Australian nights

For those like myself who hail from more northern lands the Australian night can seem amazingly noisy. A healthy dam or pond will attract frogs, most of which we rarely see, but at dusk they begin to call. The chorus at the Holt usually begins with the "toc" of the Striped Marshfrog.  We call them the "Ping Pong" frogs because they "toc" at each other across the dam managing a fair imitation of a game of table tennis.  As things get darker the other frogs chime in and we think we have identified the jackhammer rattle of the Emerald-spotted Treefrog, "crow-ks" from Green Treefrogs and the slow "chirps" of the Striped Rocketfrog; all of which we have seen in daylight.

The less welcome call is the purring trill of the Cane Toad that is unfortunately in abundance in the area.

As the night gets darker and the Cicadas begin to quieten down we are joined by the squawking scrabble of the Grey-Headed Flying Foxes that feed amongst the eucalypt blossoms.  The bats are large with wingspans over a metre.  They flap from tree to tree and squabble amongst themselves, appearing to cackle at those of us on the ground.

Quite commonly we will hear the Brush-tailed Possums around the birdtables.  Their call is undescribable and has led me to naming them the "kangarillapigs" and they aren't scared by some daft human with a torch so are fairly easy to see.  This one was so curious I found it in the spa one night, just having a nose around.

Poor thing wasn't impressed with artificial light and soon scooted through the window once I opened it for him.

As dawn arrives the sound of the frog chorale, the fruit bat tussles and the possum scraps die away, but very soon afterwards the birds begin.

One of the early risers is the Pied Currawong whose call is a strange series of "boops" and rising and falling notes.  To me it has become the sound of the Australian Bush along with the Australian Magpie and the Kookaburra.

Just after dawn it's time for me to put feed to the tables and you'll never guess who is already waiting...

Yup!  It's Sparky and his clan of King Parrots.

We can all relax in the airconditioned comfort of our homes, watching our favourite TV shows and enjoying a glass of wine, but sometimes it really is worth stepping outside and listening to the orchestra of the night.