Tricia

Activity 1:  At our nearby pond I saw about 15 Welcome Swallows swooping low over the surface of the water, catching tin insects that were invisible to me.  Beside the pond there was a group of Australian Wood Ducks who appeared to be foraging in the grass.  In the pond itself there were several Eurasian Coots, who occasionally dived below the surface.  The reed bed at the end of the pond is also home to a large group of starlings.  They fly away in groups during the day to find food, then come back to the pond at sundown to roost for the night.

Activity 1: I watched a pair of Galahs sitting on a fence engaged in preening behaviour.  They both preened their own breast feathers and then took turns to preen the head and neck of their partner. Activity 2: My backyard bird feeder (in Canberra, Australia) attracts mostly Galahs, sparrows and crested pigeons, with the occasional visit from Crimson Rosellas and Sulphur Crested Cockatoos.  The Galahs are usually waiting when I put out the Wild Bird seed mix.  There is usually one Galah on the feeder, one on watch and a few others queuing up waiting for their turn at the food.  The one on the feeder usually gathers a few seeds in its beak and then grinds or cracks them.  I am fascinated by the way these birds also use their beaks as climbing tools to get on and off the feeder.  Once the Galahs have had their fill the sparrows and pigeons move in to clear up the leftovers.  In my front yard I watched a Red Wattlebird feeding on an Eremophila plant, pushing its beak right down into the bell-shaped flowers to get to the nectar. Activity 3: I can recognise many of the calls of the common birds in my neighbourhood - the Australian Magpie and the Kookaburra are unmistakeable!.  I can also recognise the Crimson Rosella, the Raven, the Magpie Lark, the Red Rumped Parrots and the Faiy Wrens.  The Koel is a seasonal visitor to the area and is another unmistakeable bird call that I have heard a few times lately.

Activity 1:  I didn't do very well with this activity.  I walked down to a picnic spot near to the Molonglo River and spent 15 minutes trying to spot birds, but didnt see many.  I saw two Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and three Galahs fly overhead, and there were some very small birds in the undergrowth but they were too far away and too fast-moving to identify them.  There were plenty of birds around - I could hear them in the trees and shrubs, but they kept themselves hidden and I couldn’t recognise their calls.  On the plus side, it was a good chance to practice using my binoculars and it was good to spend a little bit of time just enjoying nature. On the walk back home I saw Red Rumped Parrots, Australian Magpies, Magpie Larks and Red Wattle Birds.