Bird Feeding - Good or Bad #4

Well the National Bird Feeding survey has started its 3^rd week. No fights this week, but plenty of attendees.

17/8/16
Tapas Bar
Today’s Menu; Mandarin wedges, sliced grapes, banana & rice. Garnished with Magnolia, Azealia and some cute little white flowers I don’t know the name of.
During the 20 minutes; Today's attendees were Button the Kookaburra, Pernicious & Pedro the Pee Wees, Mal the Noisy Miner, Red the Red Wattlebird & Shiloh the juvenile male Satin Bowerbird.

Look at me when I'm yelling at you!!!

Their spat didn't last long.

And soon they were beak to beak.

Pernicious Pee Wee checking todays floral display.

Pedro on the other hand is a boy.

He's not interested in flowers.

Mal the Noisy Miner is also a boy.

But he's more in tune with his feminine side.

This is Red's new partner for this season.

She's yet to get a name.

Red the Red Wattlebird loves his rice

Button the Kookaburra & Shiloh get on OK.

You wouldn't guess that from Shiloh's body language.

The Tranquillity Pool. Nil to report.

After hours were pretty quiet as well.

19/8/16

Tapas Bar

Today’s Menu; Sliced grapes, banana & rice. No Garnish.

During the 20 minutes; Today's attendees were both the Pee Wees Pernicious & Pedro, Red the Red Wattlebird, The Judge a Crested Pigeon and Brad & Shiloh a father and son pair of Satin Bowerbirds.

Pernicious "I'm talking to you....."

Pedro "And I'm hanging on your every word Dear."

"Haha Pedro. And that's how the fight started" chuckled the unnamed Wattlebird.

Next to Rice, Banana comes a very close second.

This is Judge John Deed. He's a Crested Pigeon. His partner is Jo Mills.

I named them after the TV series as their crest reminded me of a Judges wig.

Turns out their personalities a similar to the TV characters.

Quiet & demure, that won't take a backward step, even from Cedrick.

Brad the Bowerbird is partial to a bit of Banana.

That's Bitey the Kookaburra that Brad's wearing as a hat.

You can tell the boys from girls as the boys have a blue rump.

I posted stacks of Shiloh looking at the camera, and a striking bird they are.

Just as pretty from the back.

The Tranquillity Pool. Pernicious was the only visitor.

After hours there were a few photos not submitted.

When one isn't enough.

I'm not complaining but........

On Golden Pond

20/8/16
Tapas Bar.
Today’s Menu; Sliced grapes, mashed potato/sweet potato, banana, rice and one birdseye chilli. The Garnish (left) Wattle, Magnolia & Azealia flowers, (right) fruiting umbrella tree sprig.

During the 20 minutes; Today's attendees Shiloh the Satin Bowerbird, The Judge a Crested Pigeon, Mal the Noisy Miner, Red the red Wattlebird & Bitey the Kookaburra.

And what strange fruit is this?

It looks exotic.

HOT. HOT. HOT.

Fret not folks.

Birds are impervious to chilli.

In fact some chillies are named after birds.

Shiloh warning off one of the Wattlebirds.

The Judge gets no such warning.

Mal couldn't believe his luck. Both Mash & Banana still available.

Red Wattlebirds like the mash as well.

"Bitey, there's a National Bird Feeding survey underway."

"Can I play?? Can I play??"

"You're a star in it Bitey"

The Tranquillity Pool.

Pedro & Shiloh sipped from the water of the Tranquillity Pool.

After hours were pretty good. Great actually. Photos not submitted.

An impatient Boof (this years bub)

He's yet to learn........

All good things come to those that wait.

Pedro doing a fly over.

What's that red thing sticking up from the mash?

Chilli, chilli, chilli

In the last post for the National Bird Feeding survey, Headley goes to the water.
See you all then .

Bird Feeding - Good or Bad #3

This post will take us to the ½ way point of the National Bird Feeding survey. At this point 11,000 surveys have been submitted, which I believe is such a small number of those that feed birds

These are the photos I submitted to the survey from the 20 min window they requested, as well as what happened before & after.

9/8/16

Tapas Bar
Today’s Menu; Mandarin wedges, sliced grapes, paw paw, banana & rice. Fresh wattle was the garnish.
During the 20 minutes; Button the Kookaburra, Shiloh the Bowerbird, Red the Red Wattlebird & both the Pee Wees Pernicious & Pedro

Brad the male Satin Bowerbird

The tongue defines the bird.
Have a look at Brads. He's a fruit eater.
You'll notice it's spatula shaped at the end of what looks like a fairly strong muscle. They push this up to the roof of their beak, which is similar in shape except it has a groove. Brad squishes the fruit which not only mashes it, but the juice is pushed into that groove, running down to his stomach.

Shiloh is a juvenile male Satin Bowerbird

This is Pernicious Pee Wee (Magpie-Lark)

The girls have a white chin..........

This is Pedro Pee Wee.

The boys have a black chin.

Pedro in Profile

The Tranquillity Pool.

Pedro was the only visitor.

13/8/16
Tapas Bar
Today’s Menu; Mandarin wedges, sliced grapes, mashed potato/sweet potato & rice.

Today’s garnish is Wattle, Azalea & Magnolia flowers.

During the 20 minutes; Cedrick & Daphne the Lorikeets, Shiloh my young male Satin Bowerbird, Red the Red Wattlebird & Button the Kookaburra all turned up.

Cedrick the Lorikeet can be a little belligerent at times.

Shiloh is trying to gage his mood today.

Cedrick's in a good mood.

Good enough mood to let Brad, Shiloh's dad, to have the table.

Red the Red Wattlebird with a gobful.

Button the Kookaburra

showing there is more to life than meat.

The Tranquillity Pool.
Pernicious the Pee Wee, Bitey the Kookaburra, Mal the Noisy Miner & Shiloh the Satin Bowerbird were todays visitors.

The Pee Wees are daily visitors for a drink.

This next visitor however isn't a daily drinker.

Or weekly. Or monthly.

Kookaburras rarely drink water as the get all their needs thru their prey

I've only seen this a few times before.

So great timing for the survey.

With the Olympics in full swing,

This is Mal the Noisy Miner in the 100mm Butterfly final

This is what happened after survey hours;

Cedrick & Daphne the Lorries returned,  as did Brave Baby the Kookaburra. The Noisy Miners, Mal & Mick were the next to arrive followed by Shiloh & Brad the Bowerbirds.

The last to visit was a new young female Red Wattlebird (yet to be named).

Cedrick & Daphne

A curious Daphne

Cedrick can be so belligerent that even the Kookaburras give him some room.

That's Bitey looking on.

Mick & Mal the Noisy Miners

Mal in profile

This guy is new to the Tapas Bar.

She's a young female Red Wattlebird.

She looks like being this seasons partner for Red

Well that’s it for now folks.

Keep tuned as there’s more come. I've already started to edit the photos for next blog, so I know what's coming, and the are some cracker shots.