Making New friends - at the Lilypot

Monty magpie and Loki lorikeet know each other quite well.  They share the gum trees in the bush.  Keep any eye out for predators in the valley and when all is well, they catch up on all the neighbourhood gossip while larking out on the mulberry tree.

Before long, Lori decided it was time to inspect Monty's favourite spa and thirst quencher.  A surprised Monty decided to let go of his initial territorial instincts and join his friend instead.

Take a look at the slideshow below for a peek at the birds.

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/16 NextNew mates

 

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Lessons From A Chance Rescue - About Babblers, Magpies and more

When Ron rescued a small bird running desperately for its life from a crow, little did he know how much joy and learning the day would bring.  The full story is in our blog A Lucky Rescue Makes A Happy Family and in the pictures below.

We didn't know that the bird was a baby till much later at the vets.  What struck us was how comfortable he looked in Ron's clasp, happy to no longer have to try and escape from the crow.  The bird did not look worried at being caught by a human. I guess, he could feel the warmth and gentleness of the hand that held him and didn't want to leave its safety.  What he needed was good rest and when he awoke after a couple of hours, he was weak but happy to be given a drink with multivitamins. He (or she) showed no signs of being afraid of me.  At the vets a few hours later, he perked up and showed them that he was well and full of spark. The little fellow was obviously exhausted from the ordeal with the crow and had needed complete rest.

The magpies must have seen Ron pick up the babe in the morning and recognised him in the evening. Nothing else explains why they all came over from way off just to tell us off.  But when they saw us place the baby in the grass they relaxed and left with only one keeping a quiet eye on us from a distance. 

At this stage we still thought the baby was a scrub wren. When the baby started to call, his voice was soft and barely audible.  When the babblers flew in and responded to the call, we recognised the similarities from the pattern on the babe's head.  The call must have been unique to the species and recognisable to the family because no other birds came to check it out.

The joy and excitement with which the parents greeted their lost child was the finest reward ever.  The older siblings hastened to catch bugs and feed the little one, while the parents headed to the top of tree, where the magpie on sentry duty had been keeping watch.  They explained something in soft tones before the magpie, satisfied with their response, returned to join his friends leaving the parents to catch bugs. 

The magpies are like the 'supervisors of the bush', Professor Gisela Kaplan describes in her book 'Magpies'. They keep tabs on who's in, who's out, who's not meant to be there and who's not following the rules.  Their reaction to us and the babblers response to them certainly bears this out.  The babblers seem to have strong relationship with the magpies as we have seen before.

The delight and anticipation with which the family hung about and watched when Ron lifted the babe out of the box and placed him on the grass showed that they understood that he was not the predator, but had rather looked after their darling and brought it back.  Normally the birds would not have even approached a tree within proximity of any human.

The speed with which they all found bugs in the grass and in the folds of bark was quite amazing to watch. They had a sense that the babe had not eaten for hours and needed to be fed properly straightaway.

I find it quite amazing that a baby chick that had not yet fledged could be so determined to escape from the claws of death that it would run for its life, and also be able to sense safety and love in the hands of a human and even in an alien environment.

And nothing can take the place of finding one's family member is safe and well.

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Magpie Kids Sleepovers

Magpies let their children bring their friends for Sleepovers

Incredible, you say!

We thought so too. Until we saw it with our own eyes.

The first time we saw this was in 2002.  Fatty and Molly were the adult magpie parents who lived behind our house. Billy and Lily were their young from their latest clutch, born in September 2001.  Our dinette has glass sliding doors giving us a clear view of all the going-ons on the lawn.  All four birds would come to our yard opposite our dinette for a sing-song and a feed.  One morning, Billy and Lily were in front of us eating.  Molly stacked some food in her beak like she used to when feeding them when they were babies.  She flew behind our kitchen and returned a few minutes later.  We could hear another young bird squawking in the lemon tree behind the kitchen.  Our first thoughts were that the baby squawks must be coming from Billy and Lily, except it was a weaker voice than theirs and besides they were sitting on the lawn in front of us.

