds did not have the ability to grow wings and develop feathers and fused aerated bone structures so they could fly, they were given the capacity first, and then learnt the ability from their parents as nestlings. It is the same in our lives. Many of us never reach our full potential in life because we feel limited by our doubtful view of our capability and ability, and have not learnt to explore our true capabilities. Capability is the unrealized potential of our capacity. There are many true stories of people who, while they did not appear to have the capacity comparatively to achieve a particular accomplishment, believed that they would, against all odds, and with patient unrelenting training, defied the negative capability assessment of others, and developed their ability to achieve. The true story of Roger Bannister who first broke the 4 minute mile, when they said it could never be done. They said it wasn’t just dangerous it was impossible. This was portrayed in the movie Chariots of Fire.   

We can only achieve what we believe. To doubt is to miss out.

Faith is such an important part of our daily lives. I will be dealing with the importance of it in my new book “Flight of a Fledgling” soon to be released. Many mistakenly think it only pertains to religious matters. Everything we do, every day, contains important elements of faith,  without which, we would never survive.  Roger Bannister combined his belief in himself with his belief in God (the source of all faith) to achieve the unthinkable as many have done previously and since then.  By combining objective faith with unconditional love, based upon a firm hope for the future we can. These three are the very fabric of life and relationship as we know it.

“ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” – 1 Corinthians 7 

‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.’ – 1 Corinthians 13:13

‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ – Hebrews 11:1

 

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

Looking Toward the Future with 2020 Vision – What Have We Learnt ?

Posted by aussiebirder on December 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: , , , , , . 15 Comments

Thank you my dear friends for following my blog throughout turbulent 2020. This will my last word for the year. Interesting enough I went for a walk today to exercise, as Sydney is dealing currently with another Covid outbreak. After the rain and almost winter-like weather of the past few days it was very quiet in my local bush park, with very few birds and people. So I figured this last one will be simple and short. We are all very thankful that our government is very proactive and responsible to the health and well being of us all, and grateful that we have made it thus far in what is the most extraordinary year in our lifetime.

Australian Christmas Bush flowers

My Christmas card above features the Scarlet Honeyeater male, a bird that appears before Christmas, coinciding with the flowering of our native Christmas Bush, as well as, the call of the Eastern Koel in the early morning.

These among many other signs tells us that we approach the time for us all to kick back , relax and celebrate both the birth of Jesus and the coming new year, as we put the passing one behind. For many this will be a time of grief, suffering and sorrow. We pray for the comfort and recovery of the hundreds of thousands experiencing this in this moment. Every one of us has lost something or someone this year, we are all grieving at different levels. No one escaped loss, just as if it were a world war, and it is not over yet. As I walked along the quieter than usual bush track I stopped to watch and hear something very special and unique. A Grey Butcherbird conversing with a pair of Australian Magpies. In my recent studies and research I have learned that many of Australia’s intelligent birds  can communicate between species, as they learn their languages by listening and observing intently. I apologise for the loud Cicada background, yet another sign of Australia’s bush Summer. I recorded this:

What one needs to be aware of it that the Butcherbird is quite capable of copying and speaking with the Magpie, as is the Magpie to the Butcherbird. The call of the Butcherbird in the above recording is not one of his usual Butcherbird calls, he is actually speaking in Magpie. For example, listen to this immature Butcherbird practicing, and recalling mimicry it has learnt from other birds.

This exercise between birds is not only good for improving relationships, but is very useful in times of emergency when either of the birds need assistance to locate and mob a common predator or warn to take flight. This brought me to think, what have we learnt this year? Great challenges are opportunity for greater learning.

Eleven lyrebirds around a small farm dam with smoke in the air.

Eleven lyrebirds can be seen in the image as a bushfire near Wollombi approached (Supplied: PJ Wallis for ABC News 30th Jan 2020)

Bushfire, drought, flood and Covid were all great challenges in 2020 from which many positive lessons were gleaned, to help us navigate the future. They rallied the community back to the mate-ship  of the Aussie battler, that made Australia great back in our early post convict days when ex convict married ex convict and toughed it out in the bush to carve out a home and a family, because they could not afford to go back to Britain. My ancestors also married as ex convicts and established a town in NSW. For those interested rediscover the old the TV series “Against the Wind” to get an idea of the difficulties. These new settlers (all mostly ex convicts) learned to trust and assist each other through the difficult times of establishing a living from nothing, from which arose the Aussie mate-ship, which carried us into the world wars and helped make our nation famous for the ANZACS and the friendly warm helpful reputation we once received from other nations.

The Superb Lyrebird knew what to do to save itself from the firestorm, gathering their mates they fled to the dam. Many species managed to survive using amazing survival skills, learnt and possibly passed down from somewhere in the past.

The Australian Wood Duck has always survived well because both parents have their priorities always before them, keeping them faithful in both relationship with each other and care of the family. Many have rediscovered the importance of family and family relationships, and had to modify the importance of the peripheral things of life, such as job, possessions, sports and money, which for many had taken the place of THE most important – family relationships. The Covid made us all aware of our own fragile humanity, and that we are all vulnerable and all need each other to survive. We are not a rock or an island as Simon and Garfunkel once erroneously suggested. For our northern friends this song is set ‘in a deep and dark December’.

Thankfully we already had the technology to create such meeting places as Zoom to tide us over the Covid lock downs, and create new and more efficient ways to work from home, and have more family and home time. We began to carve out a new kind of normal.  A list of new words arose which became common place in daily conversation, and a new awakened responsibility for one’s own health and the health of those in their daily life. The Australian White Ibis in my book “What Birds Teach Us” is an example of support, security and strength in community.

I wish you all a very enjoyable Christmas and a healthy, blessed  and prosperous New Year. May it be better and may we all grow more resilient and mindfully learn to experience peace and contentment in what ever circumstance we find ourselves in so that we can be comfort and strength for others. Regardless of what popular opinion has become in recent years, and the removal of Christ from Christmas, he remains: The Reason for the Season. It still amazes me that one so loving and kind, who has brought so much good into our world and our culture,  can be feared and despised by so many, even fear from declaring his name with respect, fear that even drives people to kill and injure people who love him and live the life of love he encourages, which continues to be the case in many countries in our world today.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 (NIV)

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

Celebratory Bird Outing – A Mindful Moment of Reflection

Posted by aussiebirder on December 9, 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, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , . 15 Comments

Superb Lyrebird immature male

To mark the achievement of finally reaching the goal to publish my next book, which is now with the publisher for publishing early next year, I went for a mindful reflective walk to celebrate and give thanks for the Lord’s faithfulness for bringing it to pass amazingly in such a short time from the sales of the previous book, as he had assured me would occur. No better place than our local Nasho (The Royal NP). One of the topics covered in my new book is the healthy advantages of enjoying frequent Mindful Moments in our lives. So I decided to showcase a little of the rainforest vegetation and birds that afford me opportunity to embrace mindful moments, refreshing and revitalizing my spirit. If you have not already done so why not read my info on the scientific facts on the Benefits of Birding.

Before I entered the rainforest I was encouraged to see the Mountain Devil flowering again in the park after the drought, as it appeared to be absent the last few years. This is a significant mountain flower for long beaked honeyeaters during the winter months.

