Cuddles, our Pet Duck
After spending so much time helping others in their gardens, working full-time, and wildlife caring full-time I have finally taken the plunge to do something with my own long-time neglected garden. Years ago, we had a thriving and manageable little vegetable and herb patch – but after years of ‘wildlife tramplings’ in the form of rehabilitating wildlife – including Wood Ducks, Pacific Black Ducks, Plovers, and the Duck from Hell who eats everything, ”Cuddles”, who we somehow acquired in the process (it’s a long story!) - it is now just a messy plot of dirt, grass and some native shrubs. Although I must admit on our small standard yard we do have a bit of ‘bushland’ going on down the back packed with native trees which host a wide variety of wild birds all living in relative peace, including:
- Crested Pigeons
- Bar-Shouldered Doves
- Spotted Turtle-Doves (not native)
- Rainbow Lorikeets
- Scaly-breasted Lorikeets
- Pale-headed Rosellas when any seed pops up
Fence line of Permaculture Project
- a Pheasant Coucal who ’coop coops’ each years as he works his way through our hedge
- a Common Koel
- 2 Tawny Frogmouths
- Noisy Friarbirds
- Blue Faced Honeyeaters
- Brown Honeyeaters
- Noisy Miners (of course!)
- Lewin’s Honeyeaters
- a little family of Silver Eyes after the rain
- a White-Faced Heron early mornings
- 2 Peewees
- the occasional magpie
- one particularly cheey Willie Wagtail
- 21 Spangled Drongos (during their migration – although this year we only saw three)
- 1 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike
- A couple of Figbirds hunting for nesting spots
- A friendly Pied Butcherbird
- and a Brown Goshawk every August (much to the disgust of the doves and pigeons).
- Oh, and one happy little Ring Tailed Possum who has built her dray in one of the Lillypillies out the front of our house.
Yes, it’s a relative zoo out there – and I want to keep it that way, but cater for us humans too!
So here starts the latest Permaculture Project - and I’d like you to join me.
To begin with I want to set up some big picture criteria to be followed in the decision making process.
- There must be room left to move the aviaries in the future (they currently hold rehabilitating wildlife)
- Current Large Trees are to be maintained for wildlife
- Food Trees are to be provided for the birds, bats and possums that frequent the garden
- As we are vegetarians we require a substantial produce of fruit and vegetables for all year round
- Seed grown for pet birds
Here’s a picture of the small back yard to give you an idea of what we have to work with. Next we’ll look at planning design and Zones.
Backyard of Permaculture Project