The butcherbirds are the grey variety and they sing their rollicking notes early in the morning. Presently there are three or four youngsters eager for a feed, and they usually follow the mother bird down to the verandah and wait with open mouths for a sample of mince.
The magpies are much more adventurous one or two of them hop into the family room before partaking of their morning feed. Fortunately they are all so friendly now they have stopped swooping - in the spring that is.
As well as these two bird varieties, we get the laughing kookaburras, black crows and many visits from the twenty-eight parrots who love to nip at the fruit trees and other small bushes around the place.
Since planting several grevillea we have had the return of the honeyeaters - in force.
That's all about birds for the present.
We have completed stage one of a re-design of the back of the house and garden. Just put a roof over the patio, in colour bond, and we are about to change the design of the path around the house. Not that it will be a very quick and easy job. Last week I finished carrying about 72 concrete pavers to another part of the garden. The space they have left will be re-paved with brick pavers; hopefully I can get the same colour as the house bricks, Moroccan Leather.
If we finish this during the summer, we will be very happy. Nothing like changing the garden around to keep you fit.
One particular shrub that is supposed to attract the honeyeaters, as well as the grevillea is the melaleuca. We planted a Melaleuca huegelii quite recently. It's an upright shrub growing to about 5 metres (16 feet). It has good-looking dark green foliage and is known for the perfumed flower spikes. They tell me it is easy to grow and tolerates winds and alkaline soils. It is possible to propagate from seed and cutting.
I am writing this looking out on the garden; unfortunately all I can see is the back of the house and the barbecue. Might be a good idea if I can reposition the door to my office so I can see a little more of all the plants we have planted over the years.
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