Feathered friend…
One of the few benefits of having a very dry season, is that all kinds of wildlife zero in bush houseyards – with their green lawns and available water supplies, they are like a magnet to all kinds of species.
And while snakes seeking a drink are not great for the human residents’ peace of mind, the birdlife can be pretty spectacular.
I rarely get to capture our feathered visitors- they are nervy and flighty and their stopovers pretty fleeting. And now that some rain has finally fallen, their choices for feed and water more abundant.
This morning Dash called me outside to see something sweet – a bird on the lawn. As he had just arrived back on his mini-bike, I doubted the likelihood of it still being in situ but to my surprise we found this cheeky thing…
Hello Pretty Boy!
He was marching around like he owned the front yard and all the delicious insects (and other pretty-bird-food) there. He’s a pale-headed rosella (remember when we found some chicks in a hollow fence post back here?). His plumage was really gorgeous and he was clearly not too concerned about curious little humans.
We kept expecting him to fly away – but he decided eating was far more important…
If you are wondering about the angle, I was wiggling on my belly on the lawn, trying to get a closer shot… I do apologise for that mental image.
Let’s get back to the pretty bird!
Check out that strut, those gorgeous feathers and the little red bottom…
I even wondered if it might have been an ex-cage bird, it seemed so unconcerned.
Finally we got too close, as Dash edged in to try and touch him, and he took off to a nearby ironbark. We watched him go with big smiles, wondering what we would have done had Dash actually managed to pick him up.
And I walked away wondering – is he wild and over-confident, or was he once someone else’s bird?
🙂
Question: Do you get interesting birdlife visit your yard?
The Bushe Shoppe
12 Comments
gail lipke
Despite the dry we have been blessed with hundreds of birds this past 3 months. Mountain parrots the most but eastern blue faced honey eaters have nested in the driveway trees and tiny rens, well we think these butterfly sized nervy little fellows are rens, are enjoying the white flowering lilly-pilly but best of all has been the visitors from and old man koala who arrived very early one morning about a month ago. Looked more like someones beloved ragged old teddy bear. He stayed for days purchased in a gum above the barnyard but after two week has, has fingers crosed, moved on.
Jayne
He’s a handsome chappie!
May be a former pet or might be that he hasn’t experienced too many rough encounters with humans to worry about them 😉
Great shots, thanks for the belly wriggling 😉
Jayne´s last blog post ..November 30 On this day in Aussie History
Colin Huggins
Yep, your rosella, does look like he/she is VERY used to humans – very suss as they say.
Either ex-aviary or from a nature park where they become very use to humans being so close.
Maybe you might later find it sitting on your verandah?? Any others in a flock or in the surrounding trees?
Still steadily raining here, at times reasonably heavy. Hope you are getting some also?
Kelly
What a gorgeous bird!! And so seemingly tame!
We get lots of beautiful birds at our feeders and see many others out and about, yet they’re all so different from your cutie here!
Kelly´s last blog post ..Random glimpses from a Thanksgiving feast
Anne
Either way he is a gorgeous bird. I don’t think I have see one in the wild before and if I have I didn’t know what it was. We have the crimson rosellas near here, up on the Atherton Tablelands and they tend to be pretty brave birds that hang around even when they know you are there.
Anne´s last blog post ..Brolga
debby
How fun is THAT?! I loved the story. I wonder if he’ll stick around. Granite Glen needs another character from the animal kingdom…you’ve not got nearly enough of those. 🙂
debby´s last blog post ..Today
KAddy
😀
Lynda M O
Love his red bottom-what a funny little fella. The greenness of your grass delights me; we’re awaiting our rain to start and green things up around here.
Lynda M O´s last blog post ..Happy Birthday, Baby Boy Wyatt
jeanie
See, and there I was thinking your “and the little red bottom…” was in reference to the lurid shorts in the background!!
jeanie´s last blog post ..The Garden that nearly blew away…
nathalia
Oh how I love the birds in this country! All except the ones that sounds like a baby screaming.
nathalia´s last blog post ..MY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES…
FionRK
Lovely shots bb. I try and try to get some photos of our beautiful sunbirds, and the curlews, but even though they are used to us, they are very timid when there is a camera around. I think that is the best part of living in the bush/tropics, all the assorted birdlife we are blessed with. More please.
FionRK´s last blog post ..Taylor’s Point
CountryMum
Love this post and your photos. You were fortunate to be able to get so close with your camera. He is a gorgeous parrot.
I love the variety of birdlife we get on our farm in southern NSW. We currently have a nest that we are eagerly watching and waiting for the arrival of kookaburra chicks.