Warm Spring and a Hot Summer predicted

Winter has gone and been replaced with very warm Spring weather.

The blossoms are out giving enjoyment to all but hay fever sufferers.

Not must enjoyment is given in Spring should you cross paths with this guy pictured below.

The Australian Magpie nests at this time of year with both male and female very territorial of the nesting site.

If you find one in your yard the best thing you can do is cut your lawn.

The freeing of small insects and arachnids by this act makes you an instant friend.

Magpie Antics

Magpies are known for their antics ( and occasional swooping), so I was glad to get these shots the other day.
The post in the picture is a star picket with a plastic tube around it.
Grass is growing through the top.



One magpie stands atop the post, with casual interest to his mate and then seems to keep watch.
The other Magpie flies up and grabs the grass in its beak.
With nothing to hold on to ( the plastic tube is quite slippery) it hangs there by its beak swinging on the grass.
It did this for some time and, if it was attempting to catch a meal, would have found it most unsuccessful with a mouth full of lawn .
It did not attempt to remove any of the grass, nor did it seem to catch anything.

I had the impression it was mucking around.

With young Magpies having flown the coop, I have seen many experimenting with hunting methods.
Perhaps this was play with a purpose.

Winged Hunters

The call of baby magpies wanting food have been frequent and loud around the area, and it was a repeated call the other day that annoyed me enough to grab a camera and see what was all the fuss.

I was able to get the following shots......

Looks like the dinner bell is ringing......

A quick shake to make sure its ready to eat.....

Quite a catch......a mouse!

I was not able to get a shot of the offering taken, as the supplier of that massive meal decided that a worm was a better treat for baby... and kept the catch for itself!

Looking at the size of the offspring I would imagine the message goes:

Its a big world out there...send me a postcard :)

More Avians.....big and small

As previously mentioned there are a pair of Sea Eagles in my area.
Locals have told me that a nest is close handy, and the pair regularly do trips to and from the ocean, fixing those sharp eyes on all...including the lens of my camera.






I believe I photographed a product of that nesting the other day...pictured below.




I was able to get the following shots of this bird also....




Seems the young bird was collecting material for a nest...as we are well into nesting season now.
Since it is not yet mature I wondered if it was helping with the parents nest building....or starting its own.
Perhaps a little learning time is needed to build such a large construction successfully .

More info on these amazing birds can be found here

One a much smaller scale I was also able to photograph this little guy below.....



This Butcher bird was happy to have his photo taken and I have spotted at least three in the area.

Flying the Coup

The last of the Magpie hatchlings are getting the boot from their nests at the moment with a few still getting a feed such as this one pictured.
Magpies pair off for mating, with excess males joining a gang of birds that will pack hunt food.
Earlier in the season we had a young bird that believed it should still have its food supplied. It adopted us to the extent of being a regular visitor in the kitchen should we leave the back door open even a little.
If you feed native birds it is best to check the correct food types for them - remembering that your help may artificially swell numbers beyond their natural limits causing a food shortage if you decide to stop.