On my daily walk around the island, I've noticed a huge difference. With less human traffic, the birds have come out of hiding. Birds I haven't seen in ages have suddenly reappeared.
Too shy to be seen when there are cars and people around, the Swamp Pheasant or Coucal is often heard but seldom seen. It's 'whoop whoop' noise is difficult to pinpoint as the bird is ground-based and it's call echoes through the trees. We now have one living on the block behind us and venturing into our garden every evening.
The Blue Parrot, l(Pale Headed Rosella), was once common on the island but with the advent of the Rainbow Lorikeets in their thousands, the Blue Parrots are now scarce. I love it when they take to flight, that scarlet splash under their tail contrasting vividly with the pale colourings of their head and wings. They are always found in pairs.
And this morning our Plovers introduced three babies to our world. Plovers (Masked Lapwings) are fretful parents. From dawn to dusk, they call continuously to their errant young, who ignore the calls. Baby plovers, tiny balls of black fluff, run constantly in different directions, never noticing the keen eye of the kookaburra on the wire above. By the end of the week, we'll be lucky to see one baby plover. The sadness of nature.
There are over two hundred species of birds on our little island. It's lovely to see them reclaiming their territory.
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