Molly restacked her beak and flew back while Fatty placed himself near the corner so he could keep an eye on his kids on one side and Molly as well as the back of our house.  We ran to the back window to see if we could spot the bird who was squawking.  Imagine our surprise when we saw Molly feeding another juvenile magpie in the lemon tree.  The new bird was hiding at the back feeling too shy to come out and join the others.  Molly and Fatty both took some food and fed it as if it was their own.

Our first thoughts were that this must be another babe of theirs.  But that didn't make sense.  Where had the young bird been all this while.  Billy and Lily had been coming to our yard for months and this new bird was about the same size and colouring, so would be around the same age.  If he was a third baby of Molly and Fatty from a second clutch that season, surely they would have been stacking food and making several trips to the nest and back.  We would have heard his voices from the earliest days.

Later that afternoon, the four brought the new bird with them to the front bank and were quite proud to show it off to us and us to it as well.  The next day too the bird came with them.  Feeling more confident with us the bird played with Billy and Lily and ate with them in front of us.

Then we didn't see the bird again.

Months later we saw another young bird visit for two days. We have also seen Gemmie who was the only babe in Maggie and Vicky's first clutch go away for two or three days at a time and then return. She was not quite four months old when she started making her trips. Molly and Fatty had another young bird stay over for a few days when their kids Bunty and Kimbie were only a few months old. And we have also seen very young juveniles come over by themselves and chat with Maggie and Vicky's kids over the years.

Sparky is Maggie and Vicky's two year old (born 2005). She would make trips to other parts of the land quite frequently, disappearing for two or three days at a time.  She liked travelling from an early age and during her first trips Maggie would accompany her to her hosts and return by himself.  Two days later he would go and bring her back.  How do we know this?  Because they would both disappear while the rest of the family were still around where we could see them.  Hours later, in the evening when we could call for Sparky and worry if she was okay, Vicky and Maggie would come by themselves and sit with us.  Then Maggie would disappear for a period of time.  A little while later Vicky would call us out and we would see Maggie fly over with Sparky in tow from way across the valley.

As Sparky grew older and more confident, she made the complete trip by herself.  We knew she was not around for sure (as opposed to being hurt and injured), because when we called for her, the rest of the family would leave briefly then return without her and stay with us. It's their way of showing us that they have checked and the missing member is not around.  When Sparky would return a few days later, she would call us out and hang around the back with her Mum Vicky or older sister Sophie until we went out and saw her.

Vicky and Maggie have always been very particular to tell us that their kids are alright.  Magpies (and many other birds) call for their clan members if they can't find them, especially when it's time to settle for the night.  So they understand the importance of knowing that the whole family is present and accounted for and make sure that we are not worrying about them at bedtime.

Wow!  Who would have thought that magpies being such territorial birds could be would be so loving and hospitable.

Magpies Are Scared Of You!

Magpies are more scared of humans than people are of them.  Show Them You Care

Magpies swooping at people. It's breeding time again and reports of magpies attacking people are making headlines again.  The reality is Magpies are more scared of you than you imagine. Birds have to rely on behaviour to get their message across.  Their language is not as complex as ours, besides we don't magpie anyway.  So the bird swoop to tell you to stay away from a place.

Magpie parents are very protective and care deeply for their young.  Recognise those qualities?  Is it not the same for human parents wouldn't people proudly do the same for their kids?

The problem is that most people do not realise what is happening and don't know what to do when it does.

Magpies become aggressive when they have babies in the nest or when the chicks have just come out of the nest and are still learning to fly properly.  During this period the birds are especially vulnerable.  To get away from danger the chicks have to be strong enough to take off from the ground in a hurry It takes several weeks for the chick's muscles to develop to that level.  The young birds also have to develop quicker reflexes in recognising the signs of approaching danger and also in learning exactly what action will take it to safety.  Until then they can fly into the path of danger and get fatally injured.  Now which caring parent would not take action to prevent some a tragedy in their family?

