Category: Wildlife

View From The Conservatory


For Christmas our granddaughter, knowing our love of wildlife in the garden, gave us a set of rustic residences to place in our garden.

First up is the Bug Hotel. Although the sign on the outside says Insects & Bees, I don’t think we will be that exclusive.

Bug Hotel

Next is the Squirrel Feeder. It’ll be nice to have something specific to them. Although I am sure the birds will make free with the food, just as the squirrels do with the bird feeders.

Squirrel Feeder

All that is left is the bird nesting box. Given the number of cats around our neighbourhood, we’ll have to be careful with where we site it. That’s a job for tomorrow.

View From The Conservatory


Yet another Squirrel photo. Nothing much else to say really.

These little critters are always stealing the bird food. I don’t really mind as I have several feeders around the garden.

Given the cold weather, I would prefer them to eat, rather than starve.

View From The Conservatory


squirrels_cropped

These are just two of the four squirrels that were tearing around in our garden.

Sadly, the one on the left has lost most of the skin and fur from the top of his head. It was looking very sore from the nose up to between the ears. Possibly had an encounter with next doors cats.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photo, I did try to clean it up a bit. This was taken on my phone, from about fifteen feet away and through the double glazing, hence the reflections.

Nesting


Bird
Laughing Dove

The Laughing Dove, or Senegal Turtledove, is not a native of Australia. It is, in fact, native to Africa and India.

Apparently, back in 1898, Perth Zoo released a number of pairs into the wild. Given the natural catastrophes, caused by the introduction of other non-indiginous species into the Australian continent, one has to ask …. “What were you thinking ?”

Now, for some, these pretty birds are referred to as “flying rats”. And, in the same way as the ground based version, viewed as vermin.

Just like the Rock Dove back in the UK, they nest on any flat surface, their excrement gathers wherever they nest and smears the outsides of buildings and monuments.

Thanks to Perth Zoo, these birds are to be found over most of Western Australia.

BBC News: Should cats be culled to stop extinctions?


BBC News – Should cats be culled to stop extinctions?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47721807

Yes, yes, yes !!!

An unequivocal YES !!!

Then come round to my home area and cull the pet cat population too.

Perhaps then, some of the local wildlife will recover their numbers.

Cafe on the Dam


Took a trip out to Serpentine Dam and had lunch at the Cafe on the Dam. Here are a few of the locals who joined us for lunch ……

Australian Ringnecked Parrot
Australian Ringnecked Parrot
Australian Ringnecked Parrot
Australian Ringnecked Parrot
Splendid Fairy-wren
Australian Ringnecked Parrot

Bin Chicken / Tip Turkey


Bin Chicken / Tip Turkey / Dump Duck. These are all local names for the ubiquitous Australian White Ibis (Threskiornis molucca) 

Apparently the Bin Chicken is widespread across much of Australia. It has predominantly white plumage with a bare, black head, long down curved bill and black legs.

These birds are the subject of a “Planet Earth” documentary ….

And even their own animated series ….

Although they are seen in the wild, they have become a feature of the suburbs in WA.

The picture at the beginning of this post was taken behind the Divers Tavern, Broome.

One can only begin to imagine what kind of “bin juice” this Bin Chicken has been drinking