Magpie-lark

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Magpie-larks (Grallina cyanoleuca) are very common around my yard. I often find them walking over the lawn and hunting for grubs and insects. Right now there is a pair with two very noisy juveniles. Last year I could see their nest up in the big pine tree next door. This year they have hidden it better and the first I knew about the young ones was hearing their hoarse whistling as they demanded that the parents fed them. This is the second lot of young ones that have been raised in that tree this year. Now they are following the parents around the yard and they are even noisier. Males, females and juveniles all have a different pattern of black and white plumage.
Here are the juveniles standing together and demanding food.
This is the male bird
and this is the female.
This juvenile is following the adult and not stopping its screaming unless there is actually food being stuffed in its mouth.
After a few days of fine weather last week it has started to rain again and this time it has been right over our area. We have not been quite so bad here on the coast but just inland it has been extra heavy - the weather bureau says there was over 300mm of rain in one 24hour period in the upper part of the Mary valley. Of course all the streams and rivers are in flood. There are major flood levels expected in both Gympie and Maryborough later tonight and tomorrow. Right here on the coast the only streams are short ones that drain the immediate area so I don't have to worry about big floods from them. My lawn has turned into a paddling pool again. It's only a week since I mowed it but the grass grows so fast in these conditions.