Air traffic controller wanted for the birds in Middle Ridge
WE’VE thrown out our alarm clocks and other waking devices.
Nature now gets us up for work, nature in the shape of two Eastern Whipbirds who swap calls all day.
The male imitates the crack of a whip and Mrs Whipbird responds with a sweet, melodic “chim-chim cheree”.
They are but one of two dozen species who have called our home their home over the past 20 years, and I don’t doubt the timely exit of a pet cat many years ago influenced their decision.
Mind you, they are well catered for with many bird baths.
It was timely the pair turned up as Mrs J was about to call the council to complain about the early morning crow of my rooster, (audible only to her), who came as a present from a dear friend who bought me six fine “hens”.
Other welcome species in our garden include the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Paleheaded Rosella, Galah, Sulphurcrested Cockatoo, Kookaburra, Australian magpie, Black Currawong, Pied Butcherbird, Grey Butcherbird, Noisy Miner, Noisy Friarbird, Bluefaced Honeyeater, Crested Pidgeon, Silvereye and, occasionally, Magpielark (Pee Wee) and Willie Wagtail.
Rare visitors are the magnificent Regent Bowerbird, White-headed Pidgeon and, all the way from India, a Ring-necked Parakeet.
My two favourites are definitely the King Parrot and Satin Bowerbird.
“Mr and Mrs Red” (King Parrot) knock on our back door each morning for their sunflower seed breakfast, and when the Camphor Laurel seeds drop to the ground they join up to 50 others feasting in our driveway.
When we first settled in Middle Ridge I was surprised to find a pile of blue clothes pegs and subsequently a
If you thought Rudolph Valentino was a great lover check out Mr Bowerbird, he’s got a queue of interested ladies a mile long all ready to be entertained and courted. Poor fellow, he must be exhausted!
neighbour asked me if I’d come across the Bowerbird Bower – I hastily put the pegs back.
Since then there’s always been a Bower in our yard cluttered with all things blue – pegs, caps and straws.
If you thought Rudolph Valentino was a great lover check out Mr Bowerbird, he’s got a queue of interested ladies a mile long all ready to be entertained and courted. Poor fellow, he must be exhausted!
Are we not fortunate in Australia to have such a wealth of beautiful birds?
We’re one big open aviary.
The great ornithologist Neville W Cayley, from Yamba NSW, penned his book What Bird is that? way back in 1931. It was 344 pages and by the time it was revised and reprinted in 1990 it had grown to a staggering 802 pages.
It’s every bird for him/herself in our garden and we really are in need of a full-time Air Traffic Controller as they, to use one of Banjo Patterson’s lines, “shoulder one another in their rush and nervous haste.”