Cool green theme for a hot day
Today the temperature rose dramatically but the humidity remained low, a breeze was blowing and it would have been enjoyable weather if it hadn’t been for the smoke haze from the extensive fires on the Atherton Tablelands. As an ex-resident of country Victoria I particularly dislike smoky, hot, dry days.
After spending a beautiful (and productive) morning in the garden I went looking for the Barred Cuckoo-shrikes I could hear – they were feeding out-of-sight in a large fig tree but I had a happy time observing the Double-eyed Fig-parrots that were much lower down in the same tree, along with Fig Birds and Yellow Orioles. The melodic calls of the Yellow Orioles seem to increase in frequency as the weather warms until they become a background to our summer days.
Mud, mud glorious mud ……….
The last few months of dry, windy weather has been quite a contrast to last year’s seemingly endless ‘wet’. The windy periods usually ease off later in the afternoon – a delightful time to be enjoying the outside.
Some of our shallow ponds are mere puddles and there are lots of exposed bank which can make for some interesting sightings – many not captured on camera owing to hands being full with other equipment!
This Keelback or Freshwater Snake (Tropidonophis mairii), one of many that we have recently sighted, is of the typical colouration that we see in our area. Read more »
Warming up
After a few months of dry and cool weather, including some nights that were actually quite cold, the air temperature is beginning to rise. Brown-backed Honeyeaters (Ramsayornis modestus) have returned to breed and some nest construction has already commenced with our stands of Paperbarks (various Melaleuca species) providing their favourite nest building material. Metallic Starlings (Aplonis metallica) are increasing in number as they also return from their northern wintering grounds with nest renovations already underway in their traditional nesting tree high on the ridge. Read more »
Rifling fruit
Fine weather, lots of time outdoors but hands full of gardening tools so not many opportunities recently to spend time with a camera.
There are however, many birds to enjoy while working outside – the Double-eyed Fig Parrots frequently call as they fly through the garden, they are quiet when feeding and only announce their presence as they take to the air. They seem to be mainly feeding on Cheese trees (Glochidion species) and there are plenty of them around. Metallic Starlings are increasing in number (early again this year) as they return to commence their nest renovations in the large Ficus species on the hill.
Mixed flocks foraging for insects include Rufous and Grey Fantails (winter birds for us) along with Little Shrike-thrush, Spectacled Monarch, Grey Whistler, Fairy and Large-billed Gerygone and Victoria’s Riflebird. There are also great numbers of Brown Cuckoo-Dove enjoying the fruit of Bleeding Hearts (Homolanthus populneus) and the pictured Victoria’s Riflebird was feeding with them. Although the Riflebird spends a lot of time probing under bark looking for insects and grubs with that tremendous bill it also enjoys fruit. In fact just prior to this photo it was sharing a ripe banana with a Macleays Honeyeater – one fruit had fallen on the ground when the bunch was picked and it took the birds only a few minutes to notice it.
Boodjamulla – Lawn Hill National Park …. Part 2
Although we’ve been home for more than a week it has taken a little while to settle down to writing and we have had the distraction of family visiting as well – that’s enough excuses! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip and have many treasured memories, not always accompanied by a photo! The following are a few of my favourites.
Fruit-eaters in the garden
Photography has been quite a challenge recently – poor light conditions as well as an exceedingly damp atmosphere. Last week I thought I might have to test my abilities to write some descriptive prose without the benefit of colour illustrations. However, luckily we have had a couple of sunny days ………………….
The first photo shows a Wompoo Fruit-dove (Ptilinopus magnificus) eating the fruit of a Bandicoot Berry (Leea indica) which just happens to be growing not far from our verandah. From this angle, in the subdued afternoon light, you can see how the Wompoo blends so well into its environment but in the next shot this gorgeous plump pigeon is displaying its rich purple chest and golden yellow underparts. Wompoos have a variety of strange calls, their common name is somewhat descriptive of a call one often hears in the forest but when they are feeding we mostly hear ‘puck, puck’ which triggers our response to race for the camera!
The Bandicoot Berry is a fast growing large native shrub, which fruits frequently and Read more »
A Bird in the hand ………..
…. in this case is not worth two in the bush but it was a wonderful opportunituy to admire the startlingly vivid patches of colour on this Noisy Pitta (Pitta versicolor) so well described by its scientific name.
A newly cleaned window and a gap in our ’defence line’ of hanging baskets, chimes and various artistic dangling items along our verandah allowed this beautiful bird to see a reflection of trees and space and consequently it hit the window a glancing blow. Still alive but badly stunned I immediately placed the bird in a dark box. We checked after 30 minutes but as it was allowing us to take a few photos without attempting to fly we returned it to the box for another hour. When subsequently released Read more »
Punk or Puberty?
Returning from a stroll around the ponds I saw movement on the ground under the bamboos; although obviously a Black Butcherbird (Cracticus quoyi) I thought, at first, that it must have a bamboo leaf stuck on its face.
However, it was just beautifully camouflaged amongst the fallen leaves, which it was picking up and throwing aside while looking for insects, worms, or whatever unsuspecting creature might be hiding under this damp carpet.
As several pair of Black Butcherbird have successfully raised young in the last few months and the juvenile birds were a rufous morph, we presume that this one is in an eclipse phase. And in spite of the Black Butcherbird’s voracious appetite there are still large numbers of reptiles, small birds, frogs and insects living here so the property seems quite able to support them.
And now for something completely different - a Striped Swampdragon (Agrionoptera longitudinalis biserialis) Read more »
High Tide
The green tunnel of our driveway has a puddle in the dip before it ascends to the main road. A lot of water is directed under our drive through a couple of concrete pipes but sometimes when heavy rain coincides with a high tide the water just hasn’t anywhere to go but up. The Daintree River is flooding and Read more »
Ducks a-dabbling…..
Paddling around on ‘weed patrol’ is not the arduous task it used to be – although it will always be a necessary part of wetland maintenance.
I apologized to a Jacana for disturbing it yet again as I made my way through a carpet of Daintree water lilies while admiring their colours which range from a rich pink through to a violet blue. A movement on the water at the far end of the pond caught my eye and I watched with absolute delight as a pair of Wandering Whistling duck rapidly encouraged their young ducklings to take cover in the sedge. Later in the day I managed a quick photo from a distant vantage point but even then my presence was making the birds nervous so we have left them alone. The photo below is very small but if you click to enlarge then you have a chance of seeing a few of the 13 ducklings I counted.
and there’s more news from the swamp……………. Read more »
Barbara
Allen
