Ruff Property, Black Mountain

The garden in front of the house is a mecca for birds and tired birders alike. The water baths and grassed lawn attract all sorts of customers. One of my favourites was the New Holland Honeyeater. The male would sit, perched and guard the territory. He would chase away any inappropriate interlopers and then return to groom and keep watch.

New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)

Diamond Firetail are always present in the garden and if you are lucky, they perch on the sticks and bathe in the bird bath. They are stunning little finches with a plumage that living up to the name. 

• Upper body: Ash brown with a grey crown, forehead, and neck.

• Underparts: White with a contrasting black band across the breast that continues down the flanks. These flanks are also adorned with distinctive white spots.

• Rump: Crimson red, a feature that earns the bird its name "Firetail."

• Tail: Black tip.

• Bill and eye ring: Coral red.

• Legs and feet: Dark grey.

Interestingly, females look quite similar to males, though they might be slightly smaller. Juveniles are duller in color overall and have a black bill.

The Red-rumped Parrots are common here and I always love seeing them. They are small and shy but very pretty and interesting to watch. I tried to photograph them to reflect that.

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)

On the second day at the property, Manfred took me out to look for birds and animals and we had a great time. While looking for absent Barking Owls, we found some very photogenic Tree Martin. They were a mixed flock of adults and juveniles and would often sit on fence wires. This bird is not called but having a great big stretch.

Tree Martin (Petrochelidon nigricans)

Back close to the house, we saw an Antechinus and this time it sat still in the light for me. It was great to get a really good look at one. They are very cute.

Antechinus is a genus of small, carnivorous marsupials found only in Australia . They're often mistaken for mice due to their similar size and sometimes scurrying movements, but they belong to a different group entirely. 

Antechinus come in various shades of brown, grey, and black, with short, soft fur. They have a pointed snout, large eyes, and thin, tapered tails that are roughly the same length as their bodies. Species range in size from a mere 12 cm to over 31 cm long, with weights varying between 16 grams to 170 grams. This subspecies is the yellow-footed and the photo shows why.

A rather secretive inhabitant of the property is the Gilbert's Whistler. Identifying a Gilbert's Whistler can be tricky, especially for females and younger birds. 

• Size: They're chunky songbirds, slightly smaller than a Grey Shrikethrush, with which they may be confused.

• Color: Both sexes are generally brownish-grey with a red iris and a black, stubby bill.

• Males: The key giveaway for males is the black lores (the area between the bill and the eye). They also have a distinctive orange-rufous chin and throat.

• Females: Females lack the contrasting black lores and throat patch of the males. They have a paler grey throat and a white ring around the eye. Their underparts can be lightly streaked. Distinguishing them from other whistlers can be challenging.

Manfred and I have spent a lot of time chasing birds with very mixed success. We heard a Diamond Dove and being only the second time he had ever recorded one on the property, Manfred was keen to find it. We eventually gave up, as we did with the Crested Bellbird who was incessant until we got too close. The Olive-backed Oriole was another. We got neck ache staring into trees looking for him with only a momentary glimpse as a reward. Luckily, later in the afternoon, one dropped down right in front of us.

Olive-backed Oriole (Oriolus sagittatus)

Out in the bush, there were so many spider webs across the gaps between plants. Manfred took the brunt of them but I did get a face full once and there was a bit of shrieking. The spiders themselves were small Jewel Spiders and very beautiful.

They build vertical orb webs, typically one to two meters above the ground. The webs tend to be denser than those of other orb-weavers, possibly due to their shorter legs. 

Jewel Spider (Austracantha minax)

One of our best finds was the Eastern Shrike-tit feeding a couple of youngsters. Really difficult to photograph, I didn't get the shots I wanted but what a thrill to watch them feeding.

Eastern Shrike-tit (Falcunculus whitei)

Just behind them appeared a Rufous Songlark, yet another young bird. It sang and sang, allowing me to get close to it. You can just see the rufous rump on this bird.

Manfred and I were exhausted and went home for a beer.

Rufous Songlark (Cincloramphus mathewsi)

The next morning, I woke before light at the dam. It was a full moon and it was wonderful to see it all big and orange.

At the dam the parrots came down and although they were wary, a couple of times they came a little closer. I have been trying to photograph Eastern Rosella for 15 years here and in NZ. I think I like this shot the best.

Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximus)

And another vying for favourite status was a female Red-rumped Parrot having a bath. She kept her eye on me but kept on splashing about. The females are very dull compared to the brightly coloured males but she definitely stole the show at bathtime.   

Red-rumped Parrot (Psephotus haematonotus)