Australian Bird Week: 19 October to 25 October 2020
It is lovely to remind everyone, and not just in Australia, of the need to look after our birds. Here in Australia we have more than 800 different species of birds, and National Bird Week is a great excuse to celebrate this wonderful diversity.1
Anne's favourite birds at the moment are the Peregrine Falcons that nest each year on top of 367 Collins Street Melbourne: a pair of falcons has done this since 1991 when they nested in the gutter and the eggs failed to hatch. The next year Dr Victor Hurley made them a nest and after that nearly all the eggs have hatched. But this year Dr Hurley discovered that the nest was in need of replacement and therefore he made a new one and had himself hauled 34 storeys up the side of the building to install it securely. 2
You can read the full story by following this link - click here.
This year Anne was fortunate enough to see the hatching of the three babies (called eyases) on Friday 2 October 2020. And each day she checks in to watch their progress as do thousands of people around the world. Here is the screen shot photo gallery of Life with the Pergrine Falcon Family from the live webcam.
If you would like to check in on The Peregrine Falcon Family and watch their growth on webcam please Click here.
The babies should start trying out their flying technique by about the 13 November 2020 when they will be 6 weeks old. Once they take their first flight they are called fledglings and leave the nest. By about 10 weeks they will be able to feed themselves and will no longer depend on the parents.
A special thank you to Dr Victor Hurley for caring so much about our birds.
It's a very important week for Birdlife Australia, as its time for the annual Aussie Backyard Bird Count!
In 2019 Australia counted nearly 3.4 million birds in 7 days!
In its sixth year, the Aussie Backyard Bird Count saw record-breaking numbers of people heading to their backyards and local green spaces to count their local birds. Together we counted nearly 3.4 million birds across the nation, compared to 2018’s 2.7 million. The Aussie Backyard Bird Count is quickly becoming one of Australia’s biggest citizen science events and it’s an activity that attracts counters of all ages. From 21-28 October a record number of young people took part in the count, with numbers of participating schools tripling to more than 1,000.3
If you happen to live in Australia and enjoy being outdoors, you can take part - it takes as little as 20 minutes.
The link below provides all the details, you can even download their app. The short video to help you identify the birds is very cute.
Its easy - fellow bloggers Julie, Jane and Caroline are excited to join in the fun for the first time this year.
Click here for Aussie Backyard Bird Count.
Should you wish to familiarise yourself with some Australian birds and their calls, watch this Youtube clip.
Credits
1.australiangeographic.com.au
2. abc.net.au
3.aussiebirdcount.org.au