Sadly it was overcast and extremely glary with diffused light which affected all my high tree shots, requiring much post production. As I walked I heard the relentless call of an immature Sacred Kingfisher sitting beside the nest, which is inside a arboreal termite nest. I had been checking several nests on the way, and all in similar locations. Kookaburras and Kingfishers all use these nests for their own nests, poking entrance holes with their strong beaks.

calling upward
calling for food
resting
the nest

This what it sounded like:

Suddenly I was startled by a flash of bright red as a Eastern Crimson Rosella flew past and landed nearby. I had heard its chime earlier and now it had landed to see what I was up to.

Nearby a shy male Australian King Parrot rested, watching me out of the corner of his eye.

As I walked I heard a not so common bird calling and moving rapidly through the trees in a pair. At first I could not work out what it was, but as I listened I later realised it was a Brown Gerygone, one of the most difficult birds to get a decent photo of. It has a call much like its name sounding like: “geryg- onee”, but like many of our birds it has many variations of a theme.

Here is its call:

As I looked up higher I was delighted to see a  Satin Flycatcher resting.

Then I heard the calls of the Lewins Honeyeater nearby, as they tend to come near to check me out and then give there loud staccato call.

Lewins Honeyeater
Lewins Honeyeater

In the midst of all this activity a father and juvenile fledgling Golden Whistler were moving about undercover inside the darkness of some thick trees. I managed to detect them as they occasionally came into dappled light. Whistlers would have recently fledged their young, and this was the youngest I have seen of this bird still in its brown and white plumage. Junior was squeaking for food, and the father seemed to be escaping its calls as it relentlessly followed.

Father Golden Whistler
juvenile Golden Whistler
juvenile Golden Whistler

The Golden Whistler has many different tunes which he sings at various seasons and times of day, depending on what he is doing and who is with him, here is a small combo I heard from this bird:

Of course a Grey Fantail was not too far away and came to check me out as they do, right up close.

As I walked to one of my favorite spots I saw a fallen branch over the track. It had broken off the eucalypt tree during the recent strong winds, and to my intrigue I detected a large pile of honeycomb which had fallen with the beehive, which the bees appeared to be continuing to service. Dead bees laid there as well.

The sound of the busy little White-browed Scrubwren came to my attention from the nearby embankment as it foraged in a small hole observing me with interest. I love watching these little guys move about. It is possible that this little covered hole in the bank was a nest.

As I walked on I saw this very interesting sight. A palm growing out of the top of another tree. The tree may have been struck by lightning and the centre fallen out, but this had become a fertile place for this palm to thrive. It is not a an epiphyte like other rainforest plants such as Elkhorns and Staghorns, but normally grows on terra firma. It should become quite interesting and attractive in the next few years.

As I walked deeper into the forest I heard the sound of soil falling from the rock ledge above me. To my surprise it was a young male Superb Lyrebird, probably in its first year. I noticed the very bright rufous neck, and later the forming lyricals in very early stages. He was not afraid of me, which tells me he is young also, as males in particular are shy of humans. He cautiously walked along the ridge watching me follow him.

As I walked back to my car I heard a male Lyrebird performing (dancing to his own beat). This is the classic sound they make as they move back and forth opening and closing their wings when they display for a female they wish to mate with. I thought he is probably just practicing his routine, as the mating period is over now. I just manged to get a glimpse of him down by the river in the thick dark cover of a native fig. I shot some movie with much trouble as I could hardly see anything under the darkness.

The male tail

When I enhanced the movie I found that it was rare footage of a male performing for a female who seemed disinterested as she foraged. He has missed the boat as the breeding season ended early spring.

Finally, as I was about to leave I noticed the water lilies flowering again as they do each year on the Hacking River. Such a beautiful carpet of yellow flowers all open together.

Thank you for coming with me on this walk. Enjoy the week and get out in the fresh air among the trees and birds and experience your own Mindful Moment:

EXPRESS your gratitude and appreciation for the beauty and peace of the forest, allowing each of your senses to separately engage with the moment;

CARE-LESS meaning leave behind your cares and worries and let them fall to the ground around you as you enjoy your mindful moment. Thoughts of what others thinks, or what is currently on your mind worrying you – this is a time to not let these things intrude;

DE-STRESS by allowing your senses to earth you and allow this moment to relax you, lower your blood pressure, release feel good endorphins, and make you think of good things, being thankful for what you are experiencing without making any judgments, just allow yourself the gift of enjoyment;

REFRESH  yourself as you consider how beautiful and amazing it all is. As you leave the place with a renewed vitality and peace. Give thanks for all you are and all you have to the One who gives life itself to everything. Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,” – Psalm 107:8 (NIV)

The good news is that my next book “Flight of a Fledgling” is with the publisher and being prepared for publication early 2021. I know many have been sportively  encouraging this book along as it is packed with not only interesting facts about our birds, many from recent research, but life skills at a greater depth than the previous books, with a target reading age of 16 to adult focusing on the late teen and young adult leaving the nest, but with help for all ages.

Below is a sound file of Ashley’s Aussie Avian Aria. Silly as it sounds, it is a compilation of me making music with the birds. Listen to it and see how many different species of birds you can hear, and how many you can name. Next week I will give you answers. It is a bit tricky, but have ago and see what you come up with and write your answer somewhere or include it in your comment. You may be surprised !

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

Birding in a Heat Wave – What Birds Do When it is Too Hot

Posted by aussiebirder on December 2, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 8 Comments

The last few days have seen the hottest temperatures for November on record here in Sydney, and much of NSW Friday 36°C (97°F) followed by Saturday 41°C (106°F) with an early morning temp of 30°C (86°F) making sleep an ordeal for many. In the midst of the Friday heat I set out see how the birds in my local reserve were faring, and found most of them sensibly taking the usual precautions for extreme heat, as Aussie birds have learnt to do. I thought it worthwhile to review the ways our birds deal with very hot Aussie days. You may be surprised to know that birds have a higher body temperature than most other creatures (around 40°C) which rises with their very active high metabolic rate.

1. Thermoregulation (panting): When it gets too hot for birds you will see them with their mouths open and silently panting to release heat from inside the body by evaporation in to the air from the mouth (beak). Birds pant like we do when hot for the same reason. One of interesting things each bird I saw on my walk  and even the Grey Butcherbird ‘Butch’ above and his son (below), when they visited the birdbath held their mouths continually open. The Grey Butcherbird seldom hangs around the birdbath, but today he and junior did.

Immature Grey Butcherbird
Immature Grey Butcherbird

As I walked through the reserve, no one passed me, I was alone with the birds, many very quiet in the heat of  hottest time of the day, but they mostly displayed the same cooling mechanism.

Aussie Magpie
Kookaburra
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Aussie Magpie
Dusky Moorhen in the heat
Kookaburra

2. Shade and rest (inactivity): One of the first steps to dealing with hot sun is to get out of its direct heat by resting under shade. Shade and resting under it, both together assist to decrease excess body heat, as work or burning energy with our bodies naturally produces heat, so to rest in the shade is a dual help. Most of the birds were standing or lying idle in the shade when I saw them. Interesting, the always very active Brown Thornbill was even allowing me to photograph it, a rarity.

Noisy Miners resting in shade
Brown Thornbill resting
Rare to see a Thornbill not moving
resting with his prey in mouth
Red Wattlebird
Sacred Kingfisher resting
Pied Currawong resting with prey in mouth
Sacred Kingfisher resting

I found that the several Eastern Water Dragons I saw on the track were actually sunning themselves in the shade, which is quite extraordinary.

