BLACK-SHOULDERED KITE

 Black-shouldered Kite  Elanus axillaris

 

 

This bird sat for several hours on a  television aerial, just sitting and watching.

 

 

Its brilliant white plumage fluttered all around its body, making it look twice as big as it really was. 

 

 

 

 

I had watched several of these birds hunting along the road, hovering and then dropping quickly into the long grass. Perhaps they had had a successful morning and were now just watching, and digesting what the morning's meal.

KOOKABURRA

Laughing  Kookaburra Dacelo novaeguineae

 

 It has one of the most iconic of all bird calls in Australia.

 

As a child I would watch the Movietone News if I was ever lucky enough to go to 'The Pictures' on a Saturday afternoon. I remember fondly the introduction to each episode featuring the images and voices of the kookaburras. Those of you who are old enough might also remember seeing and hearing them.

 

 

They are beautiful birds, despite their rather dumpy bodies and their large heads. Large and dumpy they may seem but wonderfully balanced as they sit quietly and patiently on a tree branch, ever watchful to see what is moving around on the ground below. 

 Despite their loveliness they are great hunters, swooping to the ground to take small, sometimes large snakes, lizards, mice, small birds, small mammals and insects. 

 

 

Lucky are the households who have regular visits from a local family of Kookaburras.

 

RED WATTLEBIRD

 

Red Wattlebird  Anthochaera

 The wattlebirds are such a common bird in the Kilmore area, it is sometimes easy to forget how interesting and beautiful they are. 

 They are large, noisy, aggressive and like to 'push around' the more placid birds in the area, demanding the best access to the flowering trees.

 

 

This time of the year they are very visible as they move from one flowering tree to the next. This group of birds was very busy in a row of Grevillea Robusta, Silky Oak trees, adjacent to the Kilmore Golf course. There were young amongst the group, identifiable by the lack of the red cheek wattles. 

 

 

 Hence their name 'Wattlebird' as opposed to be named after the common wattle trees in our area.

The wattlebirds used to be the first birds we would hear each morning. Quite early, whilst still dark we would hear the 'Quock, quock' sounds of the early risers which became more harsh grating or barking 'hrarrrkkk-a-krak' as they begin the busy time of feeding. Now it is the vagrant Koel who wakes us ant any time of the day or night with its ubiquitous calling

 

They Wattlebirds beautiful and interesting birds, often maligned for  their harsh voices and cheeky aggressiveness, very similar to many of our enthusiastic and cheeky young people with their sometimes harsh voices who can also delight us every day.