One of the real reasons this problem occurs in parks and pathways is the lack of trees and the positioning of the few trees that are around.  Birds need trees for their nests and to roost at night.  Areas like parks and pathways have been cleared of most of the trees, usually leaving only a single row of trees around the edges. So the birds who would normally in well treed area choose a tree in the middle of a group of trees where they can provide their young with adequate shelter are left with no choice but to occupy the narrow, scanty line still left standing.

Magpies are also ground feeders, that is, they have to potter on the ground listening for worms and bugs under the surface, which they then dig up for food. When the kids are young, they have to collect more food for their growing bodies and also teach them how to find their own food. The young have to learn to recognise the sounds under the surface, be strong enough to dig them up and also have to develop the muscles under their beaks to enable them to pick the food and manouvre it into their mouths and swallow it.  Until then the parents and helper birds feed the chicks. They can't go into the wide open spaces, because should a hawk or eagle or any other predator attack, they cannot get their kids back to safety quickly. So they have to stay near the trees and scrub, where there is some natural cover.

Along come people walking around or cycling or children playing with balls totally oblivious to the dangers that the birds face while simply trying to live.  What can a bird do, but try and tell the people to leave?  And they do it the best way they know how, by showing them that they want them out.  Swooping to them is the same as shooing and waving one's arms about, which is what people do when they want to tell someone to go away.  The birds do not have the language to tell you what is worrying them and that they need the ground space over this time to look after their young.  Once the kids are older and stronger they can fly off into more open areas looking for food and quickly get out of the way of predators.

So, what can people do to help?

The long term solution is two fold:

a)   Make friends with the birds.  Give them some food and water to show that you are friendly, you care for them, mean them well.  (Not to make dependent, but as a means of showing your good intentions.)  Talk to them long before breeding season starts.  They will recognise you, learn your voice, answer you, and develop a trust in you. 

b)  Encourage your councils to keep more rows of trees along the roads and around parks etc. This gives them a proper corridor in which they can conduct their activities without falling in the way of human activities.

In the short term, while walking in regular walkways:

One - give the birds the room they need.  Walk slowly.  Talk to the birds.  Again, if you go by daily, you may like to give them some food to build trust.  This is particularly helpful to them during the breeding season.  Because they will be less stressed about the time they lose in pottering for food, when the humans are occupying their space.

Many otherwise good hearted people feel reluctant to feed the birds and make friends with them at this time.  Many of them are people passing by a particular area and feel annoyed with the birds who they think are attacking them without provocation. But when you look at it from the bird's point of view,  what can he do to keep his babies safe?  All the more reason to win the birds confidence, especially if their nest is on regular route.  Once the bird recognises and you and learns to trust you he is less likely to attack you.

There are birds that get aggressive because they have had a bad experience with people.  Some birds have personalities that are hypertense or overly nervous keeping them in over-reacting mode.  Wear a cap or helmet.  Carry a stick over your head. The birds tend to attack the highest spot and this will keep them away from your face and hands. One person drew two big eyes on the back of their cap and the birds stopped swooping at him.

If a bird is persistent inform the RSPCA or the Wildlife Carers in your area.

Magpies Keep Our Yard Safe From Snakes

Magpies keep our yard safe from snakes.  Most people know about the Kookaburras catching snakes and keeping their numbers under control in the bush.  But fewer people know about the roles played by magpies and butcherbirds.

Billy the young magpie first brought this to my attention.  I was at my desk typing away, while Billy was sitting on the fence opposite the window hoping I would go out and feed him.  Billy is a bird with a one track mind and a bottomless stomach.  Not wishing to indulge him, I was studiously ignoring his pleas.   Suddenly, he jumped off the fence and squawked at something on the ground.  He got back on the fence turned his back towards me and kept squawking at this thing and then followed it along the fence.  The noisy miners and Eddy and Freddy the young butcherbirds also joined him.  The butcherbirds were hovering in the air like mini-helicopters while making an awful gargling type sound, while the miners gathered on the fence screeching.  Billy got off the fence and chased the snake from behind with the butcher keeping up the attack from top. I saw a snake slide its way through the plants under the fence and the birds chased till it was way down the hill.