Eastern Water Dragon in sunning position

3. Bathing in or standing in cool water: Water is a very effective means of quickly dissipating body heat, especially if the water is splashed over the areas of naked skin on the bird’s body, by lifting wings and thrashing, and lowering face under the water. This is why birdbaths maintained by thoughtful humans are a great asset to local Aussie birds, especially in heat waves. Birds know where reliable water is found, and tell their mates. They also know when you refill or refresh the baths, returning seconds later to use them. See my special article on birdbaths on my Homepage.  If a bird has not enough water for bathing, just standing in the water will assist to  thermoregulate their body temperature as their legs and feet  are actually cooling radiators for their hot body core. This why it is wise to place bird baths under trees in shade. It keeps the water cool and gives them safe fly in and out places to rest and preen.

Alpha Male Aussie Magpie standing quietly in cool water.

Cooling face first

Then the whole body

We saw these Apostlebirds when we were out west a month ago cooling off ona hot day, you may remember the the video.

Or these Rainbow Bee-eaters using the super quick diving in technique to bathe in a lake in Cairns. The video is half normal speed.

Our own local Noisy Miner coalition, headed by Noisy himself do the same,

4. Spreading wings and ruffling feathers: to expose underlying skin: This is usually done when there is a breeze and best after having a bath as the residual water helps to further cool them down. 

Eastern Great Egret with wings out to cool in the heat

These waterbirds showed no heat problem as they were in a cool shady part of the pond, and the water offered a good heat dissipation process considering they were in and on it most of the day. The juvenile Dusky Moorhen and the Chestnut Teal family seemed quite rested.

Dusky Moorhen juvenile
Dusky Moorhen adult watching juvenile
Chestnut Teal duckling

Lastly,  the flowering of the Australian Christmas Bush, is the bush herald of that soon to be celebratory season around the corner. It was lovely to see so much of it in full bloom even in the intense heat.

Aust. Christmas Bush flowers
Aust. Christmas Bush

 

Enjoy your week and stay safe and cool. If you are birding make sure you stay well hydrated and sheltered from the sun, with hat and sunscreen lotion. Be on the lookout on the path ahead for snakes sunning themselves on the track and stamp your feet in uncertain areas before proceeding.

My book “What Birds Teach Us” the perfect Christmas gift, is available here online or at any of the listed shops here.

 

It was interesting to find some birds of a specie faring poorly in the heat and others quite unaffected, as was the case for these two siblings, I always meet on the track (I call the twins) as they are always together, and are immature, almost mature late in their third year. They trust me and will allow me to stand and pass within inches without moving away. I found another lying in the blazing sun for several minutes. They usually do this to assist spreading their preening oil and to rid their plumes of lice, but today ? Magpies forage and feed on the ground unlike most passerines. Each bird is an individual and each is affected differently by their environment and lifestyle, similar to us humans. My wife hates being cold, and I love it, but I hate being hot and humid and she loves it. I enjoy red wine she enjoys white. She prefers appearance and I prefer practical. She hoards and I am tidy keeping a minimum of possessions. I enjoy being and working in quiet peaceful places whereas she loves having her music playing when she works or rests at home. Learning to respect and accept each others differences,  is an important aspect of love in any relationship –  we all need To Give A Little Love

“Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults [differences] because of your love.” – Ephesians 4:2 (NLT)

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” – Ephesians 4:31 (NLT)

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud,  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged” – 1 Corinthians 13:4,5 (NLT)

 

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

 

Birding in our Nations Capital – Canberra Botanic Gardens.

Posted by aussiebirder on November 26, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Rainforests, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wild flowers, wildlife. 10 Comments

Last weekend my wife and I traveled to Canberra to visit family and enjoy a 16 course degustation dinner at an exclusive restaurant, by a hatted chef. On our way we stopped for lunch at Kiki’s in the Grove. This beautifully located cafe/restaurant is situated on a hill overlooking an olive grove on the Federal Highway, at Collector on te way to Canberra. Unexpectedly (the unexpected is normal when I am around) I found a new market for my book and all of 10 travelling copies were immediately consigned, as this shop has a large throughput due to its location and wonderful food and coffee, and best of all the owners loved my book. We were both delighted with this blessing, which would later be followed bu another.

While in Canberra we took a walk briefly through their Botanic Gardens, which we had visited some years ago. It was very busy as the locals were making the most of the Spring sunshine. On arrival, before alighting our car, we were greeted by a pair of chorusing Australian Magpie (‘eastern black-backed’ race tibicen), as they communicated to nearby clans. The Australian Magpie is unique in it has  two separate sets of muscle in the syrinx allowing it to produce two separate sounds at the same time one to two octaves apart, which gives it the chorus effect. When a family of Magpies do this together as a chorus it can be threatening to other Magpies and birds as they mark their territory against impending intruders. The Magpie is not a bird to take lightly, it is not only very intelligent but very powerful, fast and with a beak that can inflict deep wounds.

As we toured the various types of gardens we noticed this male Satin Bowerbird moving about in the trees around us, watching our movements. I knew that there must be a bower nearby, so I tested my theory by pursuing it with my camera, and each time it would move.

After a few minutes I was able to roughly triangulate where I thought the bower would be located, of course it would be hidden out of sight beneath a bush.

Sadly it was a very poorly kept bower, quite pathetic to say the least, which would explain why the many females touring around were not entertained there. We could hear him practicing his repertoire inside the bush.  Not long after we saw several females moving about, as there were several bowers in the gardens.

 

As we walked through the rainforest section we were greeted by the noisy incessant chatter of a family of White-browed Scrubwren, a tiny bird that spends most its time foraging under small bushes as it chatters along. This family had several young ones, all chattering to one another as they foraged quickly.

Another rainforest bird the Eastern Yellow Robin was sitting quietly alone in the dark shade of some thick trees. I was hoping for a flight shot, but not today.

As I watched the Robin I looked in the distance through a hole in the trees to detect a male Australian King  Parrot feeding overexposed in the brilliant sunlight.

A White-throated Treecreeper was climbing nearby. Then I noticed they were a pair.

This Eastern Water Dragon caught the attention of a group of visitors.

But this heavily banded male Superb Fairy-wren took the cake. Have you ever seen so many bands on such a tiny delicate bird ? How on earth did they get them on it, surely it must be uncomforable.

Which leaves us with this series on the Eastern Spinebill, a small honeyeater.

The next morning I heard the loud raucous call of several Channel-billed Cuckoo being pursued relentlessly by my own local Noisy Miner coalition being headed up of course by ‘Noisy’ himself. They had been called in by the nesting Pied Currawong to mob these sneaking birds, as they attempted to do a switch on their eggs. Almost every morning this process takes place, with the alpha male Magpie often included. Here’s what I got, sadly it was a bright diffused cloudy sky, so much work had to be done to master the photos from the silhouette. It may be an adult and immature, the smaller certainly did not look like a juvenile.

One of the three, possibly the father Cuckoo confronted the angry Miner who was left to stand guard, as the others had left. If they try to leave the tree they were driven into, the Miner wil give a mobbing alarm and in seconds the other coalition members and  resident Currawongs and possibly Magpies will be there like rockets to drive them out of their territory. 

Recent research into bird behaviour, where birds learn the alarm and mobbing calls of other birds, to enlist their assistance to remove a common enemy, shows that many species that normally dwell in a given geographical area or territory, actually work together, as we do in our local towns and communities. I have noticed that even at the bird baths there order and respect for each local bird species that use it, is being maintained  in recent months. We see daily on news reports the unsung heroes of people who step in to help people being attacked or robbed. They respond with no thought of the danger they could face, as these offenders are often armed and desperate. This is very inspiring to us and to our children,  as love places itself selflessly between the victim and the perpetrator, with no other reason than to help a fellow human in their moment of distress.

