Bringing in the birds

When I bought my first five acres at Second Valley Forest back in 1993, I didn't see many birds. In fact, the only tree on the block was a fossilised stump. So, I set about planning a house, drawing up a tree planting 'map' via Permaculture principles and growing seedlings through Trees for Life.

My first up-front experience with birds was as I started planting the seedlings. As I planted the Blue gums before putting on mulch and tree guards, I heard the sound of a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo just behind me. I looked back, and here was this cheeky little bastard blithely following behind me, nipping off the tops of the trees as I planted them!

The tree planting continued as my mud brick house emerged in slow stages. And lying down on the hillside having a cold Coopers one day I noticed a pair of Wedge-tailed eagles flying way above. The land is about 1000ft above Second Valley, and these magnificent birds were soaring another 1000ft above that.

I often walked in the nearby original forest, and one day came across a wonderful treasure - an eagle's nest with two chicks. Sensitive to the eagle's feeding patterns, I set up a temporary hide under some Swamp gums and visited most weekends when I came down to work on the house.

Within a few months, I was astounded to see four Wedgies floating above my land, the two adults training their young how to hunt & fly the thermals. By this stage the 800 or so trees I'd planted (according to dowsing principles by following the earth energy lines) were growing well and a few Adelaide Rosellas and Rainbow lorikeets were visiting to suck the nectar.

So, I started to plant lower growing bushes like the Sticky Bush, Curry Bush, Rosemary and French & Italian Lavender. As they grew so did the number of small birds - Blue Wrens, Firetails, small finches, honey eaters and many more. Now there was a cacophony of bird sounds every day, particularly when I started putting out water in several birdbaths. I didn't realise that it could become a fulltime job.

 

Of course, larger birds also started to appear, including Shrikes, Magpies, Bush Pigeons, Yellow-& red tailed Black Cockatoos, the wonderfully musical Thrushes and the beloved naughty storytellers of the Pitjantjatjara Lands, the Willy Wagtails.

 

Then about eight years ago, some international visitors started to appear every year. A couple of Welcome Swallows soon grew to be a whole tribe - they love the mud brick as they can mould it into their nests. And on the dam, a yearly visit from a Japanese Grey Ibis and native ducks.

 

So even as I write this story 18 years later, I can hear the wonderful chorus of birdsong outside. Creating a special environment for my friends the birds has immeasurably enriched my life.

Garry Benson
All photography copyright of Garry Benson