A new member of the family...

Winter is here and cool nights and blue sky days have become the norm. The odd night of rain and some heavy dews have made the pre-dusk mornings dank and chill, but as the sun rises the bush is full of birdsong and when the grevilleas are lit up then it's small bird city! The earliest of the winter arrivals is usually the Grey Fantail, but in June the Eastern Spinebills turn up and dominate the flowering grevilleas, although the Brown Honeyeaters often put up a determined resistance. The shrubs are soon filled with the Spinebills, Brown, White-faced, Yellow-faced and Lewins Honeyeaters. Then, just when you think that you couldn't get any more birds in the Firesprites the Scarlet Honeyeaters turn up and blow everything else away!

Bit of a stunner this one!

Taken from above, bird and flower in harmony.

Rich nectar for hungry birds.

Meanwhile, back in the tree lined creeks Eastern Yellow Robins compete with Spotted and Striated Pardalotes for suitable nesting sites and in the coops the Faverolles are getting broody. Are first chicks of the season hatching on the 18th.

Three of my Salmon Faverolle hens.

and now....may I introduce you to the new member of the family, our Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel puppy, Chudleigh....

Chudleigh meets Bitsy & Tolkein

Chudleigh goes hunting

Juju notes the newcomer and comes out to play

"Hey! You look fun"

Chudleigh cuddles!

Showing remarkable patience towards her new chum!

Ah! well, let's get back to the birds...

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Brown Honeyeater

Brown Honeyeater in the Firesprite

Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Eastern Spinebill

Eastern Spinebill in the Firesprite

Galah
Grey Fantail
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater

Lewins Honeyeater in the Firesprite

Noisy Miner
Pacific Black  Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Ducks dozing in the afternoon sun

Rainbow Lorikeet
Restless Flycatcher
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater in the Firesprite

Willie Wagtail
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Yellow-faced Honeyeater in the Firesprite

Common (Seen Weekly)


Eastern Yellow Robin

The perfect Eastern Yellow Robin - all bright and fluffy!

Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike-thrush
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Pied Butcherbird
Welcome Swallow

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)


Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Golden Whistler
King Parrot
Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Rainbow Bee Eater
Rose Robin

A female Rose Robin

Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater in the Firesprite

Spotted Pardalote

Spotted Pardalote nest hunting?

Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-throated Treecreeper


Rare (Seen once only)

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Goshawk
Brown Thornbill
Little Wattlebird

Little Wattlebird having left the Firesprite

Magpie Lark
Olive-backed Oriole
Silvereye
Straw-necked Ibis
Varied Sitella

Varied Sitella

Top Knot Pigeon
Wood Duck