Hi, and thanks for dropping by my blog,

Yes, Spring has sprung! Lots of new babies on the way on the Quiet Side of the Great Lake.

It begins with the constant cheeping of new babies in new nests.

These little Noisy Miner babies (below) can cheep between 80 and 100 times per minute according to those who study them. Their cries are very faint at first but increase as they grow. These little guys below are not long out of the nest and their mother spends all day feeding them. We complain when we have to manage children and housework looking for time out to put our feet up. The mother of these little ones virtually never stops from dawn to dark. She flies around grabbing little insects and the like and toting them back to hungry little mouths. I think I’d settle for the housework!

This is a fig bird, who has been checking out the umbrella tree next door. He is a nectar loving bird the same as the Noisy Miners above. He also doesn’t look very old. I know he’s a male as the females of the species are drab in colouring. Us girls all have one thing in common, we have to work hard at looking good! Unless we are genetically blessed of course.

There is three-way competition for nectar on the Quiet Side of the Great Lake (the focus of all my Tales from a Lake stories). The third player in the triangle is the Wattle Bird. Not called a Wattle Bird in regards to the Wattle tree. Rather it has a red wattle on the side of its face. This little one is very cute like all little ones. Children, animals and birds are very sweet when tiny.

Below are fledgling Kookaburras. I love Kookaburras. Particularly their laughing, as it is so uplifting. Although it’s said their call is simply territorial and a warning to other birds, they make you smile and you can’t help but check out the sky when you hear them. We were taught as children that Kookaburras laugh when it’s going to rain. Probably something like, cats wash behind their ears for the same reason!  Who knows? Maybe it’s true!

Lastly, little magpies. Now they are funny little things when they are young. Our magpies know us and trust us – we haven’t had any attack during nesting season. However there was one further around the lake that was a problem.

Keep your eyes peeled, who knows what you will see in Spring, new babies, new blossoms. Stop to smell the roses. When you do, think of the Sunday School hymn:

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

The second verse says it all:

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

Our God is truly amazing!

So, what’s going on in your garden and around where you live? My Spring begins in September as I live the world of Aus, for you in the northern hemisphere you will be travelling through the falling leaves of Autumn. Wherever you are enjoy!

Marilyn

Hi, and thanks for dropping by my blog,

We have many trees surrounding our home, plus there are many more on the lake front only metres from the house. They provide shelter and many places for perching and nesting for all of our garden variety birds. Even for some of our water birds (as you will see below). These unexpected observations surprised me. It’s amazing the birds you might find at the top of a sixty metre tree.

Firstly a great white egret. It stands over a metre in height with a wingspan of 130cm-170cm .You have to wonder how they balance up there with the wind blowing a gale. But they do.

and then an ibis, another very large bird (up to 76cm tall).

So all in all we have lots of birds flying around our home most of the time.

But I always cringe when I hear a bird crash into our back windows. A few years ago a rainbow lorikeet broke its neck on impact. I felt so sad.

Of late there seems to be an increased number of kamikaze birds launching themselves at our windows. So on investigating this latest crash I expected to find either another victim or the bird had flown away. However I was in for a surprise as this little guy, (he’s classified as a feral pigeon), was sitting on the tiny ledge outside the ceiling to floor window he had hit, on our glassed-in observation room at the end of our veranda.

This photo was taken through the glass window, as he is sitting about twenty feet above the ground and there was no way I could reach him physically. So he sat on one side of the glass, I sat on the other.

I’m asking, “Are you okay?” I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. The lights were on but nobody was home. Was it: “What happened?” “Where am I?” or even “Who am I?”

He didn’t appear badly hurt. Perhaps stunned. We just observed each other through the glass. I thought he would fly away, but he didn’t. So being the nurse I am, or was (I don’t think nurses ever really retire it’s who we are), I checked on him through the afternoon. It was over two hours before he eventually flew away.

It’s funny we grow up learning to feed the pigeons (probably stuff they should never eat). It’s only when we reach adulthood we realise that these birds are really a pest in large flocks. But then they are God’s created creatures and the Fall of Man altered their destiny just as He did ours.

I wonder how it would be in a perfect world?

Have a great day!

Marilyn

Hi and thanks for dropping by my blog,

A common saying these days is: “You are what you eat!” Sadly many of us eat too much and in doing so indulge in the wrong kinds of food. As I write about the wildlife on our lake I cannot help but draw a comparison. My conclusion is, that perhaps as humans we could learn healthy living from the birds of the air.

They are programmed to eat certain “foods” which they are capable of catching.

They thrive, grow and remain healthy  and in most cases don’t put on weight.

When I was young in Australia we grew up on ‘meat and three veg’ and a limited amount of sweet foods – usually in the form of homemade deserts and fruit with the occasional lollies or chocolate thrown in. We played in the fresh air in the afternoons after school and on the weekends. We were active. It was the exception for our children to be overweight, not the norm. Eating out in a restaurant was rare and only to celebrate a special occasion.

