Rufous Whistler
We have many beautiful birds here in Australia and the Whistlers would be up there in the most beautiful list of many people. Here in Murray Bridge we have two species, the Golden Whistler and the Rufous Whistler.
While neither whistler is a resident species in our garden, they are both regular visitors. Their rich melodic calls are a delight and the brilliant colours, especially of the Golden Whistler are truly wonderful.
A few days ago we had a male juvenile Rufous Whistler come to visit the bird bath. This is the first time either species had come to drink, but then it was a very hot day so it is not all that surprising I guess. I did observe that he was very hesitant while approaching the water. It was plain that he was not at ease and was being very cautious.
Rufous Whistler (juvenile male)
While the photo is not brillaint (it was the only one I managed before he flew off) it does show the black breast band and rufous belly beginning to develop. This was a very good addition to our list of species that have visited the bird baths.
Related Articles:
- Time for a bath – a list of visitors to our bird baths.
- Close encounters of the bird kind – close up views of a female Golden Whistler
- Golden Moment – close up views of both a male and female Golden Whistler
- Rufous Whistler – another encounter with a juvenile bird.
A Goldfinch at the Bird Bath
We have a constant parade of visitors to the bird baths we have in our garden. I haven’t done a statistical analysis, but I would say with confidence that the most frequent visitors would have to be the many New Holland Honeyeaters. They would be closely followed by the Pardalotes, both the Striated and the Spotted. The list of species seen drinking from the bird baths is growing. This has been particularly so during recent months. The summer has been very hot and very dry.
European Goldfinch
One recent addition to this list was the European Goldfinch. This introduced species is widespread in south eastern Australia, including Tasmania. I understand that while is it widespread and can be locally common, its numbers are not great anywhere. Here in my home town Murray Bridge in South Australia there are several colonies around town, including one large group living near the Post Office and Railway Station.
We live about 5km from the Post Office and the Goldfinch is only an occasional visitor to our garden. It is therefore an interesting addition to the list of birds that have visited our bird baths.
Related articles:
- European Goldfinch – another article about this species.
- Birds in the heat – more about birds at our bird baths.
- Time for a bath – visitors to our bird baths (including a complete list).
European Goldfinch
Some unusual visitors to our bird bath
I have written on a number of occasions about the birds that visit the bird bath in our garden. (Click here for one article with several photos.)
A non-bird visitor to the bird bath
While having lunch yesterday a Stumpy Tail Lizard (also called a Shingleback Lizard, one of the Blue Tongue Lizards of Australia), came wandering through the garden towards to bird bath on the ground. He paused to gobble down a few eremophila flowers before having long drink from the bird bath. He probably stayed for some five minutes, drinking deeply a number of times, before wandering off again.
Stumpy Tailed Lizard
A very cheeky visitor
Then late last night at just after 10pm I was outside seeing off a friend who had come to visit for the evening. We were standing about ten metres from the bird bath which was on the ground. As we were saying goodnight, we both stopped and turned because we had heard loud slurping noises coming from the bird bath.
As it was in the shadows I stepped inside, grabbed a touch and found that a Red Fox (an introduced species) had been visiting the bird bath for a drink. He casually wandered off in the beam of the torch light, quite unconcerned about my presence a few metres away. I’m not sure if I’m pleased that he feels quite at home in our garden. I must warn our next door neighbour to lock up her chooks and guinea fowl.
I didn’t get a photo of the fox.
Related Articles:
- Time for a bath – visitors to our bird bath, with many photos.
Birds in the heat
Juvenile Striated Pardalote
Over the last three days we have had a severe burst of extremely hot days. On Friday the temperature reached 45C (113F) under our front veranda. It was no better on Saturday when it again reached 45C. Yesterday was a little “cooler” as it only reached 40C (104F). Much cooler weather moved through the state last night and today’s forecast is for 22C (72F). What a contrast!
Juvenile Striated Pardalote
Probably the most frequent visitors to our garden bird baths were the pardalotes, both the Striated (as shown in the photos) and the Spotted. At times there were five or six of them. When I took the hose to replenish the water supply, several of them waited politely not more than a metre away. Pity I didn’t have the camera on me. The above photos were taken a few minutes later. I sat in the shade of the veranda, but the oppressive heat in the wind was too much and I retreated to air-conditioned comfort after about five minutes.
