COMINGS AND GOINGS

Spring is in the air. As I opened my front door this morning, I was greeted by three things simultaneously: a magpie carolling; a Red Wattlebird, which had been feeding in my grevillea, flying to freedom in the neighbours' yard; and, for the first time ever, actually on my front doorstep, a Welcome Swallow swooping around my head. We've had a few swallows overwinter this year, but I reckon this fellow had just arrived. He was swooping joyously, and was soon joined by several mates. Then a blackbird sat up high and sung his heart out. It was the first morning for a long time that I hadn't worn gloves on my morning walk. Although spring is officially another eleven days away, I can already feel it in the air. I have a girlfriend in Canada who told me that she loves the change of seasons. When she said this to me some fifty years ago, I had to stop and consider. I'd never really thought about it. I look forward to the summer migrants of course, and I'm sorry when they depart, but I'd never really given much thought to the changing seasons. If I lived in Canada, I'm sure it would be different. Here, changing seasons are not quite so noticeable as in Canada, but still the birds come and go. They are not all migrants. Some are nomads and others seem to be changing their distribution, whether because of climate change or for other reasons. We had an Olive-backed Oriole overwinter this year. In truth, there were a pair of them. They called throughout winter, and I imagined the displaced summer call to sound melancholy in the depth of winter. Once, years ago, I saw a male Rufous Whistler that overwintered. He seemed quite out of place. I expect, with global warming, there will be more and more strange overwintering interlopers. Occasionally, for no apparent reason, I am delighted to see Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos here. The other day, 33 wailed overhead as I walked down High Street. It was wonderful! Recently, we have been lucky to enjoy some Gang Gang Cockatoos. They arrived in July and I'm pleased to report that they're still here in August. They must be one of my favourite birds. What a delight!

This week I saw an Australasian Swamphen at Hay's Paddock. I used to see them there regularly. But they disappeared sometime last October. Each time I go to Hay's Paddock, I look for them. They haven't abandoned Melbourne: they are still commmon elsewhere. Then, this week, hooray! they are back. They are nomadic, so I have no right to complain when they disappear.

The Australian King Parrot is a bird which has arrived here recently. They are very beautiful, but they were never a rare bird. My brother has them daily in his garden in Eltham. However, I didn't see them in Kew. I saw my first King Parrot in Kew (from memory) early this century. I thought it must be an escaped cage bird, so I rang Mike Carter. He said, no, King Parrots were extending their range, and, sure enough, now, some twenty years later, they are resident in Kew. I see them just about every day. I try not to be surprised when new young birders don't know that Crested Pigeons are new to Melbourne. I remember watching them in the 1980's at Erldunda and admiring their pretty pink feet and loving the pattern they made in the red sand. I never dreamed that they'd one day become a common bird in the suburbs. From memory, they arrived in Kew shortly after I did, in 1994. Another bird that arrived in Melbourne after I did is the Eastern Cattle Egret. It is uncertain whether they self-introduced from Asia, or whether birds introduced to the Kimberley in 1933 to eat ticks from cattle, spread throughout the continent. I prefer to believe that they self-introduced. The 'Atlas of Australian Birds' shows them present in the Northern Territory and Queensland before 1901, and they were in Victoria by the 1950's. This photo is by Brook Whylie and shows his sexy orange breeding plumage.

I look forward to the full glories of spring: more warmth, more sunshine, and, best of all, more birds.