Sunday Selections was originally brought to us by Kim, of Frogpondsrock, as an ongoing meme where participants could post previously unused photos languishing in their files.
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. This is the one hundredth edition of Sunday Selections - which is quite amazing. I have contacted Kim, and she has said that she would try and join us again today I do hope so as her photos are always a quirky delight.
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 we were interrupted in our mid morning cuppa by a very, very noisy bird. It was a baby Currawong, a bird I am fond of despite its (at least partially deserved) bad reputation.
It was sitting in the tree outside our living room window begging. And begging. And begging. Its long suffering parent was giving it bits of apple. Each bite was swallowed quickly, and the begging began again. I am sorry that the bird's beak is partly covered in the final photo but I included it because it showed the wooliness of baby feathers. (As always, clicking on the photos will enlarge them).
It is a remarkably unmusical bird at this stage. And ungrateful too - its long suffering parent had given it (another) piece of apple and gone back down to get another when it flew away.
And, because it is after all very almost Christmas....
The meme is now continued by River at Drifting through life. This is the one hundredth edition of Sunday Selections - which is quite amazing. I have contacted Kim, and she has said that she would try and join us again today I do hope so as her photos are always a quirky delight.
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 we were interrupted in our mid morning cuppa by a very, very noisy bird. It was a baby Currawong, a bird I am fond of despite its (at least partially deserved) bad reputation.
It was sitting in the tree outside our living room window begging. And begging. And begging. Its long suffering parent was giving it bits of apple. Each bite was swallowed quickly, and the begging began again. I am sorry that the bird's beak is partly covered in the final photo but I included it because it showed the wooliness of baby feathers. (As always, clicking on the photos will enlarge them).
It is a remarkably unmusical bird at this stage. And ungrateful too - its long suffering parent had given it (another) piece of apple and gone back down to get another when it flew away.
And, because it is after all very almost Christmas....
We had currawongs at Tamborine and we loved them!
ReplyDeleteLike all the other meat-eaters, they'd follow us when we mowed or cut firewood.I liked seeing them swoop down from a tall tree, singing their coo-a roo song.
Thank you.
dinahmow: The adults' song is beautiful isn't it? We have a family of them who visit, and I am always surprised to see how much they like apple (green not red). They eat it very tidily too - unlike the cockatoos. The magpies treat apple with disdain, but eat the seed that the currawongs reject.
DeleteThe joys of parent hood.
ReplyDeleteWindsmoke: So they tell me...
Deletenice lesson! Thanks, pal
ReplyDeleteWith Aloha from Waikiki,
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° >
> < } } ( ° >
Cloudia: I am very glad you liked it.
DeleteWonderful photos of a Mother and her ungrateful child. I also enjoy your charming video, Thanks ~:)
ReplyDeletePam:): Thank you.
DeleteThose photos and videos are wonderful! Excellent clarity in the photos, awesome!
ReplyDeleteI also like the Currawong. They're not found in W.A. and so, I was entranced by their distinctive call even before I saw them in the flesh - no, feather - for the first time, when we moved over here.
They are beautiful, big strong birds with incredibly piercing eyes (and beaks).
Knowing their "reputation", I'm just glad that I'm far too large to be considered their prey :)
We have the equally demanding magpie clan residing here. Three delightful, impatient, vociferous youngsters hounding mum and squabbling amongst themselves!
They are real characters :)
Vicki: We are lucky enough to have both Currawongs and Magpies - though rarely at the same time. Big, beautiful and cheeky birds both.
DeleteLove the birds and the stars.
ReplyDeleteLynn: The birds are stars.
DeleteLovely! I have never seen a currawong, and this post sent me off to google them - I wanted to find out about their 'bad reputation'. Thank you for introducing me to another Australian bird, EC.
ReplyDeleteSeason's greetings to you and the SP ( and your beautiful Jazz and Jewel)- you are a star, in my opinion.
Alexia: Thank you. We have a family of currawongs. They are cheeky and engaging. Love them - but I didn't appreciate the youngster whinging.
DeleteThank you for your good wishes - which are of course returned. And thank you for the compliment as well.
I suppose the young of any species are somewhat demanding. :) We have sandhill cranes here in Florida that swoop right over your head and remind me of pterodactyls!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful holiday!
