They grow up so quickly

October 20th - hatched within 48 hrs

October 30th - first day out of the nest, still in the same tree

November 2nd - out and about with mum and dad

Birds of a feather

This post is for the twitchers amongst you (bird watchers) (yes papa Jerry I am talking to you!). A wedge-tailed eagle family resting in the tree in the paddock next to ours. Not the best quality photo but I used a compact digital camera held to binoculars to take it  :-). This pair live in the bush somewhere near by, and several times in the past weeks we've seen them low over the house and paddocks spiralling to catch the thermals. Judging by the squawking on this occassion I think they might have been taking junior on a training flight.

But even better, last year on a holiday to Jervis Bay (South of Sydney) I saw this marvellous creature not once but 3 times. On one occassion I even had my camera out and ready as he/she flew in from the sea, and overhead only about 3m and about 5m in front of me. Just magic! It's a white bellied sea eagle. Later that same day we were sitting on a beach when one (maybe the same one) flew right past us along the waterline and went for a fish!

Birdlife

This year has been fabulous for bird watching in the back yard. We have more welcome swallows than you can poke a stick at, dusky wood swallows, shrike-thrush, bowerbirds, blackbirds that mess up the mulch, thornbills, "yellow buts", red browed finches, king parrots, crimson and eastern rosellas, red cheeked wattlebirds, kookaburras, and 3 or 4 different honeyeaters. I've also seen a forest kingfisher or 2! I was delighted to discover that a pair of yellow faced honeyeaters has built a nest in a tree right by the house - here's one of them collecting nest material from our doormat. They seem quite fearless - particularly in the berry cage where I have to get to within about 1/2 metre of them before they will flit off to a safe distance (and another berry).

We also have a pair of wagtails nesting in the garden, and it's always entertaining to watch them "buzz" the magpies that come to be fed. They just keep on dive-bombing the poor thing until it retreats out of the territory.

Today however was the bonanza - the local pair of wedge-tailed eagles perched in the trees in the neighbour's paddock and I managed to get a couple of not very good pics using my digital camera through the binoculars. They flew overhead a few days ago and Lily and Freddie went nuts barking at them - I wonder why? They don't like the ravens either and will chase them across the yard.

Any good birds in your backyard lately?

New chicks on the block

Some of the chicks in the 4 Welcome Swallow nests we have around the house. An enterprising 5th pair have built a nest in the back corner of the pig shelter!

The honeyeaters are back - in force

I counted 5 at one time (before I had the camera ready).....

Jerry can still pull the birds

The pictures say it all really!

Misc pics

Bye bye pond....see you when the rains come back........


L-R: watermelon, 50% shadecloth to protect tender greens from baking sun, more advanced salad bed


Yes, they are lovely (Kind Parrot)- but 8-10 at a time marauding through your garden isn't good - particularly for your apple trees!

new visitor to the garden

A yellow tufted honeyeater - very obligingly stuck around for 5 minutes for some blurry through the window photos!