"Toppy","Spotty", "Watty","Spoggy","Murray","Willy","Blacky","Shiny" and "Noisy"

Being a keen birdwatcher and bird photographer I am always keen to introduce others to this very rewarding pastime.

My grandchildren are high on the list of people  I like to teach about birds and their names etc.

My Dad encouraged me in this and also my late father in law had an extraordinary knowledge of Australian birds.

Over the last few months we have begun feeding the birds in our backyards with bread scraps.

We have  a bird friendly backyard notwithstanding having 3 domestic cats.

We have also four bird baths on our property.

Only one of the cats is a threat to the birds but he is kept under surveillance by us and the birds.

The main predators of our "backyard" aviary are Crows and the Brown Goshawk.

So who are "Toppy","Spotty", "Watty","Spoggy","Murray","Willy","Shiny" and "Noisy".

These are the names I have given to the birds when sitting with my grandchildren and watching them eat the bird scraps.

One of our young grandsons is keen on them having names so these were given to the main species on the lawn.
"Toppy" is the Crested Pigeon.

"Spotty" is the "Spotted Turtle Dove"

"Watty" is the "Red Wattle Bird"

"Spoggy" is the common "House Saprrow"

"Murray" is the "Murray Magpie" or "Australian Mudlark"

"Willy" is the "Willy Wagtail"

"Blacky" is the "European Blackbird"

"Shiny" is the "European Starling"

"Noisy" is the "Noisy Miner"

This giving them names has worked a treat and created great interest.

We took J to a local playground and wetland which is well stocked with birds having named the birds that same day.

On our arrival there he excitedly exclaimed, "Toppy" has followed us all the way here.

I was excited he had accurately identified the species even though they had not actually followed us there.

So here they are "with the exception of "Shiny" who I haven't photographed yet"
Introduced Blackbirds, Starlings and Sparrows have done very well in Australia.

"Toppy"

"Blacky"

"Spotty"

Baby Blacky

"Spotty" and "Spoggys"

"Baby Blacky"

'Toppy 1" and  "Toppy 2"

"Murray"

At the Duckpond

"They followed us here"

Sprouting wings and contemplating flight.

Brown Goshawk

"Spoggy"

"Willy"

"Spotty"

"Noisy"(Noisy Miners are the watchdogs of the bush. They are aptly named.)

"Spotty 1" and "Spotty 2"

"Watty"

"Slow down!"