Laura Eno: Our galahs look positively prehistoric when they put their truncated crests up. It is often very easy to see that birds are descended from dinosaurs.
DeleteNow that's something I cannot see in Minnesota! I rather like noisy, insistent birds.
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas to you.
Kathleen Cassen Mickelson: We like them too - Happy Christmas to you and yours.
DeleteI thought that was a large baby bird until I saw the size of the mom in the video!
ReplyDeleteLove your flashy stars.
Karen: They are quite big birds. I can alter the speed at which the stars flash as well - right up to almost strobe-light speed.
DeleteWhat interesting birds! I am so glad to have met you this year, and I look forward to sharing your life in the coming years ahead. Sending you many cyber hugs, too.... :-)
ReplyDeleteDJan: The pleasure is mine. I love coming on your hikes with you, pain-free and dry. Have a wonderful Christmas - and the cyber hugs are returned with interest.
DeleteMy friend,
ReplyDeleteAnd you have marked this celebration of your 100th Sunday Selections with a marvellous collection of such a magnificent bird. Ah, I rejoice in the wonders of nature and you have delighted me with this. May your stars shine brightly :)
In kindness,
Geoffrey the garden gnome.
Geoffrey the garden gnome: Welcome. I am very happy to have you here, and even more happy that you liked the currawong. May your's, Penny the internet super star's and Gary's stars burn brightly this coming year.
DeleteLove seeing your birds! Ungrateful youngun! Love your pictures and video.
ReplyDeleteI took some pictures of the snow. Will upload them as soon as I can.
Teresa: I am looking forward to your snow photos - and am happy that you enjoyed the baby currawond.
DeleteI'll have to count my family of currawongs later today...one may have been paying you a visit, EC!
ReplyDeleteI have a huge natural, open-air aviary here, too...kookas, currawongs, butcher birds, maggies and a family of crows. The crows are last on the pecking order. The maggies serenade me every day...they sit out on my barbecue table and sing to me through the front screen door...this happens daily for quite a length of time. I love having the birds around...and they do keep watch on my movements. They have their sentry posts manned/birded every day!
EC...I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas...relax and enjoy it. And may 2013 treat you well...and may all your dreams and hopes come to fruition. Take care. :)
Lee: The open-air aviary is a huge time waster (not) here as well. It is a source of never ending joy to see which birds are visiting. We often have representatives from six or seven native species a day, and welcome them all.
DeleteThank you so much for your seasonal wishes - and to you...
Enjoy the holidays! The only birds I see regularly here are 1) crows and 2)seagulls, coming to fast food parking lots to eat french fries. I am not making this up.
ReplyDeleteRiot Kitty: We get crows and seagulls as well (despite being several hours away from the ocean). I hope you holidays (and your black panther) treat you kindly.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing. Those babies must be similar to magpies. I remember where I worked years ago (it was set in a pine forest at that time) and there used to be lots of magpies. You would see the babies out in the parking area asking their parents for food and they were as big as their parents and could feed themselves. They always seemed to be hungry. Very noisy too. Currently at our place the magpies have departed and now it is mainly crows we see and hear plus honeyeaters and the occasional willy wagtail.
ReplyDeleteMimsie: Like the magpies they beg for food when they look quite capable of feeding themselves. I read that magpie chicks' beaks are too soft for our baked hard summer ground which is why they continue begging. Which makes sense.
DeleteSuch a cute baby bird. Mostly I can't tell one bird from another, the only ones I know for sure are magpies, crows, kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, yellow (sulphur?)crested white cockatoos and there's a small hawk I see sometimes. Lately, all I've seen here are the cockatoos and lorikeets. I should buy a book on SA birds.
ReplyDeleteRiver: It gets to be an obsesion quite easily. Our bird book lives in the book case by the door and is opened very regularly. And I bought an updated one as well a little while ago. As if I didn't have enough obsessions...
DeleteWhat charming shots! I guess the bird is like most youngsters - ungrateful and yet totally adorable.
ReplyDeleteladyfi: The totally adorable bit is why they survive to grow up.
