And lo it is Christmas...

December has been hot, dry and hot. Well it is summer and its supposed to be hot, but the summer has been really hot.  The weather presenter on the news seems to be forever discussing another temperature record being broken and how the farmers out west are struggling to get feed and water to their livestock.  Now I fully understand that one season or even 5-years doesn't add up to climate change, but the science is clear and climate change is happening and we are the primary cause. Every tree we cut down, every mile we fly or drive, every time we switch on the air-conditioning or the dishwasher, all adds up. I recently watched a talk show where a climate scientist sat in front of an audience of doubters and fielded their questions. It was frustrating to watch, to say the least, when one after another lay people without any scientific background and with neither data nor research to back their arguments sought to deny the reality that this distinguished scientist as he laid the facts out before them. I think the moment that my tolerance collapsed was when a lawyer bemoaned her situation that some friends had become exasperated with her because she expressed doubts and followed up with an argument about people being entitled to their own opinions and that others shouldn't get so het up about these things.  I'm sorry madam, but what you seem to fail to appreciate is that this isn't a matter of opinion, it isn't a debate about insubstantial matters, it's a matter of the planet and the Sixth Great Extinction. Its about how climate change will disrupt everything we take as the norm, its about forced immigration as parts of the planet becoming uninhabitable and vast numbers of people from sub Saharan Africa to the Pacific Islands seeking to migrate to a tolerable climate, its about polar bears starving to death and Walrus leaping off 70' cliffs, its about acidic oceans, coral bleaching, hurricanes and cyclones. So yes madam, I do think that it's something to get het up about, I do think that it warrants anger and frustration and if you can't grasp the enormity of the situation you must be dumb.  Even if you don't agree with the science you should at least be able to comprehend why those that do are so angry.

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Dollarbird
Double-barred Finch
Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
King Parrot
Little Corella
Little Friarbird
Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet
Spangled Drongo
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Cicadabird
Common Koel

Juvenile Common Koel

Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Magpie Lark
Scarlet Honeyeater
White-throated Honeyeater
White-throated Treecreeper
Yellow Faced Honeyeater
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Channel-billed Cuckoo
Common Mynah
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin
Figbird
Leaden Flycatcher
Lewins Honeyeater
Pale-headed Rosella
Pheasant Coucal
White-faced Heron
Wood Duck
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen once)

Australian Ibis
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brush Turkey
Eastern Boobook
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-headed Pigeon
Willie Wagtail

59-species, which is about all for now.

November and summer's sneaking up on us...l

Crested Pigeons are commonly found in the area, indeed, at the junction of Stuarts Road and Coomera Valley Drive, less than a kilometer away there seems a permanent flock attached to the junction, but for some reason they have rarely been seen at the Holt until now. Suddenly a pair has turned up from nowhere and moved in on a regular basis.  I doubt whether these common birds raise more than a slight glance from your average birder, which is a shame as they may be common, but I find them quite interesting.  They are a well marked and attractive bird, even taking into account the seemingly pointless crest, and when they take off their wings create a high pitched flutter that almost sings.  Yes, like most members of the pigeon family they still have that wide-eyed and vacant look, but not everyone can be a crow.

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Crested Pigeon
Dollarbird
Double-barred Finch
Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
King Parrot
Little Corella
Little Friarbird

Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet
Spangled Drongo
Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Cicadabird
Common Koel
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Magpie Lark
Scarlet Honeyeater
White-throated Honeyeater
White-throated Treecreeper
Yellow Faced Honeyeater
Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Channel-billed Cuckoo
Common Mynah
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin
Figbird
Leaden Flycatcher
Lewins Honeyeater
Pale-headed Rosella

Pheasant Coucal
White-faced Heron
Wood Duck
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Rare (Seen once)

Australian Ibis
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Quail
Brush Turkey
Eastern Boobook
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike
White-headed Pigeon
Willie Wagtail



59-species, which is about all for now.

October and the chicks are hatching

October is supposed to be in the dry season, but this year it was warm and wet. I'l extremely grateful for the wet as it filled our tanks and gave the gardens a well needed drink. It also provided plenty of food for our chicks. We've had a good season on that front with fifty hatching's this year, including three Splash coloured chicks being carefully nurtured by Bluebell, our youngest Blue Faverolle.

Bluebell with her newly hatched chicks

And there's nothing like a good drop of rain to produce a bunch of cute Rainbow Lorikeet shots!

Portrait of a Lorikeet

Are we not talking?

That warm wet damp sleepy time.

Where's my hanky, I'm sure I had it.

"Did you hear..."

Love is a gentle grooming.

"Oi, are they talking about us? ".

"Children!

""Snifff!

"Please Mum"

"Pretty please"...

Äw! forget it, she's not playing"

Regulars (Seen daily)

Australian Magpie
Bar-shouldered Dove
Brown Honeyeater
Common Bronzewing
Dollarbird
Double-barred Finch
Galah
Laughing Kookaburra
King Parrot

Little Corella
Little Friarbird

Noisy Friarbird
Noisy Miner
Olive-backed Oriole
Pacific Black Duck
Peaceful Dove
Pied Butcherbird
Pied Currawong
Plumed Whistling Duck
Rainbow Lorikeet
Silvereye
Spangled Drongo

Striated Pardalote
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Torresian Crow
Welcome Swallow
White-throated Gerygone

Common (Seen Weekly)

Black-faced Cuckoo Shrike
Common Koel
Forest Kingfisher
Grey Butcherbird
Grey Shrike-Thrush
Leaden Flycatcher
Magpie Lark
Scarlet Honeyeater

White-throated Honeyeater
White-throated Treecreeper
Yellow Faced Honeyeater

Uncommon (Seen occasionally)

Brown Goshawk
Collared Sparrowhawk
Common Mynah
Eastern Spinebill
Eastern Yellow Robin

Figbird
Lewins Honeyeater
Little Pied Cormorant
Pale-headed Rosella

Pheasant Coucal
Rainbow Bee Eater
White-faced Heron
Wood Duck
Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

Rare (Seen once)

Australian Ibis
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Thornbill
Brush Turkey
Eastern Boobook
Sacred Kingfisher
Scaly breasted Lorikeet
Square-tailed Kite
White-bellied Cuckoo Shrike

White-headed Pigeon
Willie Wagtail



64-species, which is about all for now.

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