The Uncaged Bird -My first Hummingbird has arrived 4/26/2024
This is how Aussie birds rock out.
https://www.facebook.com/gardeningaustralia/videos/586504161764475/
I’m not on FB, and this morning the video wouldn’t play for me; seems to be a magpie and a pigeon. The magpies here are very melodic and great mimics, and bother species have fun ‘dancing’ as they communicate. We used to watch them for hours at the old house 
A couple have begun to join in the crowd gathering for breakfast each morning, but it’s still mainly waterfowl. Speaking of which, 4 stately pelicans decided to sail by in a linear flotilla on Sunday (Father’s Day). It was simply breathtaking.
In the news this morning is this item from Brisbane, about a proposed ‘improvement’ to its Mt Coot-tha tourist venue. Having lived with a family of powerful owls swooping past the bedroom nightly, but driven away by neighbours’ Christmas lights, I really hope the proposal fails
joanne said:
I’m not on FB, and this morning the video wouldn’t play for me;
This is the original news item -
This is not happy news today: 8 new extinctions
It’s almost time for me to start checking the progress of which birds from here travel up there and which from there will come back down here for our summer. Given how much the temperatures of both the air drifts and oceans have changed over the past couple of years it will be intriguing and also scary to see how much change there is. I know we’re seeing some birds move around the Pacific region into areas where they may not have been seen before. Some scientists are saying it’s not just change in weather, but total loss of breeding grounds through floods, landslides, fires, etc as well as clearing/development.
Morganna, speaking of migrating birds, have you read about lonely Trevor the duck on the Pacific island of Niue?
Joanne, although nothing of consequence is going on in my part of the globe, I have not read about him but I promise to put aside the Kavanaugh hearings long enough to escape into his world. That said, I did have time to save this award winning photo from the land down under.
Just learned that Arizona has 17 species of Hummingbirds. As well learned that bats are fond of the nectar at feeders.
Hummingbirds still in the garden. Keep those feeders up. Common thought is leave them up for two weeks after the last sighting. The bigger males may have left but the young less experienced and females may linger.
we had a visit from a Little Pied Cormorant today; of course it decided to move off around the corner of the lake as soon as I grabbed the iPhone for the camera...
I just saw a young female hummer sipping nectar from my flowers. I can’t believe it is out and about in the pouring rain.
Morganna said:
Still seeing Hummingbirds both at flowers and feeder.
Here too. I'm seeing a few more than I have all summer, so maybe they are visiting on the way south. There was one larger, short fat one just sitting at the one feeder drinking away and when he finished he stretched his neck up -- it must have been over an inch long!
Yes, today again. I small one. Probably a juvenile. They will fatten up before the long flight. And they are often out in the rain. I notice they like to sit in the hollies. Most birds do, as it offers great protection with it's dense foliage.
Surprising morning visit: four black swans decided to joins the ducks for breakfast this morning! Obviously, two parents and two adolescents. The adult male kept attacking one of the smaller ones, which I'm assuming is also a male. This probably means that wildlife rangers from our local Council will come and separate them soon; a pity, because it's lovely to see them all together. But it is fierce when they're battling over territory.
sorry they're not the best pix, seemed to be lots of light but it was still very early morning.
This was taken at lunchtime, 50 metres from the local Police Station, 100 metres from the local mall, across from the driveway to the busy sports centre/local pool where the world’s triathletes are training for this weekend’s mega international extravaganza*.
There were 6 roo, three are out of shot, in the shade on the left. Just out of shot on the right is a very watchful plover family, keeping the nest very very safe.
*ITU World Triathlon Grand Final https://goldcoast.triathlon.org/ 5000 athletes are training and racing right here.
joanne said:
Surprising morning visit: four black swans decided to joins the ducks for breakfast this morning! Obviously, two parents and two adolescents. The adult male kept attacking one of the smaller ones, which I'm assuming is also a male. This probably means that wildlife rangers from our local Council will come and separate them soon; a pity, because it's lovely to see them all together. But it is fierce when they're battling over territory.
sorry they're not the best pix, seemed to be lots of light but it was still very early morning.
Gorgeous birds. Speaking of black birds saw this and will post on my Halloween thread. Not sure if flamingo lawn ornaments are a thing in Australia.
More hummingbirds drinking nectar like it's Happy Hour and the drinks are half price.
Anyone see hummers yesterday? I didn't so unless I do I'm starting my 2 week count before I take the feeder down. Unless one shows up today or tomorrow.
lynnl199 said:
had 2 hummers yesterday and one this morning...
Thanks lynnl199. Is that in SOMA? I'm seeing none today.
Morganna said:
Anyone see hummers yesterday? I didn't so unless I do I'm starting my 2 week count before I take the feeder down. Unless one shows up today or tomorrow.
I still have some, although it appears a couple may have left. They may have been the visitors as opposed to the 3 usuals. Yes, mine are drinking up a storm too -- I refilled 2 feeders today and used the last of the nectar. If they drink this, that's it for them. Last call!
Morganna said:
Saw this post from Hurricane Irma.
I wonder if they know to stay up here until the storm passes?
yes, it was today, and I had another at my flowers and feeder after I posted.
OK thanks everyone for the update. I'll keep watching. By the way after a couple of years I finally had success with my honeysuckle vine and they love it. I also went overboard with the annual red salvia and it's a hit.
There are some long-migrating bird species (at the moment, can't remember which) that over-winter down through Asia and even down here or NZ, deep into Sth America and other parts of the Pacific Ocean. Some cranes, some smaller songbirds, some water birds; some fruitbats also manage to cross the seas.
This blogpost discusses various ways they survive harsh environments. I have seen a reference to posts on cyclones and typhoons, but can't currently find it. Note that we don't really have native ravens or crows, they've all been brought here.
https://blog.csiro.au/australia-breeds-brainy-birds/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/09/08/where-do-birds-go-in-a-hurricane/#156acbd1254a written for your hurricanes last year
joanne said:
There are some long-migrating bird species (at the moment, can't remember which) that over-winter down through Asia and even down here or NZ, deep into Sth America and other parts of the Pacific Ocean. Some cranes, some smaller songbirds, some water birds; some fruitbats also manage to cross the seas.
This blogpost discusses various ways they survive harsh environments. I have seen a reference to posts on cyclones and typhoons, but can't currently find it. Note that we don't really have native ravens or crows, they've all been brought here.
https://blog.csiro.au/australia-breeds-brainy-birds/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2017/09/08/where-do-birds-go-in-a-hurricane/#156acbd1254a written for your hurricanes last year
Amazing the fact that they use bread to catch fish.
Of course the picture of the cockatoos got my attention. I'm a big fan and would adopt one but I have no one to leave it to and they have such a long life span. I've had experience with large parrots.
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I'll catch up on Migaloo but just wanted to say that I'm still getting hummingbirds.