Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 23 September 2012

Sunday Selections #88

Sunday Selections, was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock,  as an ongoing theme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files. 

The theme is now continued by  River at Drifting through life.

The rules are so simple as to be almost non-existent.  Post some photos under the title Sunday Selections and link back to River.

Like River I generally run with a theme.  Earlier this week a corella came to visit.  He wasn't shy at all, and allowed us to get within two or three feet away.  The corella had his back turned initially but sloooowly turned around to look almost directly at us, appearing to be almost as interested in us as we were in him.  A treat.







73 comments:

  1. Wow. Are you KIDDING me? EC, I know I always say the same things about your bird photos, but they continue to blow me away. Those last shots of him looking right at you are brilliant. BRILLIANT! And the fact that you get these beautiful exotic creatures at your feeder? Amazing, amazing, amazing.

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    1. Cathy Olliffe-Webster: I cannot tell you how much time we 'waste' each day looking at the birds around us. A joy and a delight every time.

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  2. These are fabulous photos, and how lucky to have these wonderful birds visit you in your garden. I think I would drop off my seat if one landed in mine, which isn't going to happen unless I get an escapee from a zoo ;) Thanks for visiting. I think it's lovely that your brother got to hold a Red Panda in his volunteer work. I would drop off my seat again if that happened to me, I'm very envious :)

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    1. DeniseinVA: Thank you. They are wonderful birds and look a little pre-historic when they have their crests raised. Which they do each time they come into land, if something interests them or if something around is either a potential danger or irritating. They are fairly feisty as well.

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  3. One's fine. Lovely, in fact. (The photo makes me wonder what he/she is thinking.)

    Had a flock of 500+ descend on a neighbour's Liquid Amber tree last year. The noise was remarkable.

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    1. J Cosmo Newbery: We just had two squabbling on our veranda and the noise they made was vile. Five hundred of them would have been deafening. And I can't think they did the tree (known as a sweet gum in the USA) any good at all.

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  4. What a stunning chap. I love the knowing-ness and concentration in his eye. Lovely!

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    1. P.S. one of the things on my list for our new house is a bird-feeder. I've never had one, but I'm going to, thanks to you and your amazing photos, EC! :)

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    2. Alexia: What a lovely thing to say. I am thrilled if I have inspired you to get a bird feeder. I should warn you though that it is very addictive and you may find you are spending a LOT of time simply watching the birds.

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  5. You are so lucky to have such beautiful birds in your surroundings.

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    1. Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: We do appreciate just how lucky we are. And we also encourage the birds to visit and to come back. Often.

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  6. Oh, your birds! I love how this fellow decides you're worth scrutinizing.

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    1. Joanne Noragon: While they do raise their crests if they are afraid this bird was just curious - he was as interested in us as we were in him.

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  7. The blue patches around the eyes look really interesting.

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    1. mybabyjohn/Delores: I really like his eye make up. I used to wear that shade of bluey mauve myself, though it didn't suit me nearly as well as it does this bird.

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  8. They are really stunning, aren't they - so brilliantly white, then that beautiful blue around the eye. Your photos show such detail.

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    1. jenny_o: I love my point and shoot. And thank you.

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  9. He/she is definitely a big, strong, healthy specimen and the bright white feathers really stand out against the blue sky.

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    1. Windsmoke: We do sometimes get cockatoos with that dreadful disease 'beak and feathers', but the corellas seem to be wonderfully healthy.

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  10. He's just beautiful! So glad you had your camera handy.

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    1. River: We were just heading out, but he was so unphased by our presence we went back into the house for the camera.

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  11. A lovely treat indeed! Fabulous shots of that awesome bird.

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  12. How wonderfully sweet looking he is, now I am wondering just where you live to see such creatures?

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    1. Linda Starr: Thank you. I am an Australian and live in Canberra, which has been dubbed 'the bush capital'. Almost nowhere in the city is more than half an hour from bushland and we get some wonderful visits from native wildlife.

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  13. Gorgeous boy coming to visit. We have huge flocks of little corellas come into work in the summer when food/water is getting scarce in their natural habitat. I am lucky to work in and office complex set in what was once a pine plantation, so we have lots of pines, lots of grass and the birds are often sitting on the grass eating. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Kakka: Thank you. We are so lucky with our birds in Oz. Never ending delight.

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  14. Wow! he has actually turned his head to look right into the camera. Amazing. Would these birds ever eat from your hand, as the King Parrot did?
    Hoping you're both well and getting out to enjoy the Spring. I'm enjoying the onset of Autumn here, unlike most other folk, I like the dark evenings and scarves and boots!
    Thinking often of you both, with love x

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    1. bugerlugs63: I don't know whether the corellas would eat from my hand - but I can always hope.
      I agree with you about the delights of Autumn - hope you are all getting over that lurgy.

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  15. Beautiful pictures. It is rare to have them so close unless they are a pet like mine was.

    Thanks for your comment.
    Our crabapples, Malus floribunda and ionensis as well as a dark one, are all just splendid. The 300 tulips I put in (very late) this year are an absolute picture but my back and joints still have not recovered.

