Autumn at the Tapas Bar

Well, it’s been a few weeks since my last post (& these are my sins. Sorry, that's the alter boy in me).

This post was going to be on the fickleness of my birds. I have about 15 species of birds that visit the Tapas Bar with most of them being resident. Except for Kath, Kym & Stormbird (a family of Eastern Koels), these guys fly down from New Guinea for the summer.

Kym - Dad

Kath - Mum

Stormbird - Bub

But the rest all live in the area. I can see or hear them every day. 3 to 5 times a week I put up seasonal fruit, but always include their favourites – grapes & banana. So, I’m a little baffled as to why some stay away for weeks or months. I haven’t had a visit from Cedrick or Daphne (Lorikeets) for 6 months. Brad & Angelina (Satin Bowerbirds), haven’t been around since the end of December, as was the last time I saw Kit the Green Catbird.

So this post was going to be a bit of a bio on each, and then blow me away, they all turned up.

So with that plan blown, that leaves me with just some photos of what has happened at the Tapas Bar over the last little bit. Don't get me wrong, you have some pretty good photos ahead.

Some I feel are special. Taking as many photos of birds as I do, I look for unusual. Some perspective not normally seen. Well, there are a couple of them below, mixed in with the others. You'll know which ones they are;

They seek me here.

They seek me there.

Those Frenchies seek me everywhere.

This Stan the Grey Butcherbird.

One of the absentees. He hasn't been at the Tapas Bar for 6 months.

And what a first photo he's treated me to.

Autumn = arvo storms.

And with that came some good photo ops. As usual, Boof was around to model for me.

I don't think Boof can get any wetter.

He always looks excited to see me.

Just shake it off mate

Wet & woolly Boof

Here sits Boof. He thinks he's weathered the worst of it.

Looking at blue sky, he is blissfully unaware that hell is approaching.

"Why are you laughing Headley?" (Headley's my camera)

Red the Wattlebird & his missus Little John have had an interesting few months. They raised Stormbird, the baby Koel above. I did a post on their story a couple of posts ago, so if you haven't seen it, I think you will find it interesting. Anyway, when they were raising Stormbird, the Tapas Bar was theirs. They visited every few minutes and if any one else arrived, they were advised to leave. The rearing finished and they slowed down to feeding 3 or 4 times a day. They haven't visited for the last month, yet they spend most of the day flying to & from the tree in the background. Well they returned as I started this post. Along with another bird. He/she was greeted with a little aggression from Red, so I took it for a male. But the other day it started courting Red.
Now this has me asking 'do females court males' or have I really mucked up their names. But more on that in my next post.

Who ever this is, they're putting on quite a display for Red.

The Autumn Racing Carnival is upon us.

The girls are out in their finest Fascinators.

They say three heads are better than one.

Well actually, they say two heads, but that didn't go with the photo.

Stick em up

Keyhole Photography

Kookaburra Jousting.
This is when one sibling takes on another in a kind of Kookaburra 'Arm Wrestle'.
The aim is to 'Wrestle' the other off their perch. I think it's a pecking order thing.
I've seen this so often, but never in front of Headley.
So, how chuffed was I when Boof took on his 3yr older brother Bitey, while standing on my hand,
and all in front of Headley. The downside was the blood loss.
No. Not theirs.
Mine.
Bitey held on with a Death Grip. But don't worry abut me
the bleeding stop after 45 mins or so & I'm feeling OK, jus a little light headed"""""

Never a dull moment when Cedrick's around.

Here he is teaching a young Crested Pigeon some Martial Arts.

So generous with his time.

"I'm telling you for the last time.

The grapes are mine. If I catch one of you eating them again

Well, just don't  piss me off.... or I might  just piss on you."

Can't say you weren't warned

If I bloody well tell you to lift your right foot, you'd better lift it high.

Or you know what I'll do.....

"Just as well these two are grass seed eaters and not interested in my grapes.

But I'm going to keep a close eye on them,

and if they eat any of my grapes, well......

One of the absentees from the Tapas Bar has been Brad the male Satin Bowerbird. But I know why he's been missing. Vanity. Normally he is one of the most spectacular birds at the Tapas Bar, but once a year he moults, then without a doubt, he turns into the ugliest thing you've ever seen.

The Ugliness Begins (Moult).

Brad came in one morning looking like he had been scalped

The Ugliness at its height

I'd stay home too, if I looked like that.

Work on your Bower Brad. Make it look spectacular.

That's the only way you're getting laid.

The Ugliness is nearly finished

"Who said I was Ugly???"

