Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Until Next Year… Little Rose Robin

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red robin“ROSE Robins (Petroica rosea) love to winter at our place on the western side of the Darlington Range in the south-east of Queensland. But come spring and they are off like a rocket to the Lamington Plateau or the New England Ranges to nest.”  Jim Inglis

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  4. spangled drongo says

    Hunter,
    I try to keep records like that too. For all our visiting and sedentary birds.
    While we sadly lose the Rose Robin, Golden Whistler and a few others come spring, we gain a fair troupe of other nomads. The usual cuckoos of course, [they seem to be spring visitors everywhere which makes you wonder they go for the rest of the year] Noisy Friar Birds, Spangled Drongoes, Quail, Cicadabirds, Dollarbirds, Kingfishers, Ducks, Wattlebirds, Orioles, Rails, Crested Hawks and a few others.
    So spring is always a bonus event.

    Ann,
    I thought the European Robin was red.

  5. Ann Novek says

    SDn
    The shot of my robin is quite bad , bad European robins don’t have a bright red colour. Males have brighter colour than females and juvenile birds. I would guess that the robin on my shot has been born this spring.

    PS. I keep as well a ” nature diary”. I notice when the first migratory birds arrive , when the first flowers bloom etc etc….. I take also about 100 shots every day with my simple camera from the nature…..

  7. Ann Novek says

    A little off tpoic , but BirdLife International has choosen the Australian Royal Penguin as the BIRD OF TODAY:

    ” Range & population Eudyptes schlegeli is confined to Macquarie Island and nearby Bishop and Clerk Islands, Australia. However, small numbers of similar-looking birds appear at other sub-Antarctic islands, indicating that it may breed elsewhere. It was heavily exploited in the 19th century, but has recovered and, in 1984-1985, an estimated 850,000 pairs were breeding on Macquarie, with an earlier count of over 1,000 pairs on Bishop and Clerk. The population is believed to be stable. ”

    http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/search/species_search.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3858&m=0

  9. hunter says

    Ann,
    Having a tiny hummingbird come to hand feed would be amazing.
    The juvenile male that seems to be dominating our single feeder so far this year seems very fearless. I was in the garden working, and got within about 8 feet of him. He was just hovering, staring at me, eye to eye.
    I am seeing fewer hummingbirds so far this year. I wonder if hurricane Ike last year possibly killed off a significant number, and that it may take a few years for them to recover. In our neighborhood, we cooperatively plant bushes and flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The plants are nice garden additions, and the effect of monarchs, various swallowtails, frittelaries, and yellow sulfurs, along with the hummingbirds can be very peasant.

  12. hunter says

    This afternoon, I was hanging a new hummingbird feeder in the back yard, and the juvenile cruised into the flower beds to feed while I was out.
    I stood very still. It was feeding on firecracker plant flowers
    http://www.tcpalm.com/photos/2007/sep/13/15540/
    Native turks caps
    http://klru.org/ctg/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/turks-cap-web.jpg
    salvias, and the original hummingbird feeder.
    It cruised around me several times, getting within about 20cms.
    I held the new one out to see if it would feed from it while I was holding it.
    It did not, I am guessing because it was a new feeder.
    But with two feeders, there are now multiple hummingbirds feeding. It looks like a ruby throat and a rufus, possibly.
    So no hand feeding, but maybe there is hope?

  13. Hasbeen says

    Way back in another life, when I ran tourist boats in the Whitsunday Islands, I loved the little sun birds, with their beautiful teardrop nests. Most people did, & they returned the compliment.

    A pair found a small hole in an island resort office flyscreen, & built a nest hanging from the boss’s light fitting. The staff reinforced the hole, rather than repair the screen, & lock the birds out.

    I was in the power house workshop of that island one day & heard the following exchange between the big, tough, black bearded, hells angle looking power house mechanic, & a sweet kind looking greenie type waitresses.

    Waitress “What are you making”? looking at some 3/4″ water pipe & truck tyre tube rubber.

    Mechanic. “A catapult”.

    W; “What for”?

    M; “To get the bl@@dy currowongs”.

    W; “What for”?

    M; “Because they are still getting my sun birds”, pointing to 3 sunbird nests, hanging from the roof frame, surrounded by chicken wire protective cages, & a damaged one near them.

    W; ” You can’t do that, that’s part of nature”. “That’s what currowongs do”.

    M: “Well I’ve got news for those currowongs”. I’m part of nature too, & I don’t like the bastads”.

    When ever I find myself, starting to judge a book by its cover, I think of that conversation.

    Of course I probably should be worried that with too much of this sort of thing, the islands will sink, under the weight of excess sun birds.

  14. spangled drongo says

    I was trying to find a decent photo of the Yellow-bellied Sunbird which, like the Scarlet Honeyeater and Hummingbird is a tiny nectar eater that hovers as it feeds. I have at times found both these Australian birds completely wrapped up in, and incapacitated by, cobwebs they were collecting for nest building.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregbm/3715506631/

  15. Hasbeen says

    Thanks drongo. They are lovely birds.

    I think they must have a better school on Long Island. Their nests were much neater. Of course, they may have had access to a better range of materials, at a resort, than in the bush.

  17. Ann Novek says

    ” Kolibri is the word for hummingbird in numerous languages, originating from a now extinct indigenous language of the French Caribbean colonies” – Wikipedia

  18. hunter says

    Ann,
    The Colombian part of my family was just explaining “kolibri” to me yesterday.
    We are still experimenting with placement of the feeders. The little buggers are so territorial that if they see each other, a fight ensues.
    My impression is that the count is down from last year pre-Ike, so I am seeking ways to make their stay in our little part of Texas as well fed as possible.