Chifley Chronicle #11

Hailie sleeps it out

A week at home with a few sessions working in the garden. I can now begin to see some progress with the alterations that have been necessary following the removal of the big tree at the back. I have been moving barrowloads of coarse mulch from the enormous pile left after chipping this tree. I am using these wood chips as cover where I intend to keep walkways. A huge Spiny-headed Mat-rush Lomandra longifolia has been moved today. It is a splendid specimen and I grow it in the garden only because it is a reminder for me of the major component of vegetation on the coastal islands off south-eastern Australia; places like Montagu Island where I go each year to study shearwaters. These shearwaters most frequently burrow under this plant! In the garden it was in the wrong place, too big and too close to my cluster of little ponds. It took some moving and was very heavy but it now looks very good in its new location. I am confident that it will endure this forced shift because it is a plant that is so tolerant on the islands where it is subjected to the activities of shearwaters and Little Penguin tunneling amongst its root. Also, it is remarkably tolerant during drought. On Montagu it is often subjected to long periods of very dry conditions when the sandy soils it grows in become alarmingly drained of all vestige of moisture.

First Dwarf Iris of the year

Most of the time I have been accompanied in the garden by large mob of Silvereye. I guess up to 40 of them have been present most days this week. Mixed in with them is a large group of Superb Fairy-wren with one splendidly bright plumaged male but at least another male in dull female-like plumage. This group of wrens is probably at least 8-10 strong but impossible to count most of the time with individuals scattering about and diving in and out of cover. I have about 20 House sparrow frequenting the garden. These sparrows have been around for some weeks now. They often come to the parrot feeding stations and search through the gleanings. Interesting word gleanings. Old country name for the act of collecting the fallen heads of wheat after the last sheaf had been hoisted (collected). The gleaning bell would sound and everyone in the village was from that moment entitled to enter the field and collect the spillage for their own use to grind to flour for breadmaking. An account of this traditional activity associated with harvest practices before the advent of mechanization and harvesters is given by C Henry Warren in Happy Countryman published in the late 1930s.

My copy is a second edition published in 1946 by Eyre and Spottiswoode, London (152pp) with a wonderful emblem on the reverse of the title page embracing the statement 'Book Production war economy Standard' with words below stating that 'this book is produced in complete conformity with the authorised economy standards'.

I bought this copy recently in Brighton UK mainly because it is illustrated with woodcuts created by C. F. Tunnicliffe. Chapter 4 deals with the art of gleaning.

Other birds in Chifley at the moment include my usual group of parrots; King Parrot, Crimson Rosella and Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. I have had noticeably fewer of the latter this week after numbers began to rise alarmingly a week or so ago. I cut back the regularity of the food supply with the intention, if possible, of breaking the routine of the local mob that seemed to have settled into something of a routine of visiting me. It seemed to work.

Crimson Rosella at kitchen window feeder

A pair of Gang-gang visited briefly this morning but I have not seen them often recently. I have an adult plumaged male Blackbird that I often see working over various areas in the garden but I have not seen any females or other sub-adult males. Two Spotted Pardalote were calling softly earlier in the week and at least two Red Wattlebird are commonly visible in the garden or nearby. They bathe in the main bird bath. Some Noisy Miner are often audible nearby and occasionally can be seen in the scrub to the west of the garden. However, Indian Myna have not been obvious lately. No calls and I cannot recall seeing any, even near the garden, this last week. A couple of Pied Currawong still patrol my plot and occasionally a larger party passes through. The resident pair seem to call just on dusk as they go to roost otherwise they are not very vocal during the day unless there is some sort of disturbance in which they often join in vocally.

The 40 year old wooden outside fence - now seriously dilapidated

Hailie still asleep