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| Bubbles |
Bubbles was an unwanted pet whose partner had been eaten by another pet. Now, I'm not going into the game of pointing fingers at guilty puppies, but the puppy was being looked after by others when the heinous crime was committed and so when it came home it had to hang its head in shame. Much to my surprise we were then approached by the owners of the surviving duck (Bubbles) to see if we would take it on. I can't say that I thought that the idea of us looking after the bereaved and distraught duck was a great idea as we were also hosting the villain of the piece, but it happened anyway, and so Bubbles now lives on the back dam. Bubbles is a female Muscovy Duck, appears very well behaved and has taken to roosting on the floating island at night and making friends with all the wild ducks during the day. So far she seems very happy and guilty puppy has shown no interest in her at all (his training continues).
To add to the variety some of you may have noticed that we had a Hardhead appear last month. Well, it has stayed, so I've been treated to the sight of this rather elegant duck diving for food around the dam.
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| The Hardhead |
The hardhead, or White-eyed Duck is Australia's only diving duck and because of its brown colour I suspect much ignored, but I think that its a real beauty. The rich tan feathers in the breast blend into a hard chestnut on its head and it is pure white underwing. Just a lovely looking duck.
Ah! can't leave them alone..the Plumed Whistling Ducks scared me earlier in the month by completely disappearing for four days. I thought that we had lost them for good, but on the fifth day a small group of nine appeared. The next day it was twenty and by the following week 60+, so we're back to normal again. They seem to congregate in 'mini-rafts'of up to a dozen, standing together on the shore, feeding and swimming together. If one 'mini-raft'collides with another then a whole lot and angry whistling breaks out until they untangle themselves.
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| One of the mini rafts of Plumed Whistling Ducks |
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| Suffering from cramp? |
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| More ducks! |
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| A Plumed Whistling Duck sneaking up to the coup for some chicken food. |
Oft ignored, but always around are the Pacific Black Ducks, which, if you look at closely, are beautiful in their own right. The scalloping on their feathers and the clear stripes around their eyes combine with the tantalizing glimpse of an emerald scapular to present a pretty damn good looking duck.
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| Is this a case of navel gazing? |
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| The heads seem out of sync with the reflections. |
Far less common at the Holt, just an occasional visitor is the Grey Teal, a small dabbling duck with the reputation for being a great traveller. Apparently they travel huge distances, chasing the rain and stopping at any suitable pond, dam or wetland. They are found across Australia.
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| A pair of Grey Teal. |
Well, I thinks that's enough on ducks for today. Onto the monthly sightings at Pardalote Holt....
Regulars (Seen daily)
Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Galah
Grey Fantail
Grey Shrike Thrush
Hardhead
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| Hardhead |
Laughing Kookaburra
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| Laughing Kookaburra |
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Corella
Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
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| Peaceful Doves |
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet
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| Rainbow Lorikeet |
Restless Flycatcher
Silvereye
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| Silvereye |
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
Yellow-faced Honeyeater
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| Yellow-faced Honeyeater |
Common (Seen Weekly)
Eastern Spinebill
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| Eastern Spinebill |
Golden Whistler
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| Golden Whistler |
Grey Butcherbird
King Parrot
Olive-backed Oriole
Pale-headed Rosella
Rainbow BeeEater
Rose Robin
Scarlet Honeyeater
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| Scarlet Honeyeater |
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo
Uncommon (Seen occasionally)
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Spotted Pardalote
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| Spotted Pardalote |
Varied Sitella
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| Varied Sitella |
White-bellied Sea Eagle
White-throated Treecreeper
Willie Wagtail
Rare (Seen once)
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Collared Sparrowhawk
Crested Pigeon
Eastern Yellow Robin
Little Pied Cormorant
Jabiru
Pheasant Coucal
Red-browed Finch
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
Rufous Whistler
Top Knot Pigeon
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| Top Knots flying up the valley |
Yellow Thornbill
60-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)! In this case the South Australia DoE.
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| Potoroo |
