I was interested to read in the December Newsletter that Satin Bowerbirds are not usually common garden birds. However, here in Eldorado (near Wangaratta - N.E Victoria) several of us have had them as regular visitors to our gardens. These birds are mainly females and immature birds, in family groups of four to eight individuals. They usually vist us in the winter months, but this year they've stayed, and are still in my garden now (February). A female nested in one of our trees and raised two young birds, who now seem to have adopted our garden as home. Our "garden" is heavily planted with native trees and shrubs, although struggling with the high temperatures and total absence of rain since December, seems to be providing accommodation for quite a variety of birds, who queue for our two birdbaths! Our resident Bowerbirds seem to be feeding largely on the leaves of geraniums and pelargoniums which have proved to be quite tough in the prevailing conditions, so I am watering them in order to retain a food supply for the birds, even thoug they do now venture further afield to forage, returning home to roost.
I live on the south coast of NSW, and have a large but fairly suburban backyard. for a few weeks I have been walking past a piece of blue and yellow rope that had been dropped near a bush. Today, i noticed it is no longer blue and yellow - all the yellow has been picked out of it and there is a bower there now!
Great sightings, folks. It's particularly gratifying, I find, when the ecological restoration efforts of Ms Woko & myself result in many bird species becoming intermittent visitors &, eventually, permanent residents.
We live in Drouin Victoria and believe we have male, female and young Satin Bowerbird living in our garden only a few feet from the house.
We live in Drouin Victoria and believe we have male, female and young Satin Bowerbird living in our garden only a few feet from the house.
I've been so excited about the number of replies to my comment about Satin Bowerbirds in Backyards! Also, very grateful to the people who have taken the time to respond as they have. My original comment was brought about by information from the general survey which indicated that Satin Bowerbirds were not common in backyards.....now it seems that although they're not actually common, they are there....and perhaps on the move!
Years ago, when I lived in West Gippsland on a property backing onto the Baw Baw Ranges, we only had visits from Satin Bowerbirds in the winter, as was the case until recently (2011 onwards) here in N.E Vic. It seems that these birds, which would normally be back in their Gippsland forests, are choosing to stay in gardens, and I can't help wondering why. We also have flocks of King Parrots here still, which normally would also have returned to their usual forests by now. They are all a lovely addition to our gardens, but I wonder what's driving them fron their usual habitat?
Am enjoying the show as the courtship battle goes on in my yard. While I knew that males raid each other's display, the extent of the pilfering is surprising. I even left out a lid from a small peanut butter jar thinking it would be too big to carry off but it too has gone!
Bower birds are really common here in the Eurobodalla - even a pest to anyone who has an uncovered veggie garden. thanks for the tip on apple though. I will probably put some out. The girls might be even more impressed if they get dinner and a show.
This morning while watching the bower birds, also watched a Kookaburra and currawong arguing over a lizard; a whip bird rummaging around and little brown thornbills flitting about - all within the space of 5 minutes. Bird watchers' paradise really.
Perhaps artificial feeding of satin bower birds in backyards means they don't need to return to their natural haunts for their natural food. This could result in ecological decline in their natural haunts due to reduced native seed dispersal because of the reduced numters of satin bower birds. In other words, it's always a risk to the environment, even in far off places, if humans choose to intervene in natural processes.
Perhaps, too, time & energy put into artificial feeding would be better or equally spent on natural habitat restoration, however small the scale.
Just some thoughts.
Shirley, I can't see a lot in what you've said with which I'd disagree. However, I think the approach we use in the circumstances you describe depends on whether we think the drought that is "afflicting" some parts of the country is natural or human-induced.
If the drought is a natural part of the ebb & flow of weather & climate then I would be extremely reluctant to intervene with artifical feeding. Wildlife population fluctuations are part of this natural ebb & flow. However, if the drought is human-induced via interference with Earth's atmosphere as seems to be the case then I think we get into an extremely interesting & important debate about how much we compensate for human-induced droughts (& floods) by small scale interventions such as artificial feeding. There is an argument for such an approach, I believe, in order to conserve some wildlife populations but the consequences for other parts of the environment are often unknown & can be damaging. Some people would urge a hands off approach & allow the chips to fall where they may. Others, like myself, would urge a massive increase in ecological restoration to compensate for habitat loss & a curb on greenhouse gases to help in the long term.
If we give a high priority to our biodiversity on which we all depend for our existence then I guess we'll do something about preserving & increasing it. In the absence of a concerted effort by government & non government bodies some people might be motivated to adopt a phantom ecological restoration approach such as the one you suggested. The planting of indigenous plants on nature strips, in parks, along roadsides & even in pots by the back door can be helpful. Every bit counts, especially when so much of it has been destroyed.
Shirley, I couldn't agree more with your contention that humans have the responsibility to protect life on Earth since we've used our power to destroy so much. Accountability! The word that's used so much by government & non government institutions these days but used so little in relation to their impacts on the environment.
In trying to combat the damage done to the environment I think we need to be alert to the effects, desirable & undesirable, of our strategies on the environment. It's a very tricky & sensitive process because the environment is such a complex entity where rocking the boat in one place can have enormous repercussions in other places.
It's nice to share thoughts with you.
wow, most of us on here would be so happy to have a Satin Bowerbird in the backyard; from your sounds description and the blue objects you most likely have the bower there also; the sounds are most likely the male attracting females to his bower; my first suggestion is to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier thereby needing no further action; my 2nd suggestion is to play some soft music in the background thereby blocking out the 'chicken' noises; my 3rd suggestion is to sell the house and move thereby leaving the bowerbird to his natural urges; my final suggestion is to locate and remove the bower, you may have to do this a numbe rof times before he gets the message
Peter
A fourth suggestion: develop an appreciation of Australia's wonderful wildlife & learn to love & welcome the bower birds & their calls.
A fifth: Develop wildlife habitat in your garden & neighbourhood thereby providing competition from other birds which might encourage the bower birds to seek alternative habitat. This would be a long shot, however.
And a sixth: Institute the fourth & fifth suggestions.
Given the horrible environmental destruction occurring in Australia, moving the bower seems a rather harsh option.
Julz's comment to get the bowerbirds to move on has been taken too literally and was intended as a joke. Unfortunately tone and intent doesn't always come across online as you all know
I ask that we all move on from suggestions about the bower movement and focus on the beauty of the birds themselves.
Thanks
Holly