“He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.
 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support.” – Psalm 18:18

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” – 1 John 4:18

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Have a wonderful week and stay safe. If this is your first visit to my blog, why not check out the rest of my birding website from my Home Page.

There is still a week for you to purchase the unique and beautifulbirdbook “What Birds Teach Us”, the perfect inexpensive Christmas gift, that will continue to give to its reader.

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birding Dates with Riverside Friends

Posted by aussiebirder on November 19, 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, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 22 Comments

My wife and I have come to value the days we have together now that she works part time.  We enjoy our birding dates more frequently. Last week we had two within a couple of days which allowed us to catch up with our riverside friends in our local Royal National Park (by the Hacking River) and also the waders at Dolls and Taren Point (by the Georges River). Above are the two kinds of Kingfisher we found alone along the Hacking River, and both birds were seen within minutes of each other, fishing the river.

Firstly we checked on the juvenile Sulphur-crested Cockatoo that I showcased last post, but the parent had left the baby alone, and was on the grass by the river with the many other Cockies and Little Corellas pulling up grass and grass roots, as they do at particular times with their sharp hooked beak. Little Corella pair for life and are one of the most playful birds I have seen.

My wife saw an Australasian Swamphen building its nest on top of a lily bed on the actual river itself. The bird was away gathering material when I photographed her nest.

Swamphen nest on lily pads
Australasian Swamphen

Of course the Australian Wood Duck family were sharing the same area on the grass by the river, and the father attacked me and a Cockie when it seemed we were breaching its exclusion zone.

protective father wood duck
peacefully grazing by the river
wood duck babies
family peacefully resting by the river

On the dried part of the river bank I noticed an immature Masked Lapwing trying to assess the food value of a stone, as its father looked on, wondering what it was doing. You will notice that the wattle on the immature bird has not fully developed as yet.

adult Masked Lapwing
Immature Masked Lapwing

Just then I saw out of the corner of my bad eye a tiny bright blue blob on a dead branch projecting out of the river. My wife checked it out with her binos and I put it in my sights, it was the very elusive and human shy, Azure Kingfisher which works the river along with the many other species of waterbirds. It would dive super fast into the water returning to the same spot with a tiny  fish.

It is an extremely fast flying bird and being so small is difficult to catch in flight.

Within a few minutes I sighted the larger cousin, the Sacred Kingfisher also fishing the river nearby. Notice the vertical elevating and dropping tail sequence which is a feature of many male birds when they wish to assert their territory and ward off intruders. Kookaburras (a Kingfisher by family) do the same.

fresh catch
tail down
tail up
tail down
tail up

As we followed the track along the river I was able to show my wife the Sacred Kingfisher nest that was high in a eucalypt tree which I found on a previous walk. It was a former arboreal termite nest which Kingfishers and Kookaburras use for their own nest, after punching holes in it with their large strong beaks, by flying at it repeatedly till they form a hole large enough for them to enter.  I had wanted to show my wife and had hoped that we would see them coming and going from it, but not today. What we did see was a Kingfisher in a nearby tree sitting alone and calling.

arboreal termite nest
Sacred Kingfisher calling

As we walk further we heard nearby the loud call of the Eastern Whipbird male and female. Those who have purchased my book “What Bird Teach Us” will know how to detect both male and female calls, and their significance.

We continually peered into the dark forest undergrowth to catch a flash of this extremely elusive and fast low flying bird. As a novice birder years ago it was the most frustrating and difficult bird to actually photograph. I would spend hours right next to this bird but could not get a visible look, as it foraged underneath thick bushes, flicking up leaf litter in a similar way to other rainforest birds. The problem is that I am standing in the light, quite visible to him, and he in the dark can see me and leave without me knowing. In the first shot he is calling. Be aware when viewing the following photos that they have been lightened considerably and shot through a very small hole in the bush, so the quality suffered, but with this bird on most occasions, these captures are not too bad.

Male Eastern Whipbird

Walking further, my wife sighted this Short-beaked Echidna (known to many as the Spiny Anteater) right beside the track. This shy monotreme seldom seen, was busy poking his nose into ant nests. This is the second time we have seen this little guy here. You can see why it can be difficult to spot.

Having checked out our riverside friends by the rainforest, a couple of days later we made our way to our favorite observation beach at low tide on the Georges River to visit our wader friends who were busily foraging. The adult Bar-tailed Godwit, now adorning their lighter non-breeding plumage were more conspicuous against the juveniles, who had joined them now the family was reunited after the recent return of their parents.

Non Breading plumage (foreground)
avoiding the larger crabs
a younger Godwit
size comparison
Godwits on the move
Light Blue Soldier Crabs
a swarm of crabs in military array
searching for smaller crabs

We were delighted to also see on the same beach this immature White-faced Heron alone and quite tame, possibly the offspring of the adult pair I saw last time I was on this beach.

We did not see the lone Eastern Curlew which frequents the beach, as many people were present, and the Curlew is extremely fearful of people, taking flight on even the furthermost approach. So we drove around the river to the Taren Point Shorebird Reserve where we sighted our shy Curlew friend poking its head and long beak deep into the wet sand, also seeking small crabs and worms. This the largest of our migratory waders and is in decline.

As we walked further around the river to the man made bird nesting island a fair way off from the shore, we noticed two broods of baby Silver Gull, at different stages of development. These photos have been heavily cropped. There was also a gull sitting on her nest, quietly anticipating her new family.

Mother & Father with chicks 2
viewing across Botany Bay
Silver Gull on nest
Mother and chicks 1

Lastly, we noticed this family of Welcome Swallow (endemic to Australia) feeding its youngsters. These birds get their name because no matter wherever you go in Australia, these birds will always be there to welcome you with their presence, as they forage on the fly. They are often the first bird you will see, and sometimes the only bird, since they eat flying insects, which are numerous everywhere, they do not require particular habitats as other birds do and can adapt to most conditions, providing they can access fresh water. They are often seen skimming into water to wash, drink and refresh in one rapid action. You will notice the juveniles lack the colouring of the adult on the right. A very pleasant walk together in the cool breeze on a hot afternoon.

Have a wonderful week my birding friends, and to those new to my blog and website, please feel free to explore it from the Menu or Home Page. You may find interesting birding tips and information that may help you enjoy life, gleaned from how birds do life.

Look no further for the unique and beautiful Christmas gift for your special loved one, that will continue to give…

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Welcome Swallow adult with two youngsters

Insects are a major food source for almost all bird species, and if birds ceased to exist, us humans would find life unbearable, due to the massive volumes they consume of what we term pests, some of which cause disease and death. Birds such as the Swallows, Swifts and Needle-tails basically spend their lives eating insects on the fly and seldom landing, which enables them to live almost anywhere they desire, though they prefer warmer moderate climates. Their focused commitment to their diet is inspiring as much as it is a blessing for us all. We can learn to be focused on what we are good at doing and be a blessing to others as well as ourselves, rather than spread ourselves out thinly trying many different ways and aspects of life, which give little return emotionally, relationally or physically.

