A female House Sparrow seconds after an accident

This morning my attention was caught by a large bang on our kitchen window. I immediately went outside with my camera to see what had caused the noise.

On a table on the veranda was a female House Sparrow looking very sad indeed, but still breathing. I only took the one photo and backed off so I wasn’t adding to the bird’s stress. After about ten minutes she flew off, probably with a very sore head.

Window strikes are very common and can cause birds severe damage and often death. In our case, in certain light conditions, birds flying along in our garden think they can see the way clear to keep flying further into the garden. The reflection fools them into thinking the way is clear – until their flight comes to a sudden thudding stop when they hit the glass. Sadly, there is little we can do to prevent this. I am pleased the bird recovered and was able to fly. Some are not so fortunate.

A little later I discovered a dead male House Sparrow lying in the driveway. I’m not sure if his demise occurred at the same time as the female. Perhaps he was chasing her to mate. I guess it’s possible.

I didn’t have time to grab the binoculars or the camera, so I can’t be sure what they were. I’m guessing that they were either Fairy Martins or Tree Martins. Both species spend winter in northern Australia and start to appear in the southern regions about now.

Looking through my field guides I’m drawn to the conclusion that I probably saw Fairy Martins. While they are quite common in the area for most of the spring and summer, I don’t see them very often over our house, so it was a special treat. It is more common to see Welcome Swallows here as they are resident here all year round.

Click here to see a photo of a Fairy Martin taken by someone else.

Further reading:

• Welcome Swallows
• Friendly Welcome Swallows
• You are welcome little swallow
  

Silver Gulls, Victor Harbor, South Australia

Silver Gulls are the most common species of gull in Australia. They are found in all coastal regions around Australia as well as far inland near to water courses and lakes. Here in my home town of Murray Bridge in South Australia they are quite common along the River Murray which is about 4 kilometres from my home.

Last Saturday morning on my way down to the CBD of the town I needed to avoid hitting a Silver Gull feeding on, of all things, a dead rabbit in the middle of the road near our place. Silver Gulls are known for their scavenging habits, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one eating a rabbit.

I didn’t have my camera with me at the time. My readers are probably relieved for that; the dead rabbit was not a pretty sight!

Magpie Lark

Magpie Larks are a breeding resident bird in our garden. We see them every day, the strident calls filling the air on many occasions throughout the day. Although the call is sharp and loud it is melodious and not at all annoying – unless the bird is only metres away.

Throughout the day they flutter around from fence post to roof gutter to tree top. Then they soar down to ground level and search for some tasty snack on the ground.

Magpie Lark

Over the last two weeks the pair of Magpie Larks living around our house have been very busy gathering mud, grass and feathers to make a nest near our back veranda. The bowl shaped nest took quite a few days to construct.

Yesterday I saw the pair violently pursuing an Australian Magpie away from the nest, so I assumed they now have eggs to hatch. Sure enough, one of them was later seen sitting tight on the nest, only its tail protruding from the nest (see below – just the tail can been seen on the left hand side).

It has been quite a few years since they nested in our garden. In more recent times they have preferred the large gum trees in our neighbour’s garden.

Magpie Lark's mud nest, Murray Bridge, South Australia

Galah, Murray Bridge, South Australia

We had a typical winter’s day here in Murray Bridge South Australia today: cold, scudding showers and periods of rain and blustery winds. Late afternoon saw a lessening of the showers and the sun chose to emerge for a while. The wind was still quite strong in gusts.

I was on my way to photograph a Magpie Lark‘s nest (see tomorrow’s post here) when I saw this solitary Galah taking in the last of the sunshine of the day. Trouble was, the wind happened to catch his feathers just as I took the photo. Below is another shot taken seconds later. That’s better.

Galah, Murray Bridge, South Australia

Australian Pelicans, Mallacoota, Victoria

We don’t get all that many Australian Pelicans in our garden. In fact, we’ve only ever had pelicans flying overhead on a handful of occasions over the last 25 years or so, despite living only about 5km from the River Murray where they are quite common.

Yesterday my wife noticed two flying overhead but didn’t think to mention it to me until much later. Even if I had known I wouldn’t have been able to get a lovely photo like the one above. I took that on a holiday in Victoria last year. The pelicans in this photo came very close to the jetty where some anglers were cleaning their catch. I guess the attraction of a free feed of fish is irresistible to a pelican. Made the job of getting a photo very easy.

Mistletoebird

I was sitting outside in the sunshine the other day. I was taking advantage of a few hours of sunshine in an otherwise fairly bleak winter here.

While I was reading my attention was caught by the call of a Mistletoebird in one of the trees in our garden. It brought to mind the fact that I hadn’t seen or heard this species around our house for quite a few weeks. Lovely little bird to have around, too.

Eastern Rosella in our garden

While we were having lunch today I noticed a beautiful Eastern Rosella feeding on some flowers in our garden. I wasn’t quick enough to get a new photograph, so I’ve used one I took some months ago.

This bird has been hanging out with our resident Ringneck Parrots. It is not a species normally found in this part of South Australia, so I am assuming it has escaped from someone’s aviary. It has been resident in our garden for most of the year. I much prefer it flying around than in an aviary anyway.

In my home state this morning, reporters were chasing a different kind of pollie – an escaped parrot from Adelaide Zoo. A Blue and Gold Macaw escaped from the zoo and led the keepers on a chase through the parklands, with a string of reporters in their trail.

After a chase which kept reporters and zookeepers on their toes, an escaped macaw has been coaxed back into a cage in Adelaide.

The blue and gold macaw Tambo was getting some outdoor flight training at Adelaide Zoo on Wednesday when children frightened him and he flew off.

The two-year-old macaw faced attack from other birds in city trees which may have scared him even further afield.

Zoo bird keepers kept watch and called the bird as he took up roost in a 15-metre casuarina tree on the banks of the Torrens in the city.

To see photos, a video and to read the rest of the story click here.

It is certainly worth taking out two minutes to watch it. Click here to view it.

What I want to know is – how foolish are the observers? There they are sitting in a rubber dinghy in a sea boiling with killer whales only a metre or two away.

Yikes – I’d be terrified too – move over little penguin!