Avian Visitors

[Greynomad]

Bruce,
That "Irish Chain Saw" has been hanging there since a few days after we moved to Rutherglen... brought it from old house in Melb.
So keep looking for yours.

Peter,
Yes. Inherited two (solid brass!) CTC extinguishers from my father. Fortunately both are empty. T'other one still has its mounting bracket, also solid brass.
They didn't trust steel/CTC mix... I believe it did nasty things to the steel. Certainly does to car duco much the same as brake fluid.
I know in my early radio days the techs used CTC to clean electrical circuitry & components, and warned me against getting my hands in it then touching anything plastic. As a demo, one tech dabbed a bit on a tape reel. Ended up with 3/4 of a reel, which had to be rinsed in water before the corrosion stopped!
Somehow I don't think OH&S approves the use of CTC anymore. Wonder why...

[pet-els]

Ray, it was also used for dry cleaning clothes at dry cleaners but this was banned years ago. We [ICI Australia, Botany] closed the manufacturing plant down back in the 80's. It was the fumes when heated that was most dangerous IE, pumping it on a fire, it would put the fire out but the fumes could put the user out too.

PeterH

[Greynomad]

It was the fumes when heated that was most dangerous IE, pumping it on a fire, it would put the fire out but the fumes could put the user out too.
PeterH

OOPS!

I knew it was a dangerous chemical, but WOO HOO! I reckon toxic fumes would be an excellent reason for not using it anywhere near a fire.

[Greynomad]

I posted this earlier:

We also have an occasional visit from a lone bird, which we think is a Blue-Faced Honeyeater, but as he doesn't have the blue patches, we suspect he's a juvenile... probably fell (or was tossed) out of the nest. He only visits the birdbath for a quick splash and a drink. Hard to catch with our camera on hand.

Had a good look through our Field Guide, and finally identified it: Black Chin Honeyeater.
It was two pages of Honeyeaters past the Blue Faced. Markings remarkably similar, and range just reaches us on the NSW border.
We first encountered one in our yard in 2016, but again thought we had a Blue Face, because the photo was from the rear... no shot of its face.
Not sure it's the same bird,but I stick with the theory that this solo fella (fairly sure it's a male) may have either fallen out or been kicked out of the nest. He doesn't join the party on the barrel when we feed the Maggies, Mynahs, (now) Pee Wees, and all comers.

Black Chin Honeyeater 1.jpg

Black Chin Honeyeater 2.jpg

PS. Had the 'proper' camera on hand this time... These are whole-frame with the zoom lens

[Vik351]

two crows




vik...

[Greynomad]

Great balancing act!
Finally had the camera on hand when the male Blue Wren paid us a visit...

Blue Wren.jpg

You can judge his size by the 6" BBQ wheel.
We also had Maggie's twins (Stickybeak and his sibling) along with Junior in the ODLA this morning. They're becoming more relaxed about getting close to us. They could clearly see me through the window, and hear me calling them. Cocked their heads, then carried on. Shybird, their father, stayed on the grass outside the paved ODLA, watching. That's the closest we've seen him come to the house.
Twice he gave what was obviously an Alarm Call, and they fled to a tree on the golf course, waited a minute or two, then returned to investigate our BBQ and outdoor table. Fascinating to watch. (No idea what prompted the alarm, possibly some predator bird was circling over the house...)

[Greynomad]

Had our second visit from another non-avian... a local long-neck turtle. (Different creatures each time.)
Council is rebuilding the retaining wall of Lake King, a dam built in the 1860s to provide water for the goldminers crowding into the area.
Apparently about 15 years ago the wall developed a leak, and the council has only just got around to fixing it, ... disturbing the local turtle colony in the process.

Not sure if he just bellied-out on the brick or if he's short-sighted & randy...

Turtle 1.jpg

But we set him free anyway. Hope he found his way home...

Turtle 2.jpg

[BruceS]

I used to know a girl called Turtle .............. (Oh yeah!!)
Actually a lot of fella's knew her ...

[Greynomad]

"She was only the Stable-Hand's daughter,
But all the Horsemen knew 'er..."



Read it aloud...

[Greynomad]

Had some new visitors last evening:
Gang Gang Cockatoos!

Very difficult to get pix, as they were high up in a tree, with the sunlight fading and bright sky behind them.

They must be hungry, as we're right on the edge of their habitat boundary, and they were eating the berries off our driveway avenue of Mongolian Pear trees, rather than their accustomed diet of Eucalypt leaves & cups.
Made a right mess of the driveway, dropping the leaves (LOTS of leaves!) they had bitten off to get to the berries.

And the Black Chin Honeyeater (still solo) has been back for a drink at the birdbath.

Also had hundreds of Galahs do a (very vocal) massed fly-past about 0600...