Pardalote Holt: May 2016

April and it's mid-Autumn. The summer rains (that never really happened) are behind us and the 'big dry' of winter is on its way. This is the time of year when the bulk of the mid-sized birds appear to fade away and the smaller winter birds start appearing in numbers. Silvereyes, Grey Fantails, Eastern Spinebills and the delightful Rose Robins take centre stage as the Dollarbirds, Spangled Drongos, Cicadabirds, White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike and both Little and Noisy Friarbirds fade away into the distance.

On the critter front the Red-necked Wallabies become frequent on the verges at dusk, nibbling at anything green as the longer grasses in bush become dry and tough.

Red-necked Wallaby eating Molasses Grass

Always wary of danger

and the snakes are getting ready for the winter cold. They don't hibernate, but they have been known to link up in colonies in old tree stumps for warmth.

Carpet Python dozing (or digesting) in the Grevillea.

I'm sure he's smiling

but he sure has a 'knotty' way about him.

It's been a busy month away from the garden so I haven't been able to spend as much time out and about as I would like, but we've still had a few treats. A pair of Glossy Black Cockatoo came though, but unfortunately it was one of those rare moments when I didn't have the camera at hand. We've only seen them here once or twice before and they are quite rare generally, so it was quite a thrill to see them. We were also visited by an Azure Kingfisher. I've no idea whether it's the same one, but this stunning bird seems to appear just before dusk every month or so. He has a feed on the Rainbows in the dam and then disappears into the darkness until the following month.

The Azure Kingfishers loves the Violet Thalia fronds for a fishing perch.

Often appearing in the late afternoon...

Always looking for prey...

Just a beautiful bird.

The 'rare' birds continued with a sighting of a Spotted Pardalote. Not rare generally, but rare here as its cousin, the Striated Pardalote, dominates the area. I don't know whether there is any competition between the two, but we rarely see the Spotted variety.

So, what did we see this month....

Regular (seen daily)

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie

Brown Honeyeater

Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch

Double-barred Finch

Galah

Galahs' preening

Lewin's Honeyeater

Lewin's Honeyeater stealing the Elder berries.

Pacific Black Duck

Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong

Pied Currawong

Plumed Whistling Duck

Rainbow Lorikeet

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Torresian Crow
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater in the Fire Sprite Grevillea.

Common (seen weekly)

Golden Whistler

Female Golden Whistler

Grey Fantail
Laughing Kookaburra

Laughing Kookaburra

Little Corella
Rainbow Bee Eater
Striated Pardalote
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
Willie Wagtail
Yellow faced Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (seen occasionally)

Australian Ibis
Bar Shouldered Dove

Bar-shouldered Dove

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Goshawk
Buff-rumped Thornbill

Buff-rumped Thornbill

Bush Turkey

Baby Scrub Turkey in the Jacaranda

Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin

Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike Thrush

Grey Shrike Thrush

Native Bush Hen
Noisy Miner
Rose Robin

Rose Robin

Rufous Fantail

Rufous Whistler

Juvenile Rufous Whistler

Silvereye

Wedge-tailed Eagle
White faced Heron

White-faced Heron

White-headed Pigeon

Juvenile White-headed Pigeon

White-throated Treecreeper
Wood Duck
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Rare (seen but once)

Azure Kingfisher

Azure Kingfisher

Brown Thornbill
Collared Sparrowhawk
Forest Kingfisher
Glossy Black Cockatoo
Little-pied Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant with Pacific Black and Plumed Whistling Ducks.

Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Scarlet Honeyeater
Southern Boobook
Spotted Pardalote

Spotted Pardalote

Varied Sitella
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Which is 61-species, down a little on last year, but still a respectable number to my mind.

I am writing this at the end of May, as is usual, and we have continued the 'big dry'. Things have become very arid and many of my plants are struggling, but more about this in my next post.

See you soon.