I had thought that by now the little Magpie-larks would have been on the wing.
But, No.
I’ve ventured out each morning the past few days, and as only Melbourne can do, it has been freezing cold, windy, and on one morning, a thin sleet running on the wind.
Feel a bit self-indulgent about putting up another set of these little birds on nest and feeding. However, as is so typical, I’ve grown rather fond of the fluffly little hyperactive feather balls. They seem to be fed about every 10-15 minutes and it’s not unsual for first one, and then the other parent to arrive to keep them filled up.
Today, as the nest is now, well, well overcrowded, one of them ventured out on to the branch. Mum came by and in scolding Muddie calles shoo’d it back into the nest. In the nest they are very accommodating of the other’s needs for a wing-stretch or a preen, and it’s not unual for one to bob down into the nest so the other one has room to flex the tiny wings. Hard to describe but heartwarming to watch. Here is a couple of days of activity.
I’ve tried it as a gallery, so click on an image for a larger view and slide show.
Giving the little wings a bit of a work outHere, here, we’re over here. Interestingly they are not calling at this stage and its all about wide open beaks and wing flapsAnother food deliveryEvery effort is made to be sure that nothing is accidently droppedBeginning to develop a full set of wing feathers.The other two hug down in the nest so that a wing trial can go ahead. Another deliveryGetting bold and stepping out to make room in the nest.Mum comes in with a beakfulShowing off its tiny tailMore food on call.The young ones are messy feeders and the long legs of the insect meant that one didn’t quite make it into the mouth.Mum tries again. The fallen insect is on the branch and nest junctionNo waste here. Mum reaches down to retrieve the loss.… And in it goes.
Those that know me well, will tell you that I have a distinct appreciation for Magpie-larks. Goes all the way back to a young kid chasing them along the irrigation channels where I grew up. Muddies, Mudlarks, Peewees, all names that these fiesty little birds have been called.
I think we all appreciated as little kids that Muddies could play about in puddles of water, and not get told off. A sneaking respect for them so developed.
Their antics are numerous, and among them are the range of calls that they have. Ask them, “How deep is the water?” and they’ll respond with a shrill, “Knee-deep”. They also have a charming duet call, first he calls, then she answers. They also love to fly together, land, and go through a wing-waving technique with lots of shrill calls.
They also have the into and out of the nest down to an art form. The incoming one calls to announce arrival, and as it drops in, the other one departs. To a casual observer it would seem that a bird flew into, and then out of the tree. The amount of time for the change over, is not much more than the blink of an eye.
We have one that visits the local front garden, its a female. She has worked out, I think, that the concrete aand metal fences nearby will amplify her call, and it is really quite penetrating.
Recently I also learned that their mud-nest building is a little more complicated and explains an odd thing that I’ve seen from time to time. Occassionally I would find a nest in one tree, and another nest nearby, but the second nest was never used. Seems that Muddies get a bit confused, or excited about nest building, and after looking at several sites, they seem to select one, and start work, but also begin work on a second one as well. Eventually, both harmonise and one nest gets completed.
This clutch is at least their second for this season, and there was no confusion about the nest location. Both worked on it.
The pictures tell the rest of the story.
All complete and she settles down to laying and beginning to broodThey share the brooding processThe young are hatched in around 18 days, and a clutch is usually 3. I have seen one clutch of 4 Within a few days, they have packed on the weight, and developed feathers and are nearly ready to leaveA wing stretch that overflows the nestMum arrives with a top-upPlenty of begging, but she knows which one is nextAnd in it goesStill, it doesn’t hurt to askMaybe a wing-flap might attract attentionBut, that’s it for this round.
Once they fly, there will be no holding them, so its all over so quickly.
Warning: This blog contains details and images that may cause distress to some readers. I see that just about every night on the tv news, and I’m not sure what you are expected to do. Change channels, turn tv off. Close your eyes?
When I was a little kid, I remember a Loony Tunes cartoon of Elmer Fudd, the duckhunter, and Daffy Duck eluding him. The hapless Elemer never seemed to be able to take home a duck dinner. Currently our Victorian Government seem to be in the same sort of dilemna about banning Duck Season 2023.
