Some of our coastal birds are easy to identify while others can be a bit perplexing. Most beachgoers know the Seagull (real name is Silver Gull) which is famous for snatching and devouring your chips at the beach.  But there are a couple of other Gulls, slightly larger, which can be easily mistaken as the same bird species. They are the Pacific Gull which is reasonably common along our stretch of coast, and the far less common Kelp Gull. But even birds within the one species can look different depending on the maturity of the bird! So here’s a little guide to help you, just in case you thought you had found a rare Skua or wayward Albatross on the beach!

‘Expect the unexpected!’ A front of wild storms and a very brief period of hot weather in our neck of the woods threw a ‘spanner into the works’ recently. No power, no communications! But the natural world went about it’s daily business without disruption, seemingly unaffected and unaware by what was going on in our ‘ecosystem’, continuing to do the important work of rewilding our environments, pollinating, reproducing and disposing of our waste … the perfect natural system that hasn’t got too smart for itself!

A slightly different Cape Chatter this time around. We follow the nesting stages of a couple of stunning native bees (Megachile) which have finally taken to my ‘bee hotel’ in the garden. While sceptical at first, they do work! More sobering is the state of the current Hooded Plover breeding season on the nearby beaches. I have provided some data that gives you an idea of the challenges they face in trying to successfully produce a fledged (flying) juvenile. Sometimes they get very close to success only to be undone at the home turn. They are tough, resilient birds who keep on giving on in the face of adversity.

Welcome back to Cape Chatter for 2024. I hope everyone in Australia had a pleasant festive season break and followers in the northern hemisphere aren’t freezing too much! The weather here in Cape has been a little different—we are yet to get any significant heat, it’s been a tad humid along with some nice rainfall to keep the environment fresh. I have been spending a lot of my time on the beach monitoring my favourite local bird—the vulnerable Hooded Plover. More on how that’s going next edition. Away from the coast, I haven’t been looking too much beyond my local habitat area—the home garden—with the occasional visit to the nearby wetlands, creeks and ponds … snake country! So here’s what’s happening.

In this final issue of Cape Chatter for 2023, we look at the frenetic activity of some local Honeyeaters feasting on nectar and also review what’s been happening in the natural world at The Cape over the last year. A very merry and safe festive season for all the ‘Chatterers’. After a short break, we look forward to getting back into observing and connecting with the natural world around us … and please keep an eye out for our many lovely animals over the summer holiday period—they need our help!

Just when we thought we were in for a very dry spell leading into summer, valuable rain has continued to fall— topping up the creek line, ponds and wetlands, providing a real pulse to this ecological system … and the wildlife is loving it.

Just when we thought we were heading for a long dry spell like many parts of Australia, the heavens opened and we have had some nice drenching rain to put some green tinge back into scenery. It has been a mix of strong easterlies, storms and precipitation, and on the coast, a series of high tides which is challenging for the local vulnerable beach-nesting bird, the Hooded Plover. But, in most situations, the animals naturally adjust to these conditions despite setbacks along the way.

The constructed central wetlands are developing nicely and after four years of growth provide wonderful habitat for a range of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds. Just think, four years ago this area was nothing more than degraded pasture land! It is becoming increasingly difficult to see what is going on within these wetlands given the thickness of the vegetation, so if you are interested in knowing what is happening, you need to tune into listening and be a patient observer.

Apologies—it has been a while between Cape Chatter blogs. October has been a really busy month with preparation for the new Hooded Plover breeding season along our coastline. But I have finally found some time to get this Issue together. And why not … because this is Issue No. 100. Who would have thought! After four years, we are still plugging away—observing and photographing the natural world of The Cape.

Be careful what may be lurking in your garden … snakes, wombats, kangaroos, echidnas and other things!