Hi everyone,
Recently moved to small acreage near Esk , Qld.
Found this site this morning whilst trying to identify a couple of birds via the net.
[Sacred kingfisher , double bar finch etc].
Lots of birds here , which l like , very distracting though from my job [woodworking].
Looks like a good site.
Cheers,
Barney.
A warm welcome Barney! Sounds like you have moved to a lovely property. Look forward to hearing more about it and your bird residents, down the track!
West Coast Tasmania
It'd be nice to hear about your new property, Barney. It would seem to have reasonable quality bush on it if it's home to lots of birds.
Welcome to the site.
Thanks RubyE and Woko,
lts a mostly cleared small block with eucalypt,wattle fringes , and more heavily treed at the rear adjoining the soak/creek.
l live in a tin shed , and have a much larger shed which is my workshop. lts all quite primitive but i like it.
So far I've seen Bandicoots , Red-necked wallabies , possums , carpet snakes , keelback snakes [?] , green tree frogs and a small brown striped frog [not a 'Rocket' frog] , and a small mouse/rat that was too quick for my old eyes , but it didnt look like a house mouse.
The birdlife is good , and very distracting from my work. Ive found some old bird books [peter slater/passerines and non-passerines] that i bought in 1979, also found some old binoculars which dont work very well.
Ive got a camera , but need to work on it a lot after seeing some of the great photos on here!
A couple of birds stump me , one is small , fantail sized , robin/warbler type head , dull brown back , cream breast , and longish tail , which has bold white outer feather seen only during flight. feeds on the ground on bugs.
Other is a finch , mostly brown , with red 'bits' on it. a pair flew past too quick for me.
also seen a small goshawk/sparrowhawk at distance chasing something through the trees.
Really good to have some Scared kingfishers and Rainbow birds nesting within view. l didnt know , but the Rainbows are nesting in holes dug straight into the paddock. ls this normal? lve seen them years ago nesting in creek banks and piles of dirt.
The kingfishers are nesting in two termite heads up in medium trees. ls this normal too? to have two nests going?
must get better with camera,
Barney.
Nice picture of where you live, Barney. Tin shed solitude has a lot going for it.
I can't help you in identifying the birds you've described. A Queenslander would be better equipped than I who lives in SA. However, I can tell you it's quite normal for rainbow bee eaters to nest in the ground. The soil needs to be friable enough for them to dig their nest holes. I've seen their nest holes in sandy soil at Monarto, SA. I've also known them to nest in sandhills at Aldinga, SA.
Thanks Woko , l found the Rainbow birds were nesting in the ground by accident , when l saw one flying around and then mysteriously 'disappearing' into the ground.
Quite funny.
Barney.
You've found a great place to live by the sounds of it Barney. I've been through Esk a few times and its a great spot. Good luck with your woodworking and birdlife work distractions. The finches you talk about may be the red-browed finch; I see a lot where I am on the Sunshine Coast hinterland. But there are other finches with red on them. Great that you have rainbow bee-eaters nesting. Can't say what the other bird is; no doubt you'll get to identify more as time goes on. If you care to put up a birdbath you'll be surprised at the number and range of visitors to your place.
Welcome Barney! Your place sounds beautiful, Esk is a beautiful place.
I think that the first bird that you mentioned is most likely a Jacky Winter. They have the white stripes to the tail that can only been seen when flying (forgive me if i'm wrong, i'm only a beginner at this). And I would agree that your second birds are red browed finches. I can't wait to see some of your photos