Mid-winter and the drought begins to bite.

It's been a bit of an odd winter, dry still, very dry and by August SE Queensland had been designated in drought along with most of the rest of the state, but that's not unusual. What was less usual was the amount of warmer, windy days.  Whether this has had any affect on the birds or whether it is something else, but the variety of species is down; having said that if you sit on the deck and look out over the dam the number of birds appears up.

The Plumed Whistling Duck colony has been having a seriously detrimental effect upon the dam and the clear waters have now turned into a muddy pool. Most of the Featherweed, that in previous years I've had to pull out myself, has been eaten, and the dam walls have lost most of their grass.  I could try and reduce their numbers by not feeding them, but they are such attractive ducks. Plumed Whistling Ducks are quite common and I think they are a very interesting bird. Male and female are virtually indistinguishable apart from a very small size difference, although it is said that if you grab them by the legs and hang them upside down the drake will quack and the duck will hiss (readers should not try this at home). They are nocturnal and so most nights they fly off to the nearby farms to feed on grass, before returning to the Holt for a late breakfast. The rest of the day is spent preening, sunbathing or just hanging about and chatting with the neighbours.  The ducks nest in rudimentary scrapes on the ground with males and females sharing sitting duties. Little appears to be known about their mating habits, because it's performed in the dark.

Plumed Whistling Duck on the dam

The dry weather has become a real issue. The earth and soil, poor as it is anyway, is bone dry and even the more resilient plants are beginning to show the effects of the drought. I'm using up water from the tanks to keep the garden beds going, but the natives just have to look after themselves. Having said that the Grevilleas are putting on a show of flowers, which is bringing in the smaller birds, especially the Honeyeaters.

Blue-faced Honeyeaters

Although this is the largest of the honeyeaters, as big as a Mistle Thrush back in the UK.

With the dry weather the grass is much less appealing, so we're seeing a lot more Wallabies and they're coming up very close to the house...up to the back deck in fact.  Very skittish, but I think that they're beginning to get used to us.

Peek-a-boo, I see you.

And on to the birds...

Regulars (Seen at least x5 per week)

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie interested in the camera.

Bar-shouldered Dove
Bronzewing
Dusky Moorhen
Eastern Spinebill
Galah
Golden Whistler

Male Golden Whistler

Grey Fantail
Magpie Lark
Pacific Black Duck

Pacific Black Duck shares the bird feeder with a Pale-headed Rosella

Pied Currawong

Pied Currawong

Plumed Whistling Duck
Purple Swamphen
Rainbow Lorikeet
Striated Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow

Welcome Swallows enjoying the sun at the tip of the old gum tree.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Common (Seen at least x2 per week)

Laughing Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburras lining up for the evening joke fest.

Lewin's Honeyeater
Mallard
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Peaceful Dove
Rainbow Bee Eater
Rose Robin

Male Rose Robin

Rufous Whistler
Silvereye

Silvereye

White-throated Gerygone
Wood Duck
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo


Uncommon (Seen 2-5 times per month)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Yellow Robin

Pair of Eastern Yellow Robins

Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike Thrush
King Parrot

Male King Parrot stretching for a seed pod.

Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Butcherbird

Pied Butcherbirds in full song.

Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-faced Heron
White-throated Treecreeper

White-throated Treecreeper...tree creeping!

Rare (Seen only once in the month)

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Quail

The very shy Brown Quail

Satin Flycatcher

Satin Flycatcher

Spangled Drongo
Spotted Turtle Dove
Variegated Fairy Wren
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater

Willie Wagtail

Which is 52-species, which is 4 below last July, reduced numbers of species are now becoming a worrying trend, but looking out across the grounds the numbers of birds, if not species, appears up.