Migratory ripples

As winter turns to spring and the weather warms birding can be very exciting at the Holt.  Migration isn't as mind-blowing as in the Northern Hemisphere, but it still happens and this is the season where we see it at its most active, which is why August is normally the top birding month of the year.  I say normally, because this year it was relatively subdued, but as I write this in mid-September, it has become obvious the season has just slipped a week or so. The season starts in mid-July with the arrival of the Grey Fantails and Eastern Spinebills. The former stay through until August and at times appear so numerous that you can't turn around without seeing one, but by mid-August they're gone.  The Eastern Spinebills stay longer, enjoying the flowering of the Grevilleas and are still busy in the bushes.  At the same time that the Fantails appear we get a flourishing of Golden and Rufous Whistlers singing their hearts out, and as the Fantails leave they recede back into the quieter corners of the bush, still there, but seemingly less confident once the Fantails have left.

Towards the end of the month both the jasmine and the grevilleas have built up blossoming steam and this brings in the little and Noisy Friarbirds, Scarlet and Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Silvereyes and Finches. As the weather warms and the insects become more numerous so do the Satin and Leaden Flycatchers.

At the end of the month we saw a big increase in the number of Wallabies around the grounds and this brought in a brace of Wedge-tailed Eagles hunting them.

Wedge-tailed Eagle looking for prey.

 One afternoon a pair of Wedgies tried to take one of the Blue Faverolles, but I was close enough to scare them off. The poor hen was wounded and badly shocked, but I am pleased to say that after a few weeks tender care she is recovering well and I hope she'll be able to return to the flock soon.

On the chook front things have kicked up a gear with the chooks laying like crazy and chicks pumped out of the incubators to move into the brooders. We have had some concerns over the fertility rate, but that could be the colder weather at the start of the month or the young age of several of the roosters, but here's some chick photos to coo over...

Salmon and a cross breed (Fav/Sussex)

2 Salmons, a Frizzle left and Blue right.

A Splash Faverolle

2-day old chicks in the brooder. They sleep a lot at this age.

A Blue and two Splash Faverolles

A mix of Blues and Splashes.

A Frizzle.

A Splash and three Blue Faverolle pullets.

And so on to the bird count.


Regulars  (seen at least 5 days in the week)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Spinebill

Eastern Spinebill

Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater
Magpie Lark
Noisy Friarbird

Noisy Friarbird

Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck

Pacific Black Duck

Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphen

Rainbow Lorikeet
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
Wood Duck
Torresian Crow

 Common (Seen at least twice a week)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Dusky Moorhen
Golden Whistler

Female Golden Whistler

Grey Fantail

Grey Shrike Thrush
Little Friarbird

Little Friarbird

Noisy Miner
Pale Headed Rosella
Peaceful Dove
Rainbow Bee Eater
Silvereye
Wedge-tailed Eagle

Magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagle

Uncommon (Seen two to five times during the month)

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Grey Butcherbird
King Parrot
Little Corella
Rufous Whistler
Scarlet Honeyeater

Straw-necked Ibis

Straw-necked Ibis

White-throated Treecreeper

 Rare (Seen only once)


Brahminy Kite
Brown Falcon
Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin

Figbird
Grey Goshawk
Leaden Flycatcher
Masked Plover
Peregrine Falcon
Pheasant Coucal
Red-backed Fairy Wren
Rose Robin
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Spangled Drongo
Variegated Fairy Wren
White-faced Heron
White-headed Pigeon

White-headed Pigeon

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Totaling 63-species, a drop on previous Augusts' but September is shaping up well. That's all for now. See you next month.