Since moving to a rural area, we've been inundated with the local birds demanding sustenance. They do add a splash of colour, so having decided to do the deed on a sporadic basis, so as not to make them dependent, we noticed that the King parrots in particular were pretty unafraid of humans. The Currawongs were almost as good. Everything else is pretty skittish. The King Parrots will come as a group, but a particular pair would eat out of my hand, but not when I had the camera around. Until now! This little female kept a wary eye on the big black thing, but happily munched away, while her red-headed partner fluttered around the edges until I put the camera away. Her partner was a little camera shy and hung around about a foot away Some of the others in the crew What a Galah... Stool pigeon Currawong bein indecisive Is it safe? Pied Currawong Kookaburra sits on the old, erm, railing (not sure thats how the tune goes, but don't want to get done for plagiarism) Sulphur Crested gang Furry two-legged visitors King parrot waiting for his reservation Eastern Rosellas Crimson Rosella Rotten picture, but our night watchmen Tawny Frogmouth Of course, we're not being totally altruistic in our luring local wildlife into our clutches. We are hoping to do our bit for local produce and become a supplier Can be a bit of a Hitchcock scene here, most days
Very nice selection of fauna. I think your "Currawong" in pic No 8 is a baby Magpie though. And I hope you don't have and Western Red Cedar window/door frames. The Galahs and the Sulphur Cresteds can tear it to shreds. Nice rural setting, what area are you in?
Glad you said that Jim. Was just about to head down a different line of enquiry. Here's two fluffed up characters that have a fascination with my daughter. There's actually five of them that hang out together. To tell you the truth they scare the crap out of me. Beaks on these look vicious and they get much closer than the Plovers with their scary spurs. They started following and swooping my daughter on the walk home from the bus stop during nesting season. Now they fly up onto the balcony whenever I open the doors. We've never fed them or left anything out. If I stand in the doorway (one came inside once) they try and peer around me, seemingly looking for my daughter. All seem to be young, so not sure of the family set up. For those overseas, the nesting season means cyclists and pedestrians getting about with ice cream tubs on their heads with cable ties poking up out of them. For protection from the swooping. EDIT: Looking back my birds are quite different to Reg's. We've always called them Magpie's but I'm an introduced species myself rather than a native.
I was walking the dogs in a bushland park one day and was about 10 metres in front of Annie when I heard her call out and at the same time I heard a rushing sound. I turned to look over my left shoulder just in time to get hit hard by a sharp beak right on the bone near the corner of my eye. There was blood running down my face and a happy magpie flying off into the trees. Another 20mm and I'd probably be wearing an eye patch now.
I've been pecked on the head by a bluejay. Not pleasant. When I was in Australia last month, I saw these guys: Used to have one as a pet, never seen them in the wild before. gatorcpa
One of them has a ring around it's leg, maybe research? At times there are whole flocks of these on the side of the road. We have some Willy Wagtails around our place that I befriended. In nesting season they 'll swoop on other people but leave me alone. It's nice to have some friends.
Oh you're one lucky boy! Getting swooped by a Willy Wagtail must rate as one of the most dangerous Aussie wildlife hazards! Just before Number 1384, having a Bogong Moth fly into your hair. Willy Wagtail, One Ounce of fluffy fury. But afraid of nothing, even things much bigger and fiercer and scarier. Photo credits: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/
I like that bird. It's got 'tood (short for addytood, which if you're not from the tristate area is spelled attitude). It even has that eternally pissed off look because of that "eyebrow". It's not the size of the bird in the fight, is the size of the fight in the bird.
Fantastic pictures which make the birds in my garden look mundane Lots of stunning wildlife across the globe but the Australian animals seem to just have "attitude" My son is liviing in a small town 1 hour from Cairns and the birds in the trees outside his apartment are drunk and partying .They are so drunk they fallout of the trees ,walk into traffic and crash into windows and one another when trying to fly. Being birds they also love a good sing along but like drunks the world over think they are better than they really are plus sing at inappropriate times. They are getting drunk on the rotting fruit and the locals just treat it as a normal seasonal event
You most likely are talking about the Rainbow Lorikeet. They indeed get drunk on rotten fruit, mainly Mango's when they are in season. And they get quite loud.
Thank you for the picture To para phrase my son he has "a load of s*** faced parrots " living across from him and I can see why he might think they are parrots but once again an incredibly beautiful animal.