November 2022 – Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER

From the Field Notes Book: Nesting

November 28, 2022November 28, 2022Posted in Australian Hobby, Red-rumped Parrot, Willie WagtailTagged Australian Hobby, Red-rumped Parrot, Willie Wagtail3 Comments

We finally managed a day that at least started out looking sunny, but it did deteriote. However no rain. Bonus!

A short stop to catch up on our local Willie Wagtails nesting. All seemed well, and as this pair have been washed and blown off the branch in their past two attempts, it is heartening to see them back on the job.

We also walked about part of the Werribee Mansion precinct and EE managed to spot at least four Wagtails at work on various stages of nesting.

The Hobby pair have also shown they have been able to weather the various weathers that have been given them and have two rather well developed young chicks on the nest. Given the days of constant rain, and exceedingly high winds its says a lot of for these birds to have survived. I had, I must admit begun to think they might have abandoned the project.

EE was at her alert best and found four nesting sites. It seems the Willies have figured out the dreadful weather might be gone, and are keen to make up for lost time.
Willies have, it seems two major nesting strategies. I’ve noted over the years that its possible to find a pair building a nest on a branch out in the open. No surrounding cover. In your face. I’m here, “This is Me!”
The second strategy is one of the furtive, hide-away in the deepest part of the a thickly covered bush or tree and, Ha! Let someone try and find us in there. I once had one that had nested in what can best be describes as the very centre of a Prickly Wattle bush (Acacia paradoxa) Each time getting into and out of the nest damaged some feathers. The clutch was well protected from self-serving Ravens and other thieves. They fledged three young.
And occasionally there is one that just seems to go for location, location, location, a bit like Goldilocks. Not too open, not too hidden.

I have to say that over the years, each method has had its successes and failures, so its hard to conclude one is better. I think it just depends on how stubborn the pair are.

Went to look for Seraphema and see if she was still in residence. Along the way came upon a White-faced Heron that seemed to have started a nest, but wasn’t sure if it should be completed. There was lots of calling disussion among the pair, but not much building. Time will tell.
And EE managed to locate a pair of Magpie larks engaged in the fun of building their mud house. The male popped down on the ground for a quick snack or two with his black apron all covered in mud flecks.

And so to the business in hand. The male Hobby deposited a catch into Serpaphema’s waiting claws and a few minutes later she headed to the nest.

After a feed, the two young climbed to the top of the nest for a look about and a wing-stretch.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, here comes a small essay.

And just as I was leaving I found a young Red-rumped Parrot sitting on a fence line. The soft light seemed to grace those lovely young colours

Enjoy

This bird has been washed out twice that I know of. This time its chosen to rebuild on a previous attempt out in the open. If tenacity and courage gets the job done then they will be successful.

Not sure if you’ve seen this, but here is a link to an ABC story on a Raptor Rehabilitation Centre.
Birds of Prey Rehab

Circus Spectacular

November 20, 2022November 20, 2022Posted in Pied Currawong, You YangsTagged Pied Currawong, You Yangs15 Comments

Thought I’d continue with the “Showman’ style theme.

We had taken a walk to the far west of the You Yangs Park to where the fenceline runs parallel to Hovell’s Creek. The creek is on private property so the best we are able to do is peek over toward the creek. The Rainbow Bee-eaters come down each year to nest in the creek banks, and hunt out over the You Yangs side of the fence, so it’s possible on the right day to get good views and photos of them in action. Such, however was not to be on our day.

Isn’t marketing wonderful! Hovell’s Creek is one of the few places named for the second half of the Hume and Hovell exploration team that first travelled down this way.
Hume gets all the good named spots and also all the good Marketing Opportunities.
Hume Highway, Hume City Council, Hume Building Society, Hume Bank, and so it goes.
Marketing is such that Hovell City Council just doesn’t have that right appeal, nor would you want to leave you money with Hovell Bank, or build your house along the Hovell Highway.
Isn’t Marketing Wonderful!

How about a product we know well. Glad-Wrap. Imagine if it had been called Sad-Wrap. Not much future there I’d guess.

We did hear a few Bee-eater calls from the creek line, but no real glimpses.

However further along the track we did hear, and see Pied Currawongs.
A family group of about a dozen or so birds were working over the grasses catching flying insects (Ants?)

They worked from several trees about 50-60m apart and simply flew from one branch over the open to another branch. Picking off an insect along the way.
I’ve seen Wagtails, and Flycatchers, and Jacky Winters work this way, but not such big birds. Hard to imagine they had the twisting and turning skills, but they certainly showed a range of aeronautical abilities and held us spell-bound for about 15 minutes.
A pity the light was running against us, but it was still great to be able to get a range of wing and body details.

