What a difference a day makes

I started this post last night with not a lot to say. While I had some pretty good photos, and worthy of my blog, they lacked unusualness.
Well that was remedied today. Seems my birds wanted to show off.

As with most of my posts, I’ll let the photos tell the story.

This I’ll start with Devil my kitten, getting the shits with me.
He proudly came in to show off his latest conquest. A big live coach roach. This was immediately confiscated & placed in a Chinese container for my Kookas.

My boys chillaxin.

That's Devil on the bottom

being consoled by Hyde at the loss of his cockroach.

Devil spent the rest of the night with his back to me.

You can run.

But you can't hide.

Devil, can you see me?

UP YOURS

Bwahahaha

There is a term “the Hand of Man”, and what it’s referring to is mans impact on Nature. I know this because I entered a few photos in the National Geographic photographer of the year comp, and that was one of the categories.

Way too deep for me. But I liked the term, so this is my take on it.

The art in catching a Kookaburra is stealth.

No I mean real stealth. Disguised in camouflage, creep millimetres at a time. After an hour or so, if he hasn’t flown away, you should be close enough for him to hop on your branch (arm, remember your disguised as a tree).

Or…you could just charge in.

God was pleased with his creation.
But it needed something.
“Let there be Birds”
And His creation was complete.

What about the "Hand of Bird"?

Surely they've had an impact.

They certainly do around here.

I have a lot of Monstera Deliciosa plants growing at my place. They’re a Mexican native plant. Big green elephant ear leaves. They are also called the fruit salad plant. Which is interesting considering every part of the plant is poisonous. The leaves, the stalks, the fruit. All poisonous.

Yes it has fruit. Large Banana shaped fruit ensconced in what I can best describe as scales.

The fruit takes about 12 months to ripen, and that’s when the magic occurs. It becomes edible. When you snap the green fruit off the plant it still has a couple of weeks to go. Then those scales start to fall off a bit at a time. The house fills with the smell of fruit salad. That’s when you can start eating. BUT only the parts where the scales have fallen off. The other end is still poisonous.

It’s a bit like eating Fugu. I say it’s like eating Fugu, because you lips & tongue are left with a tingling sensation for a while after you’ve eaten the fruit. Just to remind you that it was once dangerous. So you eat the fruit an inch or two a day. When the scales fall off they reveal a kernel similar to corn. These taste like a mixture of banana & pineapple.

Well the Satin Bowerbirds & Catbirds love the fruit & I’m prepared to share, so we do. I haven’t seen either for a while, but I expect I will so as I have a couple of dozen fruit that should ripen in the next 4 to 6 weeks. This is the 1^st fruit & a lure. But alas no interest.

I’m always looking for unusual shots of my Kookas. I thought I might get some interesting photos if I placed a piece of meat on top to entice them. I was more than chuffed. I hope you are.

Warning to all.

NEVER, NEVER spill a can of Red Bull on a Monstera Deliciosa plant.

Not if you intend to eat the fruit.

Rarely seen & never photographed before.

A Kookaburra in full Head-Dress.

Saratoga Angel Fruit

Just don't fuck with it.

Just what makes that little old ant

 Think he'll move that rubber tree plant

 Anyone knows an ant, can't

 Move a rubber tree plant

But he's got high hopes, got high hopes

 He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

So any time you’re gettin' low

 'Stead of lettin' go

 Just remember that ant

 Oops there goes another rubber tree plant………

I always looking for that one shot, the shot that stands out.
The bird gods smiled on me today.
I think this nailed it.

Collision course.

You just know this is going to end badly.

When you’re a Noisy Miner your job, is to annoy the shit out all other birds.

But you quickly need to learn who to pick those fights with.

This Mal the Miner is demonstrating discretion in preference to valour.

Bullshit to valour.

Button would have swallowed him whole.

Another rarely seen and never photographed before photo.

A Koogle.

This hybrid is part Kookaburra part Eagle.

I hear the Monstera fruit is delicious. I'm told it's called the fruit salad plant.

I know this because I read. I've never been able to catch one.

They're like the "Golden Snitch" from Harry Potter.

Lightning fast

You’re on the home stretch, only a few more photos, and I promise not a Monstera in sight.

Fanning the Fire

This photo reminds me of Mr Peabody & Sherman.

If you’re old enough to get this, you’re probably 50 + years old.

I'm in deep shit if he goes to bash this on the fence.

"Well Boof, I guess that's it for this post."

See you all soon.

Oh, and to finish, a short video of Boof chatting to me, with subtitles for those that don't speak Kookaburra.

https://youtu.be/iO8dyeK76YA

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