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    1. Arija: Hunger was what drove him in so close I think - I was standing beside the bird feeder.
      Our crab apple is the pale one, but I delight in it each and every year. I am not surprised that your tulips are amazing, and am sorry about your back and joints. They do make you pay don't they?

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  16. What a fabulous bird! I had never heard of one of these before, and as I followed the series of photos, I became truly amazed at that face and head. Your captures are wonderful, EC. I too hope you are both doing well and keeping you in my thoughts.

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    1. DJan: It is a wet and aggressive corella on my header as well. They are loud, destructive enchanting birds. Thank you for your good wishes, they are very much appreciated.

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  17. That bird is simply wonderful. Lovely creature.

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  18. What a remarkable bird! Wonderful pictures...

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  19. These are amazing! How can you get so close?

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    1. Riot Kitty: They are used to us, and he was very close to the feeder as well.

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  20. what a good series of pics! Thanks


    Aloha from Honolulu,
    Wishing you a sweet week ahead!
    Comfort Spiral
    =^..^=

    > < } } ( ° >

    > < } } (°>

    ><}}(°>

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    1. Cloudia: I hope you have a wonderful week as well.

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  21. Many years ago we 'owned' a little corella. He was a delightful pet, very playful and a real character. He never had a cage so unfortunately one day he flew on his merry way and hopefully joined others of his kind and had a good life. They are wonderful creatures as are the pink and grey galahs...now, they are real clowns. Saw quite a few of them on the side of the road as we drove down to our granddaughter's home yesterday. They are one bird that has learned to live in suburbia quite well. Thanks for those beautiful pictures.

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    1. Mimsie: Thank you. We get quite a number of galahs as well, and love them. I am surprised at how many of our native birds seem to be quite happy living in the city. Surprised and very pleased.

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  22. What a wonderful bird! And amazing that it let you get so close. When that (rarely) happens to me I get so enthralled by the experience that I almost forget to click the shutter.

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    1. Ron Dudley: Thank you - though I cannot imagine you not capturing the moment.

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  23. This really should be on National Geographic. Just amazing. Do you at least frame these for your own home?

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    1. Deb: What a lovely thing to say. And no, it hadn't occurred to me to frame them, but you have me thinking.

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  24. Splendiferous! I agree, nature mag all the way! The white just pops off the blue sky, and he is a handsome chappie.

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    1. CarrieBoo: It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful bird.

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  25. you are as sweet as these photos!

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    1. Cloudia: I think the bird has the edge on me, but thank you.

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  26. what a lovely astonishing bird...how do you do it? how do you manage to attract so much beauty around you? :)

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    1. unikorna: It is luck. Luck and buying birdseed in twenty kilo bags. Most days we get between five and six different native bird species visiting us - and make them all welcome.

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  27. Beautiful. I'd like to know the answer to unikorna's question also.

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    1. Dave King: Luck in living in the bush capital, teamed with bribery.

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  28. Dear EC, I wonder if when he flew away he quickly found friends and chattered to them the latest gossip about that woman and her camera who lives back that way!!! Peace.

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    1. Dee: I am fairly certain that they do gossip. For quite a while we had only two corellas visiting. They are feisty birds and often get the feeder to themselves. As a result we started referring to them as Tubby and Chubby. And then one afternoon we had a dozen of them and the next day more. Word gets about...

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  29. I am guessing you count your blessings every day. You have birds at your feeders that people travel long distances and pay big money to see. I wouldn't call it a waste of your time ... you are just soaking in the joy so you can share it with us, as you always do. This bird is particularly exceptional. I am not sure I have ever even heard of it and I know I have never seen one, not even in pictures. What a treat ... you always spice up my day. Thank you for being so generous ...

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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    1. Andrea: We do indeed count our avian blessing each day. They are a never ending joy and delight. I have featured corellas before, but not for a while. There is a wonderful sequence of them grooming each other with love and devotion. I know that is anthromorphism, but I really couldn't explain it any other way.

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  30. I'll tell you what, he scares the crap out of me. O_O

    But the pictures are very, very good. x

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    1. All Consuming: Is it his beak or the prehistoric look that gets to you? While I am sure that they could give you a nasty bite we have never been quite close enough for that to be an issue.

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  31. Oh, I think he's beautiful! All those bright white feathers, and the blue around his eyes! How big is he?? He looks pretty large! I would be so excited to see a bird like this in my part of the world. I have to go to the zoo to see one like him! :)

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    1. BECKY: He is between 14 and 16 inches tall. And feisty with it. They often see off the much bigger cockatoos.

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  32. Those are some fairly lax rules, but some very nice shots of the birds. He looks almost grumpy with his forehead designed like that.

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    1. John Wiswell: Almost non existent rules. The corellas can have a perfectly smooth forehead, but raise their crest to signify interest/alarm. Since he remained on the branch, I decided it was interest he was showing.

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  33. Wow, this is a handsome bird (parrot?). It looks intelligent too with the blue eyes that seems to be keen with its surroundings. I love the photo! Enjoy the rest of your week :)

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    1. Farida: Thank you. They do seem to be intelligent birds - and are related to our cockatoos. Have a wonderful week yourself.

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