A YEAR BACK IN KEW

It is now a year since I have returned to live in Kew, or, more correctly, moved to live in Kew East. I am lucky because I can walk to Burke Road Billabong, and Wilson Reserve is not far away. However, I confess that I do not visit Willsmere Billabong as often as I'd thought I would when I moved here, because the birds are not as prolific there as they used to be. When I moved in I was delighted to see black cockies and Crimson Rosellas every day. Sadly, they soon moved on. I had hoped that they would return this year, but alas! that has not been the case. I do see Eastern Rosellas sometimes. They manage to get onto my birdlist every month, but they are nowhere seen reliably. I am very disappointed that the small birds have disappeared. With the notable exception of Brown Thornbills, all the small birds that used to give me such pleasure, have simply deserted Kew East. We used to have Silvereyes, White-plumed Honeyeaters, and best of all, Eastern Spinebills. I did see a Spotted Pardalote a couple of times last summer, but they are rare here. The birdlist for my house now comprises 28 species, the most surprising being a Whistling Kite that appeared once last October, and a Grey Fantail that appeared for a few days last April. (The beautiful photo below was taken by Ken Haines.) Otherwise the list includes all the usual suspects (Noisy Miners and Rainbow Lorikeets, introduced mynas, starlings, Rock Doves, and blackbirds, and magpies, currawongs and butcherbirds). The only honeyeaters are wattlebirds, both Red and Little. Crested Pigeons are uncommon, but Galahs are not. We have both Little and Long-billed Corellas, but I've just noticed that Long-billed have not yet made it onto my house list. Silver Gulls and Australian White Ibis occasionally fly overhead and once, a Maned Duck landed on the neighbour's chimney. Black-faced Cuckooshrikes are around more often in summer.

I walk every day: either north, south, west or east. My walk list now comprises 48 species. This number is boosted significantly by waterbirds, as my north walk incorporates Hays Paddock. Hays Paddock is a local reserve, with a couple of footy ovals, an adventure playground for kids of all abilities, a small lake and a creek meandering through on the south. I see ducks and occasionally cormorants in the creek, ducks, moorhens, and coots on the lake, and there are usually swamphens wandering on the grass beside the lake. My walks are all quite short, designed to take half an hour in a loop. I try to record 15 species each walk. If it is not raining, this is usually achievable. My best walk was a north walk in spring with 24 species. West walks (to the Harp Junction, along suburban streets) are consistently the lowest scoring. Apart from black cockies, which I haven't seen for some time, the best bird on my walk list is the Australian Reed Warbler, which I did not see, but I heard last summer at Hays Paddock. Just once I recorded White-browed Scrubwren, again at Hays Paddock, but I have not managed to see them again. Masked Lapwing sometimes appear on the ovals, sometimes they fly overhead, calling. Recently I added Red-rumped Parrot and White-faced Heron to the list, which are lovely, but I'd really like to add some small passerines. I have planted natives in my front yard and I have both wattlebirds visiting every day. If I thought it would attract spinebills, I'd go against my principles and plant exotics (I tried Mexican sage at my Kew address - it didn't work!). If I thought Silvereyes would visit, I'd plant fruit trees. But I believe they would have to be in the vicinity to drop in. I'd have to conclude that, so far at least, the move back to Kew has been a success. I do enjoy being able to walk on footpaths. I enjoy being able to walk to the river. I love seeing magpies and Little Wattlebirds every day. I adore sighting the occasional Australian King Parrot and Laughing Kookaburra. It is special to see different lorikeets visit the flowering eucalypts and to mark the seasons with the appearance and disappearance of Welcome Swallows. And, perhaps because they are the last remaining small bird, I think the Brown Thornbills are very precious.