It is wise to consider the 80/20 principle which states many of us spend 80% of our time on 20% of activities that are not productive, which results in frustration and discouragement, when we could be spending 80% of our time and energy on the 20% that produces the highest results and satisfaction. An inspired and passionate person with little talent can succeed and do well because their energy and heart are poured into their focused goal, whereas, many more talented people give up and become discouraged because they fail to focus on what they have rather than on what they don’t.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” – Proverbs 11:25

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

Winter Migrants Returned – We Are Good to Go for Summer

Posted by aussiebirder on November 5, 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, water birds, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . 19 Comments

As we enter November, the last month of Spring, most of our Winter migrants have returned to their exact previous locations for their Summer stopover. Most of the passerine migrants spend our Winter in Far North Queensland, New Guinea, Indonesia and parts of South East Asia. One such bird I spotted calling in our local Oatley Park Reserve, to which it returns each year is the Dollarbird. A beautiful insectivorous bird that commonly sits on the top of dead trees or exposed areas. This one bird had no visible partner and was continually calling, possibly looking for a mate, who was not present as yet. I managed to catch some flight shots. The name comes from a the white marking on the wings which some bright sparl thought it looked like a dollar. The Indian or Common  Myna wing markings look more like a dollar than this bird.

While in the park it was good to see the Chestnut Teal family was doing well and had produced another Spring clutch, though they made it difficult for me to photograph them.

The Pied Currawong is also nesting in the park, and is making sure its nest is near sufficient nests and  nestlings of other small birds so it can feed its young. As you will know from my 2nd Edition, this bird is known to be the great opportunist, being one of our very cunning territorial Aussie birds. Now looking at his wings you could almost call him a Dollarbird also. The Currawong is a very unique Corvid cousin, omnivorous bird with many very interesting calls, and is often tricked by another migrant, the Channel-billed Cuckoo, the world’s largest Cuckoo, who replaces its eggs for its own, as I showed last year.

Here is a male and female Eastern Koel, I sighted recently in the Royal National Park, which is another returning migrant Cuckoo that uses Currawongs as a  surrogate to raise its young. The female bares the Cuckoo stripes and the male is black with a red eye and is sometimes mistaken from a distance as a Satin Bowerbird.

Female and male Eastern Koel
Female Koel spreading wings

So many people have asked me to identify this horrible noise that wakes them up very early on Summer mornings and of course it is the male and female Koels communicating. Can you imagine what it is like having a tree next to your bedroom with these in it ?!

Before sunrise and throughout the day the male location call.

Then there is the other migrant, the Channel-billed Cuckoo, the largest of all, which is also in our neighborhoods at present being constantly chased by most of our local territorial birds, as they know what these birds get up to.

Channel-billed Cuckoo in flight

Another horrible noise to wake up to…

My wife and I woke early yesterday morning to go on a birding date to the Nasho  (Royal NP) to see what new birds have flown in for the Summer months, with the hope of a nice breakie at the Nasho cafe to celebrate the 3rd, as we do each month to mark our wedding anniversary date. The track was still wet from recent good rains and at first we heard the sound of what sounded like a squeaking children’s swing in action, at least that was how my wife described it, and it was none other than the male Australian King Parrot, who landed alone nearby. He sounded and looked like he had recently matured and was calling for a partner, as these birds mate for life and are seldom seen alone.

One of his cousins, the Eastern Crimson Rosella appeared to be training a more immature bird and teaching it to drink.

People often mistaken the call of this bird for a Bellbird or Bell Miner.

It was early, and thankfully we were alone from noisy walkers, bike riders and joggers, with the melodic call firstly of the Grey Shrike-thrush nearby, though he was shy and did not want his photo taken.

As we walked along the track I could see this strange object sitting in the middle of the track. As we walked curiously with caution toward it we realised it was an unusual find, a immature Wonga Pigeon. This is a specific rainforest pigeon which is seldom seen and is endemic to our eastern rainforests. As I previously shared we have a variety of native Pigeons and Doves endemic to our rainforests which feed on the fruits from the forest such as fig and palm.

In the distance we could hear the haunting call of the Wonga, which we often hear early in the morning at the Nasho, but never see the bird. The Grey Shrike-thrust can be heard calling in the background.

As usual the male Golden Whistler were in full song and busily finding tasty grubs to feed on.

We were pleased to find the beautiful native Mountain Devil flowering again in the forest after 4 years of drought, and is a great supporting flower during winter for honeyeaters, especially the Eastern Spinebill.

Mountain Devil flower
Mountain Devil bush

Soon I heard the sound of the Scarlet Honeyeater, a very elusive, tiny and eucalypt canopy feeding bird. It was a challenge to actually get it against a cloudy sky as it called to its female mate.

The last photo gives you an idea how small this bird is, and why it is challenging to capture its photo as it mostly feeds on the canopy of very high trees and is constantly moving, only stopping to communicate briefly. We use to confuse its call with the Willy Wagtail and sometimes the Grey Fantail, but we are better at it now.

Another classic rainforest call that gets us on the run to search up the tree trunks is that of the White-throated Treecreeper, which we heard nearby and actually located for a minute. Though this bird is not easy to photograph when it climbs the dark side of the tree, as it does. In the sun it is quite splendid. He was removing bark in search of grubs and underlying insects as he walked up the tree calling.

But our best returning migrant find for the day was the Black-faced Monach which returns each Summer to the park. Sadly this bird hates getting its picture taken and will do everything to hide its face, thinking it makes hi invisible. So it hid in the dark under a tree canopy, so forgive the extreme enhancement.

I usually only detect this elusive bird by hearing its unique call.

Lastly, one rainforest bird we usually always see and hear is the male and female Satin Bowerbird, and we found this juvenile bird being harassed by Noisy Miners as it sat scared alone in a tree, and kept escaping from our camera. Immature birds resemble the female mother and the males will not start to show their mature satin plumage for up to six years.

By that time they should have learnt their mimicry repertoire and dance and have learnt to build a fashionable bower and decorate it.  We found a mature male nearby, also trying to elude us, as the males are the most shy.

My wife felt quite refreshed and happy after our birding date, especially as we enjoyed breakie, though it was quite noisy as they were laying topsoil and  turf to the riverside paddock.

I do hope you have a wonderful week, especially those out and about after extended lock-downs. 

If you are new to my blog and website, why not become a Follower and get an email of my weekly posts and learn about our interesting Australian birds and their unique behaviours. 

The good news is that we are getting closer to negotiating for the publishing of my next book, but there is much more work to be done, even though the book is basically completed. 

If you have not done so already why not view my latest YouTube video at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkRXWRR_uUA

 

Buy the Beautiful Bird Book – “What Birds Teach Us” – the perfect Christmas Gift !

Click on the poster below to find out more.

Each bird has its own unique call or in many cases calls. We identify the bird before we actually see it by its call, which then leads us to its location. Birders develop acute hearing due to their very mindful hobby, and it gives them the rewards they seek. Because many birds mimic other birds, especially the Lyrebird, we can sometimes be mistaken if we do not listen for the subtle nuances, this comes from listening carefully and noting the differences. Do you know what bird or birds this is? 

You would be looking for this bird, possibly for several of them.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Now what do you think it is ?

Here is a tricky one, what do you think this is ? 

Noisy Miner

 

And again, we reveal the truth. 

The tell tail sound of the Lyrebirds own call and interspersed beat it uses to dance with gives the sound away briefly. Yes we can definitely hear the call of both the Cockatoo and Miner but it is not them giving it, it is a copycat version, and a very good one at that since Lyrebird’s hearing and mimicry so outclasses all other birds in that it can make the sound appear like several birds calling at the same time and also alter the volume to sound like they are coming or going. All this with only three syrinx muscles instead of the usual four for Australian songbirds. Wow!  What about you Mr Lyrebird, your an enigma !

