As is my habit I breakfast in the morning sun on the patio. It is fresh and I don’t switch on the radio, as I want to hear the birds.
Next to me is a kumquat tree with bright orange fruit and new season flowers, which have that lovely citruscent. One of the day’s decisions is whether to turn the fruit to marmalade – I think I will.
The lawn is patrolled by spotted doves and magpie larks. The local magpies pass through to ensure their territories are being respected. They viciously attack any magpie intruders.
A pair of magpie larks,called peewees, are frequent visitors. This morning one of them walked past my chair as I read on the patio after breakfast. I glanced at her and she stopped and eyed me over, then as I was not an obvious threat or interest walked under the table.
She emerged on the other side hopped up onto a chair and then onto the table, only 4 feet from me, looking for morsels. She then stopped, looked at me and sounded her ear piercing tweetshriek. Who knows: maybe defiance, or just a joyful greeting?
In the foliage around the bird feeder, where the pyton often hangs out, crested pigeons kerfuffle frequently – their libido goes through the roof in Spring. Rainbow Lorikeets pop in occasionally, but don’t linger.
Less frequently, we are privleged with glimpses of King Parrots and Pale-headed Rosellas and the occasional galah and cockatoo.
In the syringa tree, figbirds and blue eyed honeyeaters search for flowers or berries almost every day. Noisy mynahs squabble and shriek on the move like gangs of unruly children released from class. Their noise is often pierced by the harsher scrapescreech of the noisy friars who pass by.
Finally, there is a sweet pair of Lewin’s Honeyeaters, who bathe in a patio gutter that needs fixing, carelessly splashing and spraying. They chatter happily as they flit through the trees, playing catch.
Life is not too bad, if we stop and listen to the birds.
sillysocksonfriday 
nice to see you back writing. Today’s article on the birds was particularly easy to imagine. Well written
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Lovely recollection. Your garden is one of our favourite places!
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You are truly blessed to live with such abundance. Enjoyed your writing you always seem to know everything necessary to bring the picture to life!
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Uplifting Cuz. Thanks, need all the uplifting we can get in this mad world
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I love this article! So lovely to find someone else who’s interested in the birds in their garden. Do you know how to tell the difference between the male and female Peewees? The female’s face is white – she powders her nose! 😊
And they also pair for life. We have a lone male (sadly) that lives in the neighbourhood and occasionally comes to visit for a bath in the pool. They’re quite rare here. I had a pair of Eastern Whipbirds courting in the garden last year which was a privilege! You hear them often in the bush but they normally keep their distance. I could ramble on …!
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I didn’t mention the flock of Indian mynahs because I loathe them. Occasionally a spangled drongo and pheasant coucal pass through and pelicans fly over too. I wrote this one some time ago: https://sillysocksonfriday.com/2018/06/15/raucous-cacophony/
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Oh my!! All those wonderful sub tropical birds! Fortunately, we haven’t got any Indian Mynahs in the garden as it’s guarded by a very ferocious flock of Noisy Mynahs. I have more of a problem with the Cockies! They raid the bird tray and frighten the smaller birds. I have a toy water gun which keeps them in the trees but they’re so bloody intelligent! They watch and wait and as soon as my backs turned they’re on the bird tray again!! Ah well… what else is there to worry about in lockdown??!!!🙄😷😘😘
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