Just had a few days at Metung. Super quiet down there. Wasn’t focused on birds but di have a white bellied sea eagle fly close overhead twice. Of course there were lots of other birds to see. Just hoping this bird flu doesn’t wreak too much havoc…
I’ve only realised recently the white-bellieds have a wedge-shaped tail, and wonder if sometimes I am seeing them in sillhouette and chalking them up as wedgies (which are also definitely common around Walkerville where I we spend a bit of time). I suspect mostly they are wedgies, but there’s at least one nesting pair of white-bellieds always in the area.
The Indian House Crow that turned up in South Melbourne late last year is still being reported in the area and the suspicion/fear is that it is in the process of interbreeding with the Little Raven it has been spotted sharing a nest with. BH was told at the time that the bio security/bird police were going to catch it and put it down. Not so easy to do apparently. They’ve had a devastating effect on native birds in other countries when they moved in. The speculation is that it arrived on a ship.
Some of BH’s pics from yesterday’s Bass Coast trip. #Northern Giant-Petrel- The Nobbies. Yep, the species currently dominating the bird flu panic, cruising along the coast at Phillip island. Look closely to note the dark tip on the end of the beak, the diagnostic feature.
Plants too. Some yellow and red box trees are flowering around Eltham - they flowered a bit in winter last year too - whereas Oct-Jan is more typical. And I have a potted dwarf Mulberry. Was waiting for dormancy to take some hardwood cuttings, but before the old leaves dropped, new buds burst and it’s now got around 1/3 sized fruits all over it already! I expect a severe frost might wreck that but will wait and see I guess.
#Powerful Owls - Bendigo Region. Bit of an Owl event on the way home from grandson’s birthday in Bendigo on the weekend. Went in search of the Dad and ended up seeing the whole family. Thought it might be climate change having fledglings this early but turns out Powerful Owls start early so it’s normal to have young ones in Winter.
Apparently this fledgling’s been out of the nest for less than a week. Cute as hell providing you’re not a possum. That’s Mum watching stage left.
So, I’m not sure if any Blitz birders use a bird listening app? Nonetheless I wanted to share UK results from our limited use of one i.e. the Merlin Bird ID from Cornell Labs. There are others and in Oz there’s equivalents I expect? Anyway, as we’re near a woodland and a private fishing lake isn’t too far away either the results have been encouraging. Uses AI and a reasonably large sample of bird calls apparently.
Only used it a few times and normally 10-15 mins per session. Some birds I know who are common visitors weren’t around at the time e.g. Jackdaw, Crow, Thrush, Goldfinch .. but nonetheless even if you can’t see or photograph them, there’s plenty out there.
During my walk this morning, it was sad to see so many dead birds (at least a dozen) washed up on the shore. Council are doing their best to pick up and dispose of the poor things.
