Little Corellas at Mannum
Little Corella
A few weeks ago I was a guest speaker at the Mannum Garden Club. After the meeting I went down to the reserve by the river to have lunch. A small flock of about fifty Little Corellas was resting in the trees in the reserve. Several of them posed nicely for me.
Little Corellas can often be found in large flocks numbering in the hundreds. They can pose a threat to crops such as grain crops so they are sometimes not popular with farmers. Little Corellas are largely absent from the wetter eastern and southern coastal areas of Australia except where local feral populations have formed from aviary escapes. In the wild this species prefers the drier inland regions and they can be common to very abundant – even in pest numbers in some areas.
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Little Corella
Rufous Songlark
Yesterday I wrote about the Common Skylarks calling near our house. During this last week we spent quite a deal of time dodging showers as we worked outside. The fruit trees desperately needed attention; the chain saw was fired up as some branches needed some drastic action.
In between bursts of cutting we heard the distinctive and unmistakable ‘twitchy tweedle’ call of the Rufous Songlark. This species is about the same size as a Common Skylark (and a little larger than a House Sparrow).
They are regular visitors about this time of the year through to spring. Several years ago I thought that a pair was going to nest on our block of land. They hung around the garden and nearby for more than a week, their rich, melodious call filling the air. They didn’t nest here and moved on after their short sojourn which enriched our lives.
Rufous Songlarks are widespread throughout most of Australia except Tasmania and are generally uncommon. Their preferred habitat includes open grassy areas in woodlands and scrubs.
I still need a photo of this species.
Skylarking around
Over the last month or so I have been aware of the call of several Common Skylarks in the paddock opposite our place. This is an introduced species to Australia. It is essentially a ground dwelling bird of open grasslands and is slightly larger than a House Sparrow. I do not have a photo of this species to show you, for I more frequently hear it than see it.
What is interesting about this species here in Murray Bridge, South Australia, is that I hear it calling well before dawn. I usually leave home at about 6:15am to go to a friend’s house nearby for a morning walk. In the middle of June it is still quite dark (and cold at that time; first light is about 6:30am and the birds are calling well before that.
During the day when working in the garden I will often hear it calling again during the day. The call seems to carry long distances and continues for long periods of time. It is especially apparent during calm, sunny days.
I have always been of the impression that this is a migratory species in Australia. I have checked in HANZAB (Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds). There is some conjecture as to the actual movement of this species in Australia. Some say there is movement in autumn/winter while others contest this opinion. It could be that individuals – or even whole populations – are more or less resident year round, but they only call for part of the year.
The population near my home is destined to disappear during the next 3 – 4 years. A large government institution is about to be build right where the birds live. Then I’ll have to go a little further afield to see or hear them. [UPDATE: this facility has been postponed for several years.]
New Holland Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater
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Every now and then a bird poses just right for a photograph. Every now and then everything goes just right with the camera, and everything is in focus that should be. And to top it all off, the composition seems to be just right.
It happened to me a few days ago when I took this shot of one of the New Holland Honeyeaters in our garden. It was one of those occasions when I say to myself, ‘That’s good.’
I think I’ll print out a copy and mount it in a picture frame.
Bossy New Holland Honeyeaters
Golden Whistler (male) harassed by New Holland Honeyeater
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Yesterday I wrote about the male Golden whistler I tracked down in our garden. I showed a nice photo I managed to get of this beautiful bird. A few seconds after taking that photo the whistler was swooped by one of our resident New Holland Honeyeaters. This species can be very aggressive towards other bird species. In my opinion they are second only to the Red Wattlebird as far as their aggressiveness goes.
Well, the male Golden Whistler was not going to take this affront lightly. I managed to capture the moment on my camera. The head of the honeyeater can just be seen in the lower right hand corner. The whistler, on the other hand, is showing signs of being somewhat upset. It has raised the feathers on the top of its head – almost like a crest. It has spread out its wings and the beak is wide open giving a harsh warning call to the aggressor.
Although the shot is not the best photo I’ve ever taken, I am quite pleased with the result. It is not often one is able to catch moments like these. A split second later would have seen a totally different scene as the honeyeater flew off.