This is a lesson to us all that we may meet people who talk the talk but may not necessarily be walking the walk, and I confess there have been times in my own life where this has been true. We can think that when we meet people and they seem so nice and polite, appearing on the outset to be good, honest kind people living in happy loving family relationships. but this may actually be a front or copy of the person they are making themselves out to be at the time, and in actual fact there true nature and species remains hidden from us behind closed doors.

The Covid has been a relationship test for many families, and with it the increase in domestic violence and family abuse has been noted in our country, and is currently a major problem, and a stain on our civilized society. If we think this is the case for anyone, or any family we know at this time it is in their family’s interest and well being to help them get help, as often pride and shame prevent this until it is too late and injury, broken marriage or even death results as has recently been the case in our own country.

White Ribbon Australia: Prevent Violence Against Women is part of a global attempt to reduce the problem, not to punish men, but to help them get the help and counselling they need, as many of these problems stem from copying their own dysfunctional family of origin examples, which are being exacerbated by the inability to cope with their own current stress and loss of self esteem. My new book hopefully will help in a non confronting way to assist young adults in becoming aware of why they are and act the way they do, and what they can do to change this. If you know anyone who needs help: 1800RESPECT. 1800 737 732

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (NIV)

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

 

NSW Western Road Trip – The Colour and Sound of Spring – Part 3

Posted by aussiebirder on October 15, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Uncategorized, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , . 9 Comments

Musk Lorikeet pair watching the sun set

Continuing with features of our recent road trip through western NSW ( as we had been restricted to travelling outside of our state due to Covid) I will feature some of the the most notable aspects which stood out to us as a result of making our trip in Spring. Last week saw birds nesting and defending their nests, bringing out the less admirable features of particular birds. This week we will see how Spring also changes the behaviour of many birds and our environment for the better, and for a birder’s enjoyment.

While visiting the town of Gunnedah while searching for Koalas (as this town, years before the drought, was known as the Koala centre of Australia) we came across huge flocks of noisy colourful Musk Lorikeet (it gets its name from the musky smell the males give off which resembles the testosterone-linked pheromone androstone, also found in Musk Duck males), feeding from the many flowering eucalypts in the town. The noise and flashes of colour as these birds made as they fed and moved from tree to tree was amazing.

The feature photo above shows a pair (they also pair for life) resting, notice how their tail plumage matches the eucalypt leaves. The funny thing you heard in the video above was, that when the locals saw us photographing up into a tree they thought I had sighted a Koala, and were quite excited because they had not seen one for many years in town because of the drought. The Lorikeets feed on the nectar laden eucalypt blossom as well as on lerps.

The noise is actually volumes of communication and instruction coming from each bird. It is bird language. Recent research has been able to demonstrate that bird communicate in a similar way to us humans, their calls are very specific, and use far less syllables than we do, which requires a fast processing intelligence to comprehend the meaning. Birds think, act and speak faster than us.  When one of the flock put out an alarm call is heard and processed in a millisecond from the very first note it is given.

The high pitch and intent communicate it, followed by details which they pick up while they respond, all in a second or two. Wow! It has also been found that many of their calls to mob or flee are actually learnt behaviour from watching other birds and their responses. The alarm call of one specie of birds as well as its call to respond in a particular way, may also warn other bird species that live in their area, including animals. Each bird has its own alarm call which most other birds sharing that habitat respond to when they hear it because they have observed and learnt the alarm protocol from the other bird species. Here is a family of young Little Wattlebirds having a conversation, we saw while on a cliff-side walk with my daughter’s family.

Have you noticed how these birds throw their whole body into the call. This is because song birds have their syrinx in their chest (some call it a lower larynx) and not in the throat (as a larynx) as we do. I love the way the tail rises when they perform their classic call with the click ending, which you saw in the above clip.

Two of the great features of Spring out west, especially when my wife and I visited the Pilliga National Park (the largest remaining forest in NSW) are the wildflowers and the Rufous Whistler (cousin to the Golden Whistler, I showcase often and which is featured in my book). In a similar way, as the Golden Whistler is doing here in our coastal rainforests the Rufous Whistler is heard continuously everywhere throughout the open woodlands of the dryer west, and I mean just that. This bird just sings its heart out throughout Spring dawn to dusk. Recent research on bird bird neurology reveals that birds get a feel good endorphin high from singing heartily which may help explain why Australia’s songbirds sing so much.

The immature male begins looking like the female and then gradually develops the white bib and black markings. Notice how he already sings like his dad, whereas his mom remains quiet, and her hubby can be heard calling in the background nearby.

Here are some stills of the Whistler. Please note that the male is very shy of the camera and it was difficult to get a photo of him on every occasion. As soon as he spotted me he would instantly  move to a hiding place.

Female RW
Immature male RW
Male RW
Male RW
Juvenile RW
Immature RW

Listen as this male calls in the early morning just outside the door of where we were staying the night.

Another bird we saw which spoke of Spring was the Little Friarbird.

We also saw his larger more common cousin the Noisy Friarbird who is much louder and has a more raucous cry, fitting to its name.

Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird

It was quite humorous to observe this young Noisy Friarbird try to remove the screw from the sign thinking it was an insect. The sign reminds one a little of his nasal hump,. Maybe it thought the sign was in bad taste, as I am sure it  was when it tasted it.

Later on we saw these two Noisy Friarbirds having a very noisy argument.

Noisy Friarbirds arguing

As I mentioned earlier, the fields of Spring wildflowers were a feature of the Pilliga forest and here is a small perusal of some of them:

The devastating bushfires late last year destroyed much of the Pilliga forest, but many wildflowers have come back to life, as is the nature of the unique Australian bush.

Some of the Spring birds we saw were the Common Bronzewing, which flew from the track to a tree to allow the sunlight to illuminate its beautiful wings as we walked the wildflower walk. Quieter birds, such as Pigeons, Doves and Bronzewings, communicate their alarm call through the intensity of their very audible wing movement as they flee the presumed danger.

The beautiful song of the Grey Shrike-thrush was also heard along the track. This bird has only just started singing in our coastal forest at home this Spring. The immature birds (striped front and brown) were present with the grey adults. Listen to their call:

One specie of bird that kept popping up along the journey, a bird we never see in our forests at home is the Jacky Winter, who apparently acquired its name from its loud, fast call which sounds like: ‘jacky-jackie-winter’. I did not hear it call on any occasion, but was amazed at how this bird just shows up and you just notice it watching you. Here are some of my shots.

A highlight was to see a Jacky Winter on its tiny nest. You would wonder how it could ever have young in it, their nest is just so small.

That is as much as one could digest for this week. Next week I will conclude the series with some very special photos and footage to conclude our birding venture. There are far too many birds and adventures to include in the series so I have tried to show highlights. We had no lifers that we know of but were very thankful for what we did see and experience.

Enjoy your week ! Daylight savings has started here so we get to stay out longer in the evening which many of us enjoy doing. We continue to pray and have concern for the many who remain in lock-down due to the selfish and rebellious attitudes of some in our states continuing to spread the virus. May they come to their senses soon.

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Pilliga NP regenerating
Pilliga NP regenerating

Take a careful look at the above photos and notice how  sparse they are of large trees and that the remaining trees are all blackened from the firestorm that consumed the Pilliga some months ago. The resilient Aussie bush is coming back to life, heralded by new life and a gorgeous floral prelude. All the beautiful forest here is gone but for the surviving burnt trees that are shooting with fresh green foliage, and the new Grass Trees emerging from the baked ash dust, not singularly as per usual, but several spears at a time.

