Join the Aussie Backyard Bird Count

It's on again. Join the Aussie Backyard Bird Count for one week from 17 to 23 October. It takes just 20 minutes a day. Register here

Last year my most common bird in the Perth Karrinyup region was the introduced Rainbow lorrikeet .
Check the 2015 Aussie Backyard Bird Count results.

Tawny frogmouth at Star Swamp in Perth

No wonder we find it hard to spot these guys. As I said in my previous post on Tawnies they are masters of disguise. This one was pointed out to me on a BirdLife Western Australia walk through Star swamp today. I took several photos and this is probably the best. Shame he didn't have an eye open, but you can't have everything.

Bookbook on campus

The Southern bookbook owl (also known as the Mopoke owl) is reasonably common around Perth and you are most likely to hear and see them in spring.

One sure indication that an owl is around can be the commotion made by other birds in the vicinity, registering their protests at the perceived intruder.

A few years ago I was walking around Karrinyup when I heard vigorous squawking coming from a gang of Wattlebirds in a tree. I looked up and there were three baby Bookbook owls sitting quietly in a row on a branch of a gum tree, trying to ignore the Wattlebirds. They were being "creched" there by the parent owls. When baby owls have fledged, but not yet able to feed themselves, the adult owls leave them in a "creche" during the day, while they go off to find food. This group of three were in the creche when they were discovered by the Wattlebirds.

This Bookbook owl below was photographed a few years ago on Mount Lawley Campus of Edith Cowan University.