Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Wet and Aggressive Corella challenges Magpie

Sunday 31 March 2013

Sunday Selections #114

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.  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.  There was a very spectacular sunset the other night, and I was going to run with that.  And then I reviewed the photos of the galahs who have been visiting us this week.  All of these are much sleeker than the moth-eaten baby galah of last week.

Cheeky (and as the photos will show) greedy and not very patient.  Clicking on the photos will embiggen them for further detail.  The blurring of wings in many of these photos was galahs landing, galahs being evicted, galahs jockeying for position...













63 comments:

  1. If I were as gorgeous as a galah, I'd probably act like a diva too. :-) They're sure beautiful! (Love the one peeking in from the upper right corner of the frame in the last shot!) :-)

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    1. Wow, I've never been your first commenter before! WHOO-HOO!! :-)

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    2. Laloofah: Galahs are not high in the pecking order here and make the most of any chance they have to get to the feeder.
      They are gorgeous birds, but not quite as diva like as some of our other visitors.

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    3. I'm surprised. Elegant and beautiful as they are, they look like they could kick some serious butt! Guess that's just among themselves. :-)

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    4. Laloofah: They outrank the sparrow, the pigeons, the eastern rosellas and the King Parrots. They are seriously outranked BY the cockatoos and the corellas. The crimson rosellas will give them a run for their money too. And of course the magpies and currawongs are higher up the chain as well. I find the whole question of pecking order fascinating. Size is by no means everything.

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  2. They look so satiny and soft...look right lovely on a fancy hat (oops did I say that out loud?).

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    1. mybabyjohn/Delores: Planning an Easter bonnet are you? First catch your galah - and those beaks are strong...

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  3. Beautiful Easter birds! I wonder where they hid all the eggs!! ;)

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    1. Lee: Wherever they hid them they were very clever about it. It is nearly nine and I haven't found one.

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  4. There is no way that feed dish could ever be big enough!

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    1. Birdie: That is the smaller of our feed dishes and similar scenes were taking place only feet away on the big feeder. However, there is one bird which really, really crowds the feeders. I will try and photograph them in the act and post it for you.

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  5. Beautiful and so colorful!

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    1. Cindi Summerlin: Thank you - they are both of those wonderful things.

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  6. As beautiful as these are, I was distracted by Mistress Snark. Details?

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    1. Riot Kitty: Mistress Snark is a dark, dangerous and delightful woman. I was privileged to be invited to afternoon tea with her (and Jezebel) and had a wonderful time. You can find my afternoon tea here http://lauraeno.com/2013/02/05/tuesday-tea-mistress-snark-10/
      They usually take place on Tuesdays and are always a delight. For April during the A to Z challenge things will be a little different - but still well worth visiting.

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  7. I know there are many deadly creatures in your land, but the extraordinary beauty of others is enchanting. A very seductive mix, the gorgeous and dangerous. Thank you!

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    1. Austan: Fortunately I see the beautiful ones much more often. I don't do snakes at all well. We do have red back spiders but I keep an eye out for them and have never had any trouble.

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  8. They look very cute, but I suspect they're anything but. A galah's eye is a knowing one. Gorgeous colours.

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    1. Arija: They are less destructive and less noisy (when adult) than either the cockatoos or the corellas. The young are viley noisy and beg and beg and beg and beg. Last year we saw an adult bird (parent we assumed) reach over and rap a begging youngster on the top of its head. Hard. And we were very relieved when it silenced the youngster in question. For quarter of an hour.

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  9. Oh! They are simply gorgeous, even if they are a bit on the cheeky side. Most birds are constantly trying to find their place in the pecking order. These are so pretty; I know nothing about them. :-)

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    1. DJan: They are pretty and are with us all year round. The adults bring the young ones to visit us - and we feel so privleged.

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  10. I have never seen these birds before- they are really pretty. I bet they are loud though – we had a cockatiel once and he was a talker! I do mean he talked – he said “how are you?” “Bon appétit” and more.

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    1. Vagabonde: They are very pretty birds but, like most Australian birds, not precisely musical. They don't talk but squwark. And shriek. I love them though.

