March and the weather begins to turn.

March was a month of two halves, split by a business trip to Singapore from the 11th - 17th.  Before the trip it was still very wet and in the first week we were flooded in again.  It rained every day until we left, but by the time we came back the rains appeared to have broken and apart from a couple of tropical downpours later in the month things began to dry out. It was still very humid and several nights we had showers, but at last we could see winter on its way.

The Lap Swamp is full...very full!

The water tanks were filled, the dams overflowing and the ground largely sodden, but the plants were beginning to spurt.  In the infrequent dry moments I tried to get a bit of trimming in with the brush cutter, but nature was in a vigorous mood and at best I could only slow the spurts of weeds.  Still, the ducks liked it!

Pacific Black Duck having a wash

In the southern hemisphere March is in the Autumn and this is a time when a lot of the native beasties are mating in preparation for the drier Winter months to come.  It's most obvious with the ducks, but from past experience I know that in the next few months we will begin to see a lot of juvenile birds appearing and some of the wallabies will be carrying joeys.

In the chook pen all has been well, despite an ongoing war between Susanne and Pierre le Coq.  Salmon Faverolles are supposed to be gentle to the point of timidity, but Pierre obviously didn't read his instruction manual and regularly has a go at us.  He seems to like chancing it with Susanne, especially when her back is turned.  This demonstrates what a pea-brain the bird is as Susanne will retaliate with the wellie boot and if she catches him will bury his face in the mud and give him a good seeing to, whereas I largely ignore him. The Salmon Faverolle chicks are now pullets and growing well.  Susanne has got them to sit on her lap when she gives them treats, grated cheese being a favourite.

Mothering the hens or Mother Hen?

Next month we will be moving some of the cross breeds on as make space for more Faverolles, but at them moment the coops are rather crowded at night as we currently have 19 chooks in coops designed for twelve.

And onto the birds....

Regulars (Seen at least x5 per week)

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie with his eye on the dog food!

Bar-shouldered Dove
Bronzewing

Male Bronzewing

Galah
Noisy Miner
Peaceful Dove
Rainbow Lorikeet
Pacific Black Duck
Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Currawong
Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo
Welcome Swallow
Wood Duck

Common (Seen at least twice a week)

Brown Cuckoo Dove
Bush Turkey
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Whipbird
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird

Grey Butcherbird

Grey Shrike Thrush
King Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Magpie Lark
Mallard Duck
Noisy Friarbird
Rainbow Bee Eater
Spangled Drongo

A trio of Spangled Drongos

Spotted Turtle Dove
Striated Pardalote
Torresian Crow
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen 2-5 times a month)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Falcon
Golden Whistler

Female Golden Whistler

Leaden Flycatcher
Lewins Honeyeater
Plumed Whistling Duck
Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (only seen once during the month)

Blue-cheeked Honeyeater
Bush Hen

Bush Hen

Collared Sparrowhawk
Glossy Black Cockatoo
Little Black Cormorant
Little Friarbird
Rufous Fantail
Scarlet-backed Fairy Wren
Variated Fairy Wren
Varied Sitella
White-throated Honeyeater
Willy Wagtail

Which makes 52 species and the numbers are starting to climb as we head towards winter. And that's all for now.  April update coming soon.