Diary of a Carbon Farmer

This is the diary of an Australian family who escaped from the city, joined a farming community, and learned to love soil. Carbon Farming is about growing soil carbon - the first link in our food chain. The topsoil is where God's creation is taking place, at every moment. Carbon is the building block of life. By growing it we can restore ecosystems to health. At the same time we can remove Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as Carbon in the soil.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

When the ibis return

We have a flock of Straw-Necked Ibis visiting the farm in the aftermath of the soaking rains. They are feeding on the caterpillars and other crawling bugs emerging from the soil. This is a good example of how increasing soil carbon in the humus zone promoted biodiversity. The food chain begins in the humus line. Microbes feed bugs. Bugs feed birds. Birds feed... etc.

They have visited before, about the same time of year. They stay for a week or so, then go off elsewhere. They are commonly found across all AUstralia, according to SLater's Field Guide to Australian Birds.

My little Canon Digital Camera isn't up to wildlife photography. But I caught a large wallaby watching the Ibis. It was raining at the time.

Louisa saw this post and comments: "You could have also explained that messy is the new neat, and all those standing dry grasses are habitat for lots of little 'things' and have given that kangaroo enough confidence to come down and be there."