Birds in my Street

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Bird walking
in my street...

I set out this morning
for a long walk
but got no further
than half way around the street
- it is a circle-
on a reclaimed island
that was once mangroves



Firstly I was stopped
by the baby Honey Eaters
The tubby one above
will become
a Yellow Faced Honey Eater

on the other side of the street
a tiny honey eater
perhaps a female
Scarlet Honey Eater,
was singing loudly
a silvery note high overhead

She was only about 8cm long

I cross the street again
drawn by another bird call
and see the red eye ring
of a young Figbird

with a yellowy olive coat
and a white to pale yellow breast

this fig bird is a male
the female is brown
with a matching eye ring

the Figbird loves to eat fruits
from native figs to mulberries

In the Casaurina trees
the baby Noisy Miners
were living up to their name

demanding their mother's return
with food

while fluffy and cute now
they will turn mean and bossy
like this adult
with the glint of the devil
in his eye

a few houses along from the park
two baby Yellow Faced Honey Eaters

sat in a Pandanus tree
and preened

and then around the bend
I encountered

a clan of immature Magpies
who show little fear of humans
and let me walk right up to them

they had been feeding
on a house block
freshly cleared
after the demolition of a house

the little band of youngsters
have been rejected by their parents
and formed their own flock

they meandered
towards home with me

keeping at least one eye
on the movements
in the grass

they kept me company
for the rest of my walk

and so one hour later
I returned to my starting point
having only walked
around a small circle
but having seen
a bounty of birds...


and
I can walk again this afternoon
maybe I'll return
to Sunshine Beach
to try and photograph
the tiny little Red Backed Wrens
I saw yesterday
just after the camera batteries died...







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