DeleteI don't pay that much attention to the daily habits of the many birds we see about. Because we do not feed them (one outdoor cat left!), we only see them passing by on their daily business. I love juncos; little well dressed birds. We have woodpeckers of all sizes working on our trees. And every summer we have nests full of hawk babies who are very vocal and spend another half day sitting on a branch swaking after their parents are fed up and gone. Then there are the wrens...
ReplyDeleteIt seems we have plenty of noticable birds after all.
Thanks for a look at yours. Have a wonderful Christmas; my regards to SP.
Joanne Noragon: I was getting excited just reading about your birds. The hawk babies would be amazing. And woodpeckers are so exotic, and, and, and. Happy Christmas to you and your family as well. Thank you.
DeleteThe videos were fun, the moreso for being from so far away.
ReplyDeleteSnowbrush: I am glad you liked them.
Deletehappy christmas old bean!
ReplyDeleteJohn Gray: Thank you. And to you.
DeleteI am pouting because I've recently upgraded to Windows 8 and apparently the video drivers in the world have not kept up speed and are not compatible with it. But I did love the pictures of the fuzzy baby.
ReplyDeleteCindi Clarke: I am so sorry that the videos were not compatible. He is a lovely fuzzy bird though.
DeleteI like seeing these birds moving....I really enjoy all the bird pics you have here
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas
Kim @ Stuff could...: Thank you, and a Merry Christmas to you and yours.
DeleteUbgrateful as it is, it's still a beautiful bird. I can just feel those downy soft feathers..
ReplyDeleteAnd love your stars! I hope you have a lovely Christmas- it's Christmas Eve afternoon already for you!
I do hope we meet someday.
Love and joy to you and yours. x
Austan: It is not only Christmas Eve, it is getting later (around 5 in the afternoon). I think I have done all that needs doing. I hope I have.
DeleteAnd yes, I would love to meet you - your drive and commitment are inspirational.
LOve the last shot... Merry Christmas to you and to SP.... it's been quite a year!!!
ReplyDeleteLove C&C
Christine: Thank you - it has been a year and a half, and sadly the coming year will contain more of the same. I hope you are recovering well. Happy Christmas to you both.
DeleteA lovely post, you do have the most wonderful birds over there. Merry Christmas and A Very Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteDeniseinVA: Thank you - and the same to you and yours.
DeleteUngreatful children as they are, in a year they will be serving up to their own young on demand. Isn't nature just wonderful :)
ReplyDeleteLove your blinking stars and Christmas music ... I hope this new year brings you better times and good health. My heart goes out to you and SP for you have suffered a long painful year and bravely stood up to it ... better than most. All of those thoughts aside, I wish you a wonderful Christmas day and a hopeful New Year.
Andrea @ From The Sol
Andrea: Thank you so much. This year is also shaping up to be one of medical mayhem but hopefully this time it will go much better - and we will be over it by June or July.
DeleteI hope that your Christmas and New Year are filled with love and magic (and wonderful raptors for you to take photos of to share)
Looks like a bird with "attitude". I like it.
ReplyDeleteDon QuiScottie: It does have attitude - but then so do a surprising number of our birds. Cockatoos, magpies, wattlebirds, corellas, crimson rosellas - and the list goes on. Wonderful.
DeleteHaha, why did I like the sound effect behind those flashing stars?
ReplyDeleteJohn Wiswell: I cannot even remember what program it was - but it did suit the stars.
DeleteThey are so marvelous and carnivorous looking! My favorite kinds of birds are the pushy ones with obnoxious voices that others might find off-putting. Thank you for that. Larry enjoyed hearing them squawk, too (he's next to me).
ReplyDeletePaper Chipmunk (aka Ellen): They are omniverous - are partial to apple, but also very fond of those people who give them minced meat or bacon. The adults are quite musical but the youngsters whinge incessantly.
DeleteAfter the cold snap here all the birds seem to have disappeared and I put up bird feeder and not a one has discovered it. I just can't believe it so I am patiently waiting for at least one to appear, the squirrels tried to get in but I have a baffle and they can't reach it. happy holidays to you.
ReplyDeleteLinda Starr: I do hope that by now the birds have found your bounty. Sorry for my delay in responding - the computer has had an expensive hospital stay.
DeleteAwww the life of a bird parents... All work no joy ;-)
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays to you Soosie :-)
farawayinthesunshine: Happy holidays and a beautiful New Year to you too.
Delete