In the meantime, down at the the Western Treatment Plant, a White-bellied Sea Eagle is not the least preturbed by a possible closure of duck season.
Thanks to the headsup of its likely presence by my Flickrmate Don, and a couple of other birdos, we were planning to make a trip to WTP to see what, well, what we could see.
The family were coming for Australia Day, so we were planning to go the following day, but, best laid plans as Robbie Burns would write, and family decided that to come the day after Aussie-Day-Maaate. How Un-Australian is that! I wonder if they disappeared as happens in the Sam Keckovic Lamb tv ad.
So rearranging our schedule we headed for the Treatment Plant. I’m not a great fan of going there on public holidays and weekends. Once the plant was visited by keen birders who took time to see and id as many birds as possible, and it was very laid back and tranquil.
These days it seems to be photographers who hurry from one end of the plant to the other to get just that one shot. Sometimes its seems to resemble a badly run motorcrosse event. And I’ve photographed a goodly number of motorcrosse events, and participated in a few historic rally runs so have a vague idea about proceedings.
So weekends are not my fav time in the plant.
Rant over, back to Sea Eagles. Well, one in particular.
The smart money seemed to suggest it would be on Lake Borrie, that’s where it was the day before. Every heard that advice. “Oh, yes, I saw it just there, yesterday.”
We parked conveniently about mid-way along the road and started to scan. Nothing in close. Of course not, did you really expect it?
Then EE made a gesture, way out in the middle of the lake. A white spec, that could have been a refigerator as far as normal eye sight would know. Through the binos, it was indeed a White-bellied Sea Eagle, perched high on a tree with great views of the menu (eer. ducks) all around.
It sat. We despaired at getting a sharp image at that distance and with the sun rising, heat-haze began to make it presence felt. Then the bird jumped, went to the deck and moved about 300m up the lake. Just about every duck in that direction took to the air and flew the opposite way. Better to fly first and ask where later on. Still too far out, but, just that little bit closer. Another long sit, and as soon as I turned away, it dropped down on to a log at water level. Missed that. Another long wait. But the bird kept turning its head to the left, and it had obviously locked on to something. More waiting.
Then, unfurling the wings it took off, quite leisurely it seemed, almost stealth mode. And while I didn’t really see it though the viewfinder, somewhere out there a Chestnut Teal had nodded off to sleep. Bad career move. There was no second chance. The eagle swiftly despatched the duck, and sat on the waterline with it for a good 15 minutes, then scooping up its prize flew down the lake to a suitable dining table.
Event Log
When a Sea Eagle flys East, the wise among the ducks fly West
Swinging In to landLocked for landingViewing the Menu from the best position in townAfter a very long wait, it dropped down on to a waterline log for a drinkIt kept looking to the left, obviously some opportunity had presented itselfLike all raptors there is no wasted energy, the time to move has to be just right.StrikeTime to recoverNow to relocate to a more suitable dining tableA handy perchcenare all’aria aperta
I was on my way in that lovely pre-dawn light to check on a pair of Mudlarks and their nest. As R L Stevenson said, and “I found the dew on every buttercup”
On a tree some distance down the road, the familar shapes of Black-shouldered Kites. It was enough for me to try to find a place on the narrow roadway to pull over and take a walk back to see what was happening.
As it turned out. A lot. This is not a pair that I’ve worked with before, and probably won’t see again with any regularity.
The male was in the business of renovating or newly constructing a nest, and to my surprise, chose the tree quite near me for his timber collecting duties. It caused me to spare a thought for the effort he has to put in to select and acquire just the right piece of wood.
I don’t normally see this action close up so it was quite intguiging to watch him at work, first selecting a stick to break off, and failing, and then collecting another.
She on the other hand, sat quietly on the other side of the tree. Dreaming, no doubt of mice, or a wide screen tv.
The nest I discovered is 600-800 metres further down the paddock, and far too far away to monitor.
Dropping in to select a branch.It is always a pleasure to watch the Kites work the air so gently and softly. Each feather working hard to control the approachI have no idea how he knows which is the best branch, or does he just keep going until he can find one to break off.
