Great Birding Moments # 21 Splendid Wren
Lowan Conservation Park
A few days ago we went to visit Lowan Conservation Park, a relatively small patch of mallee scrub about 40 minutes drive north east of our home in Murray Bridge. This park can be very rewarding to the birder – or it can be extremely frustrating. It usually depends on what trees and bushes are in flower.
We arrived mid afternoon in bright sunshine with a gentle south westerly keeping conditions pleasant. We drove slowly through to a nice spot in about the middle of the park for an afternoon cuppa. As we stopped there were about 150 Dusky Woodswallows overhead, their lovely calls filling the sky. Within minutes they had moved on. (For a photo of a Dusky Woodswallow taken elsewhere click here and scroll down the page.)
All else was fairly quiet. A few Weebills called nearby and a Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater called a distance away. I could also hear a Magpie calling and a Grey Shrike-thrush called somewhere in the scrub nearby. During the twenty minutes break for our cuppa we didn’t see a bird. I had been hopeful of seeing a Chestnut Quail-thrush because we parked a few metres from where I had seen two of them on a previous visit. No luck there.
We drove very slowly back towards the entrance gate but stopped a short distance from it so Corinne could take a photo of some plants. To see the photos click here and here and here.
While she was taking the photos I wandered off into the scrub for about thirty metres. A sudden flash of colour in the low bushes nearby attracted my attention. For about ten seconds I had a great view of a male Splendid Fairy-wren in full breeding plumage. This has to be one of Australia’s most beautiful birds. I’ve only managed to see one on a few occasions. This area is one fairly reliable spot to observe this species.
The excitement of this sighting was shattered a little when I realised that my camera was in the car! By the time I’d collected the camera it had flown elsewhere and it wasn’t calling, so I couldn’t track it down. I tried to attract it by making kissing sounds (this usually works with wrens) but to no avail. So I haven’t a photo to show off. Instead you will have to be content with someone else’s photos here.
UPDATE: on my recent holiday in New South Wales I managed to get some reasonable photos of this beautiful species. Check out “A Splendid Result”
This post was updated on July 6th 2015.
Babies, the Birds and the Bees
New Holland Honeyeater in nest
It must be spring here in Murray Bridge, South Australia. So many baby birds all around us, including the baby New Holland Honeyeater in the photo above – just about to leave the nest. This one did leave the nest a few hours after this photo was taken and its sibling just a short time before the photo. At lunch time today we saw another New Holland Honeyeater making a new nest only a few metres away from this one.
The New Holland Honeyeaters are not the only ones breeding. Here is a list of birds I have observed nesting, feeding young in the nest or feeding newly fledged young in the last few weeks. It only includes birds observed in our garden, on our five acre block of land or on the roads bordering our property (on two sides).
Breeding Birds September – October 2006
- White Winged Choughs – feeding young.
- Little Raven – feeding young.
- Red Wattlebird – feeding young in nest.
- Australian Magpie – feeding young.
- Yellow Rumped Thornbill – feeding young in nest.
- House Sparrow – feeding young.
- Common Starling – feeding young.
- Common Blackbird – eggs in nest fell out (when the plant pot it was in fell over).
- Spotted Turtledove – mating behaviour but nest not found.
- Crested Pigeon – mating behaviour but nest not found. [Update: I found the nest a day after posting this article]
- Grey Shrike Thrush – feeding young.
- White Plumed Honeyeater – feeding young.
Noteable Exception:
- Willie Wagtail – usually nest quite near the house but not observed nesting this year. This is noteworthy as it is probably the first time in over twenty years. It’s not too late, of course.
And the Bees??
The bees in the title of this article refer to several hives of bees – possibly feral bees – that have taken up residence in tree hollows. This prevents the native birds ever using that hollow again. We are trying to deal with the one nearest the house; two others are a little high in the trees to tackle.
Related articles:
New Holland Honeyeater v House Sparrow
Some time ago I wrote about bird aggression in the garden. On that occasion there was a dispute between our resident Willie Wagtail and a New Holland Honeyeater.
The New Holland Honeyeaters are currently feeding two chicks in a nest in our garden quite close to our house. They are constantly busy feeding their offspring.
Several days ago I noticed that a female House Sparrow ventured into the Melaleuca bush where the nest is located. The New Holland Honeyeater sent it off pronto, chasing it vigorously around the garden. Both landed on the ground and the honeyeater confronted the sparrow.
The response from the House Sparrow was something I had never seen this species display before; it raised its tail in a fan-like manner. This bold move seemed to work because the honeyeater backed off and soon resumed tending to its young.
It happened too quickly for me to photograph.
Related articles:
Time for a shower
When we move from of our back verandah we enter a patio area covered in shadecloth. Along the edges of this paved area my wife has a collection of Australian native plants in pots. To water these she has set up a sprinkling system. This morning the plants needed watering.
A few moments after switching on the sprinklers she called me to the window to observe the reaction of the resident New Holland Honeyeaters. About a dozen gathered to enjoy the shower. They would fly into the misting water then land on one of the plants or the nearby bush. They would fluff up their feathers and give themselves a thorough wash. And all through the few minutes that the sprinklers were operating they set up a very noisy and excited chattering.
New Holland Honeyeater
I should add that the above photo was not taken this morning. I include it to show readers a photo of the species I was writing about. It was taken late last year.
A Bit on the Nose
My post of yesterday about dealing with aggression in birds, especially towards humans, has caused quite a flurry of comments, both on this blog and on the Birding-Aus forum.
A number of birders have commented on the fact that they have experienced being swooped by Red Wattlebirds. I’ve not seen that myself, but I do know that our resident Red Wattlebirds give most other bird species a hard time. They can be very bossy indeed. Especially towards small species like Pardalotes.
Bill wrote a very humourous post to Birding-Aus about his recent close encounter with a determined Red Wattlebird. Bill has kindly allowed me to quote his email in full.
You’ve heard of garden lists, life lists and hand lists, well this is
now on my nose list.This morning I was riding to work, just starting along my home street
(Kew East, Victoria), when I passed the nesting site of a red
wattlebird. This individual, like some other red wattlebirds, tends to
swoop at this time of year. They hurt less than magpies, but I’ve found
them to be much more tenacious.My normal defence against wattlebirds and magpies is to look around
ostentatiously, in the belief that birds only swoop from behind, and
they break off when they see you watching them. However, when you’re
riding a bike, it’s – shall we say – “advisable” to keep an eye out
forwards as well, meaning you can’t be watching over your shoulder all
the time.Of course, the wattlebird was in the process of attacking from behind as
I turned my head. It was probably six inches and closing when I found
myself face to belly. It broke off – or at least attempted to, and I
got clouted by wings on each ear as well as a nose full of belly. I was
lucky, thinking about it, not to get an eye full of claws.You know that yellow patch on a red wattlebird’s belly? It was a cold
morning and I had a slightly “cold air” runny nose. This guy’s belly
patch is now green.Bill
Thanks very much to Bill for this contribution to my blog.
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