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. This week I am featuring the Red WattleBird. This is an aggressive little bird that punches well above its weight. It swoops the cats, and considers swooping me. Instead it settles for abusing me as I come in or go out of the front door. They wake well before the first sparrow fart and are remarkably unmusical. A shriek crossed with a cough perhaps. Just the same, I like them. This fellow was having a fine time in the camellias just outside the front door.
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. This week I am featuring the Red WattleBird. This is an aggressive little bird that punches well above its weight. It swoops the cats, and considers swooping me. Instead it settles for abusing me as I come in or go out of the front door. They wake well before the first sparrow fart and are remarkably unmusical. A shriek crossed with a cough perhaps. Just the same, I like them. This fellow was having a fine time in the camellias just outside the front door.
Quite the acrobat.
ReplyDeletemybabyjohn/Delores: A noisy, enchanting little acrobat. He can swing and scold too.
DeleteWhat a little angel :))))
ReplyDeletexxx How are you panthers, Sue? Xxx
My Inner Chick: The panthers are thriving. As I type one is on the chair behind me and the other has made a nest in the wardrobe. Both of them are decidedly against the 'little angel' who swoops them, swearing at them. I shouldn't laugh - but I do.
DeleteI love the wattlebirds -n fact, Rhonda and I have just had a half hour outside finishing off our coffee from breakfast, it's a fine sunny day for a change and I was listening to the myriad of bird calls and trying to identify each of them.
ReplyDeleteSome are easy - the big sulphur crested cockatoos, the plovers, the currawongs and the magpies but in the background I can hear the more subtle calls of the sparrows, wagtails, rosellas, pigeons cooing and dancing.
Truly, they are the sounds of spring - let us hope it has finally arrived!
JohnD: Nice to hear about another bird tragic. We are getting pretty good at identifying birds by their calls - and delight in them all, including the far from musical cockatoos and wattlebirds.
DeleteWell! A bird that sounds like he's got a personality! I love the upside down pictures. What a guy. :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: Personality plus. Some might even say Poisonality. The cats certainly would.
DeleteThey are very vocal at the moment, where I am.
ReplyDeleteJ Cosmo Newbery: They are the first birds I hear in the morning - and start very early indeed.
DeleteWhat a cocky little charmer. Especially upsidedown.
ReplyDeleteCamellias seem to be one of their favourite food sources and they go right out on a limb to get to the blooms. A wonderful sight. They quite like apple as well which surprised us.
DeleteWhat a co-operative subject! Lovely pictures of the cheeky little chap!
ReplyDeleteMolly: That bird seemed more than happy to have its photo taken - and we were happy to take them. Win/win.
DeleteLovely photos. There are similar birds here at my place on Mount Tamborine...and they, too, rule the roost. Cheeky little things. They have all the larger birds bluffed from the kookaburras, crows, currawongs and maggies; it's quite amazing just how unafraid they are. I allow my two furry, four-legged rascals out for only an hour or so, sometimes much less, first thing in the morning...and I always know where they are and when they're about to arrive back in through the door because those little birds herald their whereabouts!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog. I hope I'm welcome to visit again. :)
Lee: Welcome and thank you very much. Of course you are welcome to visit again. Whenever you like. Wattlebirds are fairly widespread here, and yes, they are bossy little beasts. Our cats also go out for a brief time each morning. Up to an hour, and often much less.
Deletewonderful photos of the bird
ReplyDeleteAdam: Thank you very much. I do like your regular visits.
DeleteGreat shots. I love the stroppy expression on his face - especially #3. "Don't mess with me!" he seems to be saying...
ReplyDeleteAlexia: Thank you. He/she probably is saying something along those lines, and probably not politely either. I get scolded almost every time I go in or out the front door.
DeleteYou take the most amazing pictures - I can't believe so much wildlife is literally at your doorstep.
ReplyDeletePunching well above its weight...being a petite person, I like that ;)Not that I'd try to swoop anyone!
Riot Kitty: We are very, very lucky. And of course we feed the birds which does encourage them.
DeleteThank you EC for featuring the wattle bird and those beautiful photographs. We have them here too but they are slightly different to look at. They are always going mad at someone or something and seem to have no fear. Fortunately they don't seem to worry our cat at all. I remember years ago when MOH were setting up our tent in a caravan park in Busselton we must have chosen a spot very close to a wattle bird's home and he (I think it was a he) kept "swearing" all the time the tent was being set up. I think he eventually decided we weren't going to do any harm but each day you'd see him and he'd still be chatting at us.
ReplyDeleteMimsie: I can't remember whether the wattlebird you would be likely to see is the little wattlebird or the yellow wattlebird. It seems the character doesn't change though. Stroppy little charmers.
DeleteHe's quite the personality isn't he?
ReplyDeleteI thought about buying a bird book to identify some of the birds around here. Then I look outside and see a magpie, and there's another magpie, ooh look! a magpie! *sigh*
River: One of the reasons we get so many is that we feed them. Though the garden also helps.
DeleteIf you're small, you have to be feisty! (said by a very short person :))
ReplyDeletejenny_o: Loud smiles here. I once was short but am now tall.
DeleteSuch a sweet looking bird, then you hear it's "song"! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful bird, you get the best photos.
