January 2019

January comes and its still very hot and very dry. Even the gums seem to be wilting and some of my less drought-proof plants have shriveled and died.  No casualties amongst the chooks, despite some very hot days, but I've learned over the years.  Lots of fresh water and let them run free so they can find their own shade, and then on really hot days put out water melon. My chooks love water melon and gorge on it, re-hydrating themselves as they do so.

You will notice a shortage of photos in the this and last months post. My apologies but I have a project at work that is sucking up my time and to be honest, on weekends, once I've caught up with the household and chook chores all I want to do is collapse.  The outside temperature has made things even less inviting, and to be honest I've been retreating into the air-conditioning at every chance. I admit it, I'm not really built for a sub-tropical climate. I love winter in Queensland with its bright warm days and cool evenings and I loathe the humid summers. We've had a record breaking 42-days with temperatures above thirty, and amongst that several patches when the daytime temperature has crept past 40.  When we lived in Oman we sometimes experienced greater heats, but without the humidity that saps your energy. By mid-January I'm just praying for the Autumn rains and a break from the heat.

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Bush Turkey
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Dollarbird

Dollarbird, catching insects on the wing

Double-barred Finch
Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
King Parrot
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeets

Spangled Drongo
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Cicadabird
Common Koel

Common Koel in the Silky Oak

Forest Kingfisher
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Magpie Lark
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow Faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Australian Ibis
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Common Mynah
Eastern Yellow Robin
Figbird
Grey Butcherbird
Leaden Flycatcher
Little Friarbird
Little Pied Cormorant
Eastern Boobook
Pheasant Coucal
Purple Swamphen
Striated Pardalote
White-faced Heron
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen once)

Grey Butcherbird
Pale-headed Rosella
White-headed Pigeon
Wood Duck
Yellow Thornbill

48-species, which is about all for now.