All during the heat there was a constant parade of birds taking advantage of the water I supplied. These include:
- Striated Pardalote
- Spotted Pardalote
- House Sparrow
- Red Wattlebird
- New Holland Honeyeater
- Brown Headed Honeyeater
- White Plumed Honeyeater
- Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater
- Singing Honeyeater
- Crested Pigeon
- Spotted Turtledove
- Australian Magpie
- Australian Magpie Lark
- Willie Wagtail
Despite the oppressive heat we had very few bushfires in South Australia over the last few days, in stark contrast to the situation in Victoria (click here and here).
Time for a bath: visitors to our bird bath
Brown-headed Honeyeater
Some years ago we set up a birdbath on our patio area. It gave us much pleasure to see birds coming to drink and bathe. More recently we moved it to the other side of the house. Now it is in full view from our sunroom. It is here we often eat our meals, and work at the table with the birdbath in full view.
Over recent years, this location has had four main benefits:
- It is a great time waster investment; watching the birds go about their daily lives just a few metres from where we are sitting is both relaxing and refreshing to the body, mind and spirit.
- It is most entertaining, especially when a bird like a Mallee Ringneck Parrot comes to bathe and the water sprays in all directions.
- It is excellent for photography; with the 12X zoom on my camera, I have taken many close-up shots of the birds visiting. (Update: my new camera has a 20x zoom. Further update: I now have a camera with an 83x zoom.)
- It is educational; our human visitors marvel at our avian visitors and this gives us the opportunity to further enhance our friends’ appreciation of the natural environment.
White-plumed Honeyeater
I’ve actually installed three different baths in close proximity to one another; one on the ground (which the lizards sometimes use too), one at a height of about 60cm and the third at about 1.5m. This gives them choices. The nearby branches and bushes give them a place of refuge if they feel threatened in any way.
House Sparrow (male)
A List of Species that have visited our bird baths:
- Mallee Ringneck Parrot
- New Holland Honeyeater
- Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater
- Red Wattlebird
- Brown-headed Honeyeater
- Singing Honeyeater
- White-plumed Honeyeater
- House Sparrow
- Common Starling
- Little Raven
- Willie Wagtail
- Spotted Turtledove
- Crested Pigeon
- Spotted Pardalote
- Striated Pardalote
- Diamond Firetail Finch
- Yellow-rumped Thornbill
- Grey Shrike-thrush
- Australian Magpie
- Magpie Lark
- Mistletoebird
- Common Blackbird
- Rufous Whistler (see updates below)
- European Goldfinch (see updates below)
- Chestnut-rumped Thornbill (see updates below)
- Grey Fantail (see updates below)
- Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (see updates below)
- Galah (see updates below)
- Grey Currawong (see updates below)
- Eastern Rosella (see updates below)
- Sacred Kingfisher (see updates below)
- Dusky Woodswallow (see updates below)
- White-browed Babblers (see updates below)
- White-winged Chough (see updates below)
- White-browed Woodswallow (see updates below)
- Purple-crowned Lorikeet (see updates below)
- Animals
- Red Fox
- Stumpy-tailed Lizard
- European Rabbit
- Brown Snake
- Blue-tongue Lizard
That’s quite a list!
UPDATE: More recently we have added the following species to the list:
- Rufous Whistler
- European Goldfinch
- Chestnut-rumped Thornbill
UPDATE #2 Two more species to add to the list:
- Stumpy-tail Lizard (also called a Shingleback Lizard)
- Red Fox – yes, that’s right, a fox.
- Brown Snake – passed close to the bird bath on the ground. In January 2016 a metre long Brown Snake actually stopped to have a drink. See photos here.
UPDATE #3 Another species to add to the list: Grey Fantail – it came to the bird bath briefly but left before I could take a photograph (4th May, 2007)
UPDATE #4 In January 2008 we had a single Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike come to drink briefly from the bird bath.
UPDATE #5 In late January 2008 a single Galah came to within a metre of the bird bath but did not drink. A few weeks later I added Grey Currawong to the list.
UPDATE #6 In December 2008 I added European Rabbit to the list.
UPDATE #7 In December 2009 I added Eastern Rosella. (Click here for a photo)
UPDATE #8 In November 2013 a Sacred Kingfisher perched about a metre from the bird bath but did not drink. In February 2014 a Dusky Woodswallow came to drink during one of our heat waves during a very hot summer.
UPDATE #9 In September 2015 I added White-winged Chough, White-browed Babbler and Blue-tongue Lizard (click for photo)
UPDATE #10 In December 2015, during a heatwave, I added White-browed Woodswallow.
UPDATE #11 In December 2020 I added Purple-crowned Lorikeet.
Comments: many of my readers have commented on this post – read them below and leave one of your own.
Update: this post was last updated on December 2020.
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
Mallee Ringneck Parrot
Mallee Ringneck Parrot