Step by cautious step

The Southern Boobook was enjoying the post-dawn sunshine, perched at the darkened ‘entrance’ of an old tank stand. Not sure how my eye was drawn to the bird when I first spotted it, some fifty metres distant. It was scanning the ground intently, in front of its lookout – I suspect it was hoping for another mouse before ‘bed’.

The beautiful creature tolerated me as I made a careful approach until I was almost within touching distance.

Southern Boobook, Newstead, 30th March 2024

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I returned later in the day. The owl was gone, but had left behind a worn primary feather. A close up view of the feather shows fringes, like the teeth of a comb. This adaptation softens the flow of air over the feathers when the owl is in flight, helping absorb noise that might alert potential prey.

Southern Boobook – worn primary feather

Up close

A babbler in the yard

The call puzzled me for a moment, recognisable, but ‘out of place’.

Then the owner appeared, turning the ground in search of insects. A White-browed Babbler, only the third sighting on our suburban block in more than twenty years. The nearest group live about 500 metres away, near Rotunda Park, where they inhabit a patch of dense plantings alongside a track that leads into the forest. This one was a loner and stayed around for a day or so before the rain hit (98mm since late yesterday).

White-browed Babbler in the home garden, 23rd December 2023

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Opportunism

Some birds are tremendously opportunistic when it comes to the selection of nest sites.

This is the case of a pair of Crimson Rosellas, one a sub-adult and its partner (not pictured here) nesting next door.

The nest is in the cavity of a brick wall – you can just make out the bill of one of the nestlings behind the wall vent in the first image below.

The second image shows there is more to the story. To establish the nest the adults have entered through a separate vent, some five metres south. From there they navigated upwards (I think) and over the windows to enter the nest cavity. Three nestlings, close to fledging, are currently sharing the nest. As I watched on both adults arrived – the sub-adult dropped from a branch to feed the youngsters, clinging for at least five minutes to the outside of the vent as it disgorged the contents of its crop. Meanwhile its adult-plumaged partner disappeared into the open vent and presumably navigated a path to the nest.

With natural nesting sites in short supply through the town the inventiveness of some species, including rosellas, never ceases to surprise.

The nest site and occupants, Wyndham Street Newstead, 10th December 2023

Unsure if the adults were going under or over

No doubt that this is the entry point

One of the parents, in sub-adult plumage, arrives at the ‘nest’

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Curious, pugnacious and on the rise

Blue-faced Honeyeaters are recently established (in the past decade) in Newstead and their numbers appear to be increasing. While they favour riverine forests and woodlands, especially those with River Red-gum, they adapt readily to semi-urban landscapes.

A small flock can often be seen around town and I’m aware of a number of other groups on the west side of the Loddon. Last evening three birds arrived in the Yellow Gums around the house. The calls of a pair of White-browed Scrubwrens foraging below brought them down to investigate. They are curious and pugnacious birds, taking the eggs and nestlings of small birds on occasion. I noted the Red Wattlebirds getting upset, but failing to deter their equally-sized counterparts.

Blue-faced Honeyeater in mistletoe, Newstead, 27th October 2023

Blue-faced Honeyeaters

The brilliant blue facial skin extends in a large patch around the eye

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Always curious …

Garden returns

Three distinctive species have returned to our street in recent weeks.

Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoos are late winter migrants – they have been calling around town for weeks now, along with Fan-tailed and Pallid Cuckoos as well as Shining Bronze-cuckoos. The incomplete breast barring is a good clue to separate this species from the the latter, a close relative.

Rainbow Lorikeets bring welcome colour, not so much their aggression, as they feed on the planted Red Ironbarks (E.sideroxylon), now regarded as a separate species to the Mugga Ironbark (E.tricarpa) that grows naturally in the district. As noted previously on the blog Rainbow Lorikeets has increased in numbers in recent years and are now well-established in town.

The sweet song of the Rufous Whistler begins before daybreak and continues throughout the day at this time of year.

Horsfield’s Bronze-cuckoo, Newstead. 19th October 2023

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Rainbow Lorikeet feeding on Red Ironbark (E.sideroxylon)

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Male Rufous Whistler

Time lapse

A pair of New Holland Honeyeaters have been busy in our garden over the past week building a nest. Located in a Correa shrub the nest is about 30 cm off the ground – a delicate cup woven from grass stems and lined with wool and what appear to be Plane Tree seeds.

The first egg was laid on the 5th October, with the clutch now complete (I think). Most songbirds lay their eggs on successive days, usually in the early morning.

New Holland Honeyeater nest, Newstead, 4th October 2023

5th October – the first egg

6th October – two eggs

7th October – three eggs

A wing stretch above the nest

Incubation has commenced

Crimsons in the elms

The ageing English Elms along our street provide a range of resources for native birds: flower buds for lorikeets, insects for silvereyes and honeyeaters and nesting hollows for parrots.

Crimson Rosellas are regular hollow users and most years at least one pair chooses a suitable site from a range of options. This is the first time I can recall seeing one of the pair in immature plumage.

Immature Crimson Rosellas sometimes pose a puzzle for inexperienced birders. The juvenile plumage is largely olive green, they gradually morph into the full crimson and blue glory as they mature, which can take two years. The individual pictured below is a first year immature bird (it would have fledged last season) and has obviously made an early start to its breeding career!

Crimson Rosella in immature plumage emerging from nest, Newstead, 1st October 2023

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Its partner … in adult plumage

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Diamond birds nesting

Spotted Pardalotes are again nesting around the garden.

Sometimes colloquially referred to as Diamond birds, they have a penchant for selecting human-made sites for breeding. This season already I’ve found them nest-building in mullock heaps, road-side cuttings and this time in a pile of unused sand.

The nest is at the end of a narrow tunnel, sometimes as long as a metre, with a chamber at the end lined with grass, feathers and sometimes wool.

Spotted Pardalote nest, Newstead, 24th September 2023

Female Spotted Pardalote above the nest site

Male Spotted Pardalote with evidence of tunnel excavation on the bill

The male preening

Spotted Pardalote (male) with nesting material, Newstead, 26th September 2023

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Winter happenings

The blog will be quiet for the next week or two … I’m off in search of the Golden Bosunbird.

I’ll leave you with some brief notes on observations made over the past week.

• Eastern Spinebills are flitting about the garden as they seek nectar from the Correa and Grevillea bushes
• Fan-tailed Cuckoos continue to call on a regular basis, in between chasing winter caterpillars
• An immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle cruised high above the town on Sunday, in the company of a Wedge-tailed Eagle
• Pied Currawongs are dominating the town gardens at present, plundering winter fruits

Eastern Spinebill, Newstead, 12th June 2023

Fan-tailed Cuckoo

Pied Currawong and privet

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A pair of Southern Boobooks

Always a thrill to see our local Wyndham Street Boobooks. I’ve been hearing their calls close by over the past week or so. The sexes are similar and both the male and female are pictured here … no idea which is which.

I reckon they’ll be feasting out on house mice at present … keep up the good work!

Southern Boobook, Newstead, 11th May 2023

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