Red-browed Finches (Neochmia temporalis), like all native Australian finches, belong to the family of Grass-finches (Estrilidiae) and feed mainly on seeds.
They do like animal protein, though, and sometimes gorge themselves on swarming termites.
When we get enough summer rain to saturate the forest grounds, Orange-thighed Treefrogs and Dainty Green Treefrogs lay their eggs in temporary shallow pools and rivulets, a fact that does not escape the finches.
They can be observed hunting like miniature herons for tadpoles and small invertebrates:
The wet season started in late December, and the frogs are making the best of it.
Tiny (less than 30mm) Southern Ornate Nursery Frogs (Cophixalus australis) are calling from low vantage points, usually within half a metre off the ground, everywhere in the forest.
This is a typical position:
That male is one of the rarer colour morphs, with an orange stripe on the back. Usually they are a mottled grey:
Northern Barred Frogs (Mixophyes schevilli) are calling from a few areas along the creek. They are large, handsome frogs with a deep ‘wark, wark’ call.
Orange-thighed Tree-frogs (Litoria xanthomera) have descended from their hide-outs high up in the trees and are gathering along small temporary pools and creeks.
This male got lucky very early in the evening:
It is fun watching them “inhaling’ and ‘exhaling’:
While the frogs are very busy, this Pink-tongued Skink
Cassowary chicks often hatch in September (rainforest fruits usually are most bountiful in spring and summer). As there is not much food for them in the wet sclerophyll forest at that time, we normally get to see the family in June/July, when the chicks are much bigger, have lost their stripes and are almost ready for life on their own.
Yesterday, though, 5 year old “Goldfinger” came by very late in the day with two small striped chicks. They are probably about 2 months old and his first offspring. He mated with “Wattle”, the alpha female in the area, in June 2019 (once even just outside our kitchen window!), but didn’t have any chicks that year.
Notice his wet feet: they had a drink from the creek not far down the track.
Tree-kangaroo joeys normally leave the pouch around September, and this season our female Lumholtz’s tree-kangaroo has 2 joeys on foot: last year’s daughter and the new baby.
No sign, yet, of the wet season here. These Green-eyed Tree-frogs are patiently waiting for rain.
I am surprised that the female is tolerating the male. They’ve been hanging out like this on top of the cabin’s window sill for the last few days!
Our creek has almost dried up, so the bird baths are in high demand.
Here are a few of the visitors:
Scaly-breasted Lorikeets.
Many are here now that the Red Mahoganies (Eucalyptus resinifera) are flowering.
Rainbow and Little Lorikeets are part of that flock, too, and in the evenings Little Red Flying Foxes take over the canopy..
White-browed Scrubwren
Fuscous Honeyeater (“Herberton Honeyeater”)
Red-browed Finch, nicely showing the red rump
adult and immature male Scarlet Honeyeaters
male White-throated Treecreeper
Treecreepers always walk into the water backwards!
White-cheeked & White-throated Honeyeaters
White-naped Honeyeater
High above the bird bath, a young male Victoria’s Riflebird is trying to attract attention:
Adult male:
:
If you thought a male Victoria’s Riflebird is a black bird with a few patches of metallic blue, have a closer look at the ‘black’ parts:
Just about all the smaller birds are breeding now, with many hungry mouths waiting to be fed:
Macleay’s Honeyeaters
A young Tooth-billed Bowerbird came to the birdfeeder:
What a wonderful forest, where you can see Tooth-billed Bowerbirds (a rainforest species) together with Little Lorikeets (a species of open woodlands)!
