September and the start (and finish?) of Spring.

Last post I commented that Winter was over in a flash, well it seems like Spring is heading the same way.  As I write this we're in early October and the temperatures are hitting 7-8 degrees over season average.  ith the thermometer hitting the mid-thirties it's getting a tad too hot and combine this with the normally dry Winter/Spring conditions and the plants are looking stressed, not to mention the rising fire danger.  However, despite the heat some plants have to flower, it's that time of year.

Daviesia mimosoides - David's Tree

Dianella rara

Dogwood

Quinine Bush

Goodenia rotundiflora

Lomandra Longifolia (Mat Rush)

Lobelia Gibbosa

Of course flowers are all very lovely, but what really get's me going is our feathered friends and once again September proved a stormer with 70-species recorded at the holt. Perhaps one of the more exciting visitors for me where completely new to us, Long-billed Corellas.

Long-billed Corellas at the feeding station.

Even more satisfying was that they weren't just passing through and have been visiting regularly ever since their first arrival.  We have had their cousins, Little Corellas, visit occasionally in the past, but at the same time that the big boys arrived a group of 4-Little Corellas turned up and they've hung around as well.

Little Corella in the Silky Oak

A visitor that brought mixed feelings was a Brown Goshawk who set up shop for 3-days.  Beautiful bird and lovely to see it, but I was very concerned about the other birds.  Fortunately we have a pair of Pied Currawong nesting in the old gum over the Lap Swamp and they mobbed the Goshawk so often it eventually gave up and flew off.

Brown Goshawk

In flight - killing talons ready

Wondering what I was doing 60m away on the balcony with a camera.

This month's birds...

Regulars  (Seeen at least x5 per week)

Australian Magpie
Bar-Shouldered Dove
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Bronzewing
Bush Turkey

Bobby the Bush Turkey

Double-barred Finch
Eastern Whipbird
Forest Kingfisher
Galah
King Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Little Friarbird

Little Friarbird

Mallard Duck
Noisy Friarbird
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Pale-headed Rosella
Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong
Rainbow Lorikeet
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
Wood Duck
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Common (Seen at least twice a week)

Brown Honeyeater
Little Corella
Long-billed Corella
Magpie Lark
Noisy Miner
Pied Butcherbird
Red-backed Fairy Wren
Silvereye
Spangled Drongo

Spangled Drongo

Spotted Turtle Dove
Striated Pardalote
White-throated Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen x2 - x5 per month)

Brown Goshawk
Crested Pigeon

Crested Pigeon - well you'ld be annoyed if you had to wear that hat!

Figbird
Golden Whistler
Grey Shrike-thrush
Leaden Flycatcher
Lewin's Honeyeater
Rainbow Bee Eater
Satin Flycatcher
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet

Scarlet Honeyeater
Variegated Fairy Wren
White-eyed Duck
White-necked Heron

White-necked Heron hunting in the dam.

White-throated Tree Creeper

White-throated Treecreeper

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen only once in the month)

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Falcon
Eastern Spinebill
Grey Fantail
Dollarbird

Dollarbird

Little Wattlebird
Masked Plover
Plumed-whistling Duck
Red-browed Finch

Red-browed Finch

Rufous Whistler
Straw-necked Ibis

Straw-necked Ibis

Top Knot Pigeon
Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-faced Heron
Willie Wagtail

70-species, pretty damn good if I say so myself.  I would point out that I only count birds that I see from the deck, driveway, or around the dam, and we are in the middle of a gum forest.  If we drove 5 minutes down the road many of those birds that appear as uncommon or rare would bounce up into the regulars slot. The other thing to take into account is how difficult it can be to see and identify small birds in the canopy. I'm fairly confident that if I had x-ray vision birds like the Golden and Rufous Whistlers, Grey Fantails and the various Fairy Wrens would also be up as regulars.  Still, birding wouldn't be so much fun if it was too easy.