Enjoy

The Greatest Show

November 13, 2022November 15, 2022Posted in Brown Falcon, Point CookTagged Brown Falcon, Point Cook Coastal Park10 Comments

A movie that I never tire of watching reruns is the Hugh Jackman in, “The Greatest Showman”. I enjoy the fun and the intesity of the music and the dancers. Storyline is well… but the visuals really excite me. There is also some fine songs including the amazing, Keala Settle as the Bearded Lady and her song, “This is Me!”
(PS if you want a great version of this song see Keala Settle – This Is Me | Abu Dhabi 2019 Special Olympics Closing Ceremony It is throat-choaking stuff and she looks like she is thoroughly enjoying herself)

Well, the other day, we were invited to enjoy Cassia, of Cinnamon’s version of the “Greatest Show on Earth!”

Her young are now well hatched and beginning to show some juvenile feathers under the white down, and so she is able to spend most of her day off the nest waiting for Alistair to being in food, and also to keep watch over the young from a high vantage point in the tallest Umbrella Pine in the park.

Cassia, of Cinnamon. The young are now well on the way to getting their first real feathers and she is spending more time off the nest.

A favourite spot on an Umbrella Pine or Italian Stone Pine. She has a commanding view over the paddocks around and can easily spot the return of her mate, Alistair, wth food

Wait, what was that. From her high vantage point she had spotted a likely meal on the ground

When Cassia flew, I had no idea what was about to unfold, but it was obvious something had her attention.

In a typical Brown Falcon move she headed straight down to ground level. We often think of Browns as being somewhat lumbering because of the over-arm rowing wing action. Nowhere near as sleek as their other falcon cousins. However this was a super fast run. I was so enthralled by her appoach on the ground that I didn’t make a single frame. She sped along the roadway just a few centimters above, and then dropped one leg, scooped up a lizard and immediately sped-up to make a climbing turn. No matter how fast you just read that sentence, she was faster.

Of couse her arrival and departure didn’t escape the local neighbourhood watch

Lined up now for a direct ascent to the treeline.

The infuriated Magpies were quick to respond as well, but with a turn of speed not normally seen by a Brown, she powered away to drop the meal in the nest for her growing young.

Lining up to get a clean run into the nest.

And here is one of the three young mouths that need feeding. This one has just opened for a wing stretch to show the very small wings sheaths still to develop.

A tiny hint of the rich ginger colour of juvenile moult beginning to show.

Enjoy

Some Recent Black-shouldered Kite Images

November 8, 2022November 8, 2022Posted in Black-shouldered Kites, iCloud Photo Library5 Comments

These shots are on my online database, so hopefully this link will work and it will be possible to share some more such compilations without cluttering up the WordPress Media file.

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0vGJDfWGwXTjD

Once over there, click on any image to full screen and enjoy the larger sizes.

Have fun.

A Trip in the Grey Box at Eynesbury

November 7, 2022Posted in Australasian Grebe, Australian Wood Duck, Brown Falcon, Brown Treecreeper, Grey Box ForestTagged Australasian Grebe, Brown Falcon, Brown Treecreepers, Chestnut Teal, Eynesbury, Galah, Tree Martin14 Comments

Been a long time between posts, I know. Hope you remember me!

But the excuse—I’m going to use—is that we just haven’t been doing much that is reportable.

Long term readers may remember that the blog was originally set up to record the bird activity at Grey Box forest at Woodlands Historic Park. Quite a few things have changed, in the park, and in my birding life, and in my life since those humble beginnings.
It has been said more than once, sometimes kindly, others not, that I have Grey Box sap running in my veins. Put me in a stand of Grey Box and my heartrate, breathing and all other out of contol faculties calm down.
So when EE said, casually, ‘Why don’t we go to Eynesbury”, on a sunny morning, before you can say, “We’re off” we were!

After all the rain, Eynesbury Grey Box looks a treat. Plenty of green and still good water laying about in the usual dry water courses that cross the forest.

We had hoped to see Speckled Warbler, Diamond Firetail, Sacred Kingfisher and Jacky Winter. In descending order of importance.
We also had hoped to hear the forest ringing with the sounds of Dusky Woodswallows that regularly return to nest in the area.
However Grey Box is not always forthcoming and in the end we had to admit, that today was not going to be our day.

But here’s a small selection of the action.