I developed a much healthier respect for Billy from that day on. Since then, there have been many occasions when I have seen the magpies and butcherbirds chase the snakes out of our yard. They have warned us when the snakes are up in a tree.

Many a time my life would have been in danger had the magpies, butcherbirds and noisy miners not come forth to warn me and even more significantly chased the snake away from me.  To see a slideshow of one of these occasions click here.  

My recommendation to all folks living in Australia is to really love and respect the birds in their backyard. They do a lot more for us than we can ever imagine.

 

Now You See Me, Now You Don't!

Who is that calling so loudly, interrupting my reverie?  It's not a sound I hear often and never before so loud.  Yes, I'm definitely being called. 

But outside there's no one to be seen.   Hey, wait a sec, who's that calling me from behind the leaves in the bottlebrush?  Which is really strange because in all the years we've had this plant, no bird has ever visited it before, even though it is meant to be a bird-attractor. 

Lo and behold, a head pops out and it's my scaly-breasted lorikeet friend!   His mate flies over from the depths of the mulberry bush and they are both talking to me quite delightedly.   (Some of you may remember seeing them from 2008 WingedHearts.org calendar - but then again you might not because they're featured on the December'08 page.)

I ask them to wait while I rush into get the camera and they do.  It's late afternoon and the sun is behind the bush creating a glare and throwing them in the shadow.  I wish I had brushed up on taking better photographs in this light condition.  But as the wind blows through the branches letting some light in, I am able to get some good shots.  The birds pose for ages, unperturbed by the clicking of the camera.  Everytime they disappear into the leaves, I ask them to come out again so I can see them better and they do.   My heart overflows with  gratitude and amazement.

These birds are shy.  They only visit us ocassionally.  Autumn has started and it has been months since the mulberry fruit season. The last time they said hello to me, they were so coy.  Perhaps they've been talking to the Rainbow Lorikeets who dropped by out of the blue just as boldly only a week or so ago. 

The butcherbirds and noisy-miners watch with interest.  To their credit they show no jealousy and do nothing to interrupt or disturb the photo-shoot.  I know there's love in all their hearts. 

Take a look at the slideshow below for a peek at the birds.

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/28 NextScaly-breasted lorikeet friends

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Surprise Guests Drop In For A Spot of Lunch

A cloudy day and the rainbow lorikeets are flying over to the fruit trees in the neighbouring paddocks.  Our mulberries have long been eaten and  we haven't seen our old friends for some weeks now.  The magpies and butcherbirds have been chatting.  Wendy magpie is now two years old and almost fully adult colours.  Except for her size which is slightly bigger than Sophie, she is really hard to distinguish from her older sister, especially from a distance.   Kerry butcherbird too is two years old and almost adult colours and similarly difficult to tell apart from his older brother Dimpy (now three years old) , all except for their different signature songs by which they announce themselves.  I wonder which one of our young adults is going to venture abroad first.  I so hate having to say goodbye to any of them, and console myself with the knowledge that they are leading full bird lives and love their travels, adventures, lifestyle and freedom.  March-April are the months when the older kids leave home and I hope like their siblings before them they are going to tell us when they are ready to leave and show us which direction they are headed. 

A pair of rainbow lorikeets land on the washing line interrupting my musings much to my delight.  These are the birds who would sit in the mulberry tree with Wendy and had let me sweet talk them into coming out hiding from behind the leaves to pose for some shots on more than one occasion.  This time they sat in full view while their magpie and butcherbird friends were pottering on the grass below.  I asked them to wait there while I went in to get the camera and let me take some more shots.  They listened and were still swinging from the line when I returned, totally unperturbed by my movements or the sudden appearance of a big shiny eye on my face.  But there were more surprises in store...

