Impromptu Bird Bath

Eastern Rosella (L) and Mallee Ringneck (R)

This year in South Australia we have had well below average rain in many areas. This includes Murray Bridge where I live. A few weeks ago we did have some rain but we are still well below average to this time of the year. Many of the local farmers are desperately in need of a good soaking rain so that they can get on with sowing their cereal crops for this year.

After any substantial amount of rain, several puddles of water form in my driveway. I have intended to fill these hollows with some extra gravel, but now I am not so sure that this is a wise thing to do. Many different species of birds like to have a quick dip in these ephemeral waterholes. 

After the recent rain, the two birds shown in the photo took full advantage of the extra birdbath in my garden. They decided on an impromptu bath and they appeared to really enjoy the extra bathing facilities. They lingered long enough for me to get the camera and take a few photos out through the kitchen window.

The bird on the right is an Australian Ringneck parrot, sub-species Mallee Ringneck. It is a common species in this area and I regard it as a resident bird in my garden. I see - or hear - the five of six resident birds every day. This species has also nested in a hollow of a tree just a few metres from my office where I am writing this. I can hear the birds chattering away as I type.

The bird on the left has a stranger background. This Eastern Rosella is a ring-in. Although it has kept company with the Mallee Ringneck in my garden for the last two years, it is not native to this area. Although it is relatively common in the Adelaide region about 70 kilometres to the west of here, the species there is an introduced one. Their natural range is throughout the eastern states of Australia and through to the south-east of South Australia. I have concluded that, although they may be extending their range, I suspect that this individual has either escaped from someone's aviary, or it was released by someone locally.

Whatever the reason, I love seeing this beautiful bird in my garden.

For more stories about and photos of Australian birds go to Trevor's Birding here.

A little birding in Peterborough

Western Grey Kangaroo

Last year we spent a few days visiting relatives in Peterborough, a small town in the mid north of South Australia. This is an interesting area for birding. Birders can see many of the bird species seen further south, but there will always be a few species better known from the drier inland regions of the state.

During our visit it was extremely cold with heavy frosts every morning. Peterborough usually gets a light sprinkling of snow every few years. It is one of the coldest areas in the state. Consequently I did not get out all that often to do some birding. Okay - so I like the warmth of home.

One one afternoon I did venture out for a few hours. This I mainly spent in the nature reserve just to the north of the town. The wildflowers were out in force and I managed quite a few good photos of them. The birding was a little slow, but I managed a few good shots of the Australian Ringnecks (see below) and one of a Western Grey Kangaroo (see above), which are common in this area.

The Australian Ringnecks (race Mallee Ringneck) are common in the area too. Other parrot species I would expect to see include:

• Red-rumped Parrot (common) 
• Mulga Parrot (common)
• Budgerigar (occasional visitor)
• Galah (very common in large numbers)
• Bourke's Parrot (uncommon)
• Scarlet-chested Parrot (uncommon)
• Blue Bonnet (uncommon)
• Cockatiel (uncommon)
• Purple-crowned Lorikeet 
• Little Corella (localised)
• Major Mitchell's Cockatoo (uncommon)

Please note that in the Peterborough district I have not seen all of these species listed.

Click on the links in colour to read about those species.

Australian Ringneck parrot (Mallee Ringneck)

Australian Ringneck parrot (Mallee Ringneck)

Australian Ringneck parrots (Mallee Ringnecks)

Mallee Ringneck parrots come to our bird bath

Mallee Ringneck parrots

I live on a five acre property on the outskirts of Murray Bridge in South Australia. Over the years I have recorded over 110 different species in or near our garden. Some of these are occasional visitors but many of them are resident species, that is, they are here all the time. Many of these species are actually resident breeding species, meaning that they also have been recorded breeding on our property.

One of our favourite bird species would have to be the colourful Mallee Ringnecks, a race of the Australian Ringneck parrot found over large parts of the drier parts of the Australian continent. They are a resident breeding species in our garden. They are also one of the noisiest birds in our garden.