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: Thank you. We get some wonderful birds posing for us.
DeleteBonza photos, especially the three photos of he/she upside down having a feed and the third photo giving you a angry look as if to say get out of my face.
ReplyDeleteWindsmoke: I am certain that they swear - at me, and at the cats and other birds as well. A bird of character.
DeleteRemarkable how you can post so many of such consistently high quality! It's always a joy to visit.
ReplyDeleteDave King: Thank you. Lots. I am essentially a happy snappy - but digital cameras give me leeway to make mistakes.
DeleteHis haughty face in picture number three says it all: "How DARE you!"
ReplyDeleteKath Lockett: Yup.
DeleteWhat wonderful pictures. Your posts are always so interesting.
ReplyDeleteStarting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe: Thank you very much.
DeleteI love how he is looking straight at you in that one pic. :)
ReplyDeleteLynn: It was certainly watching in most of the pictures (except when its beak was buried in a camellia) but the full frontal said it all about the attitude. You are on my turf, not me on yours
DeleteLynn: It couldn't certainly see us (except when the beak was buried in the camelias) but that full frontal said it all. You are in my space, not me in yours.
DeleteI love the cocky little birds who hold their on in a bird eat bird world. He/she is really very pretty and though lacking a beautiful song, he has much humor and beauty to contribute to those of us who watch and an important job in his natural role. Your pictures are "picture perfect". Love the post ...
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From The Sol
Andrea: We have gained a whole new understanding of 'pecking orders' since birds became an obsession. I had always thought that size matters. Well, sometimes. Feistiness is often more important.
DeleteI think I love these little fellas--right up until they build a nest in my own front yard, lol! Gorgeous photos, and I loved your descriptions!
ReplyDeleterunningfromhellwithell.com: I am glad that Wordpress let you visit today. We love these birds - aggressive or not.
DeleteThat last shot looks so neat! Crisp resolution of it working upside down. The bird has a bit of a regal severity to it, which is most amusing when it's dangling.
ReplyDeleteJohn Wiswell: The camellias are prime favourites and they spend a lot of time buried in them. And you are right about the regal attitude versus the dangle thing.
DeleteA boid post, preceded by a kat post. Who would have thunk it? Boids and kats CAN be friends, else they wouldn't appear on the same blog, would they?
ReplyDeleteThe kats would like to have a very different friendship. 'Come to dinner' they say. 'What's on the menu?' 'You'.
DeleteThe cats spend very little time outside now and fortunately have not had a self serve dinner in a very long time.
I am always in awe of photographers that can "do" birds so well. Every one of your birds photographs tell a story :-)
ReplyDeletefarawayinthesunshine: Welcome and thank you. We have many, many birds visiting, so we get a lot of opportunity to take their photographs.
DeleteAmazing photos, I love his/her little yellow patch and orange eys. Those claws and beak look very sharp though
ReplyDeletebugerlugs63: Wattlebirds are not big birds. They are also nectar eaters. The claws hold them on branches (upside down or not) and the beak dives deep into the blooms for its food. I suppose the claws would scratch a little if they landed on you, and the beak would hurt if they pecked you - but both are very unlikely to happen. You would need to have it cornered and frightened. They swoop the cats to move them away, and just swear at me.
DeleteIf we had this species I know I'd love'm. Birds with an attitude tend to be high on my preferred list - especially those who wake "well before the first sparrow fart"!
ReplyDeleteRon Dudley: Not only do they wake well before sparrow fart, they are noisy with it. They are almost always the first bird I hear in the morning and, unmusical as they are, it is a sound which is quintessentially Australian. And yes, I love them for their attitude as well.
DeleteSuch a cute bird and great photos. I love the third one down where he is looking straight at the camera.
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Looking straight at us, staring us down, as only a wattlebird can.
DeleteYou take such beautiful shots. The grace of birds is a wonder. Even hanging upside down they're graceful. We've been bidding goodbye to the Canada geese as they go south for the Winter. So loud from so far away!
ReplyDeleteAustan: Watching/hearing the geese going south would be incredible. They are such big birds, and so graceful in the sky.
Deletesuch a fun series!
ReplyDeleteAloha from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
> < } } ( ° >
Cloudia: Thank you.
DeleteWhat pretty shots of this lovely bird.
ReplyDeleteladyfi: Thank you.
DeleteNonmusical but kinda cute, I dare say...and he can appreciate your lovely flowers :). The first two photos are magical, lovely lovely lady :).
ReplyDeleteunikorna: We think he is cute, and as a nectar eater he loves our garden.
DeleteSome day, I shall travel widely, if only to see the birds.
ReplyDeleteI do love the birds.
Pearl
Pearl: We love the birds as well, and every continent, every country has ones I would love to see.
DeleteDear EC, red wattle looks imperious! Peace.
ReplyDeleteDee: The Red Wattlebird is an imperious bully. With a lot of charm.
DeleteI love the red wattle bird!! I like birds with personality and the gumption to swoop on cats... they usually deserve it! WOW!!! Fab photos, thanks so much for posting.
ReplyDeleteNicole Haller-Wilson: I don't mind him swooping the cats. I am a little less in love with him swearing at me. Which he does.
Delete