Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Sites | Writers | Advertise | My Orble | Login
 
Some of my friends live in our yard, others visit it, still others live elsewhere and I visit them. Come and read about all my feathered friends...

Bird Story - December 2007

PIGEON UPDATE

December 28th 2007 21:04
Bawwab was checking out the entryway on Saturday. I had the door open for fresh air, whilst I went outside to mow the lawn and potter about the yard. And of course, all those birds flew right on inside to locate perches upon door tops, lanterns, even my gardening boots and my sons shoes!

Not being well acquainted with the room as yet, Bawwab left her door top perch to explore. She tried the door handle, but that was rather too slippery. She flew to the pattern on the glass French window, but found it was only a pattern and not a ledge so slid down to the floor, and she stood on the lantern top for a moment, mystified. It was quite amusing to watch her learn about the 'forbidden room.'


In other pigeon news, Shyly has left home. Fed up of the gay-life, he has departed with Smokey and Spotty, or with the Scruff and Speckley mob, to locate a girlfriend elsewhere. This leaves the roof-brood at Brownie, Bawwab, Baby1, Bebe2, and BabyNob. I think our neighbor is much pleased it is diminishing - less hosing down of the windowsill required! Smokey still comes to visit nearly every day, in the hope of arriving at a meal time! He will sometimes bring Spotty with him, and she has twice fed upon seeds with the others, rather than staying on the roof away from the rowdy party. Maybe now that she has married Smokey, she does not mind mixing with his family so much.
19
Vote
   


Calendar with bird photographs

December 21st 2007 20:04
I have just released a pair of 2008 calendars at my webstore Really Long Link tubes) containing photographs of the local birdlife. Unlike in my book, available at www.lulu.com/winterbear these are all full color photos. There is a year-calender with a kookaburra photo, & a photo-per-month calendar with an assortment inclusive of a crimson rosella, galah, turtle dove, baby magpie and show-pigeon.
29
Vote
   


Smokey and the lorikeets

December 17th 2007 17:05

Smokey will come onto the windowsill and stare in at me, sometimes. Recently he has taken to tapping the window near my fingers and I tap gently back - a new form of communication, though I haven't a clue what we are saying to one another.

Friday night, he missed dinner so I stuck a hand of seeds outside for him. He flew right on in and munched them up - then decided to see if my fingernails were edible!

He was so grateful for his late feed, that he flew onto my head to show his appreciation. After a bit, he flew onto my shoulder and stared into my face mystified. Well, he may never have met a human like me before, but then, I have never met a pigeon like Smokey!

He snuck past me, inviting himself into our home afterwards, and began to nibble crumbs under the dining table! I managed to get a video of him coming past and trying out my toes to see if they were edible…

<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" Really Long Link </param> <embed Really Long Link type="application/x-shockwave -flash" width="425" height="350"> </embed> </object>

Saturday morning, he missed the main feed too. I was aware of an unusual - as in non pigeon - voice twittering down at me from the roof above, as Smokey sat on my hand nibbling seeds. There was this little greeny-blue face peeping down at me over the roof edge, observing Smokey munch lunch from my hand. A rainbow lorikeet!

After Smokey had flown down for a drink of water, I tossed a few seeds down, hopefully. Sure enough, two lorikeets flew down and began to eat along with the pigeons. For the first time in six years, I managed to get some good photographs of the rainbow lorikeets! I had never noticed before that they have such short legs and clumsy feet!
lori1

lorikeet 2

lori3

lori4

and finally... just before they flew away...
lori5
34
Vote
   


A mystery species?

December 14th 2007 16:49

I saw a strange sight on the carport roof. It seemed to be a myna bird, but the coloring was green. I wondered if perhaps a myna bird and rainbow lorikeet had mated, or if this was a new species for me to look up, or perhaps just the young of some species. Before I could grab my camera to capture the coloring and shape securely, it flew away. If it returns, I will try to ascertain WHAT it was!!

[ Click here to read more ]
28
Vote
   


Butchers & another pig!

December 11th 2007 02:27
There have been a pair of Grey Butcherbirds enjoying the bugs in our yard this past week. I did not manage to grab any photos as my camera batteries need recharging, though. They sit on the carport, Hills Hoist, or fence, staring - and then DIVE down upon a bug in the veg patch or lawn and gobble it up for me.

I thought I was seeing things as I made the coconut rice for dessert tonight. Shyly was prancing about the dunny roof, but within ten seconds, when I next looked up, she was flying past from the other side TOWARDS the dunny! Taking a thorough peek, I spotted TWO Shylys! Well, almost


[ Click here to read more ]
25
Vote
   


The pigeon saga - December 07

December 7th 2007 16:58
I heard Smokey's coo as he sat on the lantern outside the backdoor, whilst I lay on my bed listening in to the thunderstorm. He looked rather soggy and bedraggled, as if he had been flying through the rain at the call of his stomach. It was such a downpour that he was a little late to be hiding out in a sheltered place, but this did not stop his eyes transferring the desperate request for sustenance to me, as soon as he spotted my face peep out the door towards him. They contained that pleading look of expectation that many of the birds who know me put on when they wish to alert me to the fact that they are out for an easy meal.

Smokey left home, eloping with Spotty several weeks ago, but he is now a daily return visitor. For a few days he simply honeymooned elsewhere, but he soon found the lack of seedtimes calling his stomach homewards. Whereas it can be a trifle annoying to have fed the pigeons an hour ago, and then find Smokey flying in with that look in his eye, now that it is a regular event, I have adjusted the amount of seed I toss out. I put a little less in the regular meals so I will have a spare scoop to offer our Smokey! Yesterday he coincided with my having a piece of cheese spare, so had some extra luck


[ Click here to read more ]
37
Vote
   


Galah and Raven

December 3rd 2007 17:06
Recently, I heard a strange noise in the backyard, whilst attempting to study my notes for my final class in Buddhism. I put down my papers, went to the window, and then looked out, wondering what bird it could be. It had sounded like a galah or cockatoo.

Indeed, galahs it was! Three or four of them had somehow noticed the pigeons feasting on their dinner seeds, which I had strewn about the doorstep five minutes previously. Out came that trusty camera of mine and I managed to take a couple of decent shots, one of which is below


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


More Posts
1 Posts
9 Posts
11 Posts
113 Posts dating from July 2007
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:

sandeye's Blogs

6391 Vote(s)
4 Comment(s)
158 Post(s)
3597 Vote(s)
2 Comment(s)
82 Post(s)
Hiphop (Member)
15793 Vote(s)
938 Comment(s)
264 Post(s)
Moderated by sandeye
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]