Wild Weather

On last Sunday morning,13th May 2018, I walked through my new chookhouse, still under construction but looking like the Taj Mahal already.

Three gates have cobbled together at the back to prevent (oh yes?) the chooks from accessing the work area.

As I went to open the only moveable gate to let the chooks out of their sheds, I noticed a small greyish- brownish blob in the corner against the concrete tank.

Taking a good look I realised it was an Australasian Grebe, Tachybaptus novaehollandiae, and a male, losing his breeding colours.

Now, if you can approach and pick up a wild bird it means one of two things; either it is on the point of death or it has knocked itself silly.

After the wild Friday and Saturday of galeforce winds and sleet I thought it was probably the latter- so I picked him up, suffering two rapid and savage bites from a rapier-like beak then rolling him into the front of my possum jumper.

Warmth and dark prevented any more attacks on my person and I transported him across to our big dam, parking him in the sun in long grasses under a bush.

After resting for a couple of hours, he took off straight into the water, diving and splashing around.

I have never seen a grebe on land before.

Here he is- the bare patch of skin at the corner of his beak confirms his identity.

Heavy winds take a toll on wildlife; a young magpie suffered a heavy blow and had an injured wing on Saturday too- she recovered fast so at least the wing wasn’t broken.

Big and unusually savage storms are another consequence of climate change

What luck, to end up in my chookyard, in reach of help. How many others are not so lucky?

At the Birdbath

Autumn brings a shortage of water and food supplies in the bush and we see an influx of birds into gardens where these 2 commodities are available.

On the left is the "owner" of the birdbath, year -round inhabitant of creeklines, the New Holland Honeyeater Phylidonyris novaehollandiae.

In the front we have year-round inhabitant of River Redgums, the White-plumed Honeyeater Lichenstomus penicillatus.

The interloper at the back right is the Yellow-tufted Honeyeater Lichenostomus melanops whose usual habitat is the higher Ironbark ridges.

All managed to get a drink and a quick flip in the water but the truce was short-lived and the poor old Yellow-tufted Honeyeater was chased away.

The Three Friends of Autumn

Other places get autumn colours in the trees- ours remain dull, dun and dusty grey-green. The end of Summer is a hard, dry time with everyone looking for water and food; the arrivals at the bird baths show the change of season as surely as falling autumn-toned leaves. Even when the weather is still hot ,you know that Autumn has arrived with the appearance of these three birds. Zipping through the shrubs where it is feeding on eremophila flowers, the Eastern Spinebill is like a small missile. The amount of energy this tiny bird expends in flying, foraging and yelling out about it means frequent rest periods!

Taking a spell from hunting insects, this Grey Fantail catches the early morning sun.

A rival to the territory- the bird in the mirror is an aggravation for this beautiful male Golden Whistler, his whipcrack notes setting off the male Superb Fairy-wrens who think he is a challenge to them.