Bird Watching

Surrounded by the Muogamarra Nature Reserve, the bush behind our houses is alive with birds and at times they dominate our lives a little more than we would really like them to.  Watching and learning about them is a never-ending adventure.  The noisiest is the Channel Billed Cuckoo.  It arrives from Indonesia in early October and doesn't let up on its ghastly squawking til it finally flies off home as autumn approaches the following year.  Brush Turkeys prowl our gardens, sometimes invading houses, or building their bonfire-size nests in backyards.  Our pelicans learnt who the best fishers were long ago and perch patiently on posts to wait for their share of the catch.  Occassionally startingly red Kings Parrots drop in. Harder to spot are Buff Banded Rails, Mistletoe Birds, Pardalotes, Darters and Tree Creepers.  The tally by our "chief twitcher' Lesley, is nearing 70 species. Click here to see the full list.