Pardalote Holt: October and the season starts to change

Pacific Black Ducks sailing off into the sunset

October is a time when the seasons change and we begin to look toward the wet season. The smaller birds such as the Honeyeaters, Padalotes, Gerygones and Thornbills move deeper into the woodland as the summer visitors arrive. Dollarbirds, Cicadabirds and Channel-billed Cuckoos begin to arrive as the weather warms and the humidity begins to hint of the summer storms to follow. Down on the Lap Swamp the Curly Milfoil is blooming and the dragonfly population explodes as the days heat up.

An Australian Emperor takes a break

Dragonflies and Damselflies are tricky to photograph as I have to wait until they land on something, and more frequently than not they are happier darting back and forth across the still waters of the dam. Some, such as the Common Glider and the Tau Emerald virtually never land, whilst others seem happy to sun themselves on a rock or stem.

An Australian Emperor on the seed thrown grass heads

The shot below was one of those rare moments when I managed to catch a Common Glider at rest. These fairly large dragonflies are more commonly seen on the wing, even mating in flight. The best identifying feature are the deep red markings at the base of their wings.

A Common Glider takes a rare break

I suspect my 100-400mm Canon zoom isn't the best lens for shooting them, but it's the only lens I have and so we'll just have to make do. Having said that it's brilliant for birds.

A newbie for me, a Black-faced Percher.

Eastern Billabongflies mating on the dam.

Another new one for me, the Unicorn Darner

The Unicorn Darner laying eggs form the pad of the Milfoil

The other effect of the increasing temperature is an increase in lizard sightings. You will see a variety of skinks around the Holt throughout the year. If you take a walk through the bush you will see dozens of the little fellows scutting through the leaf litter, but as summer approaches you begin to see the larger beasties, often sunning on the gravel at the side of the road (and unfortunately frequently as roadkill).

A Common Bearded Dragon

Very scaly and spikey.

A Major Skink

and a small Skink that I couldn't be bothered to ID because there's so many of them

I was getting very worried this month as the Plumed Whistling Ducks vanished. They have been here daily since the big storm of 2012 and early in the month there numbers began to drop and then by mid moth they had vanished. My only idea as to where they might have gone was that unseasonal rainfalls on the western side of the Great Dividing Range had brought about a rush of growth and flowering, which might have tempted them away, but I am relieved to report that as I write this (at the end of November) they have returned in numbers again.

a pair of Plumed Whistling Ducks

and on that happy note let's move onto the rest of the birds....

Regulars (seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove

A Bar-shouldered Dove

Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Galah

A Galah snacking on grevillea flowers

King Parrot
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Butcherbird
Rainbow Lorikeet

Portrait of a Rainbow Lorikeet

Sulphur crested Cockatoo
Welcome Swallow

Common (seen weekly)

Brown Honeyeater

The small but very vocal Brown Honeyeater

Cicadabird
Forest Kingfisher
Laughing Kookaburra
Plumed Whistling Duck
Red-browed Finch
Scarlet Honeyeater
Spangled Drongo

A Spangled Drongo on the Silky Oak

Striated Pardalote
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (seen occasionally)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Collared Sparrowhawk