wildlife in the autumn garden

A search for non plant lifeforms in the garden today came up with


aphids clustering thickly on the seeding garlic chives, ignoring nearby plants


a blackbird considerately posing against the light sky


a coocon carefully attached to a lavender plant


a ladybird found on some bought broccoli, moved to the garden (hope it's pregnant)


and another cocoon with its occupant starting to emerge!

us and (or in) nature

The Caves of Steel is set three thousand years into the future. Humans live on Earth in completely enclosed underground cities while their robot servants work in mines and farms in the open country.

In this future world nature has become totally scary and unfamiliar. Even more than in the present time!!! Many people today regard a camping trip as the worst punishment imaginable. Whenever they see insects they reach for the insecticide. But still people go out, breathe the air and may notice the presence of a few trees and birds flying around.

In the Caves of Steel people never go outside. They live in a crowded airconditioned environment where there is no difference between day and night. Like a typical shopping mall. What matters are efficiency and economy.

Baley looked back through the steamy haze and the noise and … thought of a visit to the City Zoo … he had been excited. After all, he had never actually seen a cat or dog before. Then, on top of that, there was the birdcage!

… There is something about the first sight of living objects hurtling through the air that is incomparably startling. It was feeding time in the sparrow cage and an attendant was dumping cracked oats into a long trough (human beings had grown used to yeast substitutes, but animals, more conservative in their way, insisted on real grain).

But as usual in this kind of story there is a group of rebels who want a different life.

‘What do you medievalists want?’

‘Back to the soil’ said Cloussar in a stifled voice… ‘It doesn’t matter how long it takes, but let’s get started out of these caves we live in. Let’s get out into the fresh air’.

‘Have you ever been out into the fresh air?’

Cloussar squirmed. ‘All right, so I’m ruined too. But the children aren’t ruined yet. There are babies being born continually. Get them out, for God’s sake. Let them have space and open air and sun.’

I’m pleased and relieved to be able to say that the story ends on an upbeat hopeful note.

birds in the garden

The environmental health of a garden can be measured by the number of native species compared to the number of non-native species of birds. According to this criterion my garden is pretty healthy because I have seen lots of native birds around lately and not so many introduced species.

I thought I’d make a list of all the birds I’ve ever seen in the garden.

Common Mynah: these are my least favourite birds. They are very aggressive. I have seen them gang up on other birds and chase them away. Their voice is not pleasant, consisting of loud growls and other harsh sounds. So I’m delighted not to have seen them around for a few months.



Spotted Turtle-Dove: although an introduced species I do welcome them. I have written several posts on these birds. Pigeons have been loved and valued at times in history but are currently getting a bad rap. I love their soothing peaceful cooing voices.



Laughing Kookaburra: I saw a kookaburra sitting on the back fence on one single occasion, years and years ago. Then it flew away never to return. I guess there are no snakes for it to eat in my garden. Maybe just as well … and it didn’t laugh either!



Sulphur-crested Cockatoo: I was delighted that this wild bird was so friendly and I fed it. One day I came home and heard a chipping noise. The cockatoo was pecking away at the window ledge and had already half destroyed the wooden frame. I regretfully chased it away and no cockatoo was ever encouraged to visit or stay again.



Common Blackbird: Introduced to Australia in 1862, these birds feel like family since several chicks hatched on our deck last spring. You can click on this link to see the pics. I am very fond of blackbirds. I often see them scrabbling away in the mulch. They seem very established and at home in the garden. Their song consists of lovely melodious phrases.



Owl: On two nocturnal occasions I saw an owl sitting still and silent on a tree branch. I think it must have been a Southern Boobook. After that I put up an owl nesting box but I have not yet seen a sign that it is inhabited.



Australian Magpie: Their sound is a loud musical carolling, often in duets or larger groups. They can be aggressive and attack people when they are nesting – luckily I have had no problems with this so far.



Australian Raven: I usually see them in pairs. Their call is loud and deep, and they of course are large and black.



Rainbow Lorikeet: these colourful parrots have been around for years but they appeared in large noisy groups every day last summer, eating the nectar from the flowers on the tall eucalypt tree.



Pied Butcherbirds: According to my book on native Australian birds butcherbirds are possibly the best singer of all Australian birds, making beautiful melodious piping sounds. They are also fierce predators on small animals and birds. That is why they have such a strong large hooked bills – all the better to eat you with, my dear …



Striated Thornbill: Tiny birds moving in flocks, continually darting and chittering. Maybe the rapid darting is to escape the fearsome butcherbirds described above.



Red Wattlebird: these are frequent visitors to the garden. They share the eucalypt flowers with the lorikeets and they also hang upside and eat the nectar from the brachysema flowers and the various leptospermums. They get their name from the fleshy reddish wattle on the side of their neck. Their calls are not musical – they cough, and call out “yak yak” in a harsh tone.



Sources: A Photographic Guide to Birds of Australia, by Peter Rowland, published by the Australian Museum,1995. Photos from Wikipedia, Morguefile and me.