The LW babies are growing up quickly - they went on a tree top adventure, climbing and fluttering along 20 metres of canopy - to the pine tree I originally thought their nest was in. Today they were quite close to the ground having a taste of bottlebrush flowers and the parents worked together to nudge them back upwards.
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Five days ago, before I knew about babies, the LWs were at the birdbath together. I was obliged to slowly pan across with camera - I would have needed to move my hand to zoom out and get both birds in the shot - certain to scare them. So here they are. Spot the difference (I think that the apparent size disparity is an optical illusion)
Apart from the excitement of the LW babies there is plenty of other bird activity. A pair of New Holland Honeyeater are nesting in a grass tree near a birdbath. Three days of temps in low 30s have meant extra birdbath topping up for the human - a couple of Crimson Rosellas having a bath and splash will almost empty one. Nearly everything is flowering (the Golden Wattles are long finished), so there's an abundance of nectar, insects and seeds. On the subject of flowering, anyone who saw the caterpillar/Fan-tailed Cuckoo piece on the home page - here is the shrub this year. I can't say that it's the same individual as the caterpillar muncher - but the lone cuckoo that has been constantly calling still is and it will be running out of time to mate as the other birds have emptying nests (at least those of the handful of species I've seen). The ones in South Australia are mainly migratory from Tasmania and breed here Sept - Oct.
The Grass Trees are getting ready to flower - their nectar is sought by birds, insects and they are great protection for small birds and skinks (unless they choose one occupied by a brown snake, of course). I intend to devote a section on the main page - soonish - to Grass Trees (Genus Xanthorrhoea) as they are an ancient and, I find, a very interesting plant - and there are hundreds here. Latest baby LW pics - they have scrambled out of sheoak into adjoining tree. Parents both very busy finding insects for them.
Well they certainly kept that quiet - literally. Am pleased to say that the LWs have two babies perched in the she-oak front right of verandah. Where the nest is and how I didn't hear them begging for food until this morning I know not. Am hopeful they'll be reasonably safe from predators in there - it's a hard tree for bigger birds to penetrate. Both parents very busy feeding them. So here they are (also a hard tree for photography, without being too intrusive)
Well at the moment most of South Australia is being rained on, fairly heavily too, with severe warnings of damaging winds with thunderstorms etc. BOM foretold this deluge, so yesterday I made the most of the sunshine - including a wander around with the camera. Here are a few of the pics: To me, such beauty and abundance- springing, as it does, from sheet limestone with pockets of hydrophobic sand, is a small miracle to make the heart smile. As with many of these plants (that start off here as tubestock or cuttings/from seed) these seemed to grow very little for the first three or four years, but underground they must have been sending roots to find any break in the limestone and work down. Some of the succulents (which I have yet to feature on home page) are flowering - infrequent and welcome additions to the tapestry. Something rather strange to end on. From what I have found out so far they are likely apple galls caused by a psyllid - but I await expert view. I took the opportunity of a sunny couple of hours in the afternoon to see who is visiting one of the bird baths. Here's what I saw.
Two interesting, and mildly astonishing things happened today and at the same time and place - namely late this afternoon in one of the Buddlejas in front of the verandah. The first - there were three LW birds. Secondly, they were all performing a curious action with their beaks on the new growth on the branch-tips, it seemed as if they were grasping the leaves and then pulling their beaks along it. This produced a faint scraping sound. I have no idea but hope to find out what this means.
Not much to report really, just a great deal of territorial work - a persistent Red Wattlebird, Currawongs, parrots etc. Funny to see the White-browed Babblers building their communal roost in Golden Diosma near verandah and LW unable to get at them. He had to settle for swooping the birds collecting materials for roost. New Holland Honeyeater sneaks in for a feed while LW is otherwise engaged, but it's a bit of a stretch.
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December 2020
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