Meanwhile back on the dam the Plumed Whistling Duck numbers are rising. At around 6 a.m. (when I'm enjoying my morning cuppa post feeding birds and chooks), small flocks of a dozen or so ducks come floating over the treetops and then cartwheel down onto the dam. Trust me, it ain't graceful! The other morning two flocks came into the air space simultaneously from different directions and the number of convolutions to avoid mid-air collisions was amazing to watch (and very funny), following which there where the splashes as they touched down and a flurry of angry whistling as the ducks blamed each other for the near disaster. This was all seen in silhouette as the sky was just turning and had lightened mere minutes before.
 |
| Nothing like a good splash to clean the feathers. |
As the day brightens the ducks scuttle up to the bird tables to feed, but once the bulk of the good seed has been taken they settle down to a day of preening and resting before dark falls and they head down to the river flats to feed on the rich grass in the fields bordering the river.
 |
| Followed up be some intense preening. |
 |
| A bit of a flutter |
The ducks arrive just on the start of dawn, but the parrots appear to enjoy a sleep in (for birds) and they don't start appearing until dawn is well underway. Galahs, Suphur Crested Cockatoos, Little Corella and Rainbow Lorikeets begin to fill the trees, patiently waiting....waiting for what I wonder? They get fed everyday, the food is out before they arrive, and yet they spend up to an hour waiting in the trees before they venture down and then it's a complete avalanche of parrots. I estimate that currently we see 40+ Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, 30+ Galahs, up to a dozen little Corella and 60+ Rainbow Lorikeets...which is a lot of parrots. Commonly the wave begins with a single Cockatoo and then the rest all follow.
 |
| Parrots awaiting breakfast |
Well it's time I got on with this, so on with the monthly sightings...
Regulars (Seen daily)
Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
 |
| Double-barred Finch |
Eastern Spinebill
 |
| Eastern Spinebill |
Galah
Grey Fantail
 |
| Grey Fantail |
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Corella
Noisy Miner
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
 |
| Plumed Whistling Duck |
Rainbow Lorikeet
Restless Flycatcher
Silvereye
 |
| Silvereye |
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
 |
| Yellow-faced Honeyear |
Common (Seen Weekly)
Fan-tailed Cuckoo
 |
| Fan-tailed Cuckoo |
Golden Whistler
Grey Butcherbird
Little Pied Cormorant
 |
| Little Pied Cormorant |
Noisy Friarbird
 |
| Noisy Friarbird |
Rainbow BeeEater
 |
| Rainbow Bee Eater |
Rose Robin
 |
| Rose Robin |
Spotted Pardalote
 |
| Spotted Pardalote |
Uncommon (Seen occasionally)
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Eastern Whipbird
Eastern Yellow Robin
 |
| The ever inquisitive Eastern Yellow Robin |
Grey Shrike Thrush
King Parrot
Magpie Lark
 |
| Magpie Lark |
Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Rufous Whistler
 |
| The male Rufous Whistler |
Scarlet Honeyeater
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Treecreeper
Willie Wagtail
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Rare (Seen once)
Australian Ibis
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Cuckoo Dove
 |
| Brown Cuckoo Dove |
Figbird
Forest Kingfisher
Olive-backed Oriole
Pelican
 |
| Pelicans passing over |
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Wedge-tailed Eagle
Wood Duck
58-species, which is about all for now.
And for the Non-Aussie's here's a piccie of more of the burnt lands amazing fauna courtesy of someone or other (but not me)!
 |
| An Eastern Barred Bandicoot |
