Swallows nesting

I had been looking for where the swallows might have been nesting, given they were absent from their usual position in the wood shed. Finally the location of their new nest was revealed as being within the old aviary. Once used for breeding budgerigars, it has been unused for some time. That said, the swallows have worked out an access point, swooping down and entering between the roof post and iron sheeting. How they do this at the speed they do, navigating the tiny space available is beyond me. So after watching them come and go for a day I decided to explore further as their continued activity suggested that they were busy for a reason.....and what a reason. Perched just above head height, on a ledge inside the doorway is a beautiful little mud nest. Lined with feathers, what I originally thought to be a nest ready for eggs, was in fact filled tight with baby birds. I had to drag a rock in to stand on so that I could look down into the nest itself, but this improved view revealed that what I originally thought was a feathered lining was the babies themselves. They are wedged in so tight I have been unable to count them as yet....but am guessing perhaps three babies. They have an inbuilt mechanism to sit quietly so that predators are unaware of their location. So they sat, eyes closed, barely moving, snug in their little nest, protected from the wind. I imagine this changes as soon as a parent comes back with food....then it will be on, all of them clamouring for food. Incredible to think that these migratory birds will soon be headed off on a long distance trek.

Cunnamulla bird life

The bird life in Cunnamulla is perfect for any beginner twitchers. On the road into town we saw an emu with his five chicks. Something I didn't know was that chick stealing is rife, with males trying to take over broods from other birds. While I didn't see it, a local told us of one male who currently has twenty chicks in his brood. Incredible thought! All those mouths to feed. I saw galahs and short billed corellas in large numbers - a flock of corellas must have numbered in the hundreds. We also saw the local gaggle of geese. This group lives down on the banks of the Warrego River, seeming right at home, evidently well loved (and fed) by locals. The birds that amazed me the most were the swallows. They nest at this time of year under the eaves of local buildings. While the local NAB has the most nests, it was those outside of the window of the Paroo Shire Council building that I was best able to observe. It really was a privilege to spy on these guys through the window. The nests are made of mud. Constructed in such a way that they cling to the eaves, with a bulge to hold eggs/babies, which then has a tube like entry point for the parent bird to squeeze in and out of to gain access to the nest. Made of mud the mind boggles at how many thousands of trips backwards and forwards the swallows must make with a mouthful of mud, to add to the construction. The nest ends up being sort of striped, and quite beautiful. I can only imagine this is because the source of the mud changes, or dries at a different rate. Actually I have no idea what causes the stripes, but I am in awe of these little birds. I know little about swallows, but do know that some are migratory travelling huge distances, so can only assume that these little guys fly half way around the world, then on arrival have to build their nest. What a mammoth effort! Postscript - since returning home I have perused my trusting Field guide to Australian birds, and am pleased to report that these little guys actually seem to be Martins, not Swallows....oops.