Don’t feed the birds
No Comments »11th September, 2007; Category: Photos
Apparently some people can’t read – or don’t read. Maybe they don’t want to read. Whatever.
The fellow in this photo either didn’t see the sign – or ignored it.
The consequences are plain to see.
New Holland Honeyeaters breeding
One of my readers left the following comments and question on a post from last year about New Holland Honeyeaters:
We’ve been watching a pair of New Holland Honeyeaters building their nest in an ornamental tree in our courtyard in Kensington (SA). Really been lovely to watch them.
Do they stay together as mates?
That is a very good question Tony. It is one I hadn’t given all that much thought to, so I had to do my research.
Leave them in peace:
It is indeed a great delight to watch birds nesting and as they go about feeding the young. The urge to breed is very strong and they will tolerate people going about their daily lives only metres away. If you have birds nesting in your garden, try not to disturb them too much.
Breeding behaviour:
The pair that have mated and built the nest will generally feed the young together. In some bird species only the female sits on the eggs and feeds the young while the male defends the territory (for example, Australian Magpies). In other species the whole thing is a cooperative affair. With the Australian Fairy-wrens for example, the whole extended family will build the nest and feed the young.
Monogamous pairs:
As far as New Holland Honeyeaters are concerned they tend to breed in monogamous pairs; they stay together as mates for the entire breeding cycle. They will often breed several times in a season. If still alive the next breeding season they will also bond together again as a pair.
Again, my thanks to Tony for a great question.
Further reading:
- Great Birding Moments: New Holland Honeyeater
- Great Birding Moments – more good reading.
New Holland Honeyeater
Bird Word: Oriental
Oriental: the region consisting of the Himalayas, India, SE Asia and Indonesia.
The term “oriental” refers to birds of a particular region of the world. It also happens to be the only region of the world I have visited outside of Australia. In 2005-06 I had a wonderful trip to Thailand and Nepal. You can read all about my adventures, including trekking near Mt Everest, on my blog called Trevor’s Travels.
Oriental can also be part of the name of some species. For example, the only one I can think of in the Australian context is the Oriental Cuckoo, also known as the Himalayan Cuckoo. It occurs in the northern and north eastern parts of Australia. This is one species on my “yet to see list.”
I and the bird #57
The latest edition of I and the bird #57 has been posted over at A DC Birding Blog. It contains many links to interesting articles about birds from all over the globe.
I missed out on making my submission this time around. I was rather occupied touring New South Wales on my way to visit my son and daughter-in-law in Sydney. That is where I am now – and using his very fast internet connection. Stay tuned for many articles about my birding experiences over the last week and for the next two weeks.
The real James Bond – ornithologist
No Comments »7th September, 2007; Category: Birders
Most people have heard of James Bond the slick, handsome, debonair lady-killing spy featured in a series of novels and successful films. Good escapist stuff for those who like action packed movies.
What most people do not realise is that the REAL James Bond was an ornithologist. Ian Fleming, the author of the spy novels was a birder and had a copy of a bird field guide on his bookshelves. Searching for a suitable name for his new creation, he borrowed the character’s name from the author of the field guide, James Bond.
There is a certain poetic irony in all of this. An avid bird watcher (feathered variety) is writing a spy novel whose main character is a bird watcher (non-feathered variety) so he borrows the name of a professional bird watcher (feathered variety) for said character. That’s neat.
Further reading:
- Bond. James Bond. Ornithologist. This article actually shows a picture of a copy of the famous field guide written by James Bond (ornithologist). It also has more information about the real James Bond.