After the Solstice on Cloud 9

With return of the warmer weather the last couple of days, the birds are all very busy and thankfully give me plenty of opportunity to get more photos. 
As you can see from the way he looks up the Grey Shrike Thrush was very intrigued when Nick started whistling to him, at one stage he can right up to the windowsill, but never answered back. 

 At least 3 Grey Fantails were extremely busy fluttering around catching insects. And the acrobats of today are the Green Rosellas - we never stop watching and enjoying their antics!

 The one with his/her back to the camera had been in an argument a couple of weeks ago and we noticed the tailfeathers are still out of plum.

Today lots of different birds making quick visits. Put some Mandarin segments on the lawn, only the Silvereyes and Grey Shrike Thrush were interested.

The Blue Wren that was changing into his blue mating suit has not appeared for the last 5 days. His mates were here, counted 11 this morning.
A Tasmanian Thornbill landed on the Weeping Cherry tree, quickly hopped on the gutter and flew away before I could take a photo. Haven't seen him come back yet but know he is around hiding somewhere.
No doubt Des will spot him on Wednesday!

The big Candle Cassia is still honey-sucking favorite for several birds. Lovely to see it!

Eastern Spinebill

Happy bird watching!

Annette and Nick.

Blue Wrens beginning to moult

We noticed one of the Superb Fairy Wrens is already moulting. We thought this was rather early in the season. Is this so? Annette

 Superb Fairy Wren from Annette

 Noticed the exact same thing out here on the 22 June, Don't know past history of moulting times for the East Coast but wikipedia and Disjunct Naturalists mention changes of colour during the first breeding season. John

Video from John

Heard a bird song before seven the last couple of mornings, I think it may be a Bassian Thrush, any suggestions?
Two confirmations, indeed a Bassian Thrush, male and only in winter, usually  during twilight john

Update from Annette's Graden

More interesting happenings with our Yellow Wattlebird. As the appeltree is now bare, the apples we put out in the birdhouse are his target. Poor Green Rosellas, after all those freeloading years they are suddenly personae non gratae in their old happy feeding grounds! Good to see that although they fly away when chased by this newcomer, it's no permanent deterrent as they keep coming back! 

Interesting to see that when the Green Rosellas all suddenly scattered in panic - as they do for one reason or other, or no reason at all! - the Yellow Wattlebird was just as quick to join them and go for safe cover - and did not return until the Rosella were safely back.

Apart from the ones of the Yellow Wattlebird, also a photo of the Currawong, sitting on his favorite perch singing in the rain.

Happy birdwatching to all!

Annette and Nick Amse

Grants Lagoon

 Here is the bird list from a beautiful winter morning at Binalong Bay and Grants Lagoon (thanks Des). The morning tea was a taste of winter....Des's seafood chowder, cakes and BBQ sausages. Annette took some lovely photos too!

Next month our walk will be at CLOUD 9, Ansons Bay Road (Nick and Annette's property) on WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY. Meet there at 9.00am or the Bayside 8.45am for carpooling.

Best birding wishes,

Liz

Bird List

LITTLE PIED CORMORANT Microcarbo melanoleucos GREAT CORMORANT Phalacrocorax carbo AUSTRALIAN PELICAN Pelecanus conspicillatus WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE Haliaeetus leucogaster BROWN FALCON Falco berigora AUSTRALIAN PIED OYSTERCATCHER Haematopus longirostris HOODED PLOVER Thinornis rubricollis MASKED LAPWING Vanellus miles PACIFIC GULL Larus pacificus SILVER GULL Larus novaehollandiae SUPERB FAIRY-WREN Malurus cyaneus TASMANIAN SCRUBWREN Sericornis humilis BROWN THORNBILL Acanthiza pusilla EASTERN SPINEBILL Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris YELLOW-THROATED HONEYEATER Lichenostomus flavicollis LITTLE WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera chrysoptera YELLOW WATTLEBIRD Anthochaera paradoxa CRESCENT HONEYEATER Phylidonyris pyrrhoptera NEW HOLLAND HONEYEATER Phylidonyris novaehollandiae GREY SHRIKE-THRUSH Colluricincla harmonica GREY BUTCHERBIRD Cracticus torquatus GREY FANTAIL Rhipidura albiscapa SILVEREYE Zosterops lateralis WELCOME SWALLOW Hirundo neoxena BLACKBIRD Turdus merula

King of the Appletree from Annette

This might be interesting to some of our bird observers on the Blog.

Our late bearing absolutely loaded apple tree is a great attraction to lots of birds.  It started with the Green Rosellas, Silvereyes and Blackbirds, then in moved the Yellow Throated Honeyeaters, Crescent Honeyeaters and New Holland Honeyeaters. Lovely to watch them hang just about upside down and inside out picking at the apples.   Next came Black Currawongs, but only for a short while as they are now being chased out by Yellow Wattlebirds, who definitely think they own all the apples, and will not share their pickings with any of the other birds. As soon as one dares to land in the tree, they are immediately attacked and with a lot of screeching and clapping of wings chased out!

The small birds have all but given up, but the Black Currawongs fight back. All to no avail, every argument and some real fights with feathers flying everywhere, are won by the Yellow Wattlebird who now seems to have proclaimed himself KING OF THE APPLETREE!!
While none of the other birds is even allowed to land in the tree but banished to left-over pickings on the ground, the Black Currawongs are not even allowed that anymore. Obviously black-banned! 
Interesting to see the Rosellas never give up, there's always one brave one who flies into the tree, and since there are often about a dozen of them, the feisty warrior does not get much time to eat.
We also have some clever free-range chickens - saw one chase a rabbit away from the apples! - and they too are tolerated by the self-proclaimed Apple King, either they are too big to tackle or because don't bother to fly up into the tree.
All interesting behavior and very entertaining! No need to feel sorry for the Currawongs though, late in the afternoon when all others have disappeared they return in force to have a peaceful apple-picking feast all by themselves with no interference from those bullying Yellow Wattlebirds!

Hereby some photos I took yesterday of some of our visitors.

Kind regards!
Annette