Showing posts with label kookaburra fighting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kookaburra fighting. Show all posts

Friday, 31 August 2018

The Winter Doldrums


Winter is a quiet time for the Tapas Bar & my Blog. The birds are neither breeding nor raising bubs, so there is little agro. Also the days are short and cold – not conducive to spending long hours outdoors filming.
When it’s like this I still have my Kookaburra Family. My stalwarts. They are a constant in my life. They’re here every day and seem to truly enjoy my company.


Boof cuddling in under the watchful eye of Brave Baby

Boof & I in a deep and meaningful
This winter however, was different. We’ve just exited the warmest winter since records started so I’m not sure if I’ve got so many photos due to the warmer weather & the birds obliging, or the fact I spent more time out there taking them.  So Please…………..
...…….Keep Reading
When I said there was less agro due to winter, there is always the exception to the rule & that’s Cedrick & Daphne the Lorikeets. They’re not testosterone driven. They’re not jealously guarding the Tapas Bar as a food source for their bubs. These guys just love to fight.  They don’t care who. They don’t care when. Each other. Different species. Doesn’t matter.
WHO?? Little ol me.
Aggressive? Not little ol me.
Well, maybe just a tad!

It's not the size of the dog in the fight.
It's the size of the fight in the dog.
NEVER! NEVER say bite me to a Lorikeet

Haaaaalitosis. Halitosis.
Do I really have bad breath????
Answer carefully Cedrick!

Here's my answer Daphne!!!

SURPRISE! Cedrick
NOT NOW!!!! Daphne's here
Bacon Snakes are always a good source of funny photos. The Kookaburras just LOVE them, and they put themselves in all sorts of unusual positions trying to release them.

How I LOVE my Bacon Snakes.

Unless they've been tied down
This is going to look ugly

Bugger, can't go any further this way.
I'll have to try the other direction.

OH SHIT!! If he lets go now 
that's going to fling me all the way to the other side of the bay
just like a sling-shot

He's a funny bugger is our Brad


For those that follow my blog will know I have a couple of Burmese cats that co-share the veranda with my Kookaburra Family. It’s a tenuous relationship, however, it works. 7 years and there’s been no fatalities on either side. Having said that I came home last month & Devil greeted me at the front door like he usually does, except this time he was on the outside. How had he got out. I checked my GoPro footage for the day and caught a glimpse of him limping around the backyard. Now for those that own a Burmese any of the following scenarios could have been true as they are notoriously clumsy. Lying in the sun on the edge of the veranda he rolled over – and fell off. Wrestled with Hyde, his bigger brother, and was thrown off the veranda, or 1 of my Kookaburra Family was on the railing & Devil dived up, missed the bird and sailed straight over the edge. I’ll never know.
So the other night I was watching TV with both the cats curled up asleep on my headrest, when Hyde heard something that caught his attention? He was down & scratching around under a trophy cabinet I have in the lounge room. His insistence soon had Devils attention so now both cats were trying to reach something tucked out of reach. This went for some minutes with me thinking it was probably a coachroach (they fly in from the waterfront attracted to the veranda lights). So both cats are at one end totally fixed when a little grey blur dashes out from the other end a slipped under my bedroom door. I was the only one to notice. I opened the door, moved all furniture away from the walls and moved the cats in. All they wanted to do was go back to the cabinet. So I locked them in my bedroom. After ½ an hour of meowing to come out I reluctantly opened my door. They had completely lost interest in the mouse/rat.
I sat them on my lap and read them the riot act. I told them how bitterly disappoint I was that 2 cats were best by a bloody mouse. THEY WERE A DISGRACE TO THE FELINE RACE.
With that I went to bed. When I woke in the morning all I can say is it was like a scene from the Godfather. On the foot of my bed was a dead mouse. Seems my cats had sent me a message I couldn’t refuse.
My faith in my 2 boys restored, the mouse was confiscated for a greater good. I’ve wanted a mouse for ages to present to my Kookaburra Family, and now I had one.
I couldn’t wait to set this guy up on the Tapas Bar for the clan. I set up both my GoPro camera up at different angles as I didn’t want to miss one second of what would transpire.
And what transpired was a HUGE BLOODY DISAPPOINTMENT. They ignored it for 7 minutes in preference of some chicken & chicken bones I had also served up.



Here's the video 
https://youtu.be/FV87q2HtE5g
I have posted plenty of photos on my blog of “Koobbits” A Koobbit is a Kookaburra that can morph into a Rabbit. I think they do this to scare the others away as shown in these next photos. Why a Rabbit would scare a Kookaburra defies logic, but there you go, you've got to be a Kookaburra to get it. Well it seems Pernicious the Pee Wee also has this ability to turn into a Koobbit. This has never been filmed before and seems to have gone inter-species.
GO AWAY BROTHER. Don't make me morph

I warned you!

Pernicious trying her hand at morphing

Boof morphing into a Koobbit.
Not dissimilar to the Regan head spinning scene in the Exorcist,
but much, much faster
Something of interest is happening right now, and that’s the transition of one of my Satin Bowerbird boys from juvenile to adult. At age 7 they change from a “Green Bird” to a “Black bird”. The following family photos show Brad (the adult male), then Angelina (the mother) followed by Knox (the transitional boy) and finally Shiloh (the youngest boy). Note the difference in the beaks between Knox & Shiloh. Knox’s beak has already turned cream. Soon his green feathers will change to black like his dad. I’m looking forward to bringing you those photos as I haven’t seen that yet myself.
Brad

Angelina

Knox (In transition)

Shiloh

I try to link all my photos to a story as I have above. These next few are just photos for photos sake.
Why do I have to move?
Why is that your seat?

In the winter it's close enough to the radiator so I'm warm but not so close I sweat, and in the summer, it gets a nice cross-breeze by opening up windows here & here. It also points to the TV not at a direct angle so that I can converse with others in the room but not so indirect where the picture looks fuzzy.

I Like the look of this guy.
He's one good looking Rooster!

An Apple tossing Kookaburra
Who'd of thunk it?

Red the male Wattlebird looking at food, 
while his mate Autumn flies in wishing he was looking at her.

Devil Bird that has Tongue of Fire
I see you...………………

PLEASE, PLEASE, don't bar me from this blog.
I promise to be good :)
This brings me to the end of this blog. 
I’m looking forward to bringing you more stories and photos soon, 
so stay tuned.













Tuesday, 30 August 2016

Bird Feeding - Good or Bad #4




Well the National Bird Feeding survey has started its 3rd 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 .