Garden Visitors

May 22, 2022 | paulamyes

Silvereye by Paul Amyes on 500px.com — Silvereye, Zosterops lateralis. York, Western Australia.

We’re still getting visitors to the garden. Lately we’ve been getting half a dozen or so Silvereyes visit at around 4-5pm. They’re tricky things to photograph because they are so small (about 10cm beak to tail) and they move so erratically- think manic clockwork toy on speed and you’ll be in the ball park. Just before sundown we get a female rufous whistler pick over the mulch in the garden beds. I can hear the male in the peppercorn tree but I’ve not seen him.

Rufous Whistler by Paul Amyes on 500px.com — A female rufous whistler visits the garden.

The Nankeen Kestrels have been spending a lot of time on out TV aerial and the power pole on the street. They largely just sit and watch the paddock opposite. Occasionally they are digesting a recent meal. Every now and again we are treated to display of aerial acrobatics where the kestrel will hover over a spot and watch it carefully before diving at great speed to take its prey.

Martiet by Paul Amyes on 500px.com — Nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides cenchroides), York, Western Australia.

Prey sighted now dive! Nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides cenchroides), York, Western Australia.

Backyard Birds 2

May 9, 2020 | paulamyes

Welllllllll…not strictly true. This Nankeen Kestrel was on the power pole on the nature strip in front of our house. Another metre and it would have been in the front garden so I’m claiming it. They often perch there in the cooler months to either observe the field opposite for small animals or to eat the small animal they’ve just caught. This one was running an observation post.

Backyard Birds by Paul Amyes on 500px.com — A nankeen kestral (Falco cenchroides) uses the power pole on our nature strip to watch for prey in the field oppersite. Canon EOS 6d with Sigma 150-600mm f5-6.3 lens. Exposure: 1/500 sec, f7.1 at ISO 100.

Paradise Regained

March 3, 2019 | paulamyes

Back in September I wrote about the various birds nesting in the garden. Well autumn is now here and I thought I’d write an update. The white browed babblers have successfully hatched all their eggs which means there has been a population explosion. They are quite curious birds as they live in communal nests and have separate nursery nests as well which they all take turns in raising the chicks. Well now they are embarking on a building program to make a new communal sleeping nest for all the new adults. As a result these funny little grumpy birds are flying in building materials at a great rate of knots.

White Browed Babbler by Paul Amyes on 500px.com — A delivery of nest material from next door. White browed babbler, Pomatostomus superciliosus. York, Western Australia. Canon 6d with Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens. Exposure: 1/640 sec, f6.5 at ISO 500.

We were also quite delighted to have a visitor. While we were talking one afternoon I spotted a Nankeen Kestrel hunting in the field opposite. It didn’t catch anything and left empty-handed. I thought that was that when I heard a bump from the TV aerial so we both ran outside to look, me with my camera and Helen with her binoculars. Sure enough the kestrel had decided our aerial would make a very good observation perch. It remained there quite unfazed for quite a while. It was only when I tried to get closer for a better photo that it decided to leave.