September, glorious September

 

Peak birding time and at last pressure at work begins to ease.

I commented early in the year on the absence of Silvereyes, well they still haven't arrived but nature 'abhors a vacuum' and we've noted that the bushes have been busy with Brown and Buff-rumped Thornbills.  These tiny little birds (about 9-10 cms long and weighing in at a heft 7-grammes) have  been flitting around in the Grevilleas in pursuit of bugs seemingly unconcerned by the chase games being played by the Honeyeaters (Brown, Scarlet and White-throated) who prefer the nectar provided by the flowers. Indeed, the Brown Thornbills are far more interested in inspecting the dead flowers where the juicy bugs are lurking.

Brown Thornbill

Buff-rumped Thornbill

Meanwhile, back on the gradually evaporating dam my Rainbows (fish) are being culled by an Intermediate Egret who seems to have set up home. 

Hunting from the long grass at the waters edge

Success, a fat, juice Rainbow fish.

It's a good job that the Rainbows are such prolific breeders.

Talking about Rainbows, the Rainbow Lorikeetts have been performing their usual acrobatics on the Bottlebrush tree which has flowered well this year.

I'm unsure as to why feeding upside down is so popular

but it's all the rage on the Bottlebrush

The fish are the only thing breeding as its Joey season... I've been very please to see we appear to be getting up to half a dozen Wallabies on the dam wall most morning and at least two of which are carrying joeys. This one looks as if its about time he got out on his own two legs, but perhaps he's the stroppy teenager type.

Red-necked Wallaby

The Richmond Birdwings continue to lead the glamour amongst the butterfly world....

But the new star of the show is Tilly, our 12-week old Cocker Spaniel.

Tilly

and whilst they're still here, some more Scarlet Honeyeater shots as who can resist them!

and back to the birds...

Regulars

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater

Brown Thornbill

Buff-rumped Thornbill

Bush Turkey
Common Bronzewing

Eastern Spinebill

Forest Kingfisher
Galah

King Parrot

King Parrot

Laughing Kookaburra
Little Corella

Little Corella

Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner

Olive-backed Oriole

Olive-backed Oriole

Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet

Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater

Striated Pardalote

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Common (Seen Weekly)

Brown Goshawk
Brown Thornbill

Eastern Yellow Robin

Golden Whistler

Grey Shrike-Thrush

Intermediate Egret

Gulp!

Spangled Drongo
Welcome Swallow

Willie Wagtail

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike

Crested Pigeon

Crested Pigeon

Eastern Boobook

Figbird

Leaden Flycatcher

Little Friarbird

Little Wattlebird
Magpie Lark
Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Rainbow Bee Eater

Rufous Whistler

White-throated Treecreeper

Rare (Seen once)

Australian Ibis

Dollarbird
Glossy Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Dry September and the joeys are showing

September is normally the peak of the years' birding for me, but due to being very busy at work and having to leave at 6.30am and not returning until 7pm means my birding this year was limited to weekends, and those were busy as well.  The upshot of which is that my bird variety lists is probably a little down, but hey ho! there's still plenty watch.

Our local mob of Red-necked Wallabies have become increasingly confident and now allow me to get within a dozen feet before bounding away, and even then they only hop a few bounds and then stop to watch what I'm up to.  It's been a particularly dry season up till September and so they have been enjoying clearing up any missed grain around the bird tables and the chook pens.

Of particular delight is the shots below of a mum with her joey.  To use the local vernacular "the little tucker seems a bit of a sook" ,and still seems set on staying firmly inside even if it is somewhat cramped.

Something's got their interest

Wallabies watching the ducks having an argument

That does look a squeeze

The star arrival of this season is the Scarlet Honeyeater.  I believe that they are around throughout the year, but largely unseen, hidden in the canopy of the gum forest, but in September they appear in numbers on the Grevilleas. It can be a bit of a battle as they compete for the nectar with the Brown Honeyeaters, but they keep at it and eventually find a gap and get through.

Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater (f)

It's also thistle time. I happily let the thistles grow and flower so I can get shots like this with a Honeybee and a group of Australian Stingless Bees.

and onto the birding lists....

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie

Australian Magpie

Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing

Common Bronzewing

Double-barred Finch

Double-barred Finch

Galah
Hardhead
Laughing Kookaburra
King Parrot

King Parrot

Little Corella
Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird

Pied Butcherbird

Pied Currawong

Pied Currawong

Plumed Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck

Rainbow Lorikeet
Scarlet Honeyeater

Scarlet Honeyeater

Silvereye

Silvereye

Striated Pardalote

Striated Pardalote

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Leaden Flycatcher
Magpie Lark
Satin Flycatcher
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Treecreeper
Yellow Faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Brown Goshawk

Collared Sparrowhawk
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin
Figbird

Figbird

Golden Whistler
Grey Fantail
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Pied Cormorant
Pale-headed Rosella
Rainbow Bee Eater
Red-browed Finch
Restless Flycatcher
Spotted Pardalote
Tree Martin
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen once)

Black-faced Monarch

Black-faced Monarch

Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Thornbill
Brush Turkey
Pelican
Sacred Kingfisher

Sacred Kingfisher

White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-headed Pigeon
Willie Wagtail
Yellow RumpedThornbill


64-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 Bendigo Advertiser

Brush-tailed Phascagole

Up the hill in October

It's that time of year when change is in the air.  Winter warms to Autumn. The golden flowers of the Woolly Frogmouth spatter the edges of the dams providing a magical forest for dragonflies and mayflies to flit and skim.  As regular as clockwork the Dollarbirds appear in the upper canopies grinding out their ratchet calls and soon after the strangled whoops of Channel-billed Cuckoos can be heard.

Sydney the Carpet Python hanging out in the Tobacco Tree.

Snakes and lizards begin to appear, lazing in the rejuvenated sun, whilst Red-necked Wallaby mums hop effortlessly through the long grass with Joey's filling their pouches.

She looks a tad plump and wriggly.

Ah!  baby aboard.

Cute lil' Joey

Still keeping warm...

but very relaxed

 The dam is buzzing with dragonflies once more.

Red Percher on the buds

Blue Billabongfly on a Woolly Frogmouth bud.

Tau Emerald on the wing

and Tolkein looking somewhat scruffy.

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing

The female Common Bronzewing

Double-barred Finch
Galah
King Parrot
Laughing Kookaburra
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird

Noisy Friarbird chasing off a surprised Goshawk

Olive-backed Oriole

An Olive-backed Oriole

Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Plumed Whistling Duck

A few Plumed Whistling Ducks

Pied Currawong
Rainbow Lorikeet

Rainbow Lorikeets snuggle on a damp day

Spangled Drongo

A Spangled Drongo

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Brown Goshawk

Little Friarbird

Little Friarbird mid-preen

Noisy Miner
Pale-headed Rosella
Striated Pardalote
White-throated Honeyeater
Willie Wagtail
Yellow-faced Honeyeater



Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Buff-rumped Thornbill
Channel-billed Cuckoo
Cicadabird
Eastern Yellow Robin
Dollarbird

Dollarbird

The Dollarbird spreads its wings in a flash of colour

Figbird
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Shrike Thrush
Grey Fantail
Leaden Flycatcher
Little Pied Cormorant
Magpie Lark
Sacred Kingfisher
Scarlet Honeyeater
Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-throated Gerygone

White-throated Treecreeper

White-throated Treecreeper

Wood Duck

Wood Duck

Rare (Seen once)

Australian Ibis
Great White Egret
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Egret
Little Shining Bronze Cuckoo
Pacific Baza

The Pacific Baza or Crested Hawk

Rufous Whistler
Shining Bronze Cuckoo

Shining Bronze Cuckoo

Spotted Pardalote
Straw Necked Ibis
White-bellied Sea Eagle

60-species, which is about all for now. See you next month.