My Burra Family: Another great week for photos

planking

I could be forgiven for thinking that I was living in Melbourne (4 seasons in 1 day). The days started sunny, storms rolled in, followed by overcast conditions, only to clear up to blue skies again. What a great photo opp. I have so many photos I’ve broken them down to themes.

I have been seeing less and less of the family lately. Most mornings, Brave Baby & Bitey turn up, but I rarely see the other 3.

That’s to be expected. It’s breeding season. They have a nest to restore, then eggs need to be sat on, chicks fed etc.

If it’s egg sitting time, all are taking a turn sitting on the eggs (parents & helpers alike). Mum is the sole sitter during the night, Dad’s the main daytime sitter, but all the rest give him a break.

This period so much reminds me of the 60’s. I have a family of hippies. Free love man. Everyone is feeding everyone, there’s a lot of courtship going on. Make Love – Not War.

I’m half expecting Brave Baby to turn up with daisy buds platted into her crown. Although she did turn up today wearing a green necklace.

She had 3 or 4 (4mm long) green tear drop like seeds stuck to her throat, or what I thought were seeds. Doing her a favour, I removed them. Only then did I realise that they weren’t seeds but baby stink bugs.

Unfortunately no photos, as you don’t want to handle those critters too long, lest you learn the reason for their name.

What was interesting was Brave Baby saw me throw down these bright green bugs, and was not interested at all (yet she knows mum & dad are scrummy)? I think maybe it’s a colour thing (I believe a number of critters display green as a warning).

And I also wonder if that’s how Stink bugs grow their territory. Mum gets eaten, babies attach to a bird that’s not interested in eating them, and alight on the next tree to start a new colony.

Now Back to Brave Baby & Bitey.

Brave Baby is high maintenance. While she will happily get her own food (she is always the first to turn up), as soon as Bitey turns up, all that changes. She refuses to fly up and insists on being hand fed. Bitey submits only after he has had a feed, and her nagging gets to him. As she has already had a feed, she accepts a few pieces, then when he gives her a bit more, she grabs it & flies off with food in beak. Soon later he does the same. I’m thinking to feed the nest sitters.

I wouldn’t want to be the nest sitter. Brave Baby & Bitey eat the bulk of the food, before generosity sets in.

Where are Mum & Dad and the other helpers? I’m guessing staying close to the nest.

This arvo I was visited by Brave baby, Bitey, Bully Baby (I haven’t seen her for a while) and…..,

A kooka with a much darker back. Now I only saw this for a sec before he/she turned to look at me, and when they’re facing you it’s hard to tell them apart. But we may have a new helper.

So now to the photos.

The paparazzi

There’s a new show starting in town “Kookaburra Lake”. I was out and about the other day and snapped a few of the cast out Swanning around.