It's nesting season for a lot of birds around here and so the bird population is more visible than usual as they go about collecting nesting materials and getting food for hatching chicks. As well Miss Five and I spent some time over the weekend scrubbing out the birdbath which is now attracting even more visitors. Sadly I have no photos with my phone being the only camera I have at the moment and any fast moving little brown birds are gone before I can even think about getting it out. So these are the birds visiting or otherwise seen in or from my garden in the last week.
The willy wagtail is a frequent visitor - it nests in next door's hedge - and a constant delight. These handsome little birds (which look like they're wearing a tuxedo) will take on any comers that venture into their territory. This little fellow sits on the fence when I'm working in the garden jitty-jittying like crazy - unfortunately I don't understand willy wagtail so I'm not sure what it expects me to do. Their Noongar name is jitty jitty and it's certainly very apt.
The birdbath is very popular with the wattle birds - both red wattle birds and what I think is a Little wattlebird - which feast on nectar and insects. The red wattlebirds are quite aggressive towards other birds which wisely wait until they have finished bathing.
The New Holland honeyeaters like a bath, too, but I have yet to see the brown honeyeaters and singing honeyeaters there although I see them elsewhere in the garden. I'm torn about the singing honey eaters which are helpful as far as insect control but are far too fond of attacking the grapes just before they ripen. They can wipe out most of the crop if I'm not careful about covering the bunches up.
Although I know black swans frequent the wetlands close by I've never seen one in flight until the other day when one flew over here.
Flocks of red-tailed black cockatoos have been flying over and feasting on my neighbour's Silver Princess eucalyptus. I'm not sure exactly what they are after - it's too far away to see - but they come at two different times of the year and fill the tree chattering loudly.
The southern boobook owl has been calling most nights of late. They sometimes come and sit on the arch over the steps in our garden and visit the huge marri tree in our front yard.
The ravens are always around, of course, and have now removed all loose coir from the yard.
We have a clan of Australian magpies which nest in the park we back on and they often visit. Magpies have a bad reputation as they can attack people - and do some serious damage - during nesting season but those near us are completely at ease with everyone and go about their business whoever is in the park. The theory is that the birds which attack have been interfered with or hurt in some way so as long as the local people behave well we're unlikely to have any trouble.
Pink and grey galahs also frequent the park and they call in here from time to time. Their antics are very entertaining as they amuse themselves on the TV antenna.
There are many other birds that I hear calling among the trees and plants but don't actually see so I can't identify them.
Along with the native species we have several exotic ones, some more welcome than others.
Kookaburras (introduced here from the eastern states about a hundred years ago) find the garden arch a good vantage point to hunt from and prey on the frogs and many lizards we have here. I don't encourage them.
Rainbow lorikeets are beautiful but aggressive and have driven out the native ring neck parrots by taking over their nesting sites. I'm not a fan particularly as they can wipe out a fruit crop in next to no time.
Laughing doves and spotted doves were released in the early 1900s in South Perth and have spread widely. They cause no damage so we get along - and, as I once saw when a falcon shwooshed by my ear with one in its claws, they provide an additional food source for the birds of prey.
You can find out more about our local birds at the Lake Karrinyup website (Lake Karrinyup is about a five minute walk from here so the birds we see often come from the bushland there.)
2 comments:
My word, if ever I get to Australia again, I will have to add Western Australia to my itinerary just so that I can sit in your backyard. Have you ever read "Where Song Began" by Tim Low? Fascinating book. In intrigued me so much I have read it three times!
Hi David. You'd be very welcome. Your comment reminded me of what a friend told me once. He was given the job of looking after a business visitor from China and asked what they found different here and was surprised the answer was "The birdsong.".
I haven't read that book of Low's although I have read a couple of others by him. I'll try to get hold of it.
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