Grass Tree spears in multiplicity

Out of devastation and much loss, new life and hope. The Rufous Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, several species of Woodswallow and Jacky Winter  all nesting amid the charred remains gives even greater hope to the re establishment of this once magnificent forest. It will be a new normal, just as ours will be Post Covid (PC) from the loss and devastation we all have experienced.

To have hope and share hope is one of the most life giving and encouraging acts a human can do for another human, just as the forest and birds are doing for their local environment. To replace one’s fear (which is a false belief that one is alone in the world and unable to cope) with loving practical encouragement and support. My book gives hope in this way and many have shared how it has turned even the lives of suicidal people around for good. There are many ways and means to bring hope into the lives of those we meet each day. The positive attitude of gratitude, peace and acceptance because we know and believe we are loved and safe, trusting not in the present subjectivity of fears and anxiety exuded by the world around us, but trusting in the objective unshakable truth and love of the One who cares and provides for us all, and accepts us as we are. There is always hope of a new beginning while there is breath in our lungs. If you would like to explore this more and “Learn from observing the birds” as Jesus the birdwatcher exhorted his followers to do click here.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” – 1 John 4:18 (NIV)

“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear [trust/rely on] him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,” – Psalm 33:18 

“… those who hope in me [the Lord] will not be disappointed.” – Isaiah 49:23

“At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail.” – Job 14:7

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

‘So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

Spring Brings New Things – Birding Date with Table Service

Posted by aussiebirder on October 4, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, Royal National park, Sydney, Australia, Uncategorized, water birds, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , . 11 Comments

Rainbow Lorikeet in flight

Having enjoyed the beautiful Spring weather on a birding date with my wife, I decided to have a break from continuing with Part two of our journey out west and share our latest birding date very early Friday morning in the Nasho (The Royal National Park). Early, to avoid the crowds that would come now that school holidays are underway, and early to hopefully see Lyrebirds and other people shy birds, that bikers, joggers and loudly talking  walkers often drive back into the bush on their approach. To our delight we were some of the first to arrive. It was a cool 11°C in the crisp valley air as we made our way along the trail, which initially was faily quiet but for the noisy Rainbow Lorikeets feeding on the eucalypt blossom.

As we continued the sound of the Whipbird nearby as the male and female were communicating, but they both remained illusive as per usual. Several groups of Golden Whistler were in song along the trail, each singing a different tune. We only managed to catch one male just after he caught some food. He held on to it and waited for us to go before leaving for (what most likely is) the nest, since her did not eat it immediately.

The native wild flowers were in bloom as many varieties lit up the trail. This variety of Red Spider Grevillea had an Eastern Spinebill feeding from it. These nectar rich flowers feed our many Honeyeaters, as they grow in our very nutrient poor Australian soils, this is a miracle in itself.

The very large Gymea Lily flower which has been developing for months is finally in full flower throughout the park.

Here are some of the other unique and beautiful wildflowers currently in flower in our park.

As expected this early in the morning we came upon this female Superb Lyrebird foraging for worms and insects. This rainforest bird spends most of its life scratching through leaf litter and moist soil for its food, and only flies out of necessity to avoid danger or cross the  river. The female is easily identified by its rufous throat and very plain tail plumage.

Female Superb Lyrebird.

As usual the Eastern Yellow Robin followed us for a bit of the way, from tree to tree. This bird feeds from the ground also, and would currently be nesting and out looking for food.

Suddenly the lens is pointed skyward as we both excitedly hear the call of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo and saw this pair fly over head.

As we walked on the buzzing sound was heard in a nearby tree, the classic call of the Satin Flycatcher which I only managed these two shots.

As we walked deeper into the rainforest we heard the classic sound, we had never heard here in our own Nasho, but had heard in others, the sound of a pair of Green Catbird calling to one another. This usually occurs at night, but here as loud as anything we heard and finally with much effort finally sighted this very elusive bird which is very shy and very difficult to see in a dark canopy. The Catbird is actually a member of the Bowerbird family and has many attributes like the Bowerbird. Listen to what we heard:

These were the only decent enough photos one of the birds would permit us before leaving.

You can appreciate why this bird is so difficult to locate in a dark rainforest, and this photo has been light enhanced.

We commenced our return along the track on our way back to dine at the park Cafe which now for the first time on many months (pre-Covid) now with the return of table service, for their beautiful cooked breakie we love, to celebrate our anniversary for tomorrow. Oh, I best remind you if you are unaware, we celebrate our wedding anniversary every 3rd of every month, as it was on the  third of the third we were married. This allows us to ask each other how we are going and assess what we can do better, a good practice for a good marriage. As we walked we heard a an immature male Superb Lyrebird practicing hsi courtship song and dance from a very young age, considering he still had his tummy fluff, and resembled his mother with rufous throat and plain tail, but with male plumes finely developing beneath it on close observation. As will most juvenile birds they resemble the female until they approach mature breeding age around 4-6 years. By then they should have learnt and perfected their repertoire of many different bird sounds and dance routine to his own beat. Watch and note that this one has not developed his song list and most of his sounds are his own specie sounds. Note in the second part of the video he is starting to move his wings with is beat song.

This the very early stages of his dance being constructed, which he will perfect with much enthusiasm with daily practice for the next few years, and all for his few moments on his performance mound to impress females enough to mate with him. Notice he even practices his vocabulary as he preens, which made me chuckle.

As we came to the Big Fig Tree where many of the fruit eating birds are currently feeding as ripe native figs are on offer, we looked for Satin Bowerbirds which frequent it, and could be heard with their purring call. Both male and female were present feeding, but also very shy, especially the male, as usual. The male has the beautiful satin plumage and the female the olive green patterned chest with olive brown primaries.

Mature female Satin Bowerbird

As we looked, to our pleasant surprise, we sighted a small flock of Top-knot Pigeon, a bird we had seen some weeks ago feeding from the palm fruit deeper into the rainforest, which they had finally depleted. Most of the rainforest birds are native  fruit eaters. They do not normally eat nectar, lerps or seed as most other passerines.

Finally we made our way to the cafe where we sat outside and had a wonderful breakie served by very efficient and friendly staff. We were greeted with a very excited “We have table service now, please take a seat and we will come and take your order.” It was only a few weeks ago where we were served outside through a window and had to sit out on the grass distanced from each other. We are very pleased with our government and their handling of the pandemic in our state and pray they be given wisdom to navigate us through it daily. We are blessed to be living in one of the worlds best managed states. This is the photo my wife took while waiting for our meal. A Waratah flower (our NSW state floral emblem) on our table next to her very good and compact binoculars (she purchased at the London Wetlands Centre) and her summer hat.

Welcome to my blog, especially if this is your first visit to my website. Check out my Home Page menu to discover  more. If you have not already done so check out my book, it will make the excellent Christmas or Birthday gift, especially for a young person. To find out more click here.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Spring is the time of hope, new life and new beginnings. We saw Dusky Moorhen with their new babies busily feeding them. So dependent, so trusting, so ready to learn and grow strong. As their parents feed them, they are also learning where and how their parents are retrieving their food. This will soon become their way of life also, there means of survival, so it is important they observe and learn, and not just wait to be fed, thinking this will be their future. Watching to learn.

Nearby the Chestnut Teal family, foraged. These little ones knew what to do as they are now copying their parent’s example, but still they are in the process of discerning what is edible from what is not. They soon realised after ingesting indigestible matter what is food and what is not. Here the parents are able to rest a while as they watched their keen young students practice what will become their way of life. Practicing to become Independent.

