Baby Willie Wagtails come out to feed
Baby Willie Wagtails just out of their nest
I never did find where our resident pair of Willie Wagtails were nesting recently. Yesterday, however, I found the three lovely babies huddled together on a fence post. They looked as if they were just out of the comfort of their nest.
Baby Willie Wagtails just out of their nest and being fed.
Of course – the parents didn’t like me getting too close and so I received a severe telling off as I was taking their photo.
Next time I probably should get the parents to sign a model release form – then they might be happier.
Adult Willie Wagtail warning me to keep my distance from the babies.
Spotted Turtledove nesting
Spotted Turtledove
One morning last week while having breakfast I noticed a Spotted Turtledove flying frequently to a melaleuca bush near our sunroom. As we watched it flew down to the ground several times, each time collecting fine twigs and then it carried the twigs back to the nest. This went on sporadically over the nest few days.
Two days ago I searched the bush and eventually found the nest, complete with the female sitting on the nest. Like most doves and pigeons the nest is a flimsy affair, consisting of barely enough twigs to hold the eggs. How the babies manage to stay in the nest beats me. Mind you, I will give the birds full points for hiding this nest. It is very hard to find as it’s located in some very thick foliage. Should make photography of the babies quite challenging – perhaps not possible. They are easily spooked from the eggs or young so I might just let them get on with hatching the eggs and later feeding the young.
Gertie Galah adopts us
Galah
Strange things happen in the bird world from time to time.
Stranger things sometimes happen in my world from time to time too.
Like yesterday.
I was sitting on the back veranda reading the morning paper. I was suddenly aware of movement near my feet. I wild Galah casually walked past me, across the grass and went straight for the swamp… er… swimming pool. It leaned over looking for a drink, but the water level is just a little too low.
She continued walking around the pool to the steps. She took quite and interest in the little ramp we installed a few weeks ago to allow some Pacific Black Ducklings to get out of the water before they drowned. (Yes – baby ducklings can drown due to hypothermia and having feathers that cannot repel water. They develop water resistance after a few weeks.) Said Galah, having tested out the ramp, walks down to the water’s edge for a good drink and then back to the bricks again. She then proceeded to walk out through a gap in the fence and off through the mallee scrub at the back of our house. As she left I noticed that one wing was drooping and obviously damaged.
This morning Gertie was back – but this time she was floundering in the water. Several other Galahs had gathered on the pool edge to encourage her. She was quite soggy and I rescued her just in time. I wrapped her in a towel, put her in a cardboard box in the sun and hoped she would dry out. Within the hour she shrugged off the towel, climbed out of the box, preened her feathers and walked off towards the scrub again. This time the wing seemed to droop even more.
At lunch time she was back, sitting on the water’s edge. I managed to approach close enough to throw the towel over her and catch her, making sure her sharp beak and claws were kept away from my tender fingers. Despite her loud, squawking protestations I managed to release her in an old aviary to keep her out of harm’s way. We have stray cats and foxes in the vicinity; it’s not safe out there for a wounded Galah who can’t fly more than about a metre.
By this evening she had found the food I’ve put there for her and I hope she’ll also find the water. Even though wounded she was able to climb up the netting and find a perch.
How did she become wounded? I suspect she’s been hit by a passing vehicle. The death rate of Galahs from road kill is incredibly high. In another part of town today I saw four dead Galahs in a 50 metre stretch of road. Other possibilities include a fox, dog or cat attack while feeding on the ground, flying into a power line or even a bullet wound.
The photo above is of a free bird, not Gertie. I hope she quickly recovers so we can release her again.
Update: Gertie obviously felt better after a few days. She managed to escape from my old aviary and we haven’t seen her since.
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This post was updated July 2015
Two milestones for this birding blog
This blog has reached a special milestone.
Last night I approved the 3000th comment from my readers.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the success of this blog. You have made it what it is – a vibrant community of birders and bird lovers. In the last few months when I have been very busy writing my novel, readers’ questions have appeared here and other readers have jumped in ahead of me and answered the query or question. This interaction between readers makes writing this blog so worthwhile.
Many readers have also said nice – and sometimes flattering – things about the photos and the articles. Thank you all for your generous praise. I’m truly grateful.
I believe that this blog is fulfilling something of a great need in educating people about Australian birds. I’ve lost count of the number of readers who have commented that, in searching for information about Australian birds, this was the only site where they found answers. That pleases the teacher in me – I was a teacher for 35 years before retiring in 2004. I am now a full time writer.
Musk Lorikeet
Another important milestone
In November this blog also achieved another important milestone. For the first time it exceeded 15,000 different readers for the month. That makes it all worthwhile, and very satisfying that it is reaching such a wide audience.
Thank you to all of my loyal readers and the many people who have contributed comments and asked questions.
Red Browed Finch
White-winged Triller still around
White-winged Triller
Over the last two months we’ve had a White-winged Triller in our garden. Normally they hang out in the northern parts of Australia and come south in the spring and summer. They often breed at this time of the year.
At first there was only the one, a male. He persistently called throughout the daylight hours, hours after hour. Then about three weeks ago he was joined by another calling. This one wasa little more secretive – vocal but it kept hidden. I think I did catch a glimpse of it briefly and I’m sure it was a female. Females are much plainer brown.
Since then the male has still been around but he is a lot quieter now. It is possible they have a nest somewhere in the vicinity, but they are keeping very quiet about its location.
White-winged Triller