The other day, just before our heatwave hit, I went to the pond
and fed the gander with the Sacred Ibis watching and an idle magpie
flying past.
Suddenly it seemed as though all the birds accepted me, I
walked around the side of the pond to quite close to the ibis
but they minded not at all. Oddly, the rosellas screeched no
alarm calls, nor did the blackbirds. I sat on my bench, half hidden
by a Wattle and little birds flitted all about me. First the Grey
Fantail (below) and a number of blue wrens.
The Little Grebes seemed bored and turned tail . . .
a Black Duck (right) went about it's business with an as yet
unidentified friend, no longer unidentified due too the kind
response of Stewart M, who recognised it as a Eurasian Coot.
Thank you once again Stewart.
another Fantail posed in the shade quite near me
and a Willie Wagtail checked me out and was joined by a friend
but then the most remarkable thing happened and the White-
faced Heron landed and grazed his way around the edge of the
pond. Here in the shade you can see where he gets his name.
Normally at the first sound of a human or car he would already
have taken flight.
The Ibis wandered over to have a chat with the heron and a
few ducks and after the heron left, I too walked to the other
side
where a Singing Honeyeater joined me
and showed how mean he could look flying straight at you with
that black robber mask on.
Another Grey Fantail. I was surprised that they are already here
in numbers as they normally come in February and presage the
autumn rains.
Here he is again out in the full sunlight.
It was a wonderful feeling to be so accepted only because the
gander ate out of my hand. I know my photos aren't so clever
but the experience was just great.