It seems to be quite a balancing act to hold on, and at the same time tug away at a branch. One he was standing on gave way. But he quickly recoveredA bit like the big bad wolf, huffing and puffing is not getting this branch lose.Time to re-evaluate the optionsQuite amazing to see how well he can move about on the tiniest of branchesThere, that is the right one.And away we go.And there is the nest tree. Way, way, way down there. Two fences a gate and an irrigation channel away.
Quite an enlargement, but you can see his progress.
Always a great fan of Crosbie Morrison’s radio program “Wild Life” of the 1950s and 60s. Took me many years but I eventually found a copy of his book, “Along the Track” So thought this year I might use it as a way of honouring the influence he had on so many listeners. Always fascinating as a little kid to hear what had been sent into him, packed in cotton wool in a matchbox.
Perhaps it was part of my desire to not only see things in the bush, but to really get to know them closely.
Such, is a family of Willie Wagtails.
Now that all the Black-shouldered Kites have left the area, and the Australian Hobbys have fledged and are already making all-day forays out over the paddocks, and the young of Brown Falcon, Cassia, of Cinnamon are now self-sufficient, it’s been a lot harder to find the ‘usual suspects’
I’ve noted before that Wagtails had a very bad start to the season. Been hard to find any that weren’t washed or blown out during the foul weather a few weeks back. When the only protection is clever placement of the nest and a finely woven spiderweb cup, it doesn’t take much to bring the project undone.
One pair had two lots of bad luck. (Perhaps three, as there is some debate about the possibility of an earlier nest we didn’t see).
The first nest was built in the open, and had no protection from the elements. A quick shake of the head and no time for moping about, they got straight back into a new nest. This one was pretty well protected under the leaves, but exposed to the edge of an open paddock and when the rains and winds came, like the three little pigs, the nest was pretty much blown upside down.
Quick off the mark, they returned to the scene of the first nest and relaid the foundation and built a new one. For those that follow Monty Python, it’s a bit like Willowshade in “The Holy Grail”
When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that’s what you’re going to get, Lad, the strongest castle in all this Isle.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
So Swamps aside, here are some of the highlights from the third and successful nesting
Enjoy
This is the industrious action on the second nest site.
Regretably the rain and wind tore it from the branch before the young were hatched. Refurbished first site. Most of the nest had gone, but you can see where they reinforced the foundation and then went on.This time the weather was much more kind. She is sitting up a bit higher in the nest this time and the young must have hatched a couple of days previously. The nest was well sited behind the trunk of the tree to avoid prevailing winds. (Do you think they know that stuff?)No Secret Now
The young keep a very low profile and hardly move around
DefensiveNothing to see here. She sits on the young ones to keep them covered. As they grow, they tend to stick out from under her feathers.Cozy, but now overgrowing the tiny cupThey get constant visits with food I’ve always been fascinated about how they know which is the next mouth to be fed. It’s more than just the loudest or largest as each gets a fair shareWe missed them flying, but this is a couple of hours out of the nest, and a bit bewildered by the big world around. But still, even with a tiny tail, able to Wag successfullyA couple of days later and this one is quite at home among the branches.Two weeks on the wing, and with a well grown tail, ready now to take on the world.
Go little Wagtail
The weather has not been conducive to keeping tabs on the local Hobby Nursery. We have also the challenge of the location, as its quite a busy carpark, and Security offers its own challenges. Carparks are not public spaces. The second challege to in-flight photography is the trees are all very well established Sugar Gums, with a few Umbrella Pine, and all quite tall, and of course close together. So its hard to get an open shot of in-flight activity.
But persist we shall.
Early mornings seem to be the best. Quiet carpark, security having breakfast and the like. And if the light is right then its a bonus.
Here is a few from a couple of feeding cycles the other day.
Dad arrives with a breakfast offering. Unlike Black-shouldered Kites, he doesn’t seem to have the ability to hover. Rather he pulls up in a climb and then for a few seconds holds station before beginning to drop. Hold on. I’m comin’Me tooHard to see in these shots, but one of them is quite a bit larger than the other. So I’m tipping it’s a male and a female.I’m also sure everybody knows who’s turn it is for the food. I don’t think its a case of first in.I think this might be my Nat Geo Shot. Dropping away, Needing to find a suitable perch to hold the prey while it eats. That might work. Which leaves the other one to hone up its flying skills. They have already learned to take dragonflies in the air. A great look at the outstretch as it takes offGraining speed and heightDad arrives with a new meal. This time he takes the safe approach and delivers onto a branchAll secure and away
That’s it for the year.
