Little Journeys: On the Road Again

Life I love is taking pictures with my friend.

Here we are a week or so out of a nearly 4 month lockdown. Depends of course where you start counting, but we were in one of the ‘naughty’ suburbs, so our privileges were removed a bit earlier than the rest of the city.

For EE and I, a run down to “The Office” was always going to be high on the must do first list.

So given a halfway decent burst of sunshine and we were off.

The one thing that we noted first was the amount of grass that covered normally bare areas.  A distinct lack of large kites, Black and Whistling, and how well some of the smaller scrub birds had done getting an early nesting in.

So in no particular order.

Purple-crowned Lorikeet
Purple-crowned Lorikeet pair.
Sad to report that the old branch has since parted from the tree trunk, exposing the nest, and they have moved on somewhere else. They have been loyal to this spot for at least the past four seasons.
Purple-crowned Lorikeet. Protecting its nest from marauders
Little Lorikeet. This one led me a merry chase through the leaves. I could hear it, but it just wasn’t easy to see.
Happiness is… A White-browed Scrubwren with tucker for its young.
Looks like the Dusky Woodswallows has swept in while we were in lockdown and already had a clutch of young on the wing
Most interesting find of the day. Juvenile Fantail Cuckoo waiting to be fed.
Fantail; Cuckoo and its hosts, White-browed Scrubwrens.
The adult Cuckoo must have been very clever as I always find these little birds among the most wary.
Higher up the track on the cliff line, a pair of Australian Hobby are re-nesting in a familiar spot. More to come on their progress I think.
The age old battle of David and Goliath. The immovable object v the irresistible force.
Both have much at stake with young to be fed.

 

8 thoughts on “Little Journeys: On the Road Again

  1. Great that you have been able to head back to the office! Lovely to see so many of the regulars! There seems to be a lack of the big kites around at the moment. Just the one, rather than a pair, coming out of the Highway Paddock, Pumping Station area. I must find the time to head down to your office and have a look-see!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There is something about this particular season that is quite different. Perhaps its because ‘we’ are starting late, or perhaps the birds went early, but many of the ‘regulars’ have simply not appeared.
      Kingfisher is another that seems to be light on numbers so far.

      Like

    1. Hello Eleanor, its funny, the Office used to be a honeypot of so many birds, and we would have several Wagtail clutches on the go at the same time, so far we’ve only noted the one.
      I think the longer grass and other changes, all the gums for example are really putting on fresh growth after the early rains. one thing changes, many things change.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. A wonderful and varied selection of birds David. It is so good that you are back in the office again because I get to see these beautiful birds we never see. Love the Lorikeets and Hobby. The Cuckoos are doing well at the moment, though not in our neighborhood as the Miners have combined with both Magpie and Currawong clans to deport them on the first sightings. We hear them in the distance in a neighboring bird territory. I think I have some of the most organised and co operative birds I have ever seen. They work well together, they have learnt to share our bird baths and tolerate each other, as well as us watching from close range. The Willys are certainly brave little soldiers and quite capable for their size. Enjoy the weekend my friend.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Ashlely, interesting to see a group of birds working together to see off a neardowell. 🙂
      One of the things I was going to talk about is getting back into the stride of the area. Working out some territories, changes of of locaction, food sources and the general feel of the area. In just a few months, so much has drastically changed, and normally we’d not notice it as the changes are smallish, just combined they are noticable.

      Alll good, and going well with the numbers down here now, so many industries and workplaces will enjoy some more easing of restictions in the next week or so. Sad to say, to look around the world and see the gargantuan task that many nations face. Makes some of our hardships the past few months seem almost frivolous.

      Remain

      Liked by 1 person

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