2 White-faced Heron chicks sighted yesterday

I had a job to do yesterday and that was to water the newly planted trees along the edge of the Tenterfield Creek adjacent to my neighbour Carol's property. I also placed handmade tree guards around the seedlings. I found a cheap way of making tree guards by cutting up all variety of boxes that normally get thrown in the bin. The type of boxes I'm using are from cereal; frozen dinners; icy poles; biscuits - including the "Shapes biscuits" boxes; and basically any food stuffs that comes in a box. I cut the ends off the boxes and then fold the box in half by placing the 2 sides together and create a new fold along either side, creating a six-sided shaped box with holes at either end. For holding the things around the trees I use bamboo sticks - actually I broke them in half to make 2 out of one stick. But as I don't have any bamboo sticks left I'll be using just normal tree branch sticks in the future. Use whatever you can find already laying around, that's what I reckon!

So, as Carol, Eleesha and I were down by the creek, and I was collecting the water from the creek itself to water the young tree seedlings, I noticed in the area of one of the tree seedlings there was high grass covered in bird poop. I'm talking about a 6-8 foot square area of poop covering the long grass. So I looked up and right above that area was the Heron's nest. The mother Heron never poops that much nor in that area of the outer branches beside the nest. Upon closer inspection of the branches surrounding the nest, and by looking at the nest I saw 2 herons. At first I was excited thinking the mum and a chick were up there. Next thing one of the Herons moved from an outer branch to the nest. The other Heron was already in the nest. Both Herons then began squarking a bit in the low voice that they have and after realizing that I wasn't their mother they went quiet but nudged each other. The young Herons were a light brown to tan colour and were about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of their mum.

Yesterday, around sunset, the Heron mother was sighted flying low over my neighbour Carol's back yard and then around her shed down toward the creek where her babies are in the nest. It actually looked like she was finding food and being sneaky about it in Carol's back yard for her chicks. More specifically it looked like the Heron mum had come from somewhere close to Carol's back door as she took off. When fist sighted she was very low to the ground, below the roof line, and flew from the back door area of Carol's backyard. She was sighted flying away from Carol's house as Carol, my daughter and I were walking back up to Carol's house through the back gate.

What do the White-faced Herons eat around here is a really interesting question and is open for a lot of guess work really. It says on just about every bird website that I've come across that these birds eat fish, insects and amphibians. The variety of non-bird and non-mammal/marsupial/monotreme wildlife in the immediate area are your normal ground insect species; your aquatic insect species such as dragonflies; water beetles; etc; frogs; water dragon; and skinks and the odd snake (Red-bellied Black and a type of Brown Snake (King Brown or Eastern Brown). Before the 2011 flood there were fish in the immediate are but now there are none. There were also a type of yabby in the creek as well but there numbers declined because of the 2011 flood. The yabbies and fish declined for two reasons - the actual flood killed 99% of the population; and 2 the aftermath of the flood changed the flow of the creek, and in sections of the creek where the water flowed freely there is now sand and sand rubble built up creating sand banks and islands in the creek itself.

Here is a list of critter that appear to have gone missing from the immediate area, that are more than likely have been gobbled up by the mother Heron:

1. The birds that croak like a frog - these may actually be skinks.
2. All the frogs in the Tenterfield Creek adjacent to the edge of Carol's property.
3. All the baby skinks that I have sighted around Carol's garden in the passed few months.
4. No baby Eastern Water Dragons have been sighted at all even though there are 3 adults in the immediate area.
5. There has been a massive decline of large beetles in the immediate area - the ones that are all brown in colour, and the ones known as Christmas Beetles. I've only seen one Christmas Beetle all Summer.

The White-faced Heron is also supposed to eat fish, but as far as I can tell there are no fish in the immediate area of Carol's property and/or within 200 metres of the Heron's nest. So, the question is what other foods are the Herons eating that is enough to feed two growing chicks and the mum? Dog food is not being ruled out here, as strange as it seems, and nor is large skinks either. You see, these birds are quite large and obviously need more food to sustain themselves than Australian Magpies.

In the past before the mother Heron mated she was sighted eating insects from just below the ground's surface. This is the same sort of food that Australian Magpies eat which is in abundance here at the moment due to the rainfall increasing since the beginning of October.

There are no more species in Tenterfield

I've finally come to the end of the line here and, as far as I can recall, there are no more bird species that inhabit Tenterfield. I may have forgotten one or two species mostly because they are unidentifable and are lone individuals of their species that inhabit Tenterfield.

