Noisy Miner

Our birds have rescued us from snakes on many occasions.  Magpies, butcherbirds (both the pied and grey species), noisy-miners and others have all played a part at one time or another in keeping us safe.  Most of the time we do not have a camera in hand to capture a photographic record of the event.  But on a few occasions we have been lucky enough to be able to do so.  

The magpies were the first birds we became friends with, even though they came into yard years after the noisy miners, peewees and pied butcherbirds.  

Minnie noisy-miner (left) initiated the friendship.  For weeks she had been watching us talk to the magpies. The two species do not eat the same foods. Noisy-miners eat insects and nectar from the plants.  They love the grevillea bushes (pictured below with a rainbow lorikeet),  (experts liken it to a McDonalds for noisy-miners) and Minnie would spend hours hopping from flower to flower in our backyard.  Magpies on the other hand are bug eaters - they like to potter on the ground digging out bugs and worms. They also like a bit of cheese and bread, which should only be given to them in small quantities as a supplement to their natural diet.

 We've been observing the wild birds who live freely in the trees around our home for ten years.  Many of them are our friends. We know them by name, shape, looks and habits.  They all know their names and each others' names.  They call the one we ask for, often going into the valley to find them and bring them back.

Many naturalists say that the different species don't interact with each other.  But our experience and observations tell us otherwise.  The birds have amazing friendships with birds from other species, even other animals and certainly with us humans.  They are

The birds and wildlife have had a wonderful summer this year, inf act the best in over a decade.  New wildgrasses have sprung up covering the hillsides due to the extended rains and are providing plenty of food and shelter this season in contrast to years of dry, burnt summers.   Check out the pics below to see what they have been doing.

(click on the 'next' button to forward through the slides).

Previous Slide 1/36 NextWillie and Nellie learning to sing against the cloudy skiesLush green grasses fill the paddocksThe eagles are a hunting up abovewhile Rainbow lorikeets are sortingout territorial boundaries belowThe babblers have moved inhaving negotiated their rightsThe wallabies are enjoying the rich pickingsalong with Bertie Vicky Mindy and KennyBilly's family is happy tooLarry and Harrie are singing to gloryThe Crested pigeons are thrilled to bootsMaggie's son Monty has found new friendsKenny wants to get up close and personalGabriel Tuks joined the bat creche and returned to the colonyCharlie Girl is fully recovered and adores PeteJack is much happier now he can fly furtherWallabies relax in the shade at the Long Grass Wildlife RefugeJack adores GabiWild grasses spring up along the roadsidethe whole valley is green - for a few weeks at leastOne eyed Curly the currawongis looking healthy and wellGumnuts are a plentifulButterflies delightBilly's brood is growing upFrieda is all black and white but still as friendly as everNoisy miner is planning another clutch2 eggs in herewhile the nest is being fortifiedwild grasses aboundfilling the bushy landscapeto the joy of the birds and animalsThe galahs are keen to show their nestand pose for the cameraThe peewee too wants to be seen