pommepal

Unlikely we will see small birds again…

Along the beach front, in the foliage on the sand dunes, a delightful family of Fairy Wrens live. As I walk along I hear their excited twittering and see them flitting from branch to branch.blue wrenI hoped to entice them down to our garden by planting native trees and shrubs, some dense foliage for them to hide in. But, sadly, it is unlikely to happen as there is no corridor of shrubs the one kilometre from the beach to our garden. People do not have gardens now-a–days. This is the landscape. Lots of lawn…houses 003_4000x3000Or high walls and the section covered in the house…houses 002_4000x3000The beach is behind the hi-rise buildings. A family of tiny wrens could never fly that far…houses 005_4000x3000

A few months ago this was a perfectly livable house, it actually had a garden. Now it is gone…

beach 001_5184x3888This morning I took these photos. I think this is going to be the biggest house along the street. Notice it is built almost touching the boundary fences on both sides.houses 007_4000x3000houses 009_4000x3000And also right to the back fence. But, oh my, do I see a square metre of ground not built on! I am very cynical about these huge houses. Lifestyles have certainly changed. No back yard any more for children to play in, no area for a garden. No wonder bird life is in decline.

But that is not the only problem for small and native birds around here.

rossella with bouganvillia oct2007We used to have a number of different Rosella species, Rainbow Lorikeets and Corellas.

little correl

They would visit the seed trays. I even managed to capture them on a video. This was taken in 2007.

They came over from the nature park not far away. They no longer come because the aggressive, bullying Noisy Miners have taken over.desert rose minor bird 030_4000x3000So times change, it is inevitable. We have lived here 20 years and seen it change from a beach-side suburb to a trendy, up-market area. But we love it here and it is very unlikely we will move for a while yet. And I guess if and when we do the house and garden will be bulldozed over in the name of “progress”.

40 comments

  1. It’s just the same here Pauline. Generally speaking, people around us aren’t interested in having proper gardens, just a lot of lawn and only sometimes a tree. I’m surprised we have wrens visiting us sometimes. It’s a hot town, where we live, and I so wish the council would plant more street trees.

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    • One good thing is the street trees planted over here. Gives the allusion of greenery, but then over the garden walls it is a different story

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  2. I love that little Wren with it’s tail stuck up high in the air! It’s so grand!

    What a shame to lose so many native birds because of housing. Even with all the housing we have going up here, and McMansions everywhere we can’t build out to the fence. We have to have 20 ft in the front yard, and 3-5ft at the side yards, and just a bit over 20ft in the backyards. I tried to get around the front yard limit when we did our remodel 3 yrs ago by 5 ft, and the city would not budge.

    I hope that doesn’t change for the sides of home for those in the suburbs. It’s nice to have some space in between neighbors for noise. I can hear the neighbors running or stomping next door, and I’m sure they can hear #1 Grandson running all over our house too. 🙂

    I hope the the birds adapt and come back!

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    • Housing restrictions are almost a thing of the past now. High density living is becoming the norm. With hi-rise and apartment living happening all over now, and we have so much space in Australia, I find it hard to understand

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  3. I’m not a fan of those big McMansions either, Pauline. Although, at least that one in the photograph has a light roof. Maybe people think they don’t need yards if the beach is so close by? But yep, it would be nice if there was planning for wildlife corridors in greater numbers.

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  5. Those wide expanses of grass do make it look sterile, how sad, everyone should have a little area like your garden. I never understand the point of huge houses, we can only occupy a little space at one time and there’e no need for all the things we acquire.

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  8. That’s such a sad thought, Pauline! All those years of tending your lovely place. You never know- maybe some old timers will take it on and love it as you and Jack do. 🙂 🙂 Yes, times are a-changing!
    I’ve named you in a quotes challenge over at mine. I know you’re away soon so don’t feel compelled to take it on, or if you do there’s no rush. 🙂 Safe and happy travels when you go!

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  9. Sweet birds…people need homes, and I understand the urge to build, but I also mourn for the birds. Right now, I am sitting at my computer desk listening to the birds outside my windows. Native songbirds to NJ. I feel blessed.

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  10. I was shocked on my first visit to Australia to see how close the houses were to one another. I expected them to be built on large plots as in South Africa. Sad that gardens aren’t popular, they provide so much for nature and are very important I think, to our health too. I love watching the birds in my garden especially the squabbling sparrows at the moment and the robin who sings to me whilst I am working in the garden. You never know PP, the birds may well yet return to your plot.
    PS Love fairy wrens – hard to photograph though as they flit about so fast, like our drab brown wrens (and I love them too). 🙂

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    • Back in the 60’s it was the 1/4 acre block people wanted with a basic 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house a Hills hoist clothesline and a veggie plot. How things have changed. A 1/4 acre block now has 3-4 apartments or 1 boundary to boundary house. Very hard to catch a decent photo of the wrens

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  13. I really like how you approached this week’s topic/theme, and my heart mourns the habitat with you… Lucky is the bird that finds your oasis, and who knows, perhaps your neighbors will one day long for a tree large enough for a swing and for children to climb and dream and —– and maybe the birds won’t be extinct….

    A neighbor rode with me to the largest city in the area today, and we talked about deforestation… he’s in his 20’s but already sees how the deforestation is changing the climate…. Thank you for addressing this problem…

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    • We have young families on both sides of us. But apart from using the swimming pools in mid summer I never see them out in their small garden or out on the street playing as I used to do as a child, or even having friends round to play with. Times have changed….

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  14. That perfectly white bird is excellent! The bird just prior to that is more colorful than a Mexican garage sale! He must be terrible embarrassed! He must not have a mirror at home.
    How sad that the neighborhood changes like that. I really do not get it. It seems to happen everywhere. When I was looking for homes years ago, it was difficult to find a nice small older home that had not been ruined by renovation. Sometimes I would ask a selling agent about such renovations, like “Why would anyone need such a HUGE kitchen when only two or three people who do not cook can live in the house?” It is common for a bedroom or two to be reclaimed into kitchen space, and most modern homes have huge kitchens to store all the wine. Homes are so disfigured! They are so huge, with huge foyers, huge master bathrooms, huge kitchens, but tiny bedrooms and no dining rooms! Okay, I will not continue on this rant.

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