Birds, birds, birds

Peacehaven is alive with the squawking, whistling, chirruping, chuckling and twittering of birds. They love spring. The warm weather and the abundance of food combine to make this a busy season for them. 

A number of birds have already bred some young. You will have seen our Australian Wood Duck family feeding on the grass or taking to the safety of the dam.

A warm spring day

Wood duck family

Their scientific name is Chenonetta jubata which is from the Greek words chen, meaning goose, and netta, meaning duck. Jubata is from the Latin word jubatus, meaning maned. Another name for them is Maned Duck and they have both goose and duck characteristics. They are unique, being the only species of this genus in the world. They probably get the name Wood Duck from nesting in the hollows of trees sometimes quite a distance from water. At Peacehaven they use one of the big eucalypts by the dam.

Noisy Miner feeding young

The Noisy Miners Manorina melanocephala nested near the Old Dairy. Some of the Friends watched the young being fed for several days. Then they were gone. Whether they fledged or were taken is unknown as we haven't seen young nearby. Usually the Miner pair are helped to feed the chicks by other males in their colony. This gives the young a great chance of survival. They could have more clutches before the breeding season is over.

The birds in the parrot family are very obvious in the park. They squabble over nesting holes in our magnificent trees. There are a number of Rainbow and Scaly-breasted Lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus & Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) already in residence. Whereas the Little Lorikeets Glossopsitta pusilla are stilling speeding around like bullets. Galahs Eolophus roseicapillaalso continue to nest in the park using the large hollows that only mature trees can provide. 

Rainbow Lorikeets inspecting a hollow

Galah in a hollow

Dollarbirds Eurystomus orientalis have returned from New Guinea to breed at Peacehaven. Last week there was only one bird and now there are two. They will use the nesting site they used last year. 

Dollarbirds in silhouette

They belong to the Roller family which is known for beautiful aerobatic displays especially in the late afternoon. They hunt and eat insects on the wing. When they catch the sunlight as they're flying the blue, purple and greenish colours shine. The coin-shaped patches on the wings give the bird its name and the strong red beak is very characteristic. 

Straw-necked Ibis

Other birds that enjoy the grass at Peacehaven are the Straw-necked Threskiornis spinicollis and Australian White Ibis Threskiornis molucca. They use their amazing curved beaks to dig for insects, but they like lizards and frogs too. You'll see the White Ibis, particularly, in the shallows of the dam using its beak to probe the mud. So much better than being a 'Dump Chook'.

Another bird that loves the frogs is the Eastern Great Egret Ardea alba modesta. It's been at the dam for a few days, ever since the frogs started calling again. Its long thin neck with the kink makes it easy to recognize. This is the Oceanic sub-species of a bird found worldwide. 

Hunting at the dam edge

As well as frogs they hunt fish, small reptiles, insects, and small birds and rodents. Usually they hunt alone standing very still waiting for any movement then spear the prey with their dagger-like beak.