With most of the species already gone due to the drought there is nothing more to write about. This blog may become inactive for a while until I can find something to write about. I will try to add mp3 audio files to the bird calls pages in the meantime.

I am still waiting for the swifts/wood/swallows to come back to Tenterfield. I don't know their exact species. They come in large numbers well, probably 100 individuals, and they make nests at the back of Bi-Lo supermarket. It is 1st December and still no sign of them. They fly around the Bi-Lo complex catching insects that are attracted to the lights, and I've only seen them feed as a flock on sunset. It's an awesome experience trying to walk through a flock of these birds as they collect insects for their young. They often fly at 3 feet above the ground to higher than the roof top as a flock. They stay until their young ones are old enough to fly long distances then together they all fly away as a flock never to be seen again until the next summer. They've been coming here for years to breed.

But anyway, birds really don't do much of anything that is interesting. They wake up, eat, rest, eat some more, poop, socialize, breed, play, and sleep. That's it really.The brreding season for all the birds that breed in Spring is over. All the young birds have left the nest and are elsewhere with their parents. Once the birds have left the nest the family flies off and searches all of Tenterfield for food. Where they go to I do not know. What they eat, I don't have a clue unless I stumbled across them when I am in town. Breeding occurs for just a short period of time and most of it is done in secrecy by the birds themselves. Some species, like the Eastern Rosella and Torresian Crow, you can only guess when the young birds have fledged. There is no warning signs at all. One day they're feeding their young in the nest, next day the nest is empty and it has been abandoned. And they do not return to the nest or even the same tree to roost afterward either. Their roosting sites is anyone's guess as well.

I'll post something as soon as I have something new to post.

MP3 audio files to be added soon

It is exceptionally hard for me to figure out how to create mp3s from video files and then add them to my blog. For me it is like trying to solve a puzzle. As long as the puzzle isn't too hard I can solve it eventually. The other day I came across a website that converts videos to mp3s. I tried it and it works. The website is vidtomp3.com.

So, with the few newly create mp3 files I have (from videos I have of bird sounds) I'm now going to see if I can add them to an mp3 player I have found on another site. Of course, my next step is to add the mp3 files to my Mediafire account so I can get a direct link url for them. Then I add that url to the mp3 player code and it should then play the mp3 file. In theory it should work. If I can get it all up and running, and the mp3 player works then I'll be upgrading the bird calls studies pages with actual mp3 files.

You see, whilst adding information about birds is one thing and videos another thing, the Yahoo Media Player is having trouble loading videos, and my blog is starting to take too long to load now. I need to simplify things so my blog loads quicker and every video works properly.

With, if all goes to plan, mp3 files to listen to I believe this site would be of greater benefit to people everywhere, as well as for myself. At times I am totally unorganized and knowing that I have a tonne of bird calls videos to add to this site, I procrastinate because the whole job is overwhelming me to complete it. Its not a simple matter of adding a few videos, mp3 files, photos or posts about birds every now and then. It all needs to be added on a daily basis. I just can't keep up with all the information I collect on a daily basis about birds. There's just too much information!

The biggest collection I have is of bird calls that I recorded myself here in Tenterfield. Photos not so much. Video recordings of bird sightings I have a lot of which is usually accompanied by their sounds. Putting everything I have onto this blog is going to be time consuming, time, in which I need to find how to make a 24 hour day longer.

If all goes well, please check out the bird calls pages in the next few days to see the relevant changes, and to listen to the new mp3 files. I think I'm having a bad year for writing 'cause all my words are coming out poorly written.

Rufous Songlark Cincloramphus mathewsi

Rufous Songlarks are one of those species that left Tenterfield years ago because of a lack of consistent rainfall. I cannot even remember when I last heard one of these birds in town, it was that long ago.

About 3 days ago 3 of these birds suddenly showed up in Tenterfield late in the afternoon singing their heads off, around the same time some event began at the Tenterfield Showground that involves horses and cows. The strange thing about this is these birds are way too young to have travelled to Tenterfield by themselves, as they are about the size of a Red-browed Finch. In one of the videos (see the links below) that I taped a Blackbird or Common Starling (probably it's a Blackbird) was having a bath then flew onto the power line, the same power line and distance (roughly) from me for me to make a comparison with the two species' sizes. The Blackbird is much larger in size and in fact dwarfs these Rufous Songlarks in size.

