gemfyre | Shadow on the water

It's that time of year. Unlike in the northern hemisphere, Australia doesn't get the sharp temperature drop that winter brings. Here this is the time of year when rain is getting more regular, plants are greener and flowers are blooming, and birds are breeding.

I started my day with a visit to the Birds WA office. Bought a fairy-wren sticker so now my car is recognisable on excursions now too and also got a CD of south-west bird calls. Now I can study the call of the emu-wren so I'll know it when I go hunting for them soon.

Being in the area I checked out Perry Lakes and Bold Park. Before I'd even got out of the car I noticed a Black-shouldered Kite hovering over one lake (the lakes are mostly dry right now). As I wandered around I was almost hit by careening Red Wattlebirds in what I can only imagine was courtship flight. Rainbow Lorikeets are abundant as usual and breeding and I wonder, if humans could make the passenger pigeon extinct, why can't we get rid of this pest? The noise and movement makes it hard to spot other birds. Found a Laughing Kookaburra (another introduction from eastern Australia, which unfortunately has a taste for nestlings) taking a bath in a drink fountain, very cute and fluffy. Eventually I found some of the Striated pardalotes that I could hear, doing their gorgeous little spreading the wings display.

Back at the car I got my bag of trail mix. And threw a peanut out the door. I was soon inundated with Magpies. They quite daintily took the peanuts straight from my hand. I wish I'd had some mince or something more nutritious for them.

I then decided to head to City Beach just because I wanted to see the ocean. Not much there birdwise, the ubiquitous Silver Gull and a few Crested Terns to add a bit of interest.

Heading home I got to the corner of Grantham and Harbourne, intending to turn left. Then I realised straight ahead was Lake Monger. What the heck. So I went to Lake Monger and didn't intend to spend anywhere near as long as I did there. Black Swans and Blue-billed Ducks were abundant, both breeding. I found one Blue-bill pair with 4 cute little ducklings and at least 7 swan nests. Had the pleasure of watching a swan building the foundations of a nest too. In a couple of months it's going to be hazardous walking around there with cygnets everywhere and cranky parent swans. I came across a small peninsula of mud and reeds and got 3 more species to the day list right there - Grey Teal, Pink-eared Duck (they're back at the lake for the year) and one Black-fronted Dotterel. Nearby a Great Egret flew off in a racket and I discovered the cause of the consternation - a Swamp Harrier gliding over the lake perimiter.

I was intending to head back to the car then, but no, I wanted to see a Great-crested Grebe and Wood Duck. So I kept walking. Got great views of two Clamourous/Australian Reed Warblers. They seem to be particularly visible at Lake Monger. Found one juvenille Great Crested Grebe but no Wood Duck. If I had found a Woodie I would have got all 8 of the common duck species.

The Great Egrets are now in breeding colours as are the Australian White Ibises. The strange bloops, blips and squeaks of courting Musk Ducks fills the air. The Dusky Moorhens are chasing each other incessantly and the swans are singing to each other beautifully.

Unfortunately my stomach eventually demanded that I go home and eat lunch.

Black Swan (breeding)
Domestic Goose
Australian Shelduck
Pacific Black Duck
Mallard
Grey Teal
Australasian Shoveller
Pink-eared Duck
Hardhead
Blue-billed Duck (chicks)
Musk Duck (courting)
Great Crested Grebe (juvenille)
Australasian Grebe (chicks)
Pelican
Little Black Cormorant
Darter
Great Egret (breeding plumage)
Australian White Ibis (breeding plumage)
Swamp Harrier
Black-shouldered Kite
Collared Sparrowhawk (????)
Dusky Moorhen (chicks)
Eurasian Coot
Purple Swamphen (chicks)
Black-fronted Dotterel
Silver Gull
Crested Tern
Rock Dove
Senegal Dove
Little Corella
Galah
Rainbow Lorikeet (breeding)
Australian Ringneck
Laughing Kookaburra
Red Wattlebird (courtship?)
Singing Honeyeater
New Holland Honeyeater (H)
Striated Pardalote (courtship)
Spotted Pardalote (H?)
Weebill (H)
Western Gerygone
Grey Butcherbird (H)
Magpie
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
Rufous Whistler (H)
Grey Fantail (H)
Willie Wagtail
Magpie Lark
Australian Raven
Welcome Swallow
Tree Martin
Australian Reed Warbler
Silvereye (H)