April, I love the way she comes

As summer breaks into Autumn (which we don't have here...it's just a Pom trying to put a European seasonal framework onto his existence in the subtropics) and we move on past the welcome drenching of cyclone Debbie things begin to happen at the Holt.  The winter migrants begin to appear. Led by the Rose Robin and swiftly followed by the Black-faced Monarch, small birds begin to drift in. As the climate cools through April and May I expect to welcome back a host of smaller birds including Grey Fantails, Spotted Pardalote, Eastern Spinebills and eventually the Scarlet Honeyeaters; however, until that lot arrives we'll just have to have a look at some of this month's visitors.

I was working in my office one day when I was distracted from my labours by the honk of Emmy the Peahen, and on looking outside I could see she was entertaining a guest. Concerned that she might get carried away and do the little fellow some injury I grabbed the camera and skipped downstairs to intervene.

Emmy finds a turtle crossing the driveway.

Looks like a young Saw Shelled Turtle

I think we can assume that he wasn't happy, but it sure looked like it was smiling.

and a last shot before I assisted it into the deep undergrowth by the dam.

Perhaps an odd place to find visitors to the Holt is in the spa bath, to get to which the crittur has to climb over the front step, up the stairwell and into the master bathroom, before climbing into the bath. I think that we can safely assume that at least some of these would be bathers are assisted to the bath by Juju the cat; however, the good news is that I rarely find anything dead there. Perhaps she's just looking for friends (or toys!)

Striped Marshfrog

Eastern Chestnut Mouse

Mountain Brushtail Possum

Now one of these made his own way into the tub, but one really made Susanne scream (guess which?).

The other visitor of note has been the Brown Goshawk. These cunning raptors appear far to regularly for the comfort of our chickens, but mostly they seem to hunt the Peaceful and Bar-shouldered Doves.

My left profile is my best...

Watching for the mob I presume...

Differentiated from the very similar Collared Sparrowhawk by the rounded tail and 'beetle' brow.

and onto the lists....

Regulars (seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater

Brown Honeyeater singing atop the Baugainvillea

Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch

Double-barred Finches stop for a chat

Galah
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike Thrush

Grey Shrike Thrush

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

Pumed Whistling duckings are doing fine

Rainbow Lorikeet
Striated Pardalote
Torresian Crow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeaters are one of the first birds to become active at dawn.

Willie Wagtail

Willie Wagtail

Yellow-faced Honeyeater


Common (seen weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Eastern Yellow Robin

Eastern Yellow Robin

Grey Fantail
Little Corella
Rainbow Bee Eater
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Treecreeper

White-throated Treecreepers are all year residents

Uncommon (seen occasionally)

Blue-cheeked Honeyeater
Brown Goshawk

Brown Goshawk being 'mobbed' by a Willie Wagtail.

Collared Sparrowhawk
Figbird
Golden Whistler

Golden Whistler in the Wattles

King Parrot
Lewins Honeyeater
Masked Plover
Pale-headed Rosella
Pied Butcherbird
Restless Flycatcher

Restless Flycatcher stops for a moment

Rose Robin

Rose Robin - a winter migrant

Rufous Fantail

and a Rufous

Rufous Whistler
Satin Flycatcher
Spangled Drongo
Wedge-tailed Eagle

Wedgies always send the chooks scuttling for cover.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (seen just once)

Australian Ibis
Black-faced Monarch

A Black-faced Monarch in the Tuckeroo

Cicadabird

Momma Cicadabird feeding a not so junior junior!

Mistletoebird

A Mistletoebird, all fluffy after a dip in the dam.

Olive-backed Oriole
Scarlet Honeyeater
Shining Bronze Cuckoo
Silvereye
Straw-necked Ibis
Variegated Fairy Wren

Female Variegated Fairy Wren in the scrub

Yellow Spoonbill

Which is 57-species

End of the year and summer swelters

I've lived in Australia for 14-years now, mostly at Pardalote Holt and I'd like to be able to know what to expect as the season changes, but this year it just seems to have been hot.  Don't get me wrong, it's usually hot, hot and humid, in the wet season, but this time its been even hotter and more humid.  It's been pretty unpleasant for both us and the chickens, although despite a plethora of chicken killing hot days, we've only lost two, one of which was sick and the other fairly old. I think I've largely got a handle on the challenges that 40-degree days cause the chooks, but this year there seems to have been a lot more of such days.  Of course some critters positively revel in the heat and humidity, especially lizards...

A Lace Monitor stops from its flight up a tree to check me out.

A Water Dragon with an oddly coloured mismatching head.

