April and the days dampen

It has got to that time of year when dawn is late and dusk early. I rise at 5am, have a quick breakfast and then its out into the garden to feed the birds and let the chickens out of their coops. It has to be said that the chickens largely ignore me as it's still dark.  As I wander through the trees and around the dam I pick up Red-necked Wallabies in the lights of my cap torch. They have become used to me and enjoy the grain that I put out for the birds. Over the months they have become less anxious about my presence and often let me get to within a couple of metres of them before almost halfheartedly bouncing away, just far enough to keep the gap.

Birds fed, chooks sorted and there's time for a cuppa before shower and change for work. As I sit on the back deck sipping at a hot mug of Tetleys the woodland starts to wake.  It's still dark and the first hint of dawn is still 15-minutes away, but the Kookaburra's will rip open the quiet of the night with their insane cackles.  Like an avalanche that starts slow. but picks up steam, the dawn chorus builds. The next chorister is the Brown Honeyeater, more of a churr than a song and then the descending trill of the White-throated Gerygone enters the fray. Across the valley the Noisy Miner's wake alongside the Grey Butcherbird, whilst further up the hill behind me the Pied Butcherbirds pipe in the dawn. Whilst still dark the flocks of Plumed Whistling Ducks appear as silhouettes against the now lightening sky. They turn sharply and cartwheel down to splash onto the dam nestled in the small clearing.  Once on the water they excitedly whistle at each other as they jostle for their place. By the time I head up for my shower the bush is alive with bird song - the myth that Australia doesn't have songbirds appears to have been ignored here.

Showered and in work clothes I have 5-minutes to finish my tea before heading off to work. Another 15-minutes has passed and the dawn has well and truly flooded though the valley. As the sky turns blue the trill and pips of the smaller birds is drowned by the screech of the incoming cockatoos. We have just over 40 Sulphur Crested Cockatoos that fly up the valley and land in the large gums behind the dam wall. Here they squawk and scream until they are ready to take to the tables in a white wave. In amongst them are a few Little Corellas and waiting for the ruckus to abate a couple of dozen Galah stay high in the canopy and preen themselves whilst the other parrots gorge.

Its time to leave so grabbing my computer I pop out the front to the garage, to be met by Dymple the Peacock, the Guinea Fowl, and Chip-Chip and his flock (Faverolles) that have been feeding beneath the bird tables. They flock around hoping that I have sweet corn treats, but I've a train to catch so I jump in the car and ease it through the birds to get on my way.  As I move along the driveway more wallabies hop back into the bush and then its off to the station...What does your morning look like I wonder?

Its been a bit of a damp period compared to the opening two months of 2018, which has been great for the garden, but now we've disappeared under waterfalls of fast growing vines. Blue Morning Glory has been strangling some of the shrubs and the Blue Billy Goats weed has been running riot, which has meant some hard weed wrangling.

A quick trip to Cape York mid month gave me a break and a chance to seem some less familiar birds and critters.

Brown-backed Honeyeater

Coastal Taipan

Dusky Honeyeater

The local swamp

and yes, it is crocodile infested!

Round-tailed Kite

Regulars (Seen daily)


Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater

Lewins Honeyeater

Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove

Peaceful Dove

Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck

now a breeding resident.

Rainbow Lorikeet
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow

Mum and baby Torresian Crow

White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater


Common (Seen Weekly)


Grey Butcherbird
Grey Fantail
Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Butcherbird
Rainbow BeeEater

Rainbow Bee Eater

Welcome Swallow
Willie Wagtail

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)


Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Goshawk
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin

Forest Kingfisher
Grey Shrike Thrush
King Parrot
Magpie Lark
Pale-headed Rosella
Rufous Whistler

Male Rufous Whistler

Scarlet Honeyeater
Whistling Kite

Whistling Kite

Rare (Seen once)

Azure Kingfisher

Azure Kingfisher

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Crested Pigeon
Little Black Cormorant

Little Black Cormorant

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Spangled Drongo
Tawny Frogmouth
Varied Sitella

A Varied Sitella hunting high in the gums

Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike

White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike

White-throated Treecreeper
Wonga Pigeon
Wood Duck

53-species, which is about all for now.


And for the Non-Aussie's here's a piccie of one of the burnt lands amazing fauna courtesy of the ABC...

Eastern Quoll