32) Birds
Australia has a wonderful selection of birds. When we first came here we were amazed at the variety of species we saw. When we moved into our house we started to feed them. It took a little while for them to find our feeding place but once they did we got a great deal of pleasure from our feathered visitors.
The Lorikeets are the most colourful. With blue heads, green wings, orange and red chests and red beaks and legs they are easily identified. At first we would get one or possibly two of them sampling the seeds we had put out for them but once it was known around the neighbourhood that there was a soup kitchen operating on our veranda all the lorikeets in the area came to have breakfast with us. If I were a little late putting out their food in the morning they would start up a huge chorus of noise to tell me that they were waiting. I have seen as many as seventeen of them all pushing and shoving to get to the dish and stuff themselves full to busting before they went about the days business. They always seem so busy and in such a hurry. When they fly they don’t glide or swoop like some of the other birds. They flap their wings at nineteen to the dozen and make a direct beeline for the place they are planning to go to, at the same time making a great deal of noise. It would seem that they have to get there in a hurry. They became very tame and would sit on my hand and eat the grapes I fed them.
The Magpies by contrast are not colourful at all. The are just black and white but they had such a lovely song for us. They are much bigger than the Lorikeets and have a rather bad reputation. They have been known to attack people who go too near their nests during the breeding season. We have never had any problems with them though. They would come when Jonny whistled for them and would take tit-bits of bread or meat from his hand. Before they get their adult plumage the chicks are grey and white but as big as their parents. It always looks so silly to see such a large chick fluttering its wings and begging Mom Maggie to feed it when they were about the same size. They get very bold and would often come into the house if we forgot to close the screen door.
Every morning we would hear the call of the Kookaburras in the tress but they would just fly over and not join our party. One morning I spied Mr. Kookaburra on the rail of our veranda and I thought that if I could get close to him and give him a titbit maybe he would be encouraged to join the gang. I quickly went to the kitchen and got a little bit of minced meat. When I got out on the veranda he was still there on the rail and he even allowed me to come slowly up and put the meat down beside him. The way he scoffed down the food and seemed to demand more made me pretty sure that it was all a put up job and that he was not as shy and timid as I had thought he was. Soon all his gang of about eight would arrive early in the morning along with the Magpies and the Lorikeets.
The Brush Turkeys were also regular visitors. They did not come on to the front veranda though; they liked to be fed on the roof at the back of the house. One weekend when our grand daughters were staying with us I told Claudia that we had been feeding the Brush Turkeys on the back roof and she asked how they had got up there. I told her they had flown up there. They are quite big birds and Claudia was used to seeing them wandering around scratching for food but had never seen them flying. She said “But Gran, brush turkeys can’t fly” I explained that they did not fly great distances but could certainly get up on to the top of our fence and then fly the few feet from there to the roof. Claudia being a polite little girl did not argue with me but gave me a look that told me that she thought I did not know what I was talking about. After all she is Australian and knows all about these sorts of things. A little later the whole brush turkey family came to visit. Twelve of them on the roof ordering morning tea. When Claudia saw them fly off the fence and land on the roof she came running to me shouting, “Gran, Brush Turkeys can fly”
The Australian Minor birds are very plentiful. They like bread and fruit and are afraid of nothing. I have seen them gang up together and chase a cat away from near one of their nests. In fact they are part of the reason we have stopped feeding the birds. I was told that if Australian Minors are fed they increase so much that they out number all the other birds and chase them all away. I can believe that too as I have often seen them chase one of the big black crows that would come and sit on the veranda rail and cry like a baby.
The Galahs didn’t come to our food table but we would often see them feeding on the ground near our front gate. They are grey and a pretty soft pink, Not as gaudy as the lorikeets but very attractive. One often sees small flocks of them feeding together on the ground. I think that they must like grass seeds to eat.
Occasionally the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos would call on us and I was so pleased to see them, as they are large white beautiful birds with a yellow crest on their heads and a very raucous cry. When they had been on the veranda once or twice and I noticed the damage that they were doing to the wood I just had to chase them away. Can you imagine having to ring up the owners of our house and tell them “Sorry but the Cockatoos have just eaten up all your house”
Then there was the Crested Doves. At first glance they looked just like ordinary doves with a little topknot of feathers on their heads. But when the sun shines on them it shows up the multi coloured feather collars that one only noticed when they were highlighted by the sun.
We have often commented on the difference between birds in Australia and birds in Africa. Australian birds are much easier to get close to. They will come close to get food or will sit on our hands or heads. It would take a long time to get a wild bird to do that in Africa. We think it is all to do with the many predators in Africa. Here in Australia there are not many things that will attack the birds so they are more trusting and friendly. Cats and foxes will take them if they get the chance; it is such a pity that they have been introduced into the country. There are programs to try and eradicate the foxes but nothing much can be done about the cats, as they are people’s precious pets and a move to eradicate them would cause an uproar.
As I have said we have stopped putting food out each morning but a few of the Lorikeets still remember when did and now and again they will come and sit on the veranda and call us. Who could resist that, and we take them a few grapes and they feed from our hands.