Then along came Chinese food followed by Indian, Italian, Thai, Mexican and other ethnic foods which we could go to a restaurant and enjoy. Fast foods graduated from the corner hamburger shop to the ever popular chains of McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, Pizza Hut and a multitude of others. Clubs opened all you can eat buffets. Cooking shows grace our TV screens in prime time. Not all are bad as some demonstrate healthy cooking. But they  jerk on our taste buds, while computers, television tablets and e-readers have made us more sedentary. The result: an overweight population!

However consider the birds below.

These are Noisy Miners. Bub is on the right, Mum on the left. It is a bit hard to spot the food in this sized down version. Mum has been flying about expounding lots of energy to come by that food and this little one also has brothers and sisters. Feeding them all and herself equals a day’s exercise in the gym!  Little chance of weight gain here!

This mother Maggie is feeding a baby of her own size, so she is always on the go.

Here we have twin Channel-Billed Cuckoos being fed by a Pied Currawong. The Channel-Billed Cuckoos fly down from New Guinea each year between the months of August and October. The female Cuckoo is very adept at laying her eggs in the nest of either a Magpie, Currawong or even a Crow who feeds and raises them, while mother Cuckoo flies off to enjoy her holiday. By February or March the babies are strong enough to make the journey back with mum.

Both babies are larger than the Currawong (who, in the photo has her head right inside of the beak of the baby). Goodness only knows what the Currawong thinks of these strange-looking, noisy chicks. How on earth did I give birth to these? I hope he doesn’t eat me! And what a ruckus they make when waiting for food. The pressure must be terrible considering they are not even her chicks. Regardless, she does gets the job done. Then if she has any sense she takes a long vacation herself.

So there you have it – the answer to obesity and overweight. Self control! Eat a sensible diet and exercise regularly. If only it was that easy?

Enjoy your day!

Marilyn

Hi, and welcome!

These funny little guys are called “Noisy Miners” and are native to Australia.

They are not to be confused with the brown Common or Indian Myna birds which were brought to Australia 1862 and released into Melbourne to control insect pests in market gardens.

Even though they were not successful at this, they were taken from Melbourne to many other places in Australia, including north Queensland. In 1883 it was thought, (thought being the operative word), that they would control insect pests of sugar cane particularly plague locusts and cane beetles. How did that go for them? Not real well. Common Myna’s are now found all down the east and southern coasts of Australia where they have become a pest as the drive out the native birds and eat up their natural food. But enough of the Indian or Common Myna. The Noisy Miners are the subject of this blog.

The Noisy Miners are endearing little guys and even though they are not particularly attractive they make up for it in entertainment value and personality.

On the Quiet Side of the Great Lake there a lots of Noisy Miners. Especially this particular little guy, I call him Neville and he appeared in a feature role in my last book. Neville is a particularly clean bird and has taken exclusive ownership of our bird bath. He loves to bathe, and he does so frequently. We’ve seen him dive in 14 times in succession! That’s his record to date.

And yes, he actually dives from the side of the bird bath!

PREPARING

DIVING

FREESTYLE

BREAST STROKE

PERFECT RECOVERY

THEN A NICE PLACE TO DRY OUT ON THE CLOTHESLINE

Quite often he will make a sweeping dive from the clothesline right into the bird bath. Very athletic!

AND OF COURSE THE BIRD BATH IS A GREAT PLACE TO TEACH THE KIDS TO SWIM!

I’d love to hear about the crazy antics of the birds where you live. Leave me a message!

Have a great weekend,

Marilyn

“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
8 Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
Let the fish in the sea speak to you….
For ..the life of every living thing is in his hand,
Job 12:8-10 NIV

I have no doubt God loves His creation, just as he loves us, and my premise for the Tales from a Lake series, is that the birds and animals also recognise and know their Creator. A stretch perhaps, but who knows?

There is an order God has set in His creatures on this earth (including man). We are born to parents who raise us, we learn to fend for ourselves and survive, we live for a purpose even to succeed and flourish. We remain a part of a family (regardless of who our family members are!) and we mostly start a family of our own (no disrespect to those who choose not to). And so the pattern continues until our time on earth is done.

Magpies fascinate me as they are very diligent in the raising of their offspring. They are the one native bird that feels at completely at home around humans. They wander our gardens as though they own them. On the Quiet Side of the Great Lake they are so friendly that you can walk right up to them and they won’t fly away. (I guess they know us and trust us, just like in real life!) So when they have new babies we become very aware. Initially it is the cries of the chicks in the nest, followed by the parents teaching their fledglings to find their food and survive on their own.

Mostly they get it. But there was one little magpie who caught my attention. It seemed to take weeks and weeks. He constantly chased after his mother squawking to be fed. It became entertainment to us as we watched his antics. I had to ask myself, ‘what was wrong with Junior Magpie’, that he couldn’t seem to find his own food. I sifted through the ‘what-ifs?’, and then an anecdote from a friend brought it all together and The Tale of Junior Magpie was born.

To make the story more impacting I created Junior to be the son of Matthew Magpie, the central character of the Tales from a Lake series, who was appointed by the Great Creator, Himself to keep order on the Quiet Side among the bird life. The Quiet Side had become a place of peace and love where bird life, human folk and four legged friends all “looked out for each other”. It was a place of healing where hurting creatures came to mend and recover.

However, to Matthew and his life-partner Iris who saw themselves as role models and mentors to many of the others of their breed, it became a dilemma. But of course all is well that ends well. The book is on sale online in the Amazon Kindle store for $1.99 US and $2.68 AU.

I’d love to hear of your magpie experiences, good or bad.

Leave me a message!

I just love pelicans! My first book was about a pelican, Roger over and out.

I find it awesome when I consider the following facts about these intricately created birds.

“Pelicans are not capable of sustained flapping flight, but can remain in the air for 24 hours, covering hundreds of kilometres. They are excellent soarers and can use thermals to rise to considerable altitudes. Flight at 1,000m is common, and heights of 3 000 m have been recorded. By moving from one thermal to the next, pelicans can travel long distances with a minimum of effort, reaching air speeds of up to 56 km/hour.”

Wouldn’t you love to be able to do that? What incredible sights they must see!

You might ask how such a large bird can get off the ground? Well, according to those who study the breed, pelicans have an extremely light skeleton, weighing less than 10% of their total body weight.

Sited 22 Aug 2015 http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Pelecanus-conspicillatus

Birds must be lightweight to fly, so have evolved very lightweight hollow bones. The structure of their bones resembles honeycomb, making them very strong but also very light. http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/birds/Bird-Anatomy-How-do-birds-fly

Considering these statistics is it little wonder I was led to write about a        globe-trotting or globe soaring Australian pelican, who had spent his life flying from ship to ship. Whether it be a cruise ship or navy ship, Roger was known by all on his route, and wherever he went he was fussed over and treated to tasty delights. (Primarily fish!)

With such an interesting and energetic life it was little wonder that as he grew older and began running out of puff, he found himself faced with a dilemma. He needed to find a nice quiet place to retire.

So began his long search for the Quiet Side of the Great Lake.

Being an avid photographer, pelican behaviour fascinates me. They can be very comical in appearance with their unusual shape and features or quite regal.

(This photo I have put through a cartoon filter to give it an illustration-type effect), but standing like that, he looks like an old “grandfather” pelican. So cute!

Pelicans can find the most amazing places to perch. Places peculiar only to them.

A place for quiet, reflective thought and “far away from the madding crowd!” to quote the title of a movie.

(Above) A place to visit with selective friends.

Or the community meeting place to catch up on lake gossip. I’m sure no one could get paid enough to clean that jetty!

Last of all, if you’re lucky you can get a free snack if you are fast. Pelican Feeding is a tourist attraction at the little seaside town called ‘The Entrance’ on the ocean side of the lake. Not only do the pelicans get fed each day, the Australian Seabird Rescue also looks out for their welfare.

I would love to hear from you and your stories and experiences with these amazing birds.

Leave me a message!

Marilyn

Welcome all wildlife lovers and a big welcome to all my Aussie friends,

Thanks for checking out my blog!

2015 has been my debut year as a children’s writer. After a career in the nursing profession ending as the administrator of a service reaching across four hospitals and just short of a thousand beds, I have found breathing space to further a cause God laid on my heart.

To date my books are all a part of a series. The series is entitled Tales from a Lake. All are available on the Amazon Kindle website at minimal cost. Check out the covers below. So far there are three books in the series, with a fourth in production. They are educational, as I have endeavoured to keep the characters as close to nature and in their natural environment. Whilst they contain a Christian theme, they also contain principles that teach young children values and virtues, elements that are often missing in today’s society.

Just as my characters do in The Tales from a Lake series, I too live on the Quiet Side of the Great Lake. When my husband and I moved to our lake frontage fifteen years ago, my heart was moved by the beauty of this place and the birds, four legged friends and the human folk who live there. I was struck by the fact that there was such an order to the wildlife so similar to our own, which could only be attributed to God, the Great Creator’s awesome design and engineering.

As we do, I could see no reason why these creatures could not be aware of our Creator just as we are. From a child’s perspective everything is possible. The more bazaar the more instrigue. So from this origin the many Tales from a Lake stories were born. While these stories are crafted for children, my late mother who was suffering with Alzheimer’s Disease also enjoyed them. Some could say she was biased. But the simplicity of the stories and love incorporated in them is uplifting and simple.

The Tales from a Lake stories are a very different approach of creating the awareness of our Creator to young children making them appropriate to all denominations and religions who believe in the One True God.

All stories are inspired from real happenings around the lake and I can’t tell you what a privilege and a blessing it is to live life seeing these stories evolve.

Watching the bird families as they raise their offspring, seeing others who arrive having traveled across the oceans to our lake down under, some from New Guinea, some from as far away as Alaska, flying thousands of miles each year. It is also very precious to see relationships rise up between the human folk on the Quiet Side and God’s creatures – such as in The Tale of Pamela Possum.

Together, bird life, four legged friends and human folk alike we face the same trials of storms and floods. “We look out for each other!”

Below is an illustration from Tales from a Lake Book 1, entitled Roger, Over and Out! But more about him next time.