September sizzles

A bit of a scary month with bushfires in the region, one close enough for us to see from the back deck .Although it was supposedly a 'controlled burn' with the slightly more distant but far more destructive fires in the nearby Lamington Rain Forest, it was definitely undesired.  For several days there was huge amounts of smoke and I worked from home just in case we needed to move.  Our Bushfire Emergency Plan is to stuff every dog, cat, peacock, guinea fowl and chicken we can into the cars and then leg it, taking into account the chances of returning to a charred ruin are probably quite high. Perks of living in woodland! Local bushfires are a relatively new development for us as the areas more prone to bushfires are in Victoria and New South Wales, but climate change appears to have developed a new norm and I have a lot of work planned to better fire proof the house as we go forward.

Whether the butterflies were avoiding the burn or not (the controlled burn was in the reserve where they breed) we benefited with a host of gorgeous Richmond Birdwings and Orchard Swallowtails. We normally see the odd Birdwing but this year they have appeared in numbers.

Female Richmond's Birdwing.

Male Richmond's Birdwing.

Orchard Swallowtail (Male)

Orchard Swallowtail (Female)

Orchard Swallowtail (Female)

Male Richmond's Birdwing

Female Richmond's Birdwing

Dymple, our Peacock has been causing problems with our neighbours. It's mating season and he's in full plumage and looking for a mate. I have had problems getting a Peahen so he's been out and about searching for one himself, and as he has traveled he's been stopping for snacks at convenient veggie gardens and rose beds which has not endeared him to the owners. Unfortunately I have been forced to contain him in his run until his hormones calm down, which is when his tail feathers will drop out.

Dymple in full plumage

and back to the native birds....

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Bush Turkey
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Spinebill

Eastern Spinebill

Galah
Grey Fantail
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Corella
Magpie Lark
Noisy Friarbird

A pair of Noisy Friarbirds 'serenading'each other!

Noisy Miner
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird

Pied Butcherbird

Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck getting pecky with a passer-by!

Rainbow Bee-Eater
Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeets drinking at the chooks po.

Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater in the Honey Gems.

Silvereye

Silvereye

Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow Faced Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Shrike-Thrush
King Parrot
Little Pied Cormorant
Magpie Lark
Varied Sitella
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

A tiny Yellow-rumped Thornbill with his lunch

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Brown Goshawk
Eastern Yellow Robin
Golden Whistler
Grey Butcherbird
Leaden Flycatcher
Little Friarbird
Masked Plover

Masked Plover

Olive-backed Oriole
Pale-headed Rosella
Restless Flycatcher
Spotted Pardalote
Willy Wagtail
White-throated Treecreeper
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen once)

Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
Spangled Drongo
Top Knot Pigeon
Wedge-tailed Eagle


Which is 57-species.  And your Aussie critter of the month is:

Pygmy Possum from Malee Futures