Usually quite a secretive bird that likes to forage close to rainforest streams and pools, this red-necked crake spent the afternoon in the open area near my office and was not bothered by my gawking! The grassed area was a bit muddy due to unseasonal rain and the crake was managing to find quite a few worms and things to eat.

Last month a guest mentioned he would like to see a Lesser Sooty Owl.  “Wake me at anytime!” he said.  So at 2 am the night before he was due to leave, a young owl made an appearance on a post near the office.  It was making a harsh begging call, you could not mistake it.  So I tiptoed down to the cottages, and knocked on the guest’s window. By the time we made it back to the office, it had moved off the post but fortunately, stayed close by, and we were able to view this magnificent owl for quite a while.  Since then, I have seen the juvenile owl on the post a few more times, and an adult there once.

The call of the adults can be very eerie on a still night, they sound like falling bombs (without the explosion at the end, thankfully). On our very first night here in the rainforest over 18 years ago, I remember being woken up by this sound and having no clue what it was.

The iconic sound of the rainforest is the male whipcrack followed closely by the female reply. Usually the birds are not easily seen but I have been lucky to be watching a family of whipbirds over the past few months.

First the male was feeding the female in a courtship ritual, then I saw the parents taking food to feed the babies. I was very excited to see the first juvenile appear with the parents, and later, another juvenile appeared. The young whipbirds have become more independent over the weeks but the parents have still been diligently feeding them and keeping them safe.

The video below shows calls, the feeding of juveniles, and juveniles bathing in a bird bath.

This cute little Spotted Pardalote was attacking his reflection in the car window.  I love the moment he makes the high pitched peep in the mirror and makes a little circle of fog.

I think he and his mate have made a nest behind our shed, judging by all the comings and goings.  They excavate and line a chamber at the end of a tunnel in an earth bank.

The are usually hard to see, as they spend most of their time feeding high up in the eucalypt canopy.

Here is the video:

If you can’t see the video here, or to see a higher quality version, check it out on my youtube page.