Enjoy your festive season and may 2023 bring some fantastic picture opportunities to your lens.
The weather here was not kind to the first clutches of Willie Wagtails. Those birds that started early ran into extreme conditions and as the nest is mostly spider-web and at best minimally attached to the branch, rain and high wind inevitabley took their toll. Some Willies brave it and have nests on open branches, while others adopt a more sheltered approach. Some will work on just a branch, while others go to the extreme of working on a branch junction and get the support of several branches, and even a vertical one which does give them extra support as it seems easier to bind the spiderweb tightly.
But little Wagtails grow fast, (about 14 days from hatching to fledging) and they soon overwhelm the tiny nest.
One pair we’ve been monitoring of late, has built their nest under the branches of a old, small, Peppercorn Tree. However it is right alongside a very busy walking track, and a few steps from a picnic/rest/viewing area. Wasn’t hard to find them. And they seemed unconcerned about the human presence. We try not to get too close or get in the way, and they just go on with the important job of first sitting, and then feeding.
I do get complaints from time to time that we are obtrusive and break the ‘rules’ of not photographing nests and it only encourages others. So, just to set the record. No photo is worth stressing a bird.
If we aren’t invited to be there. We don’t. Willies pretty quickly establish the boundary rules.
This pair, had chosen both the place and the time rather cleverly. She had nested through the last of the storms and the three young hatched just as the weather picked up, so they have had about two weeks of no rain and winds. Interestingly, on the day that these young flew, the weather turned nasty again. But they should survive in the thicker pines nearby.
Let’s see how they progressed.
We found this pair well inside a small old Peppercorn tree. Took a while to work out as one flys in, the other flys out and it would fool many a casual observer.Little tiny mouths to feed. Not much more than 3 days old they have very long necks to get the best food. The Peppercorn fronds kept a safe fine veil over themJust a few days old, but already the nest space is at a premium. Everyone just sits very stillFive days later and they are well on the way to filling the nest.Tiny wings needs stretching and its means that your siblings have to put up with your need for space. The tiny wings are still in the sheaths as they begin to unfoldOne of the most amusing things is the tiny tail. While they quickly learn the Wagtail ‘wag’, the little feathers seem a bit inadequate for the job. Flight Day. When we passed by in the morning they were still huddling together, but the adults were much more conspicious and noisy than usual. The adults sat on branches outside the bush and offered encouraging wingflap signs to the young.
When all were out they escorted them, to safety, into some thick pine trees down the river bank. One out and two to go. The first flights were to a branch at the far side of the tree.This one needed a bit of encouragement before it too stepped up and was gone.A perfect landing for a first attemptSomething special about a little Wagtail that is out of the nest and has all the world before it.
Due to an odd arrangement of circumstances, that would take several blog pages to cover and even more to wend the pieces together, we had decided on a trip to the Western Treatment Plant. (WTP) What, of couse, was not in the “How to do it” manual was control of the weather.
Grandson “+D4” was staying over and t’was the only day avaible. For those interested “+D4” comes as an ‘Addition’ to the “3D’s” fabled for their “Dawdling” while on car-convoy on such trips to the WTP.
We picked up the usual Coffee-to-Go from our local and hit the highway. (Mr An Onymous, has a theory that in future times, sociologists and archeologists will conclude that ‘hit the road’ had some quasi-spiritualistic meaning and that the poor deluded ancients would go out and hit the road with their hand expecting some mystical experience—but— I digress)
The overcast, rain and high winds did not digress. Nor did they ease off. I may have mentioned before, that I can deal with the poor light and the rain at the WTP, but not the wind. It just makes getting out of IamGrey and standing in the open a truly harrowing experience and one that even the best of birds seems avoid at all costs. For those that might venture there, the track in the “Special Section” that was out along the beach area and barely passable with 2WD is now eroded to the point of being 4WD only.
So we had a fairly quiet trip about the plant. Good news is the roads are in very good condition and the closure has allowed several areas to be graded and topped and the drive experience improved no end.
