A moral dilemma – with a bird’s nest
New Holland Honeyeater nest in boxthorn bush
Today I was faced with a moral dilemma.
I was trimming some bushes and branches with my chainsaw. This included a rather overgrown Boxthorn bush where it should not have been. I ripped into it with the saw, being careful not to get ripped into by the nasty spikes that cover boxthorn bushes. I managed to come away with only one scratch on my arm.
I had almost finished and straightened up to survey my work. A New Holland Honeyeater was going ballistic in the tree above me. Oh no, I thought. My worst fears were suddenly realised. I had partially removed a part of the boxthorn which contained a beautiful nest, complete with two eggs.
Here was my moral dilemma. The local council authorities insist I destroy all boxthorns on my property. My wife wanted the bush removed, and I wanted the nasty thing gone too. On the other hand, the wildlife authorities say that it is illegal to remove or destroy a bird nest.
In a piece of quick thinking I cut off the portion containing the nest. I then removed all of the offending bush. I placed the portion of the boxthorn containing the nest in the fork of the tree less than a metre from the original site of the nest (see photo above).
And I stood back to see to see what would happen. Within a minute the honeyeater was back on the nest. A great sigh of relief. I gave the nest a wide berth all afternoon until carefully taking the photos on this page. The shot below shows the bird still sitting on the eggs, watching me rather warily. (Click on the photo to enlarge the image – this will show the bird more clearly.)
The downside is that a little part of the garden will have to wait for the promised clean up for a few weeks. That’s not a problem – there’s plenty more to do elsewhere.
New Holland Honeyeater nest in boxthorn bush
White-winged Triller visit
This afternoon I had a delightful surprise. We had just arrived back from our lectures in Adelaide and were enjoying a cuppa in the spring sunshine on the front veranda.
An unusual bird flew into the eucalypt tree next to the driveway about twenty metres away. I instantly recognised it as a male White-winged Triller. It sat there for no more than ten seconds before flying away. It must have only spent about thirty seconds in our garden so there was no time to get the camera from the office.
This is one species I would love to get a photo of but so far have drawn a blank. Last year on holiday in NSW I chased one around a few bushes for about twenty minutes, but he refused to show himself in the open.
On checking my database of bird sightings I last recorded this species here in Murray Bridge in 1986, so it has been a long time between sightings. I usually have to travel to see this lovely bird. I hope he liked what he saw and returns – long enough to pose for a photo.
Related articles:
UPDATE : in September 2009 we had another visit from a male Triller. This time I was able to get a photo.
White-winged Triller (male)
White Winged Choughs
White Winged Chough
One of our favourite species of bird here where we live in Murray Bridge South Australia is the White Winged Chough. At first glance, the inexperienced observer might dismiss them as a crow or raven or just another large black bird. We think differently of them.
We have a family of Choughs that has taken to visiting our garden almost on a daily basis. Walking “the estate” (we live on five acres of land) I often see little scratchings in the ground where they have been searching for some tasty morsel to eat.
Choughs are almost always seen in small family flocks numbering from about six or seven through to as many as twenty. Nesting is a communal or family affair. Most of the flock will contribute to the building of the bowl shaped mud nest. After the eggs hatch the whole family helps raise the chicks.
It always amuses me how this species often prefers to walk or hop along rather than expend their energy in flying. At times they can be quite unafraid of humans. I’ve stood in the middle of a flock of about a dozen as they continued to feed on the ground around me, just metres from where I stood.
White Winged Choughs
Australian Owlet-nightjar in our garden
The Australian Owlet-nightjar is a relatively common bird throughout much of Australia. With an overall size of 21-25cm it is our smallest nocturnal bird. In fact, the first time I saw this birds I was amazed at how tiny it really was. This individual was perched in full sunlight on a branch of a tree in a neighbour’s garden. This is something they will do occasionally. Normally they roost in the hollows of trees.
Despite being widespread in Australia, I suspect few people will have ever seen one, mainly because of their nocturnal habits. Their size may account for them often being overlooked too. I suspect that quite a few people may have heard this species but have no idea what was making the call. Its chirr-chirr call is a sound many Australians will have heard when out at night, especially in more rural areas, or when camping out bush away from traffic noises. Another common observation of this species would be a fleeting glance of one flying through the headlight beams of cars travelling country roads at night. Most people probably would dismiss it as a very large moth.
Resident in our garden?
At present I am thinking that this species is resident in our garden. Over recent weeks I have heard it calling on many occasions, often an hour or so after sunset. I usually head outdoors, torch in hand, trying to track it down. The fact that their eyes do not reflect torchlight makes the quest just that little bit harder.
More puzzling, however, is hearing the call during the daylight hours, usually just the once and quite close to the house. A little research indicates that they sometimes do this. It has happened three or four times in the last week or so. Whenever I go out pursuing this lovely bird trying to get a photo, I have no idea where to start looking – apart from the obvious tree hollows nearby. It’s all very frustrating.
UPDATE: I finally got to see one in our garden – and get a photo what’s more. To read about click here.
Further reading:
- Great Birding Moments – Spotted Nightjar – an article and photo about a close encounter with another nightjar species.
- Spotted Nightjar
- Birds in Backyards: Australian Owlet-nightjar – this article includes a photo, a painting and a map of distribution.
The photo below shows a related species, the Spotted Nightjar. (Click on the photo to enlarge the image.)
Spotted Nightjar
Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters
Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater
While having a relaxing breakfast a few mornings ago, several Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters came to drink at the bird bath in our garden. Next thing a baby Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater came along begging to be fed. It was just able to fly and its tail was only half grown. Here is an example of another instance where some birds have nested in our garden and remained unobserved. They are so secretive and sneaky that this happens far too often. Never mind; it was good to see the baby getting around.
I commented to my wife that this was one species I didn’t have a photo of yet; I was wrong. I don’t have many, and the one featured above is probably the best.