Tornados in a dust storm

As this is a blog on Kookaburras, I should probably end this with some photos from my 'Burra Family'

High in the Himalayan Mountains I awoke to find myself alone on this snow covered peak.
The night before there was 7 of us. 2 more in my party & 4 Sherpas.
It happened just after dinner. That’s when we heard it. It was a cross between a blood curding scream & a growl. My heckles raised. So loud it echoed thru the valley.
I knew it scared our guides. In the light from my lantern their eyes were as big as saucers.
“Kookabunga, Kookabunga” they whispered. “What’s that” I asked...
“A devil monster that protects these mountains” they said. “It eats any that trespass”.
“If you see one, then that is the last thing you ever see”
The other 2 in my party looked pretty rattled.
I shouldn’t have been surprised that they had cleared out during the night.
What did surprise me was the view when I stuck my head out of the tent.
And the Sherpas were right. It was the last thing I ever saw………………………..

You've heard of the 'Headless Horseman'

Well.... here is the 'Faceless Kookaburra'

"OI! Give it up Boof. What's this all about?

Your beak's not out of joint because I pinched the last piece of Omelette you had been saving" 

"Well, what do you reckon Boof?

Should we end this post with this?"

Here's a short video of me washing one of my Kookaburras

https://youtu.be/XsynwlOESpQ

Time for my Kookaburras to pay for their keep.

I was thinking the other night what I could do differently to get some unusual photos of my Kookas.

I’ve stacks of them interacting with themselves & others at the Tapas Bar. More of them on my hand. Hundreds in flight. I play around with Tapas Bar position and background view.
And I’ve done it all to death.

Don’t get me wrong. Those photos will continue, as those are the only options I have. But it did get me thinking.

The one thing I have that’s a constant is their desire to eat. I can place a piece of meat anywhere & be confident they will fly in & grab it.

With that thought in mind I started thinking “grab off what”. And it occurred to me “off anything”

Would people pay for that? Product placement? So who’d be interested in that………

KOOKABURRA Cricket Balls. That was my 1^st thought. I was telling a work colleague my thoughts and asked him if his kids played or new anyone that played cricket as I’d like to borrow a ball. He laughed and informed me he had just joined an indoor cricket team & had a new ball at home. Seems the Gods were smiling.

So, ball in tow I set out to see if the birds would play the game.

To say I was totally chuffed with my first efforts would be an understatement. But I wanted more. I had photos from all sorts of angles of the ball on the grass.

What I wanted was a photo of a bird flying in where all you see is the ball with wings.

What I needed was a cricket stump. So back to Steve, who again obliged me (thanks Steve).

The Idea. The one shot I wanted. A “Ball with wings”. I    got     it.

The shot I wanted!

KOOKABUURA Balls......

You'd swear they had wings.

KOOKABURRA Menace, from our Bodyline Series.
Guaranteed to take off a head or two.

A diving catch

“Good morning, Ladies & Gentleman. The SCG is packed to capacity. The sky is blue, temp in the high 20’s and a slight nor-east breeze. 53,217 patrons all excited for the coming days play. It is just a simply marvellous sight.”
“Good Morning Richie. The crowd is certainly amped. A lot of pressure on young Bitey. They’re expecting big things from him after his stellar performance in the last Innings”
“C’mon, Bitey, C’mon, C’mon.” chanted the crowd.
“The bowler runs in, the crowd holds their breath……………………,
He’s sent down a Yorker that’s got under Biteys defence and……………….
Collectively 53,217 people whispered “Phuuuuck”

"Richie, that's got to hurt"

“If he can only hold on to it, this will be a simply marvellous catch”

“The tail has wagged ladies & gentlemen. 3 runs to win. 6 balls left. No batsman in reserve.
The Captain walks up & whispers in Warnie’s ear.
The field is set in close. They ring him.”
“Warnie steps in and sends down a “Wrong ‘un”.
“Bitey steps forward, completely misjudging the length, this must surely be the game. But no, he clips it with the tip of his beak. It hurtles between the man at close off & 3rd slip. They won’t chase that down”...
“Bitey has won the series. Simply Marvellous”

KOOKABURRA.
"The name behind the ball"

“Bitey turns to take a cheeky 3rd.”
“His problem is who is fielding long on. Brave Baby has without a doubt, the best beak in the series.
“She lets fly. It will be close folks……..”
“And…..”
“That’s….”...
>
>
>
“Simply Marvellous”

I’ve sent a few of these photos to the Marketing Manager at KOOKABURRA Sports to see if they are interested in entering into a dialogue.

Either way, it was a bit of fun. Not only the photos but matching them with comments.

"Simply Marvellous" RIP Richie Benaud.


Update: Yesterday I received the following reply email to my offer; 

"I will follow up internally but I am sure we would be interested in using some images! Great shots!

We may look to replace the ball with a better quality ball!

Look forward to talking to you later in the week!"

I was surprised when I got a call today from his PA saying thanks but, not interested, as they already had Kooka photos posing with their product.