I was able to go for a Saturday morning walk today, I was trying to find Gang-gang cockatoos that I had seen over the last two days when I did not have my camera with me. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in my quest but I did come across a eucalyptus tree that had a number of different varieties of birds in it. There were Galahs, Crimson Rosellas, Eastern Rosellas, King-Parrots, Australian Magpies, Pied Currawongs and, of course, Noisy Miners. It was, as if this tree somehow had the the one source of sustainment that all these birds needed. I have begun to notice in my walks that often there is a single tree that seems to be the tree that attracts the most birds. With that in mind I can understand the challenge of forest conservation to not just preserve trees but to preserve those individual trees that have all the elements needed by birds.
The birds I first noticed were the Galahs. They were reasonably quiet with one of them barely moving while the others were flying around. When one of the other bird species flew towards a hollow in the tree a female Galah flew at it while landing beside the hollow. It chewed at the wood on the outside of the hollow, turned to look over its shoulder, then flew back to the branch it had come from. I wondered if it was eyeing that hollow up as a potential nesting location.
A small group of female Australian King-Parrots then arrived to add their calls to the mixed sounds on the tree. One of them went higher up the tree than the Galahs. I thought she had found another cavity but looking through my lens I realised it was just where the bark had come away form the tree. They did not stay long. I later photographed one who was perched in a tree across the way.
A pair of Eastern Rosellas also arrived. I normally see these birds on the ground looking for food so I though it was interesting seeing them in a tree at a time they are normally eating.
A juvenile Crimson Rosella also showed up. There were mature ones as well but they did not stick around long.
A juvenile Crimson Rosella
There were also two Australian Magpies although they may have been using the tree as a perch to observe their territory.
An Australian Magpie keeping a watch over its domain