An excited group of currawongs made our backyard the centre of their activity yesterday afternoon. The commotion lasted at least half an hour. Birds dashed back and forth, calling and flying noisily past each other. Parents of young children will sympathise with the term “crazy hour”, sometimes called the “witching hour”, in late afternoon — it seems to apply to currawongs too!

Common name: Pied Currawong
Scientific name: Strepera graculina
Approximate length: 45 cm
Date spotted: 31 August 2024 (end of winter)
Location: Allambie Heights, north of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia