u/LadyFeckington

(Australian Wood Duck, in case you were wondering 😉)

We have a bush block in southern NSW that we have been regenerating for wildlife. It started as an overgrazed cattle property, a lot of bare dirt and weeds. Every gully was choked with blackberry, some bushes the size of a house. We have spent the last 14 years clearing weeds, controlling feral animals, planting and watering native trees, doing erosion control. Our reward has been to see dozens of species of native birds and animals come back to the land. We now have 3 types of wallaby, kangaroos, bandicoots, echidnas, and even platypus. Black cockatoos, wedge tail eagles and scarlet robins have a home here.

This is one of probably dozens of lyre birds on our place. When I find one of their courtship mounds I set up my wildlife camera and try to capture their songs and dance. This is a Superb Lyre Bird, one of 2 species of lyre bird in Australia. The other is Alberts Lyre Bird, found in more northern areas. They sing to attract mates, and presumably the better they can imitate other birdsongs and sounds, the more attractive they are.

I'm hearing wattle bird, black cockatoo, whip birds and a hint of kookaburra. Please let me know what other birds you can hear.

Spotted this beauty at Glenrowan, Victoria, while waiting for my daughters school bus on a cold winters rainy day. Highlight of my day!!

It was with a family of at least three other wrens, one was male.

(Sorry for the shaky video, it was so quick!)

I have been meaning to post these beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets dancing in spring last year in Sydney.

Killdeer laid her eggs next to where I park my car a few weeks ago and it's taken all of my effort not to disturb them every time I come outside! One of the eggs hatched this morning so I put my camera on a tripod with a long lens and caught this cute moment.