Came home at sunset today, and discovered these two glorious avian neighbours have set up home in the palm tree in our front yard. (That’s next to our driveway, and in front of the bedroom window)
They’re just breathtaking in flight, and sing so melodiously and cheerfully. (I edited that pic to a shortened trunk and clearer view of the lorikeets. Saved it that way. No longer have this view tall thin view in my collection. How did it get here??? I give up)
Lorikeets! How beautiful Snow coming down here as the sky darkens and quite a few birds at the feeder. I have seed and a suet cake. Its been mostly blue jays, cardinals, sparrows and slate juncos. We see so many birds at the feeder when we have snowy winters. We have been lucky that this has been a mild winter so far. Once I see February on the calendar I see light at the end of the tunnel. Speaking of light we have just gained about a half hour of daylight. Spring is around the corner.
Morganna- I am thrilled that you reached out to let me know about this thread! I hope you continue!
Been doing this thread for a few years. Love your avatar. I update the thread title with pertinent sub-titles. I post when it's time to put up the hummingbird feeders. Hope you share photos, sightings and anything else you like. You will probably like @joanne 's posts as she lives in Australia! You'll often see a critter other than birds here and in case you have an interest, I have a thread Morgan Le Fay Cat Rescue, where I post the odd kitty for adoption.
Welcome to the neighborhood and feel free to message me if you need any local info. I'm a transplanted New Yorker but I've been here for years.
Speaking about our black swans ...they’re still on their nest and those eggs must be due to hatch any day. The cob (Daddy Swan) has taken to announcing his arrival for breakfast, morning tea (around 11am), smoko (well, if he’s lucky!) around 3pm and urgent midnight supper around 11pm (I refuse to give in). Mama Swan usually comes by around 8am and asks if we’re ready to share some seed, please? She might also swim past again around 2pm but not if the neighbours opposite are also feeding her. (They travel a lot) They share the nest-sitting duty, and he guards her attentively. But in windy or stormy weather, he’s off somewhere sheltered and she’s stoically statued on that nest no matter what’s battering her. A couple of weeks ago when the lake flooded they nearly lost the nest, but she still sat as still as you could imagine, keeping everything together until the waters receded. Hopefully new pics in a week or so!
Oh! The flock of white jabiru, that hung out across the lake, flew off after the week of heavy rain and the flood.They might have gone to the wetland then moved on, as the season’s moved into autumn (although if you didn’t know we’ve just had, you’d say this is still summer). The cormorant and pelicans left that week too, although the pelicans still manage to fly by in group formation a couple of times a week on their to the beach for afternoon fish. They’ll stop here for a bath and some under-water weeds and worms, like that’s entree .
Fri 6 March, 8:30am here, and a very overcast morning. Yet exciting news! Two adorable fluffy grey cygnets having lessons in how to get off then back onto Nest Island!!
When their parents noticed us watching they took a few minutes to encourage the babies in their swimming, then brought them as close to us as they could! Unfortunately, the waterlilies defeated them - too thick to weave a path through for such new legs, and just too far to come. They got almost halfway here. Mama was so disappointed!!
(About 3 houses all noticed at the same time, though, so that’s exciting; our neighbours opposite are away again, and that’s disappointed Family Swan)
I’m sorry I can’t fix the pics to just highlight a little where the black swans are with their puffballs. Look for 2 dense shadows with two dots next to each other in the water alongside the house in the first pic, that will make it easier to find them behind the water lilies in the second pic.
WOW! They progress SO fast! By mid-afternoon the family had already done a few short tours (each slightly longer, and focussing on a different skill) so they could already do a grand tour past at least three houses down to our right, back to us, pause for a paddle while the parents had a quick snack of seeds, then navigate through the waterlilies back to Nest Island. Mama and Papa gently honk and warble to keep the littles aligned and up to speed, it’s so cute to watch. Those teeny feet scrabble so fast trying to work out what’s going on, and their eyes are sooo big with wonder.
@joanne, what a great shot! Glad beautiful things are happening there. We had such a mild winter, with no snow, that the feeder was fairly quiet, with the regulars.
My ex husband tried to hang the wren house but we need my friend's drill to get the base screwed in. Our weather is perfect for the house hunters and as I've often posted, the males choose a few spots to impress the females with their rich assortment of real estate.
I missed the first nesting last year so I'm hopeful this time.
I think we have one stronger swimmer, with a bit of an adventurous spirit. Likes to be close to Mum (by her side, or in her wake, where the work is easier) and has already tried awkwardly scuttling over lily leaves. Did a really l-o-n-g tour around the lake banks this morning non-stop while Dad and the other bub stayed in the nest. Poor ‘Sidney’ was soooo tired after that big swim, but it wasn’t giving up and it wasn’t gonna lose Mum!
You’ll love this morning’s pics, from breakfast (about 2 hours ago). D thinks there might still be a couple of unpatched eggs, because there’s still always one swan sitting in the nest even if both cygnets are out (after that first morning).
We’ve nicknamed the shyer, less-confident swimmer cygnet ‘Sami’. Sami kept nudging Mama’s side, trying to nestle back into the safe spot just above her wing. It’s surprising just how deep into those feathers one fluffy chick can bury itself, and still breathe, while being carried either swimming or flying. We watched while Mama and Sidney swam steadily back to the nest, a slightly different route to yesterday so obviously the currents are different.
The ducks are also gathering in seasonal patterns - it’s duck hunting season (sigh), and dawn is full of their calls. The mane-headed ducks and teal ducks have mostly left us temporarily, but the swamp hens and pacific black ducks are still hanging around for a bit. Hey, it’s safe here!
While I was making coffee, a grey corella decided to cling to the kitchen window’s screen, with wings spread out, and chat for a bit. Apparently it had visited D’s study earlier, too. Disappeared before I could grab the phone.
Thank you for that info - he’s really beautiful. we’re having another rainy morning, and it’s quite chilly (finally) compared with the last few months. Slipper weather
WE HAVE ANOTHER CYGNET! Such magic! Papa was soooo hungry this morning; he herded everyone to shelter for the worst of yesterday’s storms, and he was the main egg-sitter over the past week/10 days. I love how Mama is teaching them how to choose the right water weeds to eat and how to find the best patches. And how the one wants to climb onto Papa while ‘Sami’ is still staying close to Mama, nuzzling her and grooming her wing feathers.
Wanted to share a garden visitor. Mourning Dove. They love to shuffle around the garden floor, picking up seeds that the messy squirrels gladly sprinkle from the feeder/
...they’re still on their nest and those eggs must be due to hatch any day. The cob (Daddy Swan) has taken to announcing his arrival for breakfast, morning tea (around 11am), smoko (well, if he’s lucky!) around 3pm and urgent midnight supper around 11pm (I refuse to give in). Mama Swan usually comes by around 8am and asks if we’re ready to share some seed, please? She might also swim past again around 2pm but not if the neighbours opposite are also feeding her. (They travel a lot)
my no.3
Came home at sunset today, and discovered these two glorious avian neighbours have set up home in the palm tree in our front yard. (That’s next to our driveway, and in front of the bedroom window)
They’re just breathtaking in flight, and sing so melodiously and cheerfully.
(I edited that pic to a shortened trunk and clearer view of the lorikeets. Saved it that way. No longer have this view tall thin view in my collection. How did it get here??? I give up)