Possum

Living dangerously

Hello cocky!

We've had a few days in Sydney this week, visiting family. Not many photos, as we seemed to spend most of the time talking, eating, and wandering around shops, although I have a few shots to share over the next days.

We stayed in a motel in the suburb of Miranda, in the southern part of Sydney. This cockatoo greeted us on the balcony of our room each morning, shuffling along and apparently waiting to see if we'd offer food. Just as well we didn't - the receptionist told us as we were checking out that if you feed them, the cockatoos will happily invite themselves into the room, and those claws and beak at close quarters in a motel room are probably not a good idea!

Kookaburra

We don't see a lot of kookaburras around here, but this afternoon I heard the unmistakeable calls of a pair just out the back. They weren't around for long though - chased off by a pair of much smaller, but very aggressive, wagtails.

What a galah!

Galahs are noisy birds, and you often hear them before you see them. They have a distinctive, unmistakeable bright pink and grey plumage, and this, together with their raucous sound and what often seems to be clowning behaviour have led to the use of the word 'galah' to mean someone who's a bit of a fool or idiot.

They're very common around here now, and have adapted well to life in the suburbs, where they can often be seen perched up on the wires or somewhat awkwardly walking on the grass, feeding on seeds.

Stormy weather

It's been a little damp here in the past 24 hours. We've had some violent electrical storms and sudden heavy downpours, and the stormwater system is getting a good run. Fortunately, the suburbs of Canberra have numerous low-lying green belts designed to take the overflow.

This Eastern Great Egret looks like he's waiting to cross the torrent. He might have to wait awhile ...

A minute later the heavens opened again, and I had to run for the shelter of the car. Meanwhile the egret continued to stand there.

Currawong

This fine fellow is a currawong. Currawongs (named for their call) are sometimes mistaken for magpies, but can be easily distinguished by their bright yellow eyes (magpie eyes are a red-brown colour). Currawongs also have less white in their feathers. They're a big bird - close to 50cm - and their numbers used to be controlled by the availability of food during winter. Unfortunately, many introduced garden plants produce berries in winter, and the currawongs are quite happy to eat them, so their numbers have grown, especially in urban areas, and they're now a threat to smaller birds such as Fairy Wrens. They've even been known to hunts in groups and carry off possums!

Cockatoo

Not quite sure what this sulphur-crested cockatoo is planning to do with the pine cone. Perhaps a little spring cleaning?

In the wild

We spotted this spiky little fellow crossing a busy road near Black Mountain on Friday afternoon. With cars whizzing by, he'd somehow managed to make it safely, and by the time we'd pulled over and I'd gone back to see if he was okay he'd waddled across a ditch and was digging his way into the grass on the other side.

This is a short-beaked echidna, and you don't see them very often during the day - they tend to be more active at dusk and dawn. They grow to around 35-45cm long, have dark fur between their spines, and eat ants and termites. Echidnas (together with platypuses) are monotremes - the only egg-laying mammals. The adult's spines are good protection in general, but no match for a car (this is the first time I've seen a live echidna in the wild!), and they also fall prey to feral cats and dogs in urban areas like Canberra.

Beware: Swooping Bird

If you see one of these signs around Canberra, be on your guard. It's magpie breeding season, and the males can be quite aggressive in protecting their nests. I heard a radio interview a few days ago where someone was saying that the female magpie will kick her mate out if she doesn't think he's doing enough to protect her and the eggs/chicks, so you really can't blame him for trying to prove he's worth keeping!

Most swooping is to warn off potential invaders, and your best bet is to keep walking at a steady pace away from the bird's territory, so it can see you're not a threat. If it's really going to attack, a bird will usually swoop down, hover very close to you, and then attack - usually your head and eyes. Whatever you do, don't throw things at them or retaliate, as this will only make them more aggressive.

Mogo Zoo

Life is really flat out for some of the residents of Mogo Zoo:

There are a few more zoo photos on my personal blog too.

Darter

This is an Australasian Darter, commonly seen drying themselves off on the banks of Canberra's lakes, even on days when the temperatures don't make it into double figures. This one decided to go fishing soon after I took the photo, completely disappearing beneath the choppy waters as it looked for fish. They often float in the water with their bodies submerged and just their long, snakelike necks above the surface.

Magpie

An Australian magpie, nice and friendly at this time of year, but watch out in spring! That sharp beak swooping towards you can be quite terrifying, as the magpies defend their nests, and it's not just pedestrians who have to watch out - magpies will swoop cyclists, posties and animals - anything they perceive as a threat.
They're smart birds - I've seen one wait for the postman, and swoop him all the way down the street, and another sidling along a branch to position itself right above an unsuspecting person, before dropping a little 'gift' from above.

MAGPIES

Along the road the magpies walk

with hands in pockets, left and right.

They tilt their heads, and stroll and talk.

In their well-fitted black and white

they look like certain gentlemen who seem most nonchalant and wise

until their meal is served - and then

what clashing beaks, what greedy eyes!

But not one man that I have heard

throws back his head in such a song

of grace and praise - no man nor bird.

Their greed is brief; their joy is long.

For each is born with such a throat

as thanks his God with every note.

Judith Wright

Peek-a-boo!

I glimpsed a flash of bright red in a eucalypt while out for a walk yesterday, and eventually spotted this fellow and his mate in amongst the leaves. They were very good at keeping mostly out of sight, and this is the best photo I could get. He's a Crimson Rosella, similar to the King Parrot, but the blue cheeks are the giveaway.

Black swans

Black swans on Lake Ginninderra.

Black swans are native to Australia, and European explorers and settlers were quite astonished when they first saw them, being used to the white swans of home. The breeding season in the south of Australia is from June to September, so the cygnet in this photo (taken in April) would probably be between seven and 10 months old - still quite grey and fluffy, but almost as big as the parent in the foreground. 

The black swan is featured on Canberra's Coat of Arms, representing Australia in its native state. According to the designer, he originally wanted to include two black swans as supporters in the coat of arms, but this device had already been granted to Perth in Western Australia, so one of them was changed to a white swan, representing European settlement.

If you want to feed the swans, please don't feed them bread! Bread attracts pest birds like starlings and mynas, doesn't have the nutrients required for healthy birds, and has additives that aren't good for them. Try taking along some lettuce, spinach or silverbeet instead.

Sunbaking

This fine fellow was lazing around in the sun waiting for us on our return trip across the little bridge from yesterday's photo.

One of the things I'm finding particularly interesting about this blog is that I'm discovering things I didn't know about my local area. I had no idea that this park had a name, let alone the historical significance of it. I've also found out that the McKellar Wetlands were artificially created, but are now an important frog habitat, and that there are the ruins of an old post office and store down the other end of the park, near the Barton Highway. I think another walk in this area is called for to check it all out.

Cockatoos in March

At this time of year, Canberra is littered with twigs and leaves, and this is the culprit. The white cockatoos are after the berries, and their sharp beaks snip off anything that's in their way! This photo was taken at the same time last year, but they're at it again right now.