We had hoped that White-winged Black Terns might have returned by now, but if so we didn’t get a sighting. The weather changes seem to have altered the plans of many returning migrants so far this season.
So as the blog is more now about the photos of the day, and less about the babble, here tis. Enjoy
This is part of the coastal road at the Plant. Normally it is accessible by 2WD, but now 4WD and low tide are the recommendation.
Erosion is quite evident. We retreated.
A small selection of Pied Oystercatchers hunkering down on a sandspit out of the wind.This beautiful Goose has been on its own for at least 12 months, but has remained faithful to the area.
I’m sure it doesn’t recognise me, but each time we go past its territory, I stop and we exchange a few head-bobs and it goes back to feeding.I’m pretty certain it has lost its mate, the pair used to be quite the regulars in the area and nested over several seasons.
For its own reasons it hasn’t ventured away to find a new mate. Female White-fronted Chat. They seem to take extraordinary care about returning to the nest with food, and will spend many minutes checking everything out before deposting the food. One of a pair of Brolga that were working in the T-SectionHe is returning to see how things are going with his nesting mate. I’m sure that is a Swan smileI saw the nest from the other side of the pond and we drove round for a clearer view.
This clever lass was taking no chances and had built her nest in the very middle of quite a deep pond and it seems to have paid off with a lovely set of matching cygnets.By early afternoon, the wind, the cold and the rain has gotten the best of the best of us, and we made one forlorn loop around the Western Lagoon area.
Surprisingly we spotted a pair of Brolga with two quite large well developed juveniles in tow.
Well worth the extra few minutes and the tired and exhausted among us were quick to respond to the opportunity. The birds seemed quite relaxed and in no hurry to go anywhere, but big long legs quickly carried them across the ponds. Quite well developed. I’m not sure if they are fledged, but that normally takes around 3-4 months. Which just shows how silly Uncle Google can be, as I’ve seen figures of 2-3 weeks, which are impossible. They stay with the parents for nearly 12 months until the next breeding cycle. Here is an intersting factsheet on Brolga on Farms.For bonus points we called in to see the Hobbys on the way home. This one is now just about a ‘brancher’ and no doubt days from flight. The nest is festooned in discared down. All tucked up secure. Three little Wagtails about a week old.
Tis a well known fact that mostly I am allergic to photographing birds as part of a long walking exercise programme. To me, its two distinct activities and the thought of knocking up 15 kms and seeing the occassional bird, way, way over there, is enough to make me stay at home.
Tis also a well known fact, and long term readers will be well aware that an area in the Werribee River Park just a few minutes drive from home has been called, “The Office”, as in “just another day at”. Over the past 10 years we’ve spent countless hours in the area and tis fair to say that at one stage we probably had a close relationship with the majority of the birds in the area.
But, and there in is the rub. But. Recent rains have made things much more complex for us. The Werribee River ran to flood level and huge volumes of water rushed down the narrow channel, and of course gained speed and force as they went. So much so that a footbridge over the river has suffered ‘irreparable damage’. So Parks Vic, to protect the unsuspecting public, and those that would ignore signs suggesting it was unsafe, have now for everyone’s safety closed the area “Until Further Notice”. One of the pylons holding the bridge has been eroded and needs a complete replacement. Sadly there is no budget money for that in the ‘foreseeable future’, so the area will be out of bounds for your average Sacred Kingfisher aficionado. (You can guess EE’s disappointment.)
Couple that with the need to install on the far side of the river a new pipeline to feed the Werribee Open Range Zoo, and that access road is also now heavily chain-wired, with a similar sign that says, in its meaning, No Access to Kingfishers Here! I just hope the birds can’t read.
With two of our preferred birding spots now off limits, we are in the market, so to speak, for a new location. So a couple of days ago we took a walk along part of the track running alongside the Werribee River as it cuts through suburbia. Well actually the River has always been there and Suburbia has encrouched up to the edges of the river.
So we didn’t expect any exotic or unusual birds, but thought the walk would give us the option of exploring some locations that might prove worthwhile. And as Ashley over on “Aussiebirder” points out Forest Therapy is about taking the time to appreciate the simple, and common around us.
