I went & sat out on my front veranda, after I had lunch today, to see what different birds I might see. So with no preconceived thoughts on which different birds it might be, I’m very satisfied with the number and range of birds I spotted.
First up, obviously, were the Sparrows. It doesn’t matter what season, or the time of day, if the sun is up, the Sparrows are up too, chirping, poking around, and flittering from spot to spot. There were lots of Starlings too, both adults and juveniles. Earlier in the day, from my breakfast seat, I saw a Murray Magpie on the ground, just by the sliding door.
What else? Ah, of course, I frightened two Swallows as I went out of the front door, and they flew off from the usual roosting spot on the wall to my right as I walked out. And I saw a Crested Pigeon on the ground to my left/front as I sat and watched. These are all common birds, and I will see them most times I go outside, either to the front yard, or back yard.
I also saw a far rarer visitor today though. I’m not entirely certain, but I saw a large parrot that may have been a Scarlet-chested Parrot. It flew about twenty metres in front of me, and landed in one of the tall pine trees (Aleppo Pines), that we have out the front of our place. I was excited about that, and got up to see if I could get a better look, and do a proper ident …
The bird was up in the tree, and in the shadow, so I couldn’t confirm what it definitely was, but while I was at the northern end of our veranda, I poked my head around the corner. Around the corner is a satellite dish, attached to the wall of the house, and on one of the things attaching the dish to the house, Willie Wagtails have yet again built a nest.
This nest building has been going on for at least three years, as far as I’ve noticed. And yes, sure enough, in the nest was a Willie Wagtail, sitting, either on eggs or on baby chicks. I love the idea of seeing these lovely birds up close, when I’m only about four metres away from them, and they don’t get frightened away. My car is within a couple of metres of the nest, and I try to remember to say hello, whenever I go out!
I didn’t see the other black and white bird, the Australian Magpie, but I’m sure there are probably some around somewhere …
So seven different birds were sharing the front and side yard with me today, and I love that! There was another kind of creature out in my back yard today, not a bird, but a reptile. I went into the backyard after lunch but before going into the front yard and say something in our swimming pool. I went a bit closer, carefully to look at what in may be in the pool.
It wasn’t a bird, or a mammal, it was a reptile. But it wasn’t the dreaded Brown Snake I feared it might have been. Sometimes creatures fall into the pool when they’re trying to have a drink … The creature in the pool was a lizard, a Blue Tongue Lizard, so I immediately went into life-saver mode, grabbed a swimming pool tool, and assisted the silly lizard out of the water and onto dry land. While I was there, I saw another bluey, up the other end of the pool, and I helped that one out too.
I don’t know if the lizards have scurried off somewhere else, but I hope they have, because if they come into the back yard when Missy goes out there, which she does, many times a day, well, Missy is a Pharaoh Hound, and she’s a hunter, as all hounds are, whichever type of hound they are …
It’s been an interesting afternoon, but now it’s rest time for Missy and for me, as we await my (I hope triumphant) husband, when he comes home from his Lawn Bowls game, later on this afternoon. That’s it for now, birds, mammals and reptiles, as well as trees, all over and out!
Gardendog's Blog 