B is for Birds and their Songs

Day 2 of my self imposed A-Z challenge designed to encourage me to share with you all once again.
This self-imposed exile from blogging has been a little difficult and I must admit that I miss making the time to write. I still journal every day but journalling is a different species of fish to blogging. Through each of these posts, I’m hoping to share a little insight into what makes me tick. Life changes and as it changes, many things about us change also. So this is a snapshot of me – ‘Sue, Suz, Suzanne, Mum, Ma’ as I am at this point in time.
Today I wish to share with you the letter ‘B’ proudly brought to you by Sesame Street. Not really, but it sounded good. 😉
B is for birds and their songs.

I rise early each day (unless it’s the weekend). Due to winter it has often been still dark when I get up but it means that as I wake up, so does the world outside my window. Nothing says ‘morning’ to me more than the sound of  birdsong.
Each October, I take part in the national bird count and last year I recorded almost 25 different species of birds in my local neighbourhood and garden.
The birdsong changes at different times of the year as some birds move around but we have our regular characters that visit us regularly all year.
Even as I look out the window now (late afternoon), I see a Brown Dove and a Pee Wee (real name is Pied something or other) in the bird bath, the Willy Wagtail is strutting his stuff on our letterbox and I can hear the Cockatoos and Galahs calling out as they fly overhead.
The Plovers have been nesting and calling most evenings but so far this year we haven’t seen any of their young in our street. Since they build their nests on the ground, there is every likelihood that their eggs or young have been taken by either foxes or roaming cats, which is sad. I did see a Plover family with 6 young the other day in another area of town though and pointed them out to the seniors on my bus. We all awwwwed over them.
There are wood ducks everywhere at the moment as well. You never see only one wood duck though. I think they mate for life. I usually see them as they graze on the side of the roads in pairs (or larger groups usually divisible by two). We have a pair that lives in our street that forage in our gardens early mornings and at dusk.

Every day, the wrens come in to spend time at the mirror in our shade house. So far I have only managed to capture a photo of the Jenny (female) as the Blue (male) is too quick for me. I have to admit that the wrens are my favourite birds and I have mugs, tea cups and magnets with their image painted on them. These little birds have become used to us now and will stay close by when we are outside but startle at any unexpected noise, such as that of the camera focusing or turning on and off.

Most mornings I hear the Magpies, Butcher Birds and Currawongs calling. All three of these birds are meat eaters and prey on smaller birds and animals. I lost my canary to a Butcher Bird but I still love them.
Here is a snippet of their songs (not recorded by me). I love the song of the Currawongs and Magpies. In the background of the Magpie recording, the other birds you can hear are Rainbow Lorikeets sqwarking and carrying on.

Home to me is birds and bird song.
I love to photograph birds anywhere. Either in my garden or anywhere I find them really.

Jenny Wren

Rainbow Lorikeet

Willy Wagtail

Top Knot Pigeon

Wood Duck

Blue Heron

Blessings to you all!