August and spring is in the air

Somewhat late I'm afraid, but work is taking me into Brisbane most of the week. This means up at 0530 am to let the chooks out and feed the birds and back home after dark, which is understandably having an effect on my bird sightings.  Having said that whilst I have been free there has been lots of birds to see as the smaller birds that have migrated north for the summer have been here in abundance. The Eastern Spinebills that were so numerous in July have been pushed out by the Scarlet Honeyeaters. These striking little Honeyeaters have been dominating the Grevilleas, and the Silvereyes have been popping up everywhere. It's one of the best months of the year because the jasmine has burst into bloom and so the back deck is just awash with its fragrance and there is lots of colour in the garden.

Male Scarlet Honeyeater on an unusually damp day

Silvereyes appear in flocks of twenty or so birds

A female feeding on the Silky Oak

Another look at the female with her 'rosy' cheeks.

An immature Scarlet Honeyeater takes flight.

Enjoying nectar on a soggy day.

Hard to miss, but they have a sweet song as well.

Yum!

They do enjoy the Fire Sprite Grevilleas.

In the local fields we treated to a Jabiru, or Black-necked Stork.  These birds aren't rare. but we tend to see them in the wetlands rather than in the grassy pastures of Guanaba.

A Jabiru

So all in all a busy month, and it didn't get much easier in September, but that will be in the next post.So, I'll stop overdosing you all with Scarlet Honeyeaters and move onto the bird lists for August.

Regular (Seen daily)

Bar-shouldered Dove
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch

Double-barred Finches enjoying the sun on the Bougainbillea.

Galah
Grey Shrike Thrush
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove

The pretty little Peaceful Dove is very common around the Holt

Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeet on a very wet day/

Red-browed Finch
Scarlet Honeyeater

The female Scarlet Honeyeater

and the glamorous male

Silvereye
Striated Pardalote

A Striated Pardalote gathering nesting material for its burrow.

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone

The Bush Canary - White-throated Gerygone

White-throated Honeyeater

A White-throated Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater

A Yellow-faced Honeyeater on a Bronze Rambler Grevillea.

Common (seen weekly)

Australian Magpie
Eastern Spinebill
Figbird
Golden Whistler
Grey Fantail
King Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Little Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pale-headed Rosella

A Pale-headed Rosella

Wood Duck

Uncommon (seen occasionally)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike surveying the garden

Brown Honeyeater
Collared Sparrowhawk
Grey Butcherbird
Lewins Honeyeater
Rainbow Bee Eater

Rainbow Bee Eaters

Rose Robin

Rose Robin

Spotted Pardalote

The Spotted Pardalote nested at the Holt this year.

Variegated Fairy Wren

The male Variegated Wren

and the female

Wedge-tailed Eagle

A Wedge-tailed Eagle (Chicken fancier!)

White-throated Tree Creeper
Willie Wagtail
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (seen only once)

Australian Hobby
Blue-faced Honeyeater

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Goshawk
Brown Thornbill

The tiny Brown Thornbill

Buff-rumped Thornbill
Eastern Yellow Robin
Fan-tailed Cuckoo

A Fan-tailed Cuckoo lurking in the scrub

Forest Kingfisher
Grey Goshawk

A Grey Goshawk

Pacific Baza
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike

A White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike with a shorter black mask and a fine rear white eye ring to differentiate it from its cousin the Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike.

and th..th..th..that's all folks!