Friday 28 August 2020

YET ANOTHER RECORD BREAKING WALK

It is getting light earlier and the temperatures are rising slowly.  Next week is spring and I'm hoping for more record breaking walks.

This morning was sunny with a little mist on the river as I set out on my walk.  A Striated Pardalote called from the canopy; a Grey Shrikethrush made his presence felt in the bush, joined by a Grey Butcherbird in the distance.  A Magpie-lark called, a fair way off, and a White-faced Heron swore at me somewhere nearby.  My friendly Fan-tailed Cuckoo greeted me.  This bird has stayed throughout the winter, calling most days.



So my score was six before I got as far as the road.  Then three Pacific Ducks flew overhead, calling, followed quickly by a pair of noisy (but very colourful) Rainbow Lorikeets.  Some Sulphur-crested Cockatoos squawked and a pair of Crimson Rosellas flew by. Red Wattlebirds came unusually close and gave me a good look.  I usually hear these birds, but I don't always see them.  A Masked Lapwing called and I wished he'd show himself.  Ubiquitous Noisy Miners flew around the tree tops, calling, the only native bird I wish wasn't here.

Some Longbilled Corellas called, then condescended to show themselves.

I don't walk very far.  The idea is to get half an hour's exercise, so I walk for fifteen minutes, then turn back.  Since I broke my hip, I'm a little slower, so my 'half hour' walk takes 35 minutes.

I heard Pied Currawongs, looked up and, sure enough, there they were.  Below them in the same tree, sitting quietly minding his own business was a Laughing Kookaburra.  My score was now 16 and I wasn't half way yet. Not bad, I thought.

A Common Bronzewing flushed from the roadside, and a pair of Eastern Rosellas flew by, calling.  That was 18 and it was time to turn back.  My best ever walk score was 21.  I wondered if I could beat it, and started thinking of all the birds I didn't yet have on my list.  The most obvious omission was a magpie.  I felt confident I'd see or hear a magpie before I got home.  But could I manage another three to beat the record?

Then a Common Myna called.  These are the only exotics I hear regularly, and they're not as common as they used to be.  I'd be happy to have my score lessened and never see or hear them again.

Brown Thornbills scolded me from the roadside bushes and I was on 20.  This was looking like a record breaking walk alright.



I looked up (I'm not sure why) and an Australian White Ibis flew overhead.  Just the one bird, but one's enough.  Then three Black-faced Cuckooshrikes put on a performance for me, calling and chasing each other.  These were my first BFCS for August, so they were doubly welcome.  With my record broken, the eventual distant call of an Australian Magpie was a bit of an anti-climax, but he did bring my total to 23.

Little Ravens flew overhead, calling.  I've been studying their calls, refusing to be beaten by corvids.  They are difficult, but I believe most of the Warrandyte birds are Little Ravens, with just the occasional Australian Raven thrown in for confusion's sake.

Back at home,but before I entered my front door, a Grey Fantail called, ensuring he was counted.  So I had a record-breaking quarter of a century!  What will I achieve in spring?

Saturday 1 August 2020

MY RECORD BREAKING WALK

When I posted a blog yesterday, I had no intention of doing another one today.  But when I went for my walk this morning, I recorded a record number of birds.  So I had no choice.  I had to post another blog.

Yes, I recorded 20 species of birds on my walk this morning.  Not a huge number, but it's only a half hour walk, so it's not too bad.  Of course, I've only been doing this walk since January, and was forced to take June and July off, so it's not really much of a record.  In January the largest number of birds I recorded was 16; in February it was 15, in March and April, 18 and May 17.  So 20 isn't too bad, especially as it is winter, and I didn't count that pesky unidentified raven, so really it should be 21.

I saw 3 species I didn't see yesterday:  Maned Duck (which we used to call Wood Ducks); Crested Pigeon (unusual for here) and Noisy Miner (unwelcome everywhere!).  Birds I heard this morning that I didn't hear yesterday were:  Long-billed Corella (no Little Corellas here, although they are at nearby Eltham), Common Bronzewing, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Fantail and Common Myna (thus spoiling my record of no exotic species).  When I returned home, there was a White-eared Honeyeater splashing in my bird bath and a White-browed Scrubwren playing with the fairywrens outside my window.  All pretty good for winter.

As I was walking home this morning, I heard the Crested Pigeon, but confess I didn't immediately identify the call.  I knew it was a pigeon, and our most common pigeon is the Common Bronzewing and I knew the call was not that.  I'd heard a Spotted Dove a few days ago, and I knew it wasn't that.  As I looked skyward, I saw a Welcome Swallow flying very high (a bird I would otherwise have missed from my list), then the Crested Pigeon flew into view.  As soon as I saw it, I chastised myself for not having identified its call.  Of course that's what it was!  I should have known that.  I walked a little further on, and, heard the Common Bronzewing calling too.

Keeping a bird list as I do my daily exercise was intended to make the chore less boring.  It has worked!  I now think of my walk as a birding excursion, not my daily constitutional at all.

I have found another birding game to play during this enforced lockdown monotony.  I keep a record of all the birds I see on TV.  I've only been playing this a few days and I already have quite a nice little list.  I have Greater Flamingos and a Long-tailed Widowbird in Senegal, Mute Swans and Canada Geese near London, a Marsh Harrier and a Grey Heron on the Loire and this morning I added a House Crow in Delhi.  No wonder they call us 'listers' in America!