As summer breaks into Autumn (which we don't have here...it's just a Pom trying to put a European seasonal framework onto his existence in the subtropics) and we move on past the welcome drenching of cyclone Debbie things begin to happen at the Holt. The winter migrants begin to appear. Led by the Rose Robin and swiftly followed by the Black-faced Monarch, small birds begin to drift in. As the climate cools through April and May I expect to welcome back a host of smaller birds including Grey Fantails, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Spinebills and eventually the Scarlet Honeyeaters; however, until that lot arrives we'll just have to have a look at some of this month's visitors.
I was working in my office one day when I was distracted from my labours by the honk of Emmy the Peahen, and on looking outside I could see she was entertaining a guest. Concerned that she might get carried away and do the little fellow some injury I grabbed the camera and skipped downstairs to intervene.
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| Emmy finds a turtle crossing the driveway. |
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| Looks like a young Saw Shelled Turtle |
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| I think we can assume that he wasn't happy, but it sure looked like it was smiling. |
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| and a last shot before I assisted it into the deep undergrowth by the dam. |
Perhaps an odd place to find visitors to the Holt is in the spa bath, to get to which the crittur has to climb over the front step, up the stairwell and into the master bathroom, before climbing into the bath. I think that we can safely assume that at least some of these would be bathers are assisted to the bath by Juju the cat; however, the good news is that I rarely find anything dead there. Perhaps she's just looking for friends (or toys!)
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| Striped Marshfrog |
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| Eastern Chestnut Mouse |
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| Mountain Brushtail Possum |
Now one of these made his own way into the tub, but one really made Susanne scream (guess which?).
The other visitor of note has been the Brown Goshawk. These cunning raptors appear far to regularly for the comfort of our chickens, but mostly they seem to hunt the Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Doves.
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| My left profile is my best... |
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| Watching for the mob I presume... |
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| Differentiated from the very similar Collared Sparrowhawk by the rounded tail and 'beetle' brow. |
and onto the lists....
Regulars (seen daily)
Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
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| Brown Honeyeater singing atop the Baugainvillea |
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
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| Double-barred Finches stop for a chat |
Galah
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike Thrush
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| Grey Shrike Thrush |
Laughing Kookaburra
Noisy Miner
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
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| Pumed Whistling duckings are doing fine |
Rainbow Lorikeet
Striated Pardalote
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
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| White-throated Honeyeaters are one of the first birds to become active at dawn. |
Willie Wagtail
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| Willie Wagtail |
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
Common (seen weekly)
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Eastern Yellow Robin
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| Eastern Yellow Robin |
Grey Fantail
Little Corella
Rainbow Bee Eater
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Treecreeper
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| White-throated Treecreepers are all year residents |
Uncommon (seen occasionally)
Blue-cheeked Honeyeater
Brown Goshawk
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| Brown Goshawk being 'mobbed' by a Willie Wagtail. |
Collared Sparrowhawk
Figbird
Golden Whistler
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Golden Whistler in the Wattles
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King Parrot
Lewins Honeyeater
Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Butcherbird
Restless Flycatcher
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| Restless Flycatcher stops for a moment |
Rose Robin
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| Rose Robin - a winter migrant |
Rufous Fantail
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| and a Rufous |
Rufous Whistler
Satin Flycatcher
Spangled Drongo
Wedge-tailed Eagle
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| Wedgies always send the chooks scuttling for cover. |
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Rare (seen just once)
Australian Ibis
Black-faced Monarch
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| A Black-faced Monarch in the Tuckeroo |
Cicadabird
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| Momma Cicadabird feeding a not so junior junior! |
Mistletoebird
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| A Mistletoebird, all fluffy after a dip in the dam. |
Olive-backed Oriole
Scarlet Honeyeater
Shining Bronze Cuckoo
Silvereye
Straw-necked Ibis
Variegated Fairy Wren
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| Female Variegated Fairy Wren in the scrub |
Yellow Spoonbill
Which is 57-species