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  11. Looks like a whole heap of youngns have taken charge of your feeders. I am always glad when our big flock diminishes and moves on. A few galahs re decorative but a hundred nipping off the leaves and twigs off your gumtrees and screeching day and night, are no longer a treasure.
    Hope both you and the Skinny Portion is well enough to enjoy Easter.

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    1. Arija: Adolescents, young adults and a few who have not long fledged. We don't get the huge flocks here, but even fifty or sixty of them are noisy and destructive. Less so than either the cockatoos or corellas though.
      Thank you. The skinny one is doing well - which is good because we are told the next (and hopefully the last) surgery will take place in about two months.

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  12. what a beautiful decolletage those birds have... gorgeous!

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    1. Sherri Abendroth: Sorry, blessed blogger had decided you were spam. They do indeed, though I hadn't thought of it in that light before - thank you.

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  13. WOW! I can't believe the colors. So pretty!

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    1. Teresa: Our dawns often come in galah colours - soft greys and pinks. Like the birds, always a delight to see.

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  14. I saw your comment on my post and will check it out!

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    1. Riot Kitty: I will be interested to know what you think of it.

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    1. Karen: I knew you would be happy to see them. They are such wonderful birds.

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  16. What a delightful series of shots!

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    1. ladyfi: Thank you. Galahs are clowns, noisy, destructive and always welcome here.

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  17. What beauties! Loved the word "embiggen" - gonna have to add that one to my repertoire.

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  18. What gorgeous, cheeky birds you are blessed with to view! I'd never get any writing done if I had that view out my office window. Wonder what my cats would think? ;)

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    1. Laura Eno: The cats would very much like a bird or two to call their own. Tough. Look, but don't touch.

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  19. Gorgeous! The one in the first photo is posing in her Easter bonnet :)

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    1. Carol Kilgore: It does look a little like a very stylish hat doesn't it?

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  20. •*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•
    ::: (\_(\ ...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...::::::::::::::
    *: (=' :') :: Happy Easter! :::::::::::::::::::::
    •.. (,('')('')¤...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...*...:::::::::::
    ¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸

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  21. So lucky to have those precious animals right in your backyard!

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    1. Wendy aka Quillfeather. Yes - and we know it, and welcome them whenever they wish to visit. Which to our joy is almost every day.

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  22. Beautiful birds! And what a lovely word---embiggen! I'm envious I didn't coin it myself!

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    1. Molly: Embiggen was introduced to me by another blogger - and I love it.

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  23. You certainly have much more colourful birds than we do.

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    1. Don QuiScottie: But yours have nicer voices...

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  24. There is a lot of polliticking going on with those galahs.

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  25. I can't get over how beautiful they are, all pink and grey. Perhaps you've already said, and I missed it, but how big would an adult be? Their wingspan looks wider than I would have expected.

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    1. jenny_o: They are not a very big bird - the body is about 14 inches or so, and yes, their wingspan looks disproportionately large. They are another bird which disappears surprisingly well in our eucalypts or just head down on the ground. The young ones are much less vivid which is probably an additional survival mechanism.

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  26. Ah, they're a bit bigger than I estimated. Thanks for the info, EC!

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  27. i love galahs! if i see them by the road i always slow down just a bit to appreciate them

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    1. kylie: They are enchanting birds aren't they?

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  28. Aaargh! Dealing with a seriously slowed internet at the moment! The pics won't load :(
    Will comment on your (what must be) wonderful photos at the end of the week :)

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    1. Vicki: When you are ready - and our internet is on go slow too.

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  29. Dear EC, the gulahs put on quite a show for your enjoyment. They are like their own television channel--a new program every few minutes! What a hoot! Peace.

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    1. Dee: You are right - except that the galahs (and all the other birds) are so much better than almost any television program. And it is a screech rather than a hoot (not musical birds at all).

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  30. How gorgeous to see their wee lives captured by you. Wonderful photos & commentary. Just love it :)

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    1. wordsfallfrommyeyes: Thank you. They are a never ending source of joy.

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