Birding with a GoPro camera

In my last blog, the days were getting shorter & cooler. Winter was starting.
Now the days are getting longer & warmer.
What an ‘Indian Summer’ winter turned out to be. And because it’s been such a mild winter I think it’s confused Mother Nature. We’re still 3 weeks from spring & my Jasmin’s gone into flower.
Red the Red Wattlebird has been aggressive for the last couple of weeks, giving all the other birds a hard time. This can mean only I thing. He’s looking to get laid. His testosterone must be coursing strong in his veins.
It’s so with the others too I suspect. Boss, the head of my Kookaburra family has started to take food I give him to his mate Bashful. This is usually a precursor to breeding. Their breeding season isn't normally until October/November.

Boss. meat in mouth, off to find Bashful

His true love.

Shiloh the Bowerbird & Mal the Noisy Miner just don’t get on & it doesn’t matter what season it is. No testosterone involved here. These two just don’t get on.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Here it's worth 3 words.

F U Mal!

This period should certainly lend itself to more interesting photos, so I’m looking forward to it, but at this stage all the action has happened out of camera view. That’s bound to change, sooner or later they’ll do something interesting in front of Headley (that’s my GoPro Camera – everything at the Tapas Bar has to have a name, including the bird feeding station that I call.... the Tapas BarJ).
Well actually something did happen in front of Headley recently. Have you read the fable of the Goose that laid the Golden Egg? It didn't end well for the Goose. The upshot of this was the Farmer cuts the Goose open to get to the Golden Eggs, killing the Goose and his fortune. Well, have a look at the video at the end of this blog for a laugh.

For the love of God....

S.T.O.P!!!

While we’re on my Kookaburra clan, I will say I’m always gobsmacked at their level of trust. 

Boof, this years bub, and I have hit it off. I think the two of us have a special relationship, very much like the one I formed with his dad, Boss. Well this young Kookaburra is too cool for school. Talk about one chilled out bird. I was going to go downstairs to set-up the Tapas Bar for the day after I’d given Boof a bit of TLC, so I had in my hand some blue things for Brad the Bowerbird.

I wondered what Boof would do if I placed a blue ring on his beak.

Hoops? Hoops?

What is this game?

He did nothing. That surprised me a bit as I can’t imagine anything more alien to happen to a Kookaburra. I did expect him to shake it off, but no, he just stood there probably thinking WTF.

OK, what do I do next?

I don't get it. 

I'm guessing you have to be Human to appreciate it.

The thing I like most about Headley is his mobility. If you can get the birds to come to you I can’t recommend strongly enough the purchase of a GoPro camera. Everything about my birding photography set-up is that they are all portable. I can move Headley, the Tapas Bar & the Tranquillity Pool to give me different angles & backgrounds to keep my photos interesting.

The next lot of photos I’ve moved the Tranquillity Pool and Headley to have a view over the water.

You're a small plan sitting on the landing strip

You look up to see a Jumbo about to land on you

What do you say.............

What do you think he says????

WHAT....THE....FU

That was close. Lucky I'm small and nimble.

You big oaf. Watch where you're landing next time

If I replace the Tranquillity Pool with the Tapas Bar, same background, different foreground. Add some flowers & stuff for colour & texture and........... voilà.

.

Burras & Blossoms

You're supposed to admire them

Not eat them.

You're a goddamn Kookaburra. Act like one.

People are watching.

Then I can move Headley to the grass for a completely different set of photos and aspects.

Don't come between a Drake & his betrothed.

Not quite the love bite this young guy was expecting.

The trouble maker.

She flirts, others pay

The local nosh-up at my place

These guys are great recyclers. No wastage with them around.

No food stuff goes into my bin.

Because Headley is waterproof, he can be positioned in the Tranquillity Pool. When placed in The Tranquillity Pool and that’s moved to a garden background, yet a different view.

This is Pernicious the Pee Wee or Magpie-lark.

These guys are insect eaters.

Hell of an insect she has here.

Lastly we have my most common view – the Tapas Bar butted up to the Tranquillity Pool. This gets me any action that might also happen in the Tranquillity Pool while my main focus is on the food served on the Tapas Bar.

The Art of War

Brad & Red prepare to do battle.

The things Headley catches.

Can you see the rabbit in this photo.

I call them Koobbits

Not her best side

Willy the Wagtail with something to say.

Such happy chirpy birds

Love is in the air everywhere I look around
Love is in the air every sight and every sound
And I don't know if I'm being foolish
Don't know if I'm being wise
But it's something that I must believe in
And it's there when I look in your eyes.

It's all in.............................

.....................the eyes.

God, how these guys like their bacon snakes.

Here's a battle of wills. Who will let go first?

Not quite....................

50 shades of............

I’m also doing up my yard with a view of attracting small Finches & Wrens back. The first step is to clear out the old plants, then chip-bark the gardens to keep the weeds down. I’ve place a big pot in as a birdbath. It didn’t take long for the birds to discover it. More on the garden make-over later.

Reflections of Jurassic Park

This guy is the embodiment of a young child
What fun he's having.
Check out his video

Well, that's all for this post, check out the following videos for a bit of fun.
This last photo is myself and my two sisters. Could there be any wonder I would turn into the heartbreaker I did?

The Kookaburra that laid the Golden Egg

https://youtu.be/IeJlVaxG9eg

Wattlebird - times of pure fun

https://youtu.be/RYRtgbtN0Ik

Boof with his dad Boss

https://youtu.be/lO9lJYQZKoY