Apostlebirds, Weddin Mountains National Park NSW

During our time in Weddin Mountains National Park, we had the unexpected pleasure of a visit from a lively family of apostlebirds. We had set out a small bowl of water, and before long, the whole group gathered around it, chattering constantly but drinking peacefully side by side.

After a while, one of the birds decided to try bathing in the bowl. Seeing the enthusiasm, we put out a few extra dishes of water for them to use. In such an arid place, it was lovely to watch how much they enjoyed themselves.

The apostlebird (Struthidea cinerea) is native to Australia and is often seen roaming open woodlands, foraging for insects and seeds close to the ground. They typically travel in groups of around 12, which is how they earned their name — a nod to the 12 Biblical apostles.

5 Things you may or may not know about Apostlebirds

 

Echidna Bathtime

Our resident echidna enjoying a bath in the scrubwren's bowl. As you can see, the echidna was rather dirty. The scrubwren was none too pleased. 😆

Providing a source of safe, clean water is a great way to help your local wildlife – especially in times of extreme heat. We have 8 water bowls of various sizes scattered around the property. The birds and animals (including the snakes) all have their favourite/s i.e. the young rosellas love wallowing in the dog bowl, the fairywrens the shallow pot plant saucer.

Garden Orb-Weaver Spider

Garden Orb-Weaver Spider (a very full one)

The resilience of mother nature

Our Mrs Blackbird is a real battler. Early in spring she was attacked by we don't know who and broke her right foot as you can see. That has not stopped her from building three new nests and rearing successfully a total of 5 babies and believe it or not she has just completed building another nest in one of my chain cacti (Christmas cacti in northern hemisphere) pots.

Apsley Falls, Oxley Wild Rivers National Park NSW

On our travels, we stopped over at the Apsley Falls campground. Picturesque with impressive views of the river gorge. Well worth a visit if you're ever driving the Oxley Highway between Walcha and Wauchope.

The first night we were there, we had a nocturnal visitor. This old possum spooked us to start with when he tipped the grilling tray out of the camp stove (we suspect to get to the toast crumbs).

An Australian magpie (and his mates) came to check us out.

Butcherbird.

Frog Hilton (aka The Water Tank) at Dusk

The nightly line-up on the water tank eagerly awaiting darkness to search for food.

Nesting Australian Native Crested Pigeon

We have a pair of Crested Pigeons that nest around the property, though usually in a more dense tree than this. Australian Birdlife refer to the nest as delicate, but that's putting it politely. Their nests are more a mess of a few twigs that takes them a short time to construct. Both parents share the incubation -- we often hear the bird on the nest calling for his/her mate to change over. Because there is always a bird on the nest, they don't suffer the egg predation other birds do. Though I'm sure they only breed to feed the local raptors. :(

Yellow-faced Honeyeater Nest

Just after Christmas, we discovered a nest with three Yellow-faced Honeyeater nestlings in the Chilean guava tree in our fruit tree ‘cage.’ Hidden deep in the foliage, the nest is suspended with spiderweb and various threads between two branches. We didn’t want to disturb them, so waited until they had fledged before taking photos.

Brown Treecreeper, Kara Kara National Park VIC

Brown Treecreeper at Kara Kara National Park:

Spring Babies October 2016

Blackbird decided that this spot between my ladder and the shed storage cupboard was a safe spot . It was, and two babies fledged this week before I snapped a shot.

This is the first time we have spied a Magpie Larks nest. We were surprised as it was less than 10 metres away from our wild "pet" Magpies nest. This shot is taken at 1450mm (35mm epquiv) zoom on my Nikon Coolpix P610. The nest was about 18 metres up near the top of a river red gum. They all successfully fledged.

The carport is going to need a thorough clean in a couple of days when these little cutie Welcome Swallows fledge. It is dark in this corner and very difficult to get a good shot without adding light which I did not want to do. Every time I have tried to get a pic they pop down out of sight but are now too big to that so I was lucky and with a high ISO was able to get this lovely portrait.

Hand-feeding an Australian King Parrot

Alan hand-feeding sunflower seeds to a visiting King Parrot.

Whose egg is this?

We found this egg down the drive and think – but are not sure – that it might be a lapwing's/plover's.

Tawny Frogmouth, Melbourne VIC

These beautiful photos of a Tawny Frogmouth and her fledgings courtesy of Andrea Hylands.

Simple Pleasures – Mt Samaria, Victoria

Taken on Alan's phone late October. Listen to the birds and flies, as well as the sound of the fire. Simple pleasures.

 

Young Echidna

We had a visitor this week. Alan was watering the plants and didn't realise this young echidna was there. He didn't seem fazed by it and soon dried out.

In case you're wondering about the difference between echidnas and porcupines: www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-porcupine-and-vs-echidna

UPDATE: Superb Fairy Wren Nestlings

Great news: The wren babies have fledged. Sadly we missed the event, but it's wonderful to see them bopping around with their tiny stumps of tails. Some of these photos aren't the clearest, but with them growing so quickly, there were no second chances.

DAY 8

DAY 9 Dad feeding the kids

DAY 10 Hungry mouths

 DAY 11 Leaving home day

Superb Fairy Wren Nestlings

We have a Superb Fairy Wren nesting in a tub of rolled up gutter guard atop the workbench in our carport. Before the wren laid her eggs, Alan constructed a wire net over the lot that allows the fairy wren easy access and egress, but will keep – fingers crossed – the big birds at bay. The fairy wren is now the proud mother to triplets!

The triplets are now a week old

Day 4

Day 3

Day 1

Nest

Location of nest

You’ll notice she incorporated a corner of a plastic bag in her nest. We’re too scared to move anything in case we disturb the nest.

Wallaby with Brown-headed Honeyeater, Mt Samaria State Park VIC

Brown-headed honeyeater plucking wallaby's fur for nest

The Brown-headed Honeyeater is quite common around these parts. It collects fur from animals to line its nest and one can be seen on the flank of this old swamp wallaby. She did not seem to mind the bird plucking fur from her.

Eastern Yellow Robin, Mt Samaria State Park VIC

Eastern Yellow Robin, Mt Samaria State Park VIC

The Grampians and Wimmera, Victoria (June 2014)

Last year, we spent a week in The Grampians and loved it so much, we decided to book it for a month in winter. Unfortunately, we couldn't have foreseen the January bushfires that burnt out 52,000 hectares.

Where we were staying bordered the Grampians National Park. Thanks to the owners’ fire-fighting efforts, the all timber cottage (photo below) was saved. However, the surrounding area wasn't so fortunate. Much of it was charred and it still had that burnt smell (not a nice wood fire smell either). The blackened skeletons of trees provided little cover or feed for wildlife and most of what had survived had gone. We saw a few emus (photo below), Wedge-tailed Eagles and the odd magpie, but that’s all. But the Australian bush is nothing if not resilient and there were signs of regeneration everywhere.

Unable to explore the Grampians National Park as we’d planned gave us the opportunity to explore areas further afield that we wouldn't have otherwise seen. We even caught a glimpse of the rare Mallee Fowl (sorry, no pic).

Where we stayed

Taken from the back deck of the cottage

Not exactly our usual type of lunch spot, but we didn't have much choice that day deep in the park.

Epicormic growth

The grass tree is one plant that does love fire (so long as it's not too hot)

Zumsteins

Red Rock - Grampians NP 

Mountain Dam - Rocklands State Forest

Mount Arapiles - Natimuk 

Water skiing at Lake Albacutya - not the best photo, but the signs says: Speed Limit 5 Knots

Part of a mural - Albacutya

Kangaroo and joey - mum cleaning while bubs naps