Now Hear This

With the change of season imminent, hopefully (autumn/winter seems a little reluctant to arrive in beautiful Baw Baw this year), we begin to see and hear the arrival of some birds from the mountains and we say goodbye to some that start heading north at this time of year.

Pied Currawongs have started coming down from the mountains and their numbers are building as we begin hearing their beautiful carolling at dusk when they settle into their favourite communal night roosting patch of trees. Like many other birds, some individuals do remain in our patch all year, but the majority actually 'migrate' annually between the mountains and the lowlands. (Altitudinal migration is a term often referred to in the bird world).

(Pied Currawong call –Graeme Chapman)

The King Parrot, nearly everyone's favourite, likewise prefers to spend the summer in the mountains where it uses hollows in large trees to nest and rear the new season's fledglings. Around about now the numbers of these beautiful birds will begin building in our parks and gardens. Many 'kingies' oddly seem much more approachable in their urban environment than they do in the bush. Bird watchers around the world are amazed at their beauty and tameness as they feed at garden seed trays in Aussie backyards.

(King Parrot call – Graeme Chapman)

The distinctive stuttering creaky growls of the Gang-gang Cockatoo become increasingly familiar in autumn as they arrive from the hills to spend winter in the lowlands. Some say their call is evocative of a creaking rusty gate hinge. We are particularly fortunate to have the Gang-gang in our midst as the distribution of this bird is limited to a thin strip of mountain and coastal forests in the south-east corner of the continent.

(Gang-gang Cockatoo call – Xeno-canto)

These are just three species we might hear a little more from in the next few months as they begin to occupy Drouin's outstanding street trees, parks, reserves and gardens.