To be truthful, we have a love-hate relationship with these birds. We love having them around every day and their cheerful calls and brilliant colours brighten up our day. On the other hand we don't like it when they get into our many fruit trees, especially our delicious pears. I try to keep them out using netting over the trees, but far too often they beat me to it.

You can read more posts I have written about these birds on Trevor's Birding. 

Mallee Ringneck parrots

Happy New Year

Mallee Ringneck parrots

HAPPY NEW YEAR to my readers.

Yes -  I realise that I am over two weeks late in posting such greetings, but I have been rather busy of late. We have had family visiting over the Christmas - New Year break, and we have also been visiting other family members. On top of all that I have been without a computer for some of that period. My son has been busy transferring all of my files to a new computer.

Today's photo of two Mallee Ringneck parrots was taken during one of the very hot days we have been experiencing here in South Australia so far this summer. The ringnecks are present every day in our garden and we love seeing them. However, they are not our favourite birds when the chew our ripening pears. 

You can read more about Australian birds on another of my sites called Trevor's Birding. 

Grey Currawong

Grey Currawong at our bird bath

When we first moved to our five acre property on the outskirts of Murray Bridge in South Australia some 30 years ago, we never saw Grey Currawongs in our garden or even in our small patch of Mallee scrub.

After a few years we occasionally heard them calling in the distance up the hill from our place. Seeing that the hill in question is about a kilometre away one can appreciate how far-reaching their call can go.

Some ten years ago - I am only guessing that it has been about that long - we would occasionally get one or two flying overhead. This might happen every few months or so. As the years elapsed their visits became more frequent, visiting almost every month but never staying for long - perhaps a few minutes at most.

About three years ago these visits were almost weekly and they would even bring their young into our scrub for a feed. More recently several of them have come right up to the house to visit one of our bird baths. The bath in the photo above is only about 5 metres from our dining room window. The proximity allows good photos without disturbing the bird.

I must say that seeing them up close like this is unnerving, especially when you focus on that evil looking yellow eye.

You can read more about Australian birds and see more photos of them on another of my sites called Trevor's Birding.

New Holland Honeyeater, Browns Road

Eucalyptus flowers

A few weeks ago I visited a locality known as Brown's Road. This is about a twenty minute drive from my home in Murray Bridge, South Australia.  The area is a mixture of mallee (eucalyptus) woodland and native pine, with an understory of smaller shrubs and plants like acacias (wattles). A good part of this reserve has been planted, not exclusively with local native plants but with some introduced plant species from other parts of Australia. In recent years this has become a popular birding spot with South Australian birders.

On this occasion the birding was very slow and I only saw and heard a handful of birds. Granted, I did not walk too far into the forest because of my aching back. Although I had my camera at the ready, the only bird I managed a photo of was the New Holland Honeyeater shown below.

Other birds seen or heard include:

• White-browed Babblers - seen skulking in the bushes
• Galahs - flying overhead
• White-winged Chough - heard in the distance, and seen on roadside as we drove off
• Red Wattlebird - they wouldn't perch long enough for a photo
• Peaceful Dove - heard nearby
• Grey Fantail - it wouldn't sit still for a photo
• Yellow Thornbill - flitting around in a bush but wouldn't come out to pose
• Silvereye - a small flock flew overhead calling
• Grey Shrike-thrush - heard calling in the distance
• Adelaide Rosella - about four flew quickly through the trees
• Crested Pigeon - several seen perched on the farm fence opposite the reserve
• Weebills - feeding high in the tree canopies

You can see photos of some of these birds by using the "Search" facility in the top right hand corner of each page on this site.

You can also seen photos of all these species and many more on my other site Trevor's Birding.  That site also has many more articles about Australian birds.

New Holland Honeyeater

Browns Road near Murray Bridge, South Australia

Acacia (wattle) in flower at Browns Road, South Australia