A Panic of Pigeons
Winter has hit with a vengeance here in Murray Bridge South Australia. Last week we had a series of severe frosts. Normally I wouldn’t mind; I’d just snuggle into my nice warm bed for a little longer. I didn’t have that luxury last week as I needed to be up well before dawn for work. I temporarily went back to full time work as a relief driver for a friend who runs a courier business; he needed a holiday.
On my rounds around the town delivering parcels I am able to observe various birds as I drive, mainly on the power lines along the streets. Last week I noted quite a few Crested Pigeons sitting in rows on the power lines. Sometimes these loose groups of pigeons numbered twenty or more.
Now this week the frosts have given way to bitterly cold winds from the south with occasional scudding showers. We need another good soaking rain again like we had a few weeks ago, not just a few showers. A few days ago I was out getting in some more firewood to keep us warm while I write. A sudden noise attracted my attention; about forty Crested Pigeons were flying at great speed just overhead.
They seemed to be in panic mode.
I’m not surprised; a few seconds later a Little Eagle lazily glided overhead.
For more articles about pigeons check out my archives here.
Baby Coots
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
A few months ago I wrote about a short stop we had at Kapunda to have a cup of tea. We were travelling from Clare back home to Murray Bridge. When we stop for a cuppa we always look for promising birding spots. By doing that we’ve seen some excellent birds over the years.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
One of the delights of this particular stop was the family of baby Eurasian Coots that stormed over to where we were having our picnic cuppa. They must have been very used to people because they were quite unconcerned about walking all around us, between our legs and searching around the picnic table for any loose crumbs from our biscuits.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
Such obliging photographic subjects are hard to find in the natural environment. This however, was far from a natural environment. The picnic grounds were next to an artificial lake often frequented by humans. The birds quickly learn that humans are an easy touch for free handouts.
Eurasian Coot (juvenile)
Click on the photo to enlarge the image.
Eurasian Coot feeding juvenile
Related articles:
- White Faced Heron – with photos taken at the same location.
- Picnic at Kapunda – from my travel blog.
Storms in Newcastle and Sydney
No Comments »11th June, 2007; Category: General
Last week there were severe storms and heavy rain in the Sydney area, and particularly around the city of Newcastle, north of Sydney. Extreme weather conditions can adversely affect the wildlife, and the bird-life in particular.
If any of my readers come from that area, please use the comments section to let us know how the birds are coping – and how you are coping with this disaster.
Meanwhile here in South Australia we have had excellent opening rains to the winter season. The reservoirs are steadily filling but we will still need much more rain over the coming winter months and again next year to get back to anything like normal. We are still on severe water restrictions due to the lack of rain over several years.
More worrying is the state of the River Murray. South Australians rely heavily upon the river for irrigation and for domestic use. The catchment areas of the river system have had some rain but not enough to create the necessary flow the fill storage dams. Everyone is hoping for excellent winter rainfall plus a heavy snowfall in the mountains of the eastern states.
UPDATE: The storms and heavy rain have caused major flooding in the Newcastle area. Thousands of homes and shops have been flooded. At this stage at least 9 people have lost their lives in the floods. Our condolences to all those who have lost loved ones, and our thoughts are with those whose property has been damaged or have been forced to evacuate their homes or businesses.
White Browed Babblers and water
Some time ago I wrote about White Browed Babblers and water. In that article I stated I’d never seen this species coming to drink:
White Browed Babblers are frequent visitors to our garden. They come in their family group, scuttling through the low bushes, scurrying up the branches of the mallee trees searching for insects and spiders and filling the air with their cat like calls.
From time to time their foraging antics bring them close to the bird bath. Sometimes they get as close as a metre away. I have never seen them land on the bird bath, let alone take a drink or bathe.
Proved wrong:
I have been proved wrong.
A few days ago a group of babblers came to the part of the garden near the bird baths. One of them landed on one of the bird baths and briefly stopped for a drink. I was fortunate to have the camera ready for this shot. It’s not a great photo but is it made more interesting by having caught a House Sparrow in flight and about to land on the bird bath too.
White Browed Babbler
Related articles:
- Birds at our bird baths – a collection of articles from my archives where I have written about the birds that come to the bird baths in our garden.
The Birds of the Mannum district
I’ve been a little distracted in recent days by a writing project that I’ve been asked to undertake. It involves the birds of the Mannum district. Mannum is a small country town on the banks of the River Murray about a half hour drive north of where I live. It was once a bustling river town in the heyday of the river boat trade. It then progressed to become a centre for the nearby farming community. In more recent years it has been promoted as a tourist destination for those wanting a quiet time relaxing by or on the river.
Some time ago I was approached by a local committee, Friends of the Mannum Walking Trails. This group has been very active in setting up a series of walking trails in the town and along the river. One of their aims is to encourage both locals and visitors to take a greater interest in the bird life of the town and the wetlands associated with the river. That’s where they needed my help.
Over the last week I have been busy preparing a mock-up of a pamphlet that can be placed in tourist centres in order to encourage people to go birding. This has required some writing about the birds of the area and the inclusion of a selection of bird photos illustrating the text. This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this and I was quite pleased with the result. The committee was most impressed too, so I must be on the right track.
Interestingly, my research has shown that there is precious little in the way of resources like this in South Australia. Perhaps there is a writing niche waiting to be filled.