As Rufous Songlarks, when fully grown are about 16cm long (females) and 19cm long (males), these have to be juveniles barely out of the nest. The theory on how they got here, is, well a guess but a bloody good guess at that. So here it is...

The parents made a nest in one of the horse trailers or cattle trucks wherever their home was. The truck or trailer was obviously not being constantly used by humans so the parents found it to be a perfect nesting site. They bred and raised 3 chicks (males), maybe more as I don't know if there are any females here. Suddenly, the truck or trailer was loaded with animals (cows or horses) and it took off for Tenterfield leaving the parents with no nest and no chicks. The chicks, unable to fly, basically had to go without food for the entire journey, as that was the last time they ever saw their parents and home. The chicks were at the age where they could fly by the time they arrived in Tenterfield in the truck or trailer. However, when they arrived at Tenterfield they all flew away and started fending for themselves, finding a suitable location near the Tenterfield Creek - across the road from where I live.

These birds have not moved since they got here but unfortunately I have heard one of them today, possibly 2 of the males. I have no idea if these birds will survive or not, but it looks like most of them will survive. If they were not going to survive they would've died by now.

I had to identify these birds by their song alone which is not like other birds' songs. It has more of a rainforest voice, a high pitched voice like the Bell Miner. It was hard to identify them as these birds' sizes differed greatly to that of adult birds but the calls were identical to that of a Rufous Songlark.

During the first 3 days these birds spent most of their time going from the top of power poles to the power lines, or from the very top most point of large trees to other tree tops. They've been singing constantly from sunrise to sunset, in the exact same area. They have not moved more than 100 metres from outside this area since they first arrived. I believe they have been trying to call out to their parents since they got here but since their parents never answered back the youngsters have realized they are completely alone.

They are beginning to go quiet, having breaks in between their calls. I'm guessing that they have come to realize the reality of what happened and have begun to give up ever seeing their parents again. They may actually be spending more time eating and regaining their strength. They are still within close proximity of one another which is a good thing. One of the males has actually moved from the intersection power line at the corner of Douglas and Pelham Streets, to behind the Flats (where I live) somewhere. I hope these young birds all survive and grow up to be adults. I also hope they find themselves mates that are not their sisters - if any females survived the accidental relocation.

I know there are two of these birds and both are males. There actually were three males originally but I think the third one died a day and a half later from starvation. That one went quiet around a day and a half later of arriving in Tenterfield. They all appeared to have flown away from the nest at the exact same time, when they were all strong enough to do so. They all set up their own little territories within about 200 metres from each other.

Click on the links to view these videos I taped in the pop out media player.

Unidentified yellow and olive-green coloured small bird

On Wednesday, 21 November whilst walking home with my brother, I heard some small birds in the trees ahead of us. We were walking on the edge of the road on Douglas Street on the right hand side of the road between Francis and Pelham Streets before the Douglas Street bridge heading in a west direction. I could barely hear the birds, but they flew ahead of us as we approached the tree they were in. There were at least 2 of these birds. By the amount of calls that were coming from the closest tree I'm guessing it sounded like there were about 8 birds in the tree. We were about 10 - 14 feet from the trees as we walked passed them and the birds.

I took 3 videos as I approached the tree that the birds were in and as I was passing each of the 2 trees that the birds flew into but it availed to nothing. I did record their faint sound but no images of the birds at all. Just when I was about to give up on identifying the birds I saw one of them.

For a quick moment as the bird flew from a thick branch coming off the trunk of the tree to an inner branch with thick leaf cover, I saw a flash of colour and could roughly identify the birds. The one bird I saw was about the size of a Superb Fairy Wren, perhaps slightly smaller but was not a Wren of any kind. That much I could tell. The top of it's body was bright yellow and the underside of it's body was an olive-green colour. That's all I saw. It flew into the tree branch (from my left to a lower right position) too quickly for me to see what shape it was and what colour and shape it's head and beak was.

It seems really odd that most of the birds I have researched thus far that have yellow on them actually have yellow on their underside. Until now I had never seen a bird with yellow at the top of it's body.

The birds were quiet and seemed extremely shy, and obviously did not want to be spotted. I saw one of them as I was actually still looking at the tree, and was somewhat looking into the center of the tree as I was walking passed it. I had just looked down at the ground then looked back at the tree when I saw the bird.

