Thirsty, Busy, Romantic Visitors
June seems to be nesting season at Arkaroola. There are lots of pairs of birds around, and I’ve even been seeing a few different species collecting nesting materials. A Little Crow went past my lounge room window on the weekend with several large sticks in its beak. The Mallee Ringneck Parrots seem to be collecting moss or lichen from my roof. And all the lads have started trying to impress their dinner dates by bringing them to the very exclusive Chameleon’s freshwater café and bar.
The nights here have become very cold recently, which causes water to condense on our roof and verandahs. It is also increasingly dry here again, so this condensation seems to be an important source of morning water for the local birds. So, when the conditions are just right, we get a queue of feathered visitors to drink from our gutters. Most are very camera shy, and flee at the first scent of paparazzi, so it has been challenging to get good photos. But I have managed to snap and identify a few of the different species.
The handsome fellow in our colour board is a Mallee Ringneck Parrot. He brought a lady friend, but she stayed on the roof out of sight until they were ready to leave. He posed for just long enough to get a couple of pics for the society pages. My other recently identified visitors include Spiny-cheeked Honeyeaters, White-plumed Honeyeaters, and Purple-backed Fairywrens. The Crested Pigeons and Willie Wagtails continue to visit too.
In the sewing room, I’m still making good progress on the Lunarcy quilt. The cold nights that are watering the birds are also playing havoc with my bobbin tension though….. so sewing is off the menu until the ambient temperature rises each morning. Not that I am often allowed to touch the quilt until Mr Mew is warm anyway.
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