What a fabulous week we have had here in our own garden at Red Mill House. All too often people rush off somewhere else to find birds, when we have such treats right here.
The final strangler fig to fruit ( the one leaning over the driveway) has attracted the usual figbirds, orioles, trillers, fig-parrots and fruit doves and for the first time for ages, Barred Cuckoo-Shrike. A favourite of our with it’s strongly barred breast and bright yellow eye, a pair have been feeding on the fig fruits.
Palm fruits also feature strongly in the garden at present, with even the Black Butcherbird enjoying them.
We have water back in the pond, at last, and almost instantly the Azure Kingfisher has returned to feed. Hopefully Little Kingfisher isn’t far behind.
A pair of Pacific Baza have been circling overhead with their typical ‘ee- choo’ call (or Eat You, as the locals say) and feeding in the trees of the garden. Their ability to ‘flop’ between trees and find catydis and grasshoppers is fascinating to watch.
The biggest treat for the week, however, has been a family group of Lovely Fairy-Wren in the garden. The males have exceptional colour and the females are bluer and brighter than in any of the fair-wren family. Unique to Australia, the fairy-wrens are one of the targets for birdwatchers from around the world. We are privileged to see them from the clothesline!
Tags: Azure Kingfisher, Daintree, Lovely Fairy-Wren, Pacific Baza, Red Mill House