The rest of the wildlife appears relatively unaffected. Parrot numbers increase as the weather warms up and the number of Galahs has boomed from a couple of pairs to a couple of dozen.  Their noisy offspring are a constant chorus at the moment, hissing, clucking and crying for food. In fact anyone coming to visit for the 'peace of the countryside/bush' forget it. The Holt seems robed by a cacophony, by day it's the crowing roosters, honking Friarbirds, crying Peacocks, the staccato chatter of screaming Guinea fowl, hissing Galahs, rattling Spangled Drongos, screeching Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and cackling Kookaburras. As dusk falls the day cacophony is replaced by the nocturnal dissonance of squawking Fruitbats, squealing Possums, growling Koala, waves of sizzing Cicada, motor revving Cane Toads, the ping pong plock of the Striped Marsh Frogs  and...... the occasional barking dog (GET BACK INSIDE BITSY!!). Now, I'm not complaining about this after all, it's an indication of the success we've had in attracting wildlife, but it can get a tad distracting.

A Brush-tailed Mountain Possum just hanging around

Quiet as mice in the day, but wait until dusk falls and they really start growling.

Some of you may have noted that I missed a post in Dec/Jan and I apologise, but life just got a wee bit busy. Over the Xmas period we hosted nine Airb&b guests, who were a delight, and in the new year I took on the permanent role of HR Manager for a mining company. Living where we do is a lifestyle choice (and one that I wouldn't readily change), but it does mean that I leave for work at 6.50 am and return at 6.50 pm, and I get up at 5 am to release, feed and water the birds.  This gives me only the weekends free to catch up on the housework and squeeze in some work on the grounds and a little birding. This isn't a complaint, I am just happy to be back on a regular salary, it's just the way things are for the time being.

On another front I am saving time as I've reluctantly stopped posting photographs of the Tamborine Mountain Wildlife Pics page.  I've enjoyed contributing to the page over the last few years, but more recently I found myself increasingly drawn into debates over whether to feed wild birds or not. It's an area that I feel strongly about and I stand on the side of the debate supported by the RSPB, Audubon Society, Griffith University Environment Dept, and various other scientific studies. On the other side of the debate are the Wildlife Carers who have the unenviable task of taking sick birds to the vets (usually to be euthanized). The particular focus of this part of the debate is Psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD) an awful viral disease that affects New World and Old World Parrots.  The disease attacks the feathers, beak and claws of affected birds, sometimes in different ways, but in essence their feathers fail, beaks become malformed and liable to secondary infection and then the birds die. It is horrible. The studies indicate that the chief infection path for the disease is through the nest site as the fledglings immature immune system makes them vulnerable, however, adult birds can pass the disease on to each other through feather debris and faeces.  The Wildlife Carers have latched onto the latter and decided that the best approach is not to feed wild birds at all; however, studies on feeding wild birds, by a number of sources (including Prof. Jones from Griffith) have determined that whilst feeding wild birds can increase the chances of passing on infections (for a variety of diseases) the beneficial effect on the population as a whole far outweighs the disease transmission factor. With this in mind I believe we should be encouraging people to feed birds and educating them on the right way to do it (good food/bad food, hygiene, etc). Anyway, my posts on the facebook page were attracting  comments that were increasingly unpleasant, so I decided to leave....but you can still see my piccy's here.

Nov/Dec Birds

Regulars (seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Cicadabird

The shy Cicadabird

Common Bronzewing
Double-barred Finch
Galah

Mother and child Galah photobombed by Rainbow Lorikeet

King Parrot

Male King Parrot, always inquisitive.

Laughing Kookaburra
Little Corella
Noisy Friarbird
Olive-backed Oriole

Olive-backed Oriole catches the worm.

Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck

Plumed Whistling Duck on the dam.

Rainbow Lorikeet
Spangled Drongo
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow

Common (seen weekly)

Channel-billed Cuckoo
Leaden Flycatcher

A female Leaden Flycatcher

Noisy Miner
Pied Butcherbird
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater on the flowering Thalia.

Yellow-faced Honeyeater


Uncommon (seen occasionally)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Common Mynah
Dollarbird
Eastern Boobook
Eastern Koel
Eastern Yellow Robin
Figbird
Forest Kingfisher

Forest Kingfishers nest in tree termite nests.

Grey-Shrike Thrush
Little Friarbird
Pale-headed Rosella

A juvenile Pale-headed Rosella

Scaly-breasted Lorikeet
Scarlet Honeyeater
Variegated Fairy Wren

The stunning male Variegated Fairy Wren

White-throated Treecreeper

Rare (seen only once)

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Buff-rumped Thornbill

The tiny Buff-rumped Thornbill

Collared Sparrowhawk
Eastern Spinebill
Little Pied Cormorant

Little Pied Cormorant sounds off.

Red-browed Finch
Striated Pardalote
Wedge-tailed Eagle
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-bellied Sea Eagle

Australia's second largest eagle, the White-bellied Sea Eagle circles in search of prey.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

The numbers are down, but that's a reflection of my available free time at the moment.  See you soon with an even hotter and wetter January.

