A garden can be a realm of nature that surrounds a house, however it is more than just a collection of plants. A thriving garden is also a thriving ecosystem where various interplays happen between a variety of organisms all living out their own life cycles. The rear garden of the house in Narooma is a green sanctuary that is not large but I can enjoy and wander around in. It is also a place that a variety of birds visit. We are lucky having a lush nature reserve behind us that birds visit our garden from. One visitor we had was an Eastern Yellow Robin. Fortunately, I was walking up the stairs to the garden with my camera when this little bird decided that a garden statue of a cowering dragon made the perfect perch. It landed on the dragon’s head, like that was the cause of the dragon’s distress. I was worried that lifting my camera would scare the little robin away but it disregarded my movements. It remained there long enough for me to take several shots, trying out slightly different angles as well. The bird was delightfully posed and made my afternoon with its presence. I was really happy with how the shot turned out and I hope you enjoy the photographs below.
This Little Wattlebird (Anthochaera chrysoptera) was moving through the garden calling the whole way and found the spear coming from the palm. There did not seem to be any calls in reply but there were certainly other Little Wattlebirds around the neighbourhood. This group of birds derives its name not from an association with wattle plants but from fleshy wattles that normally hang from the cheeks of these birds. Although, with that said, it should be noted that the Little Wattlebird is an exception in that it does not have any wattles. The bird is also called the Brush Wattlebird.
Little Wattlebird calling
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
On several occasions groups of Red-browed Finches (Neochmia temporalis) rambled through the garden. They preferred trees with tangled branches, possibly as a means of protection from larger birds, although they didn’t mind also being out in the open, as the photo shows. They are social birds, and it was rare to see a lone member of this species, and if there was, more finches could be heard in the surrounding vegetation.
Red-browed Finch watching from a gutter
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 400, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis) were regular visitors, which can be a good thing because they eat insects like aphids that are pests in gardens. However growers of smaller fruits, like grapes, can find these birds a pest because they can get through nets intended to protect crops. In the breeding season of Spring to Summer, the local population may move northwards, with a more southern community flying in to the recently vacated ‘warm’ location for those birds accustomed to a colder climate. As an example, Tasmanian silvereyes will fly in flocks across Bass Strait to Victoria to breed.
Silvereye
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The New Holland Honeyeaters (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae) rule a part of the garden. They always inhabit the large Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis) tree in one of the corners of the garden. Often they will chase other similar sized birds out of the plant. They are constantly communicating, and, being a social bird, that helps them be more efficient in their daily lives. They are such wonderful little birds, with great character, and they always make the garden a more lively spot. An interesting fact about them is that they were one of the first Australian birds to be scientifically described. In this case by the British ornithologist, John Latham, who described the bird in 1790, among others that had been brought back to Britain for just such a purpose just two years after European settlement of Australia.
New Holland Honeyeater in a Cape Honeysuckle
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 500, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
A very regular visitor to the garden is the Eastern Spinebill (Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris). A bird with a subdued yet striking plumage. The distinctive whir of its wings is often the first indication that it is in the garden when it flies from one plant to another. It is not worried about scouting around low plants with flowers, dropping right down to the ground.
One day a much duller version of the Eastern Spinebill was also in the garden, it was an immature individual.
Eastern Spinebill adult
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 320, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Immature Eastern Spinebill
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
It is always a wonderful day when there is a Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus moluccanus) around. The lively colour of these birds seems to match their garish behaviour. Their loud calls advertise their presence, whether it is flying over head or enjoying some flowers. Their tongues are feather-like to help extract the nectar from flowers, making them good pollinators. They are also fans of the Cape Honeysuckle in the garden.
Rainbow Lorikeet enjoying the Cape Honeysuckle
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1000, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
Eastern Yellow Robins (Eopsaltria australis) are a fixture of the back garden. Normally it is just a single bird that appears in the garden. One afternoon one of these robins took advantage of a recently cleared garden bed to search for juicy insects turned over in the soil. It had rich pickings with many bugs being obvious by trying to crawl back under the soil.
Eastern Yellow Robin looking for food in a freshly turned garden patch
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/320 SEC])
There is an artificial pond in the back garden, which was installed to attract frogs but has become far more. It is starting to become its own little ecosystem with other pond animals inhabiting it as well. However, more than that, it is a source of water for other animals. While there are also a couple of birdbaths in the garden the pond is often a preferred location for bathing and drinking. A group of three Striated Thornbills (Acanthiza lineata) certainly thought so. Individually they would land on a plant branch sticking out of the water. After settling there to presumably check the surroundings the bird would jump into the water and shake itself vigorously before existing back to the branch where it would shake the water off and do a bit of preening before repeating the process. Each bird would do this a few times before jumping higher up the plant to fly off to a nearby shrub.
Striated Thornbill at a garden pond
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
There is a Grey Shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) that regularly visits the garden providing a nice soundtrack with its melodic call. Its song is often a lovely accompaniment to the day even if the bird is not visible, just the notes of its call are a soothing sound. These birds have a varied diet, from small animals to occasionally seeds and even carrion.
Grey Shrike-thrush
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 1250, 400mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The roll call of garden birds would not be complete without listing Superb Fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus), which always seem to be present. The rich blue of the male is always a welcome sight, especially on a sunny day when his blue is even more rich. They are very social birds, always calling to each other like a non-stop chatter that continues regardless of what activity they are doing. One day the group was enjoying one of the birdbaths in the garden. They would wash quickly in the shallow water before leaping to the edge to shake themselves dry. The male was very prominent and seemed to bathe first. Another day, they were moving through the lower, back garden parallel to the house. One of the females paused on the side of a raised garden bed, barely an arms length away from me.
Male Superb Fairy-wren at the bird bath
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 2000, 400mm, f/7.1 and 1/400 SEC])
Female Superb Fairy-wren
(Canon EOS 7D Mk II with a Canon EF100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM [ISO 640, 300mm, f/8.0 and 1/400 SEC])
The birds add colour and noise to the garden, and they are also part of the ecosystem that exists in the garden. They help the garden come alive and become that sanctuary from the outside world. Beyond that, they are a pleasant distraction to observe when the work is done and there is time to watch the birds go about their lives. In this garden’s case, its location on the border of a nature reserve means it has a wide range of avian visitors, making it so much more than a collection of plants.
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.