Pardalote Holt: April, I love the way she comes

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

April, I love the way she comes

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.

Emmy finds a turtle crossing the driveway.

Looks like a young Saw Shelled Turtle

I think we can assume that he wasn't happy, but it sure looked like it was smiling.

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!)

Striped Marshfrog

Eastern Chestnut Mouse

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.