BirdingNZ.net

Well, good luck to the remaining one. What a brilliant show you have at your house.

Now, yesterday morning, was that a white-necked heron in the neighbouring paddock

No White-neck. Definitely a White-faced as were the pair that flew past at dusk yesterday. You will know all about it if a White-necked turns up. Ring-side tickets will be available for bird photogrpahers.

And the new, somewhat cryptic, baby was introduced to the joys of the drip-line yesterday eve at sunset. Right at the limit of my 400 mm. A 600 mm seems a must in the next few weeks.

I was out in the early morn persuading grass seed I had planted ten days ago to appear. I have little faith in commercial bird repellants. Give me red lead every day!

The resident SIPOs had ignored me when I had opened the garage door and then moved the hose past their favourite dining area. I was talking firmly to my recalcitrant grass seed when a SIPO commotion took place around the septic tank. There was much arching of backs and piping through half open beaks. An interploer, a third SIPO, had arrived and was being seen off. One of the resident birds then took station on the highest point in the neighbourhood; a small boulder I have placed on the tank cover. It then posed prettily for me.

'tis amazing what you see when cooking dinner:

It was a dark and stormy night ... well, actually a gloomy late afternoon with the temperature plummeting and a thick Scots' Mist that had been steadily filling puddles on lawn and drive for 36 hours. The Spur-winged chick was getting damn cold and mum was about to take him under her wing.

But the entire family was out and about in the now quite deep pool at 4.45 am this morn protesting when I put the grage door up.

Orari Heads-up

The nestless SIPO pair continued to hang around our property throughout the first two weeks of October as did the Spur-winged Plovers although the latter's chick vanished about ten days back. All tended to stay quite close to the house.

Then last week one of the SIPO's went awol. The remaining one continued to hang-out on our lawn accompanied by the now chickless Spur-wings, one male Whiteback Australian Magpie and assorted finches, Starlings, Blackbirds and Thrushes. There is at least one Greenfinch pair who are regular vistors.

Then yesterday a second SIPO landed alongside our resident bird to be nosily seen off; much arched-back piping.

But this morn a second SIPO had arrived overnight. It has been quietly accepted by the resdient bird. Its confiding nature suggests it is familiar with us and the property. The two have hung aorund all day working over the lawn. They both even delcined to take to flight when a mower scythed down our grass; just quietly and unfussedly walked out of the way at each pass. They are both out there now as I write.

A harrwowing time.

Since well before dawn a neighbour has been out ploughing a field from which ensilage was harvested last week. Post dawn he was joined by another tractor towing disc harrows plus more birds than I could poke a stick at. When the clouds finaly decided to let in sun I wandered down with my camera to see if there was anything intersting.

There were numbers of Black-backed Gulls, Black-billed Gulls, and Spur-winged Plovers (squabbling over territorial possession), Starlings galore, and, preferring the harrowed ground, a dozen or so Black-fronted Terns including both mature and immature birds. The preferred target appeared to be grass grubs. The Terns would do their conventional hover and settle to collect a choice grub.

Not easy for photos as I had to cope with a roadside electric fence and ended electing to do my photogrpahy at a distance from the car. But I really will need to invest in that 600 mm lens.

Interesting updates. It is great to observe the seasonal changes with you.
That grub the gull has looks like it might be a cutworm. Probably doing a good cleansing service, whatever it is the birds are eating.

Overdue update:

Been a bit busy with earning dosh and dealing-to a new property. However, we have had birds around us glaore.

The Finch Family are regulars. I suspect nearby we have Yellowhammer, Chaffinch, and Greenfinch breeding pairs with nests. Have not had time to go search. The Yellowhammers have joined the Chaffinch and House Sparrows in making regular patrols along our north facing deck, that runs the length of the house, and capturing insects and spiders from off our glass french doors and floor to ceiling windows. The female Greenfinch regular perches outside the kitchen window of an evening and gives us the once over.

Those north facing windows are proving a hazard for the Song Thrushes. All too often hear a loud bang and either rescue a stunned bird or add another body to the trash. [98% are thrush; 2% sparrows] And, as the pic shows, the fledgling Thrushes have another hazard in the nearby extended Magpie family. The Thrush fan in my family has declared war and requested a high powered air rifle for Christmas.

Apart from some prorcated Scots' Mists It was quite dry here over November and early December. The resident SIPOs vanished for several weeks but have returned in the last few days. We are remodelling our Braided River, aka our drive, and the great heap of soil alongside is providing a Christmas feast for balckbirds, starlings, and, of course, SIPOs.

Next door the fence-high crop of oats was taken off for silage a couple of weeks back. The Magpies love the stubble as do a Spur-winged Plover family. And speaking of Spur-wings, what is the collective noun for a S-w flock? We had a count three weeks back and in a nearby field there were 60+ present late open afternoon; a veritable congregation.

And as for raptors .... we have Harriers galore ... often patrolling in pairs; one up high, the other doing a low pass I suspect to startle potnetial prey . Ignored these days by the S-ws but always capable of getting a rise out of the Magpies. I suspect the Harriers buzz the Magpies' home macrocarpa deliberately.