The bolder of the pair decided to hop down and join Wendy and gang on the grass.  The magpies and butcherbirds didn't seem to mind at all and soon the shier lorikeet joined her mate.  I kept thanking all of them as I zoomed the lens into focus and took as many shots as I could.  The lorikeets sampled some bread and our regulars let them with no protest or attitude.  The lorikeets were their guests and friends.  Not only did they know each other from the mulberry tree, but they also shared the trees in the bush.  When Wendy left decided to try a sip of the nectar as well.  Chimpkin was a bit surprised as the lorikeets had never sat on the grevillea shrubs before.  But the noisy-miner too treated them as guests and didn't put on their normal territorial 'this is my shrub' behaviour.  The lorikeets had a really good drink to wash down their bread, while Chimpkin sat on the line.  Sadly, I ran out of memory card at that point and put the camera down.  The lorikeets seeing they had no 'big eye' to pose for, continued to other paddocks.

Vicky, Dimpy and Chimpkin looked at me with great pride - had they not done the right thing by making the lorikkets feel welcome and letting me photograph them all?  I thanked all my birds.  They never cease to amaze me.  

Take a look at the slideshow below for a peek at the birds.

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/14 NextRainbow Lorikeets Drop InLet's stop by our friends this morning

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Visits To The Magpies Nests Makes The Kookaburras Talk

The birds love us visiting their patch to look at their nests and catch a glimpse of their chicks.  Most of the time, their nests are too high up in the trees for us to get a look inside.  But once the babes are bigger and peer over the edge, we can introduce ourselves.  Sometimes the chicks even call us and stand up to show themselves.  Maggie and Vicky have always proudly shown us their nests and babes.  Larry and Harrie, the grey butcherbirds too. 

The visit to see Josie brought a few surprises.  You can read the full story (and view a close up of Kookums the Kookaburra) in the blog Talking Kookaburras Love The Big Eye and see the pictures below.    To view our video (on Spongefish) of the Eagle being chased by the other birds click here.  And please do give us a 'Thumbs Up' if you like it, when you are there.

The amazing thing about the whole experience is the way the birds seem to love the camera being pointed at them.  The other birds and animals who live around the area watch with keen interest and start talking to us too.  The galahs have called out to us and shown us their nests as have the crows, the rosellas, the lorikeets and even a hare has brushed past me to draw my attention towards the ground where he was being closely followed by one one of his kids. The kookaburras have been much friendlier since and have been keen to show us that they want to make friends and have no interest in the food, thus giving us the opportunity to take better photographs of them for the Birds I View gallery.

Looking at the white on Josie's neck, she was probably a male.  We had named her while she was still up in the nest.  She heard us discussing her name while we were standing below and responded so well when we mentioned Josie that the name stayed.  We saw her briefly a few times, but the poor weather made it difficult to trek into the paddocks to see her.  Josie was an adventurous bird and only days later she was running up and down the road by herself, unsupervised, unafraid of the car and not yet strong enough to fly out of its way in quick time.  I told Maggie and Vicky to keep her at the back of bush and not let her near the roads. They listened and we could see Josie flying between the tree in the distance from then on.  Vicky was still brooding on her second clutch and we were happy to see her keep Josie by her side.  But sadly that was not enough and we lost Josie in the following weeks of cold and rain.  In her short stay on earth, she gave us some wonderful memories.  Maggie and Vicky  again showing us their trust as well as their understanding of our intentions and their ability to respond intelligently to our requests. 

               
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Welcome To My Chamber...

'Who's that calling me as I walk up to the gate?  It's a galah.'  They seem to know I have a camera and want to show me something.  But as I look on, I discover there's much going on and the birds are delighted to let me photograph their activities.... 

Have a look at the slideshow and see what I found...

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).
Previous Image 1/13 NextGalahs Go Camera Crazy?Why is that Galah calling out to me for no apparent reason?

 

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