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.
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December 2020
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