The birdlife around Hughes-Garran seemed to enjoy another respite from all the recent smoke because the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were out in number and I was even lucky enough to see a Gang-gang Cockatoo nestling. The Gang-gang nestling was particularly interesting as there was a concern among those interested watchers that this season would be a bad nesting season for Gang-gangs because of the drought and fires. With all this activity primarily in one spot I spent most of my morning walk near a single tree. I was enjoying looking at the birds coming and going but by doing so I was able to catch some shots I really liked. I hope you enjoy the photographs below.
A Pied Currawong (Strepera graculina) juvenile was on a post near the right of way I was walking through towards by destination. The bird was calling for food, as most juveniles do, and there were some adult birds around which were probably its parents. I only saw one juvenile bird. I tried not to disturb it but the path was very narrow so it flew off to the low branches of a nearby tree where it hopped uncertainly from perch to perch. You can just see the yellow colouration in the beak that juveniles have.
Juvenile Pied Currawong
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 312mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
Sulphur-crested Cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) are very common around where I live, with large numbers roosting high in the many eucalypts that fortunately still stand. These birds are still interested in hollows at this time of the year so it is worthwhile keeping an eye on things in case chicks appear from hollows. During my walk I saw several pairs that may have been breeding, but it is hard to tell a breeding pair although two birds perched quietly near a hollow for an extended period is a good indicator. By way of example the birds below were near the hollow for a good 20 minutes plus, although I did not see either one enter and then I got distracted by other birds.
Two Sulphur-crested Cockatoos with a possible hollow behind them
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 321mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
One of the pair at the hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/320 SEC])
There were a group of up to four Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in the tree below, the same tree that the Gang-gang Cockatoos were nesting in. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoos were looking at a number of different hollows but initially they did not go near the Gang-gang hollow. After a while some of them did go near the hollow used by the Gang-gangs, looking at it and even chewing around it but not entering. After a while they gave up there and two of them returned to a hollow I had seen being used by this species on 2 November 2019. At this hollow, one of the birds flew straight inside while the other state outside. The one outside would occasionally display its wings and crown while calling. often it seemed in repose to another bird well away from this tree. The bird that had entered the hollow eventually left the hollow and was not replaced by the other bird.
There were up to three Sulphur-crested Cockatoos in this tree
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 135mm, f/14 and 1/250 SEC])
One of them appeared intersted in a hollow I had seen a cockatoo in before
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Two of them appeared interested in the hollow noted as being used by Gang-gang Cockatoos
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC])
In the end it was clear they were still using the hollow I had seen a bird in before
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/10 and 1/400 SEC])
A pair of Gang-gang Cockatoos (Callocephalon fimbriatum) arrived at 7:28 but stayed very quiet, the female in the tree with the hollow, while the male was on a branch in a different tree in line of sight of the hollow. There were up to four Sulphur-crested Cockatoos looking at hollows in the Gang-gang hollow tree but they did not go to the Gang-gang hollow. Another pair arrived at 7:47 but only stayed a couple of minutes before departing. They made some noise but not the original pair, nor was there any confrontation between the pairs. At 7:51 the original pair flew to a different tree about 10 metres to the north, initially to different branches where they commenced preening individually after five minutes. They then came together for mutual preening. At 8:03 the male chased off a persistent Galah that landed in the original tree. He had to chase the the Galah several times before the Galah left the area. He did not chase off the Sulphurs, even when one, then another landed at the Gang-gang hollow to start chewing around it. Those Sulphurs then went to a hollow opposite the Gang-gang hollow where one of the Sulphurs went inside. The male flew back to the original tree at 8:24 but not to the hollow. The female flew back a little later but stayed away from the hollow. I departed from the area immediately near the hollow and at 8:30 the female went to the hollow but did not go in, she just went around the hollow for a minute before flying back to a branch. A minute or so later, a male nestling appeared at the hollow but there was no interaction with the adults. When i made a move in the direction of the hollow, he withdrew inside again. Other gang-gangs were calling constantly from the north.
Adult Gang-gang Cockatoos with the male on the left and female on the right
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/9.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The female approaches the hollow
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
The male nestling emerges
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Dillwyia, the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), seemed to be doing much better than a few days previously when she appeared to have trouble even standing up. Her joey also seemed more energetic and was outside the pouch. As an aside, joeys always put a smile on my face because of the way that they stand straight up to look at me. They remind my of human kids and they appear to be deciding what they should think about me.
The 16 year old Dillwyia seemed more energetic on this Saturday and her joey was out of the pouch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 114mm, f/10 and 1/320 SEC])
This Bark Cockroach nymph (Laxta granicollis) fell from one of my external doors one morning when I opened it to go outside. After the fall, the cockroach just stayed still and I thought it was dead. When I tried to flip it over the cockroach crawled under the door mat. I left it alone.
Bark Cockroach nymph
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1600, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC])
This Flat Spider was exploring our bath towels and bathroom window. I saw it over several days and trusted it was hunting the insects we do not like.
Flat Spider on a towel in the bathroom
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 1600, 100mm, f/8.0 and 1/125 SEC] with Yongnuo YN14EX Macro Ring Lite)