The back garden of the house we were staying in at Narooma was relatively secluded from our neighbours on either side. To the rear was a nature reserve with well established eucalyptus and other trees, but also with an understory for smaller birds to seek shelter in. Over the summer the house’s garden was rich with blooming flowers that honeyeaters enjoyed and attracted insects for the insect-eaters to prey on. The garden was alive with life that barely cared if I was there. Hanging out the washing on the back clothes line always took a while because I was constantly distracted. I started carrying my camera with me because I wanted to capture some of this activity. One day a Little Wattlebird was sampling the nectar from the well established Cape Honeysuckle. The bird wood have some nectar from a few flowers in the group before flying to another group, only to return to the original group a little while later. It was the embodiment of being spoilt with riches and wanting to have it all but not knowing where to eat next.
This is the third post in a series of five looking at different aspects of wildlife at Narooma. In this post I am covering the birds and other animals that enriched the house we stayed in. I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching the birds at the flowers in the garden nnd I hope that you enjoy the photographs below.
The back garden became a real pleasure for me. The warmth of summer and the sheltered nature made for a wonderful combination, especially with the lush growth and blooming flowers. I often felt like I was on some television set in a make believe garden where the sound department was making all the bird calls. In the morning, lying in bed, it was so nice to listen to the myriad of bird calls coming from the garden. It was a lovely way to wake up and it even made me look forward to hanging out the washing.
No surprise that one of the birds that was a regular visitor to the garden was a Grey Fantail (Rhipidura albiscapa). I often saw the bird move through trees and shrubs, its obvious tail movements making it clear it was a fantail. I loved the way the fantail is peaking out from some foliage in the photograph, no doubt spying some food below.
Grey Fantail peering from the rim of a pot
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Some other common visitors to the garden were the tiny but energetic White-browed Scrubwrens (Sericornis frontalis) that noisily flittered through shrubs and small plants. Their incessant chirping became a comforting sound, just knowing that life was around me. Occasionally one would land somewhere open, look around then dive back into masses of twisted plants. The birds were always in action.
White-browed Scrubwren on the garden fence
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The rear garden was home to a family of Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus). They were always moving, as they hopped across open spaces holding their tails high. The family appeared to have fledglings that were still being fed. Both the female and male appeared to be feeding the chicks. Although the male was less noticeable despite his blue plumage and occasionally he would fly to the reserve behind the house. Noting that this species of bird has a reputation for promiscuity I always wondered what the male was doing when he flew off. One morning in observing the fairy-wrens flying around the garden I noticed that the birds were always heading to a specific branch of a tree. When the wind blew some leaves I could see two birds that did not move from the same location. After slightly adjusting where I was standing I had a better view and I was able to see the adult birds feeding the chicks.
Superb Fairy-wren female with a juicy insect
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/500 SEC])
Superb Fairy-wren male
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Superb Fairy-wren female on the right with chicks
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
I was thrilled when I realised that some of birds visiting the garden were New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae). I was so happy to see their black, white and yellow plumage. They were regularly enjoying nectar from the plants but they were also keen to pull the fibres from a plant. I was wondering if they were building a late season nest but I never saw them fly off with the fibres.
New Holland Honeyeaters pulling at plant fibres
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
One visitor to the garden I noticed one day was a Lewin’s Honeyeater (Meliphaga lewinii). It was later in the summer and the bird was keeping to the thickest part of the garden. Despite it being a honeyeater and having a tongue evolved for gathering nectar it favours fruits and insects over nectar.
Lewin’s Honeyeater
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
On numerous occasions there were Eastern Spinebills (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris) around the Cape Honeysuckle. This was a favourite tree of many birds, especially honeyeaters, and this spinebill is one of Australia’s species. I was happy to photograph one of the spine bills doing a hummingbird impersonation when it took nectar on the wing. It could not hold the position for long before it flew to a nearby branch close to a flower to feed more conventionally. This species of bird has adapted well to taking nectar from both exotic and native plants.
Eastern Spinebill taking nectar on the wing
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/11 and 1/1250 SEC])
Little Wattlebirds (Anthochaera chrysoptera) were also common around the garden. They could sometimes be aggressive to other honeyeaters, chasing them away from the Cape Honeysuckle, although the smaller birds were able to hide deep in the foliage before making dashes to grab some nectar.
Little Wattlebird enjoying the Cape Honeysuckle
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 125, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A group of Red-browed Finches (Neochmia temporalis) visited the garden one day. They tended to move around the back edge of the garden. This species is a seed feeder and may have been eyeing some of the long grasses with seed heads growing on a slope at the back of the garden.
Red-browed Finch
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) flew into the garden one day. It is always nice to see these birds because it was my dad who first identified them to me when I was young. They were an easy bird to remember and they always remind me of him. A comforting bird in a way.