The Lorikeets are the most colourful. With blue heads, green wings, orange and red chests and red beaks and legs they are easily identified. At first we would get one or possibly two of them sampling the seeds we had put out for them but once it was known around the neighbourhood that there was a soup kitchen operating on our veranda all the lorikeets in the area came to have breakfast with us. If I were a little late putting out their food in the morning they would start up a huge chorus of noise to tell me that they were waiting. I have seen as many as seventeen of them all pushing and shoving to get to the dish and stuff themselves full to busting before they went about the days business. They always seem so busy and in such a hurry. When they fly they don’t glide or swoop like some of the other birds. They flap their wings at nineteen to the dozen and make a direct beeline for the place they are planning to go to, at the same time making a great deal of noise. It would seem that they have to get there in a hurry. They became very tame and would sit on my hand and eat the grapes I fed them.
The Magpies by contrast are not colourful at all. The are just black and white but they had such a lovely song for us. They are much bigger than the Lorikeets and have a rather bad reputation. They have been known to attack people who go too near their nests during the breeding season. We have never had any problems with them though. They would come when Jonny whistled for them and would take tit-bits of bread or meat from his hand. Before they get their adult plumage the chicks are grey and white but as big as their parents. It always looks so silly to see such a large chick fluttering its wings and begging Mom Maggie to feed it when they were about the same size. They get very bold and would often come into the house if we forgot to close the screen door.
Every morning we would hear the call of the Kookaburras in the tress but they would just fly over and not join our party. One morning I spied Mr. Kookaburra on the rail of our veranda and I thought that if I could get close to him and give him a titbit maybe he would be encouraged to join the gang. I quickly went to the kitchen and got a little bit of minced meat. When I got out on the veranda he was still there on the rail and he even allowed me to come slowly up and put the meat down beside him. The way he scoffed down the food and seemed to demand more made me pretty sure that it was all a put up job and that he was not as shy and timid as I had thought he was. Soon all his gang of about eight would arrive early in the morning along with the Magpies and the Lorikeets.
The Brush Turkeys were also regular visitors. They did not come on to the front veranda though; they liked to be fed on the roof at the back of the house. One weekend when our grand daughters were staying with us I told Claudia that we had been feeding the Brush Turkeys on the back roof and she asked how they had got up there. I told her they had flown up there. They are quite big birds and Claudia was used to seeing them wandering around scratching for food but had never seen them flying. She said “But Gran, brush turkeys can’t fly” I explained that they did not fly great distances but could certainly get up on to the top of our fence and then fly the few feet from there to the roof. Claudia being a polite little girl did not argue with me but gave me a look that told me that she thought I did not know what I was talking about. After all she is Australian and knows all about these sorts of things. A little later the whole brush turkey family came to visit. Twelve of them on the roof ordering morning tea. When Claudia saw them fly off the fence and land on the roof she came running to me shouting, “Gran, Brush Turkeys can fly”
The Australian Minor birds are very plentiful. They like bread and fruit and are afraid of nothing. I have seen them gang up together and chase a cat away from near one of their nests. In fact they are part of the reason we have stopped feeding the birds. I was told that if Australian Minors are fed they increase so much that they out number all the other birds and chase them all away. I can believe that too as I have often seen them chase one of the big black crows that would come and sit on the veranda rail and cry like a baby.The Galahs didn’t come to our food table but we would often see them feeding on the ground near our front gate. They are grey and a pretty soft pink, Not as gaudy as the lorikeets but very attractive. One often sees small flocks of them feeding together on the ground. I think that they must like grass seeds to eat.
Occasionally the Sulphur Crested Cockatoos would call on us and I was so pleased to see them, as they are large white beautiful birds with a yellow crest on their heads and a very raucous cry. When they had been on the veranda once or twice and I noticed the damage that they were doing to the wood I just had to chase them away. Can you imagine having to ring up the owners of our house and tell them “Sorry but the Cockatoos have just eaten up all your house”
Then there was the Crested Doves. At first glance they looked just like ordinary doves with a little topknot of feathers on their heads. But when the sun shines on them it shows up the multi coloured feather collars that one only noticed when they were highlighted by the sun.
We have often commented on the difference between birds in Australia and birds in Africa. Australian birds are much easier to get close to. They will come close to get food or will sit on our hands or heads. It would take a long time to get a wild bird to do that in Africa. We think it is all to do with the many predators in Africa. Here in Australia there are not many things that will attack the birds so they are more trusting and friendly. Cats and foxes will take them if they get the chance; it is such a pity that they have been introduced into the country. There are programs to try and eradicate the foxes but nothing much can be done about the cats, as they are people’s precious pets and a move to eradicate them would cause an uproar.
As I have said we have stopped putting food out each morning but a few of the Lorikeets still remember when did and now and again they will come and sit on the veranda and call us. Who could resist that, and we take them a few grapes and they feed from our hands.
posted by MC @ 5:07 PM
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