A few notes concerning birds

After 4 years we have finally got a good array of flowers on our Red-hot pokers (Kniphofia uvaria).  They are proving very attractive to Noisy Friarbirds.
From consulting the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds (HANZAB) it seems most likely that the birds are feeding on the nectar rather than insects that are lurking within the flower spike.

This afternoon I decided to try to get some snaps of Dusky Woodswallows.  They rarely visit our garden, but lurk along the ridge line of Whiskers Creek Road swooping off dead branches and powerlines to harvest insects.  Presumably the lower grass in the paddocks up there attracts more of the appropriate insects than our property.  I managed to get a couple of reasonable snaps.

On the way up to the photo site a Wedgetailed Eagle was soaring overhead and being uncooperative in two ways:
  1. It wasn't down on the ground improving the rabbit population; and
  2. Wasn't staying directly overhead so that a photo could be taken.
Initially it was quite low (perhaps 15m or thereabouts) but then hit an updraught and ascended rapidly to a few hundred metres up.  Throughout this soar it was accompanied by some Welcome Swallows who seemed to be suggesting it went somewhere else.  The eagle was occasionally uttering plaintive cries which could perhaps be translated as what humans say when bothered by mosquitos.

Walking back down after snapping there was a ruckus of Magpies happening in the SE corner of our land.  I wondered whether:
  • the eagle had decided to improve its performance under point 1 above (good); or 
  • our frogmouth family had roosted up in this area (also good).
The noise became louder and the birds seemed to be moving closer to the road.  Suddenly Brother Reynard popped out of the roadside vegetation with an ex-magpie in its mouth.  It spotted myself (and the small dog) and hopped smartly back into the vegetation.  Another miscreant who should be munching rabbits not native birds.

I think the small dog was focussed on reptile opportunities (which are NOT permitted)  and didn't see the fox.  However when we crossed the fox's path she went ballistic and it took some stern words to leave the vicinity.

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