Australian Magpie mimicry songs are their "Happy songs"

I am always amazed when I hear the variety of mimicry sounds made by female Australian Magpies. I've always wondered why they do it. What keeps me wondering about their mimicry sounds is why the local ones never mimic Torresian Crow calls or birds of prey or even Masked Lapwings. And then it struck me that they only mimic sounds of things that make them feel comfortable and relaxed. Things that do not harass them, basically. Magpies do not like Masked Lapwings, period, and will chase them out of their territory.

If you listen to any Magpie mimicking other sounds that they hear, it is always things they hear or listen to in their own territory. They never seem to mimic any noises from outside their own territory even if they can hear it. It is also the sort of things and animals that they get along with and don't feel threatened by.

I have only ever heard Magpies make mimicry sounds around my place and only ever out the front. I may only hear the same bird make mimicry sounds once or twice a year, so they are not singing to me to feed them. When mimicry sounds are heard the birds are always alone. How often they sing like this (meaning = Do they sing like this every day when they are alone?) I do not know but once they start doing so (they start mimicry sounds at 1 year of age by the way) they continue doing it throughout the rest of their life.

I actually have a theory as to why they sing using mimicry. My theory is they find a place (location) in their territory where they feel comfortable and will not be disturbed by the rest of the family. Then they begin singing in their Magpie voice then throw in mimicry sounds. When they mimicry sing their voices are quieter than normal, as if they don't want to be heard from a distance. If they are disturbed by anything they stop singing altogether and will not start it up again. Often they will get underneath a tree or next to something big (like a rubbish bin) which seems to further mask their song from travelling through the air to be heard by other Magpies.

I call this mimicry song their "happy song", as that is what it is almost like when listening to it. I honestly do not believe female Australian Magpies mimic sounds they hear for any kind of use in their courtship with their mate - if they have one. I think they mimic sing simply because they are happy and content. But also, I only hear them sing like this in Spring after their babies have fledged. Does their song have anything to do with breeding? I'm not really sure as I've heard a 1 year old Magpie do mimicry singing. A one year old is too young to breed so it can't be something to do with breeding, in my opinion.

Here's a wacky thought ... they are singing happy birthday to themselves because noone else will, or maybe they are singing "Old MacDonald had a farm" in Magpie language!

So, the next time you hear a female Australian Magpie make the sounds of a duck, horse or something else listen carefully to the sounds she imitates. Listen to the sounds that make her feel comfortable the most that exists within her territory.

My apologies for a terribly written post. I've a lot on my mind lately and I can't think at a deeper level to make more coherent sentences.

Even less species in Tenterfield now

I was going to write a post about the Red Wattlebird chick had gone missing the other day but yesterday I saw it in my wattle tree with one of it's parents. I hadn't seen the chick for more than a week but apparently it is still here. The Magpies are still feeding their chicks but I still have not seen the second chick, which is a male. I believe it may have been hit by a car and it cannot fly.

This week has seen some species come and go. The species that I thought was a Grey Shrike-thrush has disappeared. The actual Grey Shrike-thrush male has disappeared - I'm guessing it took off with the last female he found.

There have been another species which I could not visually identify that I've heard around here, that has been here for about 2 months. Unless it is the Grey Shrike-thrush again making even different calls, I'm at a loss to what it could be. This species has also left. It left after the last lot of rain fell.

The Australian King Parrots finally left town as they ate their way through all the wattle seeds they could find. The King Parrots left only a few seeds pods on my wattle tree, and it looks like I might get one wattle seed this year. I plan on germinating that one seed as it is from a wattle tree that it mutating. The King Parrots did not hang around town waiting for the other species of wattle trees to develop seed. What the King Parrots left the Little Corellas are eating.

There are still Eastern Spinebills around, and I believe their chick is still doing well, but apart from the Red Wattlebirds I have not seen any other honeyeaters for about a month.

There was a visiting Eastern Koel (Pacific Koel) heard during about 2 weeks prior to yesterday but it too has left. The only type of parrot around is the Eastern Rosella only because a pair of them decided to breed in one of Carol's gum trees. All other parrots/rosellas/lorikeets have left town. The smaller black birds like the Starlings, blackbirds and mynas have also appeared to have left or are in such small numbers now that they had to observe and record their numbers. There have been a few sightings of some sort of swifts/swallows/woodswallows about town but it is normally only one or two birds sighted each time.

In this post I'm going to add a 29 minute video that I took, to give you an idea of what birds are still in Tenterfield, to the south-west area anyway. Other birds not heard in this video that are still here are the Australian Magpies and Eastern Spinebills and the White-faced Heron.