Every aspect and moment of our lives is teaching material for us to build on and grow in wisdom and character from, in a similar way to these young ones above. The most constructive and positive take on life is that we learn from its difficulties and challenges. As a CEO has hanging above his head in his office “There is no such thing as problems only challenges.” and likewise my saying concomitantly agrees saying to always look for the Treasure in the Trial. I believe there is a purpose in all of life’s buffetings and challenges, it all develops character and respect if we choose to learn from them.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:2-4

For those of us who believe that their loving Creator Father God is working in their life to grow and mature their character:

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?  If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:1-11 (NIV)

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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

 

Western NSW Road Trip – The Beautiful Bird Book Trail – Part 1

Posted by aussiebirder on September 25, 2020
Posted in: Australia, Australian Birds, Australian wildlife, Bird Book, Bird watching, Birding, Birds, Birdwatching, Fauna, National Parks, Nature, Nature Reserves, Outings, raptors, Uncategorized, Waders, water birds, wetlands, wild flowers, wildlife. Tagged: , , . 10 Comments

Having returned this week from a one week birding and book marketing tour of some the western cities and towns of our state, our first holiday for the year, being unable to holiday interstate due to closed borders, we are very thankful and grateful, considering many are in lock down or suffering much greater restrictions. It was so lovely to visit the places where my book is sold and to be warmly greeted and sometimes excitedly received. It was great to see how the Covid has been a blessing to the sale of my book, as many who would normally holiday outside our state, are making the most of touring it, many for the first time. The feed back has been wonderfully encouraging. Here are just a few of the places we visited where my book is selling well:

After the long initial drive up the east coast to the Mid North Coast NSW, near where I use to live, my wife and I spent the night in a quiet Golf Course Motor Inn at Wingham. We love staying at this place as it is very quiet and off the highway on a golf course, where we always find many birds, as we dodge the occasional stray golf ball. You can see from the photo below, the view from our room is beautiful. The afternoon light shone into the tall trees exposing clearly the birds which were busily getting their last feed for the day in, joining the Evening Chorus, as they prepare for their approaching sleep.

We kept hearing a high pitched ringing call from several birds, which sounded a lot like the Willy Wagtail. As we both looked into the trees I became a little exasperated as I could not see the bird anywhere. Willy usually boldly makes himself known to you, as you shall see in further posts, especially during nesting time, which is now. Then my wife recalled the sound we had recently heard in the local Nasho (The Royal NP), a bird we only had a brief glimpse of and photo of, the Scarlet Honeyeater, which had been a bit like chasing the Scarlet Pimpernel, as we had only heard it but it eluded us during the Winter months. The afternoon Nor-Easter was blowing at the time, so wind noise was present.

Sure enough, as we started looking in the flowering native bushes nearby we were blessed with a multiplicity of male and females in amazing afternoon light. They are so fast moving, and very shy of humans that they tend to keep well away. They also camouflage well in the red flowers they feed from. Spring is the most active time for Honeyeaters as they gorge the nectar rich blossoms  of our native plants. The interesting fact to the converse of our most nectar producing native flowers, is that they grow best in the poorest of soils.

We were so glad for perfect conditions, as we believed this was a gift to us, making up for the absence of these birds in our local area. We looked forward to the evening and coming day when we would spend catch up time with friends and family, who I have not seen now for a year, due to Covid. Here are some shots of the male feeding.

The female Scarlet, as with many species, has much less colouring, keeping her safer from predatorial attack when nesting, as explained in my YouTube Channel video. We did not get a glimpse of a female Scarlet, which is basically brown with a small amount of orange/red on the face only. She may have been nesting already, as many birds are now (Spring). However we did see a couple of immature males having outings with their dad, which is typical of many Australian species, where the male is responsible for the training and feeding of the youngsters.

I noticed that several adult males were flying together with their young males, in a similar way to Magpies.

An interesting observation from studying our bird behaviours are the identifiable  behavioural characteristics peculiar to each specific species. For example the Whistlers tend to tilt their head and look upwards a lot, whereas the Scarlet Honeyeater tends to look downwards a lot.

This was a lovely start to our whirlwind western tour. We enjoyed a lovely meal with friends and set off the next day further inland to a friend’s 50th party. As we visited each town along the way I would drop in to meet and greet the various sellers of my book, which was being sold in most of the towns and cities we visited. One aspect we observed the whole time away, was the aggressive behaviour between particular bird species, from which I collected data for my next YouTube video on Why Are Australian Birds So Aggressive ?

I will let you know when it is posted. You can purchase my book from one of many stores throughout NSW and various other cities throughout Australia, as well as online here on my website. This easy to read and beautifully illustrated book is the perfect introduction to the peculiar characteristics of our most popular Australian birds, from which helpful life lessons are gleaned.

The perfect Christmas or Birthday gift for any age, but especially for Primary School aged children, where it may spark an interest in bird observing, a healthy outdoor recreation. Thank you for the many blog followers who have purchased one or more copies of my book, now in its larger and improved Second Edition, and thank you to those who are supportive in prayer and encouragement for the publication of my second book.

Dorothea Mackellar’s statue at Gunnedah

Visiting the country town of Gunnedah, which was once known as the Koala capital before the drought, we saw the statue in honour of Dorothea Mackellar, one of Australia’s famous poets, who resided in that area. She is known most of all for her poem My Country (full version originally written as The Core of My Heart). I learnt at school to recite the excerpt of the poem below, which beautifully depicts our unique country:

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror
The wide brown land for me!

As I was returning to the country which I love, as a country boy, I was reminded of the similar feelings I shared  with Dorothea, who wrote her poem while living some years in England as a home sick young woman who had grown to love Australia’s outback and yearned to return, which she later did. Part of my birding experience is the land and its rugged beauty, as I do not like living in a crowded, noisy, polluted city.

We all experience yearnings, for a better place or better circumstances, often wanting to relive enjoyable times on our lives, especially at present with the virus lock-downs and the many losses and curtailment of civil privileges. The truth is we can not go back only forward. Disappointment is the outcome of unfulfilled expectations, which if unresolved may eventually result in Depression. I knew when I returned to towns I lived in or near for many years, things would not be the same, and that I needed a fresh new view of things as they really are. Too many people get stuck in their past, romanticizing past experiences, but we will now be faced with a new normal, post Covid. It is not healthy to live in the past, on our past feelings and experiences, but only to learn from them. It is important to stay connected to the present, looking into the future with hope.

The wonderful truth about our Creator is that he is always in the present. When Moses asked for the name of the One who sent him, he was told: Tell them I am, who I am has sent me to you. We live and grow in a time and space confined universe, but there is hope of a timeless always present experience offered by that same One, which has been made available to each of us, to escape the decay and declension of our current world, which scientists can concur, reluctantly to their conflicting philosophies, that the world is in fact breaking down and not building up or evolving into a better place. Ask the Koalas what they think. If you want to explore what I believe as a scientist who believes in a Creator, you can explore my Bird Sanctuary page, where you will find hope, help and peace for the present. Be aware that much of modern counselling is based on Judeo-Christian Biblical principles.

Have a wonderful week as best you can and keep safe and be at peace. Our prayers are daily for you, especially those we know that are in lock-down and suffering loss at this time. Next week I will continue our road trip out west. If you have a quiet moment in which to self reflect, read Psalm 139 verses 1 to 18 and consider we are in this together not just with each other.

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

‘To introduce people to our unique Australian birds,

So we can learn from them how to live a healthy and happy life.’

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