Smart possums, fantastic birds, and beautiful snakes

We bought a cottage on the Central Coast’s headlands. The 760-square-metre plot of land was covered with native bush. It was home to ringtail possums, brushtail possums, snakes, and hazardous spiders. While we lived there we counted over 40 different bird species, including the beautiful rainbow lorikeets, and brush turkey.

Ringtail Possums and Brushtail Possums

We lived on-site while renovating. Other residents lived in the house, and attempts to evict them failed. Eventually, we gave up and lived peacefully with them until the building was built. The ringtail possums made their bed in the warm and soft insulation batts. The brushtail possums watched us when we had dinner.

Then, the ringtail possums moved into their new places and seemed very pleased with them.

The brushtail possums discovered that we enjoy a glass of red wine, and they tried it out to see how it tasted.

This was not one of our brushtail possums; it was an extremely aggressive intruder. He tried to enter the home, threatened to bite us, bullied us, and did not flee when we slapped him with our sandals.

Birds

At our place, we have seen 46 different bird species. Some of them visited us only once, which is understandable.

The tawny frog mouth visited us many times. Sitting near the tree trunk made It difficult to spot

When the Rainbow Lorikeets did not use the pool then the Red wattlebirds enjoyed jumping from the balcony rail into our birds' pool. They do it much like an Olympic diver. The fun ends when the Koel arrive and put their eggs in the nest for breeding. After hatching, the young nag the surrogate mother all day for food.

When the rainbow lorikeets did not use the pool then the red wattlebirds enjoyed diving from the balcony rail into our birds’ pool. It did look like an Olympic diving competition. The fun ends when the Koel arrive and put their eggs in the wattlebird nest for breeding. After hatching, the young nag the surrogate mother all day for food.

We had kookaburras who were residents of our house. They sat patiently on branches all day, watching to see if they could catch something to eat.

This was a special treat: a delicious, nutritious green tree snake. And I was extremely fortunate to be able to get this unique photo.

This was a special treat for our Kookaburra: a delicious, nutritious green tree snake. And I was extremely fortunate to be able to get this unique photo.

We had a pair of magpies nesting in a nearby tree. They would come to our house almost every day, searching for insects to eat. One of them would perch at our door, sing to us, and beg for food. They were well-behaved but would sometimes sneak inside even though it was not allowed.

Sometimes, we were visited by a pair of king parrots. These wonderful birds were not shy and were easy to photograph.

We had many bushes and native trees, and the birds loved them. Food was abundant. So, rainbow lorikeets, noisy miners, and wattle birds grew. But, small birds declined.

The bird’s pool was crowded. Satin Bowerbirds arrived early in the morning. When our bossy lovebirds (rainbow lorikeets) arrived, all others, small and big, had to go, and no one was allowed near the bath.

The rainbow lorikeets also discovered that we like to enjoy wine. They tried to find out how it tasted.

Rainbow lorikeets discovered that we like wine. Then they tried a sip to find out how it tasted.

In the evening, brush turkey from all around came to roost in our gum trees. Then a battle began over the best places.

We get quite excited every year, in December or January, when these wonderful little brush turkey chicks hatch. There is no mother or father to look after them. They have been on their own since birth.

This brush turkey grew up on the coast and learned to fly over the ocean.

For about a week, we had a surprise visitor who enjoyed the spectacular view from our roof.

List of birds that visited us

Reptiles

Blue tongue lizards lived beneath a retaining wall and came out for basking.

In Forresters Beach, NSW, Australia, we had a Blue Tongue Lizard that lived beneath a retaining wall and came out basking in the Sun.

We had a water dragon for years. This area is a sandy headland with no water nearby. He must be a hermit.

Occasionally, a diamond python would visit us. A gorgeous snake that is safe for people but not for ringtail possums. This one, with a large belly, headed under a hot roof to digest their meal. Unfortunately, one of our cute ringtail possums disappeared.