Even A Wallaby Knows...The Beauty Of A Rose

 Skippy loves scampering through our yard and adjacent bush, hopping through the rose bushes and jumping over the fence in an easy leap.  But he stopped short, stood on his tip-toes and breathed in slowly.... unable to resist the beautiful fragrance wafting towards him, he swooned in delight as he whiffed each rose in turn.  Even a wallaby knows how to appreciate the beauty of nature and the power of aroma-therapy.

Take a look at the slideshow below:

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/4 Nextskippy smells a rose

Stay tuned by subscribing to the Wild Bird Talking Newlsetter and the WingedHearts Blog. 

Hisss! ... Not As Slow As I Look

A sharp squawk from behind the bush and all the birds take off! 

Oh, really Maggie, what's got into you?  "Squaawwk", comes a gutteral reply.  I casually amble over to investigate.  The birds are now all making rude gargling sounds, inlcuding Mindy and Monty the new twins.  Slowly I turn towards Maggie who's diving at something in the grass.  A slithery creature only a few feet in front of me is gradually making its way - fortunately away from me.  Maggie dives at it again showing it the way to the fence and making sure I can see where the carpet python is headed.  I rush in, grab the camera and manage to get these shots before the snake disappears into the long grass.  Maggie and Minnie keep up their dive-bombing efforts to show me the snake's location.  They know I can't see it.  The rest of the family sits in the tree above, keeping up the ruckus and making sure the snake knows that he is not welcome.  The snake takes his own sweet time and luckily finds refuge in a roll of netting.  The birds only stop after they see me return safely to the carport. I thanked for their efforts in once again keeping me and my yard safe from snakes.

Take a look at the slideshow below: 

 

Looking up 'Snakes of Australia' by Peter Mirtschin and Richard Davis, I think the snake is a carpet python (Morelia spilota imbricata).  According to the authors this is one of the most common snakes in Australia, sheltering in hollow logs, rock crevices, disused burrows and even ceilings of many houses.  They lay 9-52 eggs in a clutch and feed on mammals, reptiles and birds.   These snakes can strangle and attack even adult magpies in a flash.  No wonder my winged friends reacted so strongly and quickly.

To read more stories of the birds keeping the yard safe from snakes click here.   

 

Stay tuned by subscribing to the Wild Bird Talking Newlsetter and the WingedHearts Blog. 

 

 

 

Legless!

No , not quite.   An almost legless lizard dropped in front of our  feet one night. 

At first we thought he had no legs and was perhaps a baby snake.

A closer looked under better light and much greater magnification revealed  fully formed but the minutest legs. Interestingly we had never seen this species before.  Gekkos have been around for ages.

If you recognise this species or know more about it, please do let us know.

Take a look at some more pics below:

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/2 NextLegless-not quite

Stay tuned by subscribing to the Wild Bird Talking Newlsetter and the WingedHearts Blog. 

 

Waiter! There's a Goanna in My Water Bowl!

What's that loud rustling of leaves under the frangipani tree?  The miners are screeching and the butcherbirds sound like they are gargling!  The sound of a plastic bowl tipping over reaches us as we run to the front door just in time to catch a glimpse of the majestic creature searching for water.  Yes, it's a goanna.  He catches sight of us from the corner of his eye and rushes across the lawn, with the birds close behind giving chase and alerting the rest of the community of his whereabouts.  Ron manages to grab the camera and follow him out of the yard, into a tree, where he can hide against the dark tree trunk.  The miners are not fooled though.  They are clever at spotting danger and are determined to keep their nests safe. 

View the slideshow to see the shots Ron captured. 

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/12 NextGoannaIsn't this a majestic creature?

Goannas are not a bird's best friend. In fact birds do not like them at all as the goannas steal their eggs. This lovely creature lives around the paddocks and we have seen him grow bigger each year.  There was a time when he liked to sun bathe on a rock just outside the fence.  They have a good sense of territories, like all animals.  The goanna knew that our dogs Scotty and Benny could not go outside the fence and chase him like some other dogs. Though we had never known them to react to his presence.  The birds on the other hand combine forces to  chase him up and down the electric post and whenever they catch him getting a drink.

Bush folklore says that one should not stand still in the presence of a goanna because that leads them to  think that you are a tree and they will climb up you.  Yikes!

Stay tuned by subscribing to the Wild Bird Talking Newlsetter and the WingedHearts Blog.

Who's That in Your Pocket?

 Be quick with your camera - before they bound out in a flash!

    Wallabies abound in the Aussie bush. They are shy, quick on their feet and can disappear in the blink of an eye. Family groups tend to habit the same paddocks and gardens and there are few families that have have had several children, all whom have grown up in and around our yard. 

    During the dry months, one can see as many as twenty lining up around the birds water bowls waiting for their turn for a drink. Which is quite interesting, considering the fact that the water bowls are small, while the surrounding paddocks have dams and water troughs for cattle.  We think they come for the birds. 

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/8 NextWallabiesWallie is having a nice day

Stay tuned by subscribing to the Wild Bird Talking Newlsetter and the WingedHearts Blog.