May

We are all creatures of habit and I am no exception to that. In reality I am probably more so than most and each morning I rise, shower, let the chooks out of their coups, change their water and feed them, feed the cats, the dogs and the tropical fish and the replenish the feeders for the wild birds before sitting on the deck for my morning cuppa. It's about then, between 7.15 am and 7.45am, or thereabouts, that I see and record most of the birds on my sighting lists.  It starts with the ducks, that queue up on the dam wall when I appear, and then the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Rainbow Lorikeets, Galahs and a lone pair of Little Corella that appear and start the squabbles on the bird feeders. By the time that I am finishing my cup of tea the parrots have often largely moved on and the pigeons, doves and finches appear to sweep up all the smaller seed and scraps and then, as the sun finally starts to reach the garden the Honeyeaters and Spinebills make their entrance on the Grevilleas. I've wondered whether the suns warmth is needed to loosen up the nectar, but they might just feel the cold a little more than the larger birds. Later in the day when I stop for lunch, collect the mail, or step out onto the balcony for a cigar is usually when I pick-up the less common birds, especially those that appear to be just passing through.  Some of the different species come and go with the seasons.  Now is the time for the Grey Fantails, Rose Robins and Eastern Spinebills and by July I expect to see the Scarlet Honeyeaters appearing in numbers again. I'd have thought that by now I'd have picked up all the regulars in the garden, but there are always surprises and I'm beginning to suspect that a pair of White-browed Scrub Wren have set up home in one of the narrow steep sided intermittent creeks that climb from the Lap Swamp to the heights of the hill behind us.  I'm not totally sure as I hear what I think is their angry staccato outbursts from behind the foliage, but I'm keeping a careful eye on the area now and we'll see what turns up.

It can be taken for granted that birds bring me great joy in general, but when something unusual turns up in the garden its a real treat.  It doesn't need to be a rare bird in the region, just something that I don't normally see at the Holt and this month it was an Australian Grebe.  This smaller waterbird appeared after some rain, the dam waters being freshened up and presumable bring the small Rainbows (minnow size fish) nearer to the surface.

The Plumed Whistling Ducks were very curious about the newcomer...

Some were less than amused and piped to warn him away...

but with your head underwater you probably don't hear much.

but he finally got the message.

The Pacific Black Duck were altogether far more sanguine about the grebe's appearance.

and the Grebe? Well he (or she) just ignored them all and did his own thing.

Having said that every now and then the regulars can get up to something that is really amusing.  The Rainbow Lorikeets in particular are always up to something, this time just preening after some rain, but they can be such fun to watch.

Thoughtful pose

Bemused pose

Rainbow Lorikeets seem quite prone to getting very wet.

That's it, shake it out!

Every now and then there's a change to the grand scheme of things. In November 20012, after the big hail storm that smashed us, the Plumed Whistling Ducks changed their status from rare visitors (usually a pair or four around Christmas) to become all year round residents.  In their case there was the dramatic storm that heralded the change, but I'm becoming increasingly confident that the Rainbow Bee Eaters are moving into the all year resident status as well.  These stunning birds spend much of their time high in the canopy and leaping skyward to catch a passing flying insect, but each day they come down to the dams and swoop across the water and then splash, stop in mid-flight, dunk themselves and then soar up onto a branch to preen. Unfortunately my camera skills are not to the level that I've really been able to catch this activity yet, but I'll keep working on it.

Returning to his perch, high in the gums, with his catch.

The Bee Eater then beats his prey into submission before eating it.

and then settles down ready for the next foray.

Regulars (seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing

The male Common Bronzewing

Double-barred Finch
Eastern Spinebill

Eastern Spinebill on his favourite Fire Sprite Grevillea.

Galah
Grey Fantail
Little Corella
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove

Tiny Peaceful Doves are all year residents.

Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck

A few of the 60+ Plumed Whistling Ducks that call the Holt home.

Rainbow Bee Eater
Rainbow Lorikeet

Hard to beat the colours of a Rainbow Lorikeet

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow

Common (Seen weekly)

Bar-shouldered Dove
Golden Whistler

Male Golden Whistler juggling a grub

Female Golden Whistler may not be as colourful, but has gorgeous eyes.

Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike Thrush
Laughing Kookaburra
Lewins Honeyeater
Striated Pardalote

A Striated Pardalote

Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone
White-throated Honeyeater
Willie Wagtail
Yellow-faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Blue-faced Honeyeater lurking in the Honey Gems.

Brown Thornbill
Collared Sparrowhawk

Collared Sparrowhawk causing the usual panic amongst all the other birds

Eastern Yellow Robin
King Parrot
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pale-headed Rosella
Rose Robin

The rather gorgeous male Rose Robin

Silvereye
Wedge-tailed Eagle

A magnificent Wedge-tailed Eagle

White-faced Heron

A White-faced Heron hunting in the Lap Swamp.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

It's not that uncommon to see a flock of a dozen or so Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos passing through.

Rare (Seen but once)

Australian Grebe
Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike with Rainbow Bee Eater in the background.

Buff-rumped Thornbill
Little Egret
Magpie Lark
Mistletoebird

Mistletoebird with Mistletoe....

Pied Butcherbird
Rufous Whistler
Tree Martin
White-browed Scrubwren
Wood Duck
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

and that's all for now...and by the way, it finally rained!