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Red Wattlebirds 2

July 3rd 2009 16:52

I have a few more wattlebird pictures to share…

If anyone was wondering, I am not sure what the plant is that they are feasting upon - my son picked up an 'African succulent' once upon a time and it spread all over what used to be the patio, until the framework fell down. You can also spot our ever-flowering red geranium shrubs, yellow Poinsettia, and Moreton Bay fig tree - and some weeds - OOPS!

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Red Wattlebirds 1

July 1st 2009 02:15

My wattlebird photos did come out reasonably well, if not perfectly. I took far too many, as usual - so stuck a few together in a 'postcard' format.

Here is an excerpt from my 2007 release, "Our Australian Feathered Friends" available at www.lulu.com/winterbear

"The Red Wattlebird is larger than the Little Wattlebird, but smaller than the Tasmanian species of Yellow Wattlebird. The Red Wattlebird is spread across the entire bottom coastal region of Australia, excluding Tasmania. Additionally, it reaches inland regions of NSW and Western Australia. Identifiable by its ‘yak-yak’ and a louder ‘chak’ calls, it inhabits forested areas as well as gardens.

Otherwise known as Anthochaera carnunculata, this species averages 35cm and 111g. It prefers a diet of nectar, which it obtains using its curved beak; however, it will also eat insects, berries and honeydew. Having a gray-brown body plumage, which is streaked by white and yellow on the underside, this species is identifiable by red wattles attached to the either side of its throat.
One to two batches of young are raised each breeding season, which lasts from mid winter through into early summer. Two or three pale pink eggs with rusty-purple markings are laid in each batch. Although both parents will raise their youngsters, sometimes the mother alone will incubate the eggs, though is has been observed that the male may also participate with incubation."

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Pigeonalia 17

June 27th 2009 15:42

It is feeding time again, and here we see Dusty waiting impatiently for his beak at the seed dish. Scruff looks up after a beakful, and the others go gobble, gobble, gobble…

Next, we see a thirtsy young Scruff taking advantage of the fact that I work at home and so can refill the water tub EVERY time it gets empty or bathed in.

Finally a couple of shots of two regular pigeons - above we have scurff and below old sore eye. The black scurff with the sore eye being new sore eye…

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Pigeonalia 16

June 24th 2009 15:51

A few more pigeon photos…
(I hope to have got some shots of a red wattlebird on the camera - but have yet to load them onto the computer)

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Pigeonalia 15

June 23rd 2009 01:56

Sorry folks, but here is another bunch of pigeon photos! I will try to take a hike to Corrimal or up Mt Keira soon, so as to have something other than pigeon pics to share!!

Firstly, Dusty stands on my doorstep after his dinner. He may be simply resting, but that look in his eye means 'Bring on the seconds, lady - c'mon…' White Spot is simply resting after a large belly-fill, while Speckley investigates the path for any stray seeds

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Pigeonalia 14

June 19th 2009 17:14

Oh no, I hear my regular readers groan - not MORE pigeon pictures! Whilst several other happenings have happened in our back yard of late, I have taken no walks amongst exotic or unusual species due to inclement weather conditions and lack of time. I did manage to drag my camera t the back doorstep and take a few shots of our city gang feasting on their dinner seeds, though!

Firstly, we have Silver Scruff, Scruff, Speckley, and Dusty at the dinner dish

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Pigeonalia 13

June 18th 2009 00:05

There has recently been a spurt of baby pigeons. I have yet to see the offspring and return of Smokey and Spotty, Baby or Bebe, but Dusty and the city gang have produced several newbies to admire and grow to know.

There is a new member of the Black Scruff tribe - with multiple half-grown feathers sticking out like a punk hairdo. Its wide open eyes regarded me yesterday, as if trying to make out what exactly I was - a human that gave seed and water and did not shoo it away? Unheard of

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Back yard update 2

June 15th 2009 14:59

I tossed down some seed one evening last week, and went away for about a half minute from the door, expecting to see a bunch of pigeons munching away on m return. Instead, I saw a few pigeons and a quartet of rainbow lorikeets! I was able to observe that lorikeets are bossy little birds - they kept jumping on the pigeon's tail feathers and screeching to shoo them away from 'their' food course! I was also able to observe that lorikeets can both walk and hop - I can learn something new quite often, just by standing lazily on my doorstep!!

Another night, I witnessed five pigeons being very polite. Instead of the usual squabbling and fighting, they each waited their own turn to use the water bowl as a bath! This was quite amazing, as they usually bite each others feathers and jump on top of one another to hasten proceedings rather than show such patience. I wonder if they have picked up the vibe from my own studies and life improvements or if they were just having a well-behaved day

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Back yard update 1

June 11th 2009 15:12

The pied currawong was munching a lump of homemade bread on our lawn - when a cheeky and brave little myna bird shot up and chased it away to steal the food! You would not expect a smaller bird to approach such a 'giant'.

The myna birds were hanging out on our Hills Hoist. 8 of them sat on it, letting the rain fall down around them, just sitting, dreaming… every so often, one or two might hop to another prong or depart to the poinsettia tree instead, to return later… They were there for at least a half hour

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More about pied currawongs

June 8th 2009 15:28

Here is a short extract about currawongs from the book I authored in 2007, "OUR AUSTRALIAN FEATHERED FRIENDS" - available at www.lulu.com/winterbear

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