It’s been a wet year. First of all we had a wet spring which got everything off to a roaring green start. Then we had our average annual rainfall by the end of March this year. Everything has grown like crazy, but strangely most have been very shy to flower, not the shower of colour I had expected. Jacarandas, all gums, silky oaks, other grevilleas all the myrtles, bauhinias & many others were very shy.

I had not fed the birds much apart for the left over dry cat food the magpies love, as I thought they would have plenty until about the end of February the visiting granddaughter did not eat her Weet-bix. The magpies were still out there, so I threw it to them. In less than a minute I had over a dozen blue faced honey eaters squabbling over it, & quickly after that, noisy minors, top knot pigeons & a flock of Lorikeets. I had never had so many even when regularly feeding.

I had not thought about it before, but despite all the green growth, there may not have been much feed, these birds were very hungry. Even the grass seed would be falling into the continually wet soggy ground & rotting. I am now getting over 50 birds after my bread crumbs daily, & when a large flock of Lorikeets come in it could be a hundred.
My home baked bread is probably sweeter than commercial bake, but I am surprised at how many honey eaters want it.

There are at least 60 trees & a couple of hundred large shrubs all overgrown in my house paddock, so plenty of space for them & they come from everywhere as soon as they spot me with my trusty grater. It is a highlight of my mornings.

So much for the endless drought due to climate change.

Good Morning Hassie,

I fully understand your enjoyment of feeding the birds.
My husband and I used to take it in turns to do the
same thing in our old house on a daily basis. The birds
would come running when ever we appeared. Since we sold
our house early this year and moved into an apartment -
all that has changed. It's not the same as it once was
and I miss the daily routine and of course the birds.

What was also awful - the new owners demolished our house
and every single tree and plant and blade of grass
that was standing on the property.
They're building their own several story
monstrocity - and putting in concrete everywhere.

Each to their own, I guess.

We miss our birds. We lived on a property over 30 years until the advancing decrepitude of age caused us to relocate to an old folk's home. The strutting male maggie who was there when we came was there when we left. The fairy wrens and double barred finches who were there when we came had been long driven out by other birds by the time we left. In the old folk's home we are not supposed to feed the birds, but sometimes we do. A couple of crested pigeons appreciate it.

Yes shadowminister, more like endless rain.

It has been unusually wet of course, but not unprecedented. This year so far is pretty closely following the previously wettest year on record here, 1893. The record so far is pretty close to the second wettest, 1954 too. All 3 had wet springs, with nothing special in January, followed by a February with well over 20 inches & heavy follow up rains for months. This is a typical La Nina pattern when consecutive La Nina occur.

The cattle around here are so fat they can barely waddle, & the kangaroos are looking very heavy, but it may be a tough year for wildlife that don't actually eat the grass.

Feeding of native animals is often seen as counter productive, creating an imbalance and dependency which can have adverse effects on both the native species being fed, and/or other species within the environment.

SM , how is the Flat Earth Society going since you amalgamated with the Climate Deniers?

"endless drought due to climate change", who said that?