A Riled Red-cap

I hadn’t even had the chance to open the lid when a raucous kkaaaaaaagggghh made my heart jump! I nearly fell out of the tree backwards!

I got really excited a few weeks ago when I observed a pair of Red-capped Parrots (Purpureicephalus spurius) inspecting one of my nest boxes. Red-caps are one of the 14 birds endemic to the south-west of Western Australia (meaning they’re found nowhere else in the world). 

Since the first sighting I had left the pair alone as to not disturb them while they were moving in, but yesterday I was certain they were sitting on eggs. It was time to get some photos! I scaled the tree but was greeted by an aggressive warning call. Not only was the sitting bird unfazed by my presence, but let out a warning to let me know I wasn’t welcome! It’s so unusual for birds using nest boxes to behave like this, but great as it means they are likely to defend their nest site and rear young successfully.

I managed to lift the lid slightly to snap the above shot, then I left her alone. This will now be the second year that our most beautiful local parrot has called one of my nest boxes home. Last year a pair reared 4 young in a box nearby, but I was away and only managed to get photos of the chicks in their first week (see below). This time I hope to document them as they grow up.

Here’s a shot of young Red-caps in the nest box last year:

GoPro on Galahs

The Galah is one of the 4 most widely recognised Australian birds - the other 3 species being the Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark (or Peewee) and the Willie Wagtail.  Galahs are actually a bird of the arid interior, and only arrived in Perth in the 1960’s following a large expansion of their range.  This was because the species benefited enormously from agricultural land-clearing, and is now a common breeding resident in the Perth Hills.

I’ve had a pair nesting in my nest-boxes in Parkerville for the last 4 years.  This year I installed a tiny GoPro sports camera inside the box to keep watch of the parents incubating.  The Galah is the only Australian species of cockatoo that lines the inside of its nest hollow with eucalypt leaves - all other species lay on the bare sawdust.  Eggs are laid 1-2 days apart, so hatching at different times.

Here are some of the first glimpses of the female incubating, then the first egg hatching.  The cutest bit is at the end where the female joins the male and both sit inside the nest.

Gentle Galahs from Simon Cherriman on Vimeo.

Know about New Hollands

You’ve probably seen a New Holland Honeyeater many times before.  They are a common bird in the Perth region and across much of southern Australia.  I love birds that habituate so easily and nest right in our gardens!

Here are some chicks being fed by there dedicated mother:

Know about New Hollands from Simon Cherriman on Vimeo.

Raven Nestlings

A pair of Australian Ravens has this year nested in the top of a gum tree in our front yard.  I scaled the nest, which is 35m above the ground, to install a mini sports camera (GoPro) to record some of their behaviour.  The climb was exhilarating and the view from the nest spectacular.  I was even happier when I took the camera down and saw it had taken some of this footage...

Incredible Ibis!

Yesterday on the way home from Pinjarra I found an AMAZING breeding colony of Straw-necked Ibis.  HUNDREDS of birds in a tiny little swamp. One nest cluster had SIXTEEN nests in 2m squared! Such incredible animals! And in the middle of all that activity, a Black Swan nest :)

 
More photos here.

Urban Eagle Update

I stopped to check on the Pylon Eagles’ nests late this evening and from my roadside pullover point I peered anxiously through my binoculars. I was thrilled to notice that one of the nests had a small shape on it - a sitting eagle! I scanned up to the top of one of the pylon arms and noticed another eagle perched. This means that the urban nest site is once again active, and the birds are almost certainly incubating eggs. It will be amazing to see then nest when it contains young eagles!

Feeling inspired about the capability of wildlife to adapt to this anthropomorphic landscape, I made this short film:

More Frogging

The frog chorus at Parkerville Dam has shifted slightly, with a few more voices being added to the repertoire, changing it’s feel, and it’s pace. Although the Bleaters and Clickers are still going quite strongly, their small voices blend into the symphony now with Slender Tree-frogs (Litoria adelaidensis) and Banjo Frogs (Limnodynastes dorsalis) piping up for their turn.

The latter species is sometimes called the ‘Pobblebonk’ as it makes a three-noted call that sounds a bit like this word being said in a deep voice: POB-BOL-BONK. Last night I spent 3 hours at the dam, listening to the trickling creek, a light wind in the canopy, the frogs calling, nature surrounding me with it’s richness and vibrancy. I counted 5 Banjo Frogs, which is more than I’ve ever had before!

I even managed to sneak up on one and get photos of him calling, and I was amazed to see his engorged throat pouch which reminded me of an off-colour tennis ball. I took a few photos and then he ducked under the reeds to hide from me, so I caught him and got a few more photos up close :)

 

First Frog Foray

 The wonderful season of Makaru (winter) has arrived in the Perth Hills for 2011, and what a great start it’s been! Although we’ve all nearly forgotten what it is like to get proper rainfall, the months of June and July (so far) have given us a promising start to wash away the previous years of drought.

One of the first creatures to rekindle their lives after months of dryness are the Crinias, species of tiny frogs that make up for their size with their loud voices. At my dam in Parkerville there are now three, sometimes four species of Crinia that have moved in since I began revegetating it with wetland plants five years ago. (Well, technically three Crinias, one is a Geocrinia). Two of the species have begun breeding already, with the males calling loudly to attract mates. It’s such a pleasure to listen outside as dusk approaches and hear the place come ALIVE!

At the moment, the Bleating Froglet (Crinia pseudinsignifera) is     dominating the ear drums, and I have spent a few evenings on my hands and knees in the mud locating them to photograph.

Here is a male who has just ceased calling after I shone my headtorch on him :)

After snapping this shot, I was then THRILLED to find 2 males fighting - one had his jaws clamped onto the other’s abdomen, and was quite forcefully ‘asking’ him to move on and find his own place from which to call. Well, I’m sure if he could, he would ask politely!

Next thing I knew the first male had flipped the other one on his back and really was asking his pal to get outa there!

Another species calling as loudly as the Bleaters is called the Clicking Froglet (Crinia glauerti), which is only about the size of a 5c piece (below). He makes a really loud rattling sound that makes your ears hurt if you get too close! After looking VERY hard in the mud I managed to photograph this little one trying to tell all the females that HE is the one for them!

I’m 27. Who says finding frogs is only for kids?