Spring is the time of year that all the birds seem to come out of the trees and show themselves after the long cold winter. Oh some do continue to come to our backdoor throughout the cool months but others begin to show their lovely colours as they flit about looking for tidbits to feed their young.
Each year we have a family of cheeky butcher birds nesting in the tall eucalyptus tree in our front yard. Shy, with a diet mainly of insects they are always looking for a handout of bread which I feed to the Rainbow Lorikeets. Last Friday after the big truck had collected rubbish from our bins I went down to collect them and bring them around to the back of the house. I felt, rather than saw, something fly past my shoulder. Looking up to where the bird had settled, it was one of our friendly butcher birds - telling me in no uncertain way that bread was what he wanted. With beady little eyes on the bread I threw into the air, he swooped down to pick it up and proceeded to 'soften' it against the tree branch before he took it off to his family.
As I was watching his antics my eyes caught on a large brownish 'lump' further up the tree sitting on a branch. My heart did a flip - not knowing what it was. My neighbour saw me from over the fence and came and looked too. "Oh" he said. "I think it might be an owl".
A week or so ago, he had come home very late at night after playing squash and noticed an 'owl-like' shape sitting on his boat as he drove into his garage. We wondered if it was the same bird. I took a photo of it thinking that would be the last we saw it. These kinds of birds are certainly around the area but rarely seen in daylight hours.
Yesterday I was watering in the front garden and was surprised again to see the bird up in the tree again. This time it was sitting facing me so I got another photo of it. After checking it, I realised that it's not an owl at all - but a tawny frogmouth. Not the most attractive bird I have to say but I don't mind if he decides to hang around for a while. I'll be out there again this afternoon to see if it's come back again. Aren't God's little creatures wonderful?
Have a good week my friend.
Blessings!
