Some Field of Mars Magic – spirit of the bush

 

--poetry of life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOM is full of seedpods at the moment – remarkable sights

Seedpods of all sorts – so many extraordinary seedpods – green, open, closed, eaten, growing – remarkable sight

This one from my walk this morning.

Collared sparrowhawks – note size difference in the young

also this morning – sacred kingfishers calling  lots at various places along Buffalo Creek – nesting time; red-browed finch nests around; silver gulls fishing in Lane Cove River for small fish jumping – saw a gull take a fish jumping two days ago.

Collared Sparrowhawk young Field of Mars

Last couple of days – kookaburra have left nest,  good glimpses of a number of whipbirds,

watched a silver gull fishing successfully in Lane Cove River, Dollar birds around, lots of small bird activity – brown thornbills, spotted paradottes, red-browed finches, white browed scrubwrens; the bush is full of seed pods ripening –opening so lots of good seed food around, thousands of actinotus minor ( tiny flannel flowers)

Sparrowhawk 2010 nesting in FOM

Essential Guide for areas around Sydney

This book is marvelous: covers Flora and Fauna - common birds, reptiles, plants, weeds, habitats - is color coded for quick finding of things - eg. pink area for pink bush flowers, etc. all good photographs, all done by experts. It is a great size and weight for your pocket.

Wonga Wetlands Albury - a set on Flickr--this is where I am at the moment

Wonga Wetlands Albury - a set on Flickr

Field of Mars this morning

early morning sunlight and mist

lorikeet at home – the bush has a quietness and you feel the brooding going on all around you – the brooding of warm eggs and the warmth of hope

so many of these tiny peaflowers emerging – the life forces bursting forth

 

At home in Field of Mars this morning

Fish mobile, bees and yellowness in FOM this morning

Possum at home this morning in Field of Mars

This possum was being pestered by a mob of little bush birds this morning – brown thornbills, white-browed scrub wrens especially.

Crimson rozellas at home also.

Collared Sparrowhawk in dense bush

 

 

Amazed to encounter a young collared sparrowhawk this morning in dense bush on the ground near my end of FOM.  I was only a few metres away. It immediately flew to a few other perches on its way out of the bush giving me a chance to get a blurry photo.  I was so surprised to see it in such a place.

Two brown goshawks flying around FOM this morning.

Rose Robin up my end of FOM with a feeding group incl.  variegated fairy wrens – the blue of the male so bright – brighter than the superb I think, grey fantails, brown thornbills, white-browed scrub wrens.

Adult Golden Whistler and calling young one following it around Sugarloaf Point.  The young one was also catching insects itself I noticed.

Crimson Rozella nest hole.

Birds courting and nest building

 

Wattle seedpods – flowers finish seeds emerge as life cycles continue in the bush.

This morning watched currawong collecting materials for nesting, grey fantails courting rituals, fairy wrens courting, kookaburra nesting in termite mound in tree, crimson rozellas near chosen nest hollow.

Family album of the urban eagle | The Daily Telegraph

Family album of the urban eagle | The Daily Telegraph

Frog rock

Sugarloaf Point mangrove area Lane Cove National Park

Does this look like a frog to you or am I ----

Test: can you draw a frog outline and does this rock fit it?

Notes today

Ravens – lots of around – particularly the waterhole.

Kookaburras nesting in the same termite nest as the sacred kingfishes last season. Golden Whistlers at Sugarloaf Point full range of calls.  The bush ringing with currawong calls and ravens. Various feeding parties with lots a calling.

NEW Bird this morning for me in Field of Mars

A new bird this morning in Field of Mars -first time I have seen one here-
Australian Brush Turkey - just one(not my image)

Early morning mist on Sugarloaf Point Lane Cove River

This morning first calling Fan-tailed Cuckoo Sugarloaf Point bush plus large feeding group including the usual---- brown thornbills, eastern robin, white-browed scrubwren, spotted pardalottes (quite a lot), silvereyes, grey fantail.

No White ibis around in the mangroves, etc. - off to breeding grounds?

Quite a few Crimson Rozellas.

Rainbow lorikeets very quite not much in evidence.

Eastern Whipbirds: there must be about four pairs spread around the Field of Mars now.

Lots of currawongs now around as expected.

Next time you walk a track in FOM take a close look at these Spider Grevillea emerging along the way – spectacular!!