Today was too cold and windy for the bees with blasts of icy rain, driven by the westerlies, punctuating the sunshine. Made me wonder how the bees manage if they can't leave the hive for many days, so I did some reading and discovered that bees live on any stored nectar and pollen. Hopefully they have plenty stored for the week ahead. Winter certainly isn't over yet.
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The male LW spent a lot of time this afternoon chasing away other birds - including blue wrens who were going about their usual, seemly innocuous, business. But he had a major challenge when a Red Wattlebird wanted to hang around - a lengthy altercation followed with much swooping, beak snapping and calling until the intruder finally gave up.
Sunny day and 19 degrees Celsius after lots of rain and the birds seemed to feel the promise of spring in the air. The kookaburras were in fine voice and painted button quail sounded their 'ooms' continuously. I've been delaying starting this diary - waiting for something to happen. A few weeks ago the resident male* LW found a female and I thought I glimpsed them mating, but then - nothing. Well, almost nothing - male bird has been sporadically territorial and intolerant of any other birds and sometimes when he calls she answers....Today, though, I saw her with a feather in her beak. Now one feather doesn't a nest make, but it's a start. * Sexes are quite similar in appearance so it is very difficult for me to know who's who therefore I base my best guess on behaviour and calling patterns.
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December 2020
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