What surprised us was the height that the water had come up to in the recent floods. Trees festooned with plastic bags and other disposable disposed rubbish certainly drew a line. Including a rather large log that was jammed 5-6 metres above water level.
We did find the usual suspects and a few extras which did make the day worthwhile. And we have a couple of places that might yield us some good opportunities in the future. Sore of feet and a little exhausted, we headed for home and lunch.
Now how did you get up there!
A large log shows how high the water was when it was running at full depth. Red Wattlebird. One of a number still feeding noisy youngCan’t seem to go anywhere without a clan of Rainbow Lorikeets turning up to put on a show.This White-faced Heron was looking surprisingly hunched up.There was much discussion between the pair of Red-rumps. But as she wasn’t interested in moving away from the nest hole, I guessed there were young inside.EE’s Spot of the Day. “Way down there on the Tree” Helpful when we are in a forest of trees that goes a long way way down there. Figured out eventually from a pair of helpful Willie Wagtails that were waiting for the Collared Sparrowhawk to move on. It did, and in a few minutes flew past taking someone home for dinner How strong are those pincers? The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo just sliced the tough seeds apart like scones. Want to see a Cockatoo rearranging the windowboxes on flats in the Melbourne CBD? See this ABC Article.We spotted this young Grey Shrike-thrush begging for food in someone’s garden. Had to shoot through the railing because of space limitations.Mum arrived with a big fat worm, but was immediately harassed by a squadron of White-plumed Honeyeaters, so… It flew to another branch and enjoyed the meal itself.Another great find. A Wagtail family. These young are a week or more out of the nest. The harassed parents are looking after four young from the clutch, so Wagtailville is very busy and noisy.
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.Number #1 The furtive approach. This pair are well inside a small old Peppercorn tree. Took a while to work out as one flys in, the other flys out and it would fool many a casual observer.Number #2 This one is directly beneath the Australian Hobby nest. Still work in progress. This pair are a two way bet. Partly in the open and partly under leaves.
They are overhanging a carpark area.Number #3 Laying the foundatiions. Another one that has chosen to nest under the cover of the treeNumber #4 This one is well on the way and quite secure within the shrub-lineA White-faced Heron and the beginning of a nest. At least I hope it’s a beginning. They are usually pretty rough affairs, but this one does seem a little spartanSeraphema about to leave the nest. She has just feed the two small inhabitants.Two young Hobbys. A Wing stretch in progress for one of them while the other waits for the next round of food.Mr Muddie is in the middle of building a nest and has a fine coat of dried mud on his black apron. After all that work it was time to look arround for a snack.A young Red-rumped Parrot. It must have been told, sit on the fence and don’t talk to strangers
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
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.
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 foodWait, what was that. From her high vantage point she had spotted a likely meal on the groundToo easy not to try.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 watchTight turn, falcon wings tucked in.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.
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.
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.
Plenty of Tree Martins. Just about every available hole had its families.
A new Brown Falcon for me. A dark morph male used to work in this area, but time has allowed a new encumbant. The same technque however was being used. It would glide from one perch spot to another and pick off a recently fledged starling or martin along the way.
Satisifed, it had plenty of time to digest its meal before making another foray
That looks like a suitable meal. We often think of Browns as being a bit lumbering or labouring in flight. But, given the right conditions they can put on a turn of speed and manoeuvrability that rivals their more agile cousins
Just what ever small pond needs. Maned Duck. I still think Wood Duck is so much better. I also suspect she was out for a bit of stretch from nesting as he was sole guardian of the pond as we returned
The Brown Treecreepers are feeding the first of their young, and look to be having a good season.
Getting all your duck(lings) in a straight line. At first we thought they must have been orphaned, but the male Chestnut Teal quickly came out and gathered them all up. This is another ephemeral pond, and the first time I’ve seen water in it in over 10 years
Galahs are also fledging their recent young.
This was the find of the day. The little Aussie Battler has set up a nest in a tiny, narrow arm of the main lake at Eynesbury. It’s right by a walking track, and she didn’t seem at all concerend at our presence.
A bit of a show-off. There are several captive peafowl at the Old Homestead. Hard not to resist a look at those amazing tail markings. Excuse the rubbish bin.
Birds as Poetry —— Just because I WANDER doesn't mean I'm LOST 