MY MORNING WALK

To quote Gordon Macrae, 'Oh, what a beautiful morning!'

I've just about settled in to Warrandyte.  My daily walks are very different from my walks in Kew.  There are fewer people, no footpaths and different birds.  There is only one exotic species on my walk list:  that is the Common Myna.  Unfortunately, I see it every day.  There were more exotics in Kew.  I remember Common Starlings, Common Blackbirds, Spotted Doves.  Goldfinches were rare, but they were on the list.

This morning was dark and cold so I did not jump out of bed early as usual.  What is there to get up for at the moment?  Consequently, it was a little later when I set off on my walk.  I've always said the birds are at their best between 8 and 9 in the morning.  They certainly were today.

Crimson Rosella

There was mist along the river, but the sun was shining and the sky was blue.  A Common Bronzewing flushed from my front yard as I set off, the first of four I was to see on my walk.  A pair of Red Wattlebirds played tag in my big dead gum tree and an Eastern Rosella sat in the sun looking very colourful.  A Grey Butcherbird serenaded me and a Spotted Pardalote danced in the branches above my head.

I haven't worked out how many Magpie-larks there are in my street.  There are at least four, could be more.  I don't always see them, but I always hear them.

I don't walk far.  As in Kew, I walk for fifteen minutes, then turn back for home, giving me half an hour's exercise.  Until today, the most species I have seen on a walk was 16, which I did once in January.  Today, I recorded 18 species.  A nice way to end the month.

Australian King Parrot

I usually see both local rosellas, king parrots, cockies, Long-billed Corellas and Rainbow Lorikeets.  This morning I did not see Rainbow Lorikeets.  Nor did I see Pied Currawongs, a bird I often see, and usually hear.  I did see one lone Galah, flying overhead and squawking at me.

As usual, I heard kookaburras.  They are quite common in Warrandyte.

I had two unusual records this morning.  One was a Fan-tailed Cuckoo that I heard several times, but alas, I could not see.  The other was Brown Thornbills.  They are not rare here, but I usually see them in my backyard, not on my walk.  This morning I saw three separate flocks.  They were low in the shrubbery and very friendly.  They really wanted to get onto my list.

It was a great start to the day.  Nice to be able to say something positive in these unhappy times.