Silvereye
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 200, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The most memorable experience I had with a bird was with an immature Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica). The morning that we were leaving, and I should have been focused on preparing for our departure, I heard some scratching noises on glass. I thought it sounded like a bird trying to get an insect on one of the windows. I didn’t really pay much attention to it the first time, nor the second time. On the third time I thought it was strange there were that many insects that a bird was constantly scraping them off the glass. Thinking I should check the situation out I wondered into the bedroom where the noise was coming from and I saw the shrike-thrush jumping up the window flapping its wings. I then became aware that the bird was also calling. I watched it for a little while, concerned that maybe it was hurt and not able to fly. Then I saw it fly to a raised garden bed nearby, which was enough reason for me to fetch my camera. I carefully exited the house through a side door before making my way quietly along the walkway to the back garden. At the back edge of the house I slowly moved my camera around the brickwork while I kept my body hidden. I was able to take a few photographs of the bird in action but when I tried moving closer it flew further away. Returning inside I thought the bird would not return with a human around but after a short time I heard the scratching on the glass. The bird was back. I settled in along the corridor to the room so I could photograph the window while keeping my body out of the room. The bird would arch its body while calling before jumping high up flapping its wings and controlling its descent. In total from when I first noticed the noise, the bird kept this action going for at least an hour. Later I noticed the bird had moved around to the front of the house where it was doing the same to one of the glass pains that surrounded the front verandah. I can only assume that the bird was practicing mating or maybe a territorial defence. I am guessing it knew there was no other bird there. Maybe it was just playing. Whatever it was doing I had a memorable distraction that did make us little late in leaving the house, but I didn’t care.
Grey Shrike-thrush immature bird calling
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 800, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Grey Shrike-thrush flying up the window
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2500, 164mm, f/8.0 and 1/1600 SEC])
The lizards around the house were larger than those I normally see in Canberra. I saw one Eastern Water Skink (Eulamprus quoyii) outside the side door. I was able to lie down to take some shots and the skink was very accommodating.
Eastern Water Skink in the garden
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The Yellow-bellied Water Skinks (Eulamprus heatwolei) were different and were more alert to my presence. If they were sunning themselves they would detect my presence and quickly move near to shelter. In that position they would make a final check before running into the vegetation.
Yellow-bellied Water Skink prowling along the front path
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Arriving at the house one evening I was surprised to see a blob on the sliding glass door. A better look showed that it was actually a Jervis Bay Tree Frog (Litoria jervisiensis) poised motionless on the glass. The photograph below should be vertical but I have turned it because I was having trouble picturing the frog in a vertical position. Despite their common name they are found the length of the NSW coast.
Jervis Bay Tree Frog on a glass window one night
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 100, 100mm, f/14 and 1/180 SEC])
It may be strange to think about a friendly huntsman spider but that is how we began to think about this arachnid buddy. I would have said eight-legged friend but this one had seen better days and was down to only seven legs. We first saw our friend high up in a corner of the living room and he would retreat to behind an alarm sensor of a daytime when we became active. We thought he left us because he was not around for a while. One morning, with the sun already well risen, I did see a huntsman spider spread on the brick wall of the neighbours house and I had this weird feeling that it was looking at me through our window. As crazy as it seems that was how I felt. I think my son and I were a little sad that we felt our friend had gone but then one day we saw the spider walking along the ceiling near the kitchen. Because the spider only had seven legs we were reasonably sure it was our original buddy. Eventually the spider took up residence in our son’s room, who is not really a spider fan but he was happy to have our little friend hang there. The spider tended to stay in the corner near the door. Of a night it would come down to patrol across the carpeted floor but never disturbed our son in his bed. One morning, I was also a little surprised when our son told me about the spider’s nightly movements, our son even had a photo he took on his smart phone of the spider walking across the floor. I took several photos of the spider over the weeks it was with us, that is how I knew it had seven legs, as well as a small ant caught in the hairs of one of its rear legs. Over those weeks we noticed its abdomen getting smaller and we were worried that one morning we would find our friend curled up dead. We were actually genuinely concerned about his fate. I thought about trying to catch him so as to release him outside but he was always too high up the wall. Eventually he crawled into the shelf of my son’s wardrobe and I decided to rescue him. When I went to search for him in that empty shelf I could not find him. There were no obvious gaps and my and I were both positive that was the shelf he had crawled into. We hoped that he had managed to leave and find a good meal.
Our friendly huntsman who stayed with us for a couple of weeks
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 100, 400mm, f/18 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
I am not sure what type of millipede this was but I would commonly see reasonably sized millipedes on the bottom floor of the house, between the garage and rumpus room. This one was around 5 cm long and happily walking in a reasonably straight line. It was not disturbed by my photography and I tried not to stop it from where it was going.
Millipede on the tile floor
(Canon EOS 6D Mk II with a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM [ISO 250, 100mm, f18 and 1/180 SEC] with Canon 430EX III-RT flash)
The house we stayed in was a lovely place, ideally located and with a garden that provided a nice private grove for us to relax in with birds all around. It was nice to spend time there and hanging out the washing took longer each day as I discovered more and more animals around me. Just doing that daily chore surrounded by so much life energised me and put me in a happy frame of mind for the rest of the day.
Thanks for reading this post and thanks also for looking at my photos. I hope you come back again to read more about some of the wonderful natural things that the south coast of New South Wales has on offer. All the best until the next post, Living between land and water - Beautiful Narooma Part 4, Summer 2022/23.