Spring is in the air

As sub-tropical South-East Queensland moves into spring with an El Nino event helping it along the weather becomes drier, warmer, and just bloody lovely. It's a great time to be around the Holt as the bird numbers are increasing and with spring in the air there's a lot of mating going on.  They drier trend has continued with only the lightest of showers on the last evening of the month. The ground sucked it up so quickly there was no sign of it by morning. 

The dry grass on the dam wall and Wattles in bloom.

 The lack of water is putting a strain on many of the plants, but the Jasmine and Comquats have flowered anyway and at the moment the house is wafting with the sweet aromas from the blooms.

Jasmine blooming in the shrubbery.

Along with all the flowering our Lemon Tree is straining with the weight of fruit, probably because it's growing next to the compost heap!

Our lemons

The other major change is the introduction of the chooks. We made the 7-hour trip down to Tamworth to collect a Cockerel and 6-chooks, but within days of them getting home they were struck with a respiratory disorder. Reference materiel suggests this isn't uncommon with chooks when they have been distressed through travel, but despite assistance from the vet, antibiotics and a lot of care and attention two of the chickens died. Pierre le Coq (the Cockerel) and the smaller chook now named Emma recovered and the two older chooks appeared unaffected, but it was very distressing to lose the two birds.

Our flock appears to have fully settled in now and the two older chooks (Diddy and Lucy) are laying regularly.  The two younger chooks (Joy and Emma) appear to be growing fast and their combs are developing so we expect them to join in before too long.  Pierre, well Pierre is performing his Cock's duties well by crowing at dawn and climbing atop any passing chook when the mood takes him.  The hope is that one of the ladies will become broody and we will be able to breed replacements for our losses.

Pierre and the girls

 The addition of chooks to the garden and household means more work as they need to be fed and watered and even put to bed as they seem to be avoiding going into the coop at night.  They're quite happy to go up the ramp during the day for laying purposes, but for some reason prefer sitting on an outside perch at night.  With the risk of local foxes and Dingos going for them we are making sure that they don't stay outside so each night we have to put them into the coop for lockdown.  Hopefully they'll get the idea before too long. Of course, the chooks are providing us with eggs and the straw and chicken poo from the coop will be a great addition to the compost heaps.

The trees of Spring

 The other visitors at this time of year is Koalas.  Most nights we can hear them growling in the trees and occasionally we're luck enough to see them as they are surprisingly difficult to spot.

Koala watching me watching him.

And onto the birds...

Regulars (Seen at least x5 per week.)

Australian Magpie 
Bar-shouldered Dove
Bronzewing
Brown Honeyeater
Bush Turkey

Bobby the Bush Turkey

Double-barred Finch

Double-barred Finches on the dam wall.

Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Whipbird
Galah
Grey Fantail
Golden Whistler

Laughing Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburra

Lewins Honeyeater
Mallard Duck
Noisy Miner
Noisy Friarbird
Pacific Black Duck
Pale-headed Rosella 
Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong
Rainbow Bee-eater
Rainbow Lorikeet
Rufous Whistler
Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater takes off.

Silvereye

Silvereyes

Striated Paradalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
Wood Duck
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Common (Seen at least x2 per week.)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Dusky Moorhen

Dusky Moorhen studies floating solar light.

Eastern Yellow Robin
Grey Shrike Thrush
King Parrot 
Little Friarbird
Magpie Lark
Pied Butcherbird
Scarlet-backed Fairy Wren
Spangled Drongo
Varied Sitella
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Willie Wagtail

Uncommon (Seen 2-3 times during the month)

Brown Treecreeper
Figbird

Figbirds (Male lower)

Forest Kingfisher
Leaden Flycatcher
Little Shrike-thrush
Little Wattlebird
Mistletoe Bird
Olive-backed Oriole
Satin Flycatcher
Scarlet Robin
Straw-necked Ibis

Straw-necked Ibis

Variegated Fairy Wren
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Yellow-rumped Thornbill
Weebill
White-faced Heron

White-faced Heron

White-throated Treecreeper

Rare (Seen only once during the month)


Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird
Little Egret
Little Pied Cormorant
Little Wattlebird
Rose Robin
White-bellied Sea Eagle

Which is 69-species!  Pretty good month for birdies.

A shady spot under the Tree Fern and next to a Jasmine.