Urban Ecosystems (or "It's time to clean the gutters!")

Only a few weeks ago I was cleaning out the roof guttering at my parents' place when I came across a sizeable chunk of bone 4 metres up. I assumed a scavenging bird must have raided someone's rubbish.

Last week I saw this Little raven Corvus mellori on my roof. It had just found this morsel. I don't think it was found in the gutter (it looks like a piece of sausage) but there does appear to be a sustainable ecosystem happening there! It's time to get the ladder out!

I hate that job!

I am reminded of a day I heard the unusual calling of Wood duck close at hand. The drawn out nasal repeated "gnow" is about as unlike "quack" as you could possibly get! Not having any of their favoured habitat close at hand (they like grazing on grassed areas close to water and trees) I wandered out of the house to find a pair on the roof!

Wood duck Chenonetta jubata

Bird on!

Is that it's tongue!?

I don't usually (read ever) photograph  Noisy miners but I was putting a new lens through it's paces & ....

In case you missed it!

Posturing

The aggressive Noisy miner is a native bird that has
extended its domain in suburbia at the expense
of other species.

Angry birds?

These pictures were taken at Croydon Park, a recreation reserve (rugby pitch and footy oval) with a man-made wetland. I believe that the Tarralla Creek is piped underneath (a Wikipedia article indicates that Tarralla Creek is actually the re-named Croydon Main Drain!). Croydon is an outer eastern suburb of Melbourne.

Little corellas taking over Croydon Park

Cooperative Pacific black duck & friends

"I'm not sure about this Mum/ Dad!"
Dusky Moorhen

Presumed juvenile Little raven

All birds pictured doing well in suburbia.
Of those pictured this Spotted turtle-dove is the
only introduced species