Author: glenys mahler

I live in Patho, Australia.

After Christmas Tree

January 2, 2021

This year I made a Christmas tree out of succulent pieces.

It seems to be doing well. I’ve been keeping it moist. Maybe the cuttings are actually growing. I wonder what it will look like next Christmas?

Happy New Year

January 1, 2021

What a surprise and a lesson to show you should persevere. I gathered up some eggs after a rare wet and stormy night. I found them abandoned by their mum, a guinea fowl. They were cold but I put them into the incubator and hoped for the best. I left them when I went away for Christmas and thought it was time to throw them away when I returned. Lucky I left them. They started hatching yesterday.

They are so tiny, but I’m watching them start eating and growing.

This little one has distinctive white marking around it’s head.

They were startled by the camera, and paraded around in a circle.

The Darter babies have left the nest..

December 24, 2020

I’ve been following the growth of a nest of little Darter birds. Two have survived and are ready to leave the nest. I was horrified that as I approached the nest this time, the two little ones fell into the creek and disappeared under the water.

Empty nest

I lost sight of one and the other seemed to be very uncertain of itself in the water. It seemed to be looking for a way to get out of the water.

Then I lost sight of it too, and was really sad, thinking that I might have scared them off the nest too early. I went away disheartened.

I returned to the nest a little while later. It was still empty, but I eventually found both of them, enjoying the sun and drying out.

My husband reported that he saw them both in the nest again tonight, so they either clawed their way back up the tree, (have a look at the feet of the ‘baby’ above!) or they might have managed to fly up. I hope they don’t leave for a little while yet.